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NW IA | The subjects of weight and health occasionally come up unbidden in conversation. There are a few things I find impossible to convey to almost anybody.
I am not starving or hungry. I am more content in relation to food than ever. You can skip the rest of this.
If someone is aware of the fact that I have lost weight they will say something like, "Well, I admire your will-power, good for you, but I just can't do it, I don't want to be hungry all the time; and believe me I've tried it."
I wish I could define being satiated. It must just be that you have to get to the point where you experience for yourself by trial what it is to Look Forward to a meal as opposed to being Hungry, famished, etc. I still enjoy food, but feel that the tables have been turned, I control what I eat rather than what I eat controlling me. That is a very satisfying place to be mentally.
I remember many years ago my dad asked a friend how he had lost an amazing amount of weight. He responded angrily and almost in tears, "It's easy, I am always just so _____ hungry!" It was the era of reduced calories and 100% fat free everything, healthy whole grains, run run run, and on and on; a form of mind over matter and pure torture. This is still the picture that comes to the mind of most overweight people when they contemplate an effort to address their condition. Bacon and eggs and steak and greens and massive salads with good tasting ingredients etc. is not what comes to mind.
Another comment, "You can't eat any of the things you used to love." Smashed 'taters, pizza, bread, baked goodies, maybe the Big Four? I have had a spoonful of mashed potatoes once and a few pieces in a stew etc. Pizza maybe twice? Bread, never that comes to mind (or breakfast cereal). Have had an inch square bar with coffee a few times, only inside an 8 hour window, I think that's important. Any temptation to snack comes more from boredom than craving sweets.
Anyone who knows me at all would be lying if they claimed to know a living being more addicted to sweets than I was!
(I would put the preceding sentence in all caps if it weren't so annoying.)
I will say the thing that will trigger me is chocolate and nuts combined. All the rest, no cravings, that is close to miraculous.
Tastes and preferences change. Mashed potatoes? It had been several months since I allowed myself any, and I haven't had any since. My reaction after so long an abstinence was, What's all the fuss about? They were no big deal. Something had changed. Pizza? Pretty sure it's been twice, both times it felt polite in a social setting to eat what was offered, the only negative was not feeling 100% afterward, but not terrible, just a bit of a shock to the system dumping carbs into it after a long absence. And I just don't care for the stuff anymore.
It was mentioned in a video I watched that lchf/keto is nearly impossible in a "house divided" and a big contributor to failure. My wife does not participate in LCHF. One example, our contrasting views of breakfast, hers - the most important meal of the day, my view - the most deadly meal of the day ( waffles pancakes cereal juice= carb minefield ) No kidding, I am at the point of enjoying eating breakfast at 10 pm, easy to do with livestock to mess with.
I am kind of on my own, with concessions made on her part in meal menus and preparation, and so far have made it work. I can see it being hard if one person was No-fat and counting calories and the other was S.A.D where it would be torture.
I have to admit that an aspect of this that may make it easier for me is the fact that I did not start out with any intention of losing weight. I just wanted to feel better and John Burns links pointed to understanding fat, carbs, and circulation. (Dr David Unwin, "Did We Blame Salt for what Sugar Did" and David Diamond on cholesterol being a couple of early influences)
To the point- it's easier to stay on track when my old body reminds me that along with being 40 lbs lighter, "You don't want to feel that way again."
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Observations From the Keto Front
