After much deliberation and encouragement from Greg, we decided to start a blog (when I say we, I mean me) that ties into our YouTube channel. I believe this additional outlet will help us continue to be accountable on our journey. And gives us the opportunity of additional feedback from the online Keto Community.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ourunscriptedketolifestyle
On the home page, we posted our Whys. “Why” is a somewhat new buzz word today when it comes to weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes – what is your Why? I think it’s very important to establish your Why when it comes to embarking on these types of changes. Write it down somewhere you can refer back to it when needed. It doesn’t have to be all philosophical, make it a simple phrase or sentence – as long as it gets your message across to you. Put it on your phone’s lock screen, your bathroom mirror, your computer monitor, or anyplace that you look at on a regular basis. This constant reminder of why you decided to make your change(s) will help reaffirm your resolve. Reading it again and again helps if you are on the struggle bus…and it’s likely that you will be at some point in your journey. It’s your pep talk from yourself. Also, let friends and family know your Why, if you’re comfortable doing so. That way, if you reach out to them during your more struggling times, they can remind you of your Why and offer encouragement.
In addition to our Whys, we also wanted to give some background on how we got to where we are now. We were both aware at a younger age that we weren’t the same general size as everyone else, but seemed to be ok with it. It makes me wonder how many others accepted the same thing when they were kids/teens. I didn’t put it in my Why, but it was also around middle school for me when I started down the path to Chunky-ville. It was super noticeable in my 8th grade school pictures. I remember being embarrassed because a high school kid on my bus made fun of my picture….but denial, when it comes to yourself, is a very powerful thing. Denial, I think, is what propelled me through most of my life when it came to what I was eating and my health. That kid didn’t know what he was talking about, I was not chunky. Everything was fine.
For me, eating has always been a challenge, I used to be a very picky eater. As a kid, whenever my mom made homemade pizza, she’d leave all toppings off a section. Yes, that was just sauce – no cheese, no meat (occasionally some ground beef), no veggies. Just sauce & crust. Before you ask, no, it’s not the same as having breadsticks and dipping them in sauce. There IS a difference. LOL, I’ve been asked that a lot. This weird way of eating pizza followed me into my adult life. Until recently, I never felt the need to try anything different.
Because I was so picky, I tried to avoid going over to friend’s houses until after mealtimes as much as possible. The exception being a close friend that was aware of my pickiness. If I couldn’t avoid the meal, and it was something I didn’t think I’d like, I’d play the “I’m not hungry” game. I look back on that now and wonder what my friend’s parents thought of me. At the time, I thought I was pretty convincing. Probably not.
Later in life, there was a time that I refused to eat red meat, claiming I was trying to be somewhat vegetarian. For a long, long time, I would only go to restaurants that I knew served chicken strips, and if I couldn’t get that, I’d get a Caesar salad with chicken. I ensured that my new food experiences flatlined and automatically said I didn’t like something, even though I may not have ever had it before.
Then I had my daughter, Morgan, and realized that I didn’t want her to go through the same things that I did. There were always comments from friends and family, and on the exterior, I laughed with them or brushed it off. But on the inside I was embarrassed, ashamed of, and angry with myself. Why couldn’t I be like everyone else? I got fed up with trying to figure out how to avoid situations so people wouldn’t think I’m weird. So I started forcing myself up to open up to new things. I wanted to be a better role model for Morgan.
While I thought I broke out of my food shell, I realize now that I pretty much just poked a hole in it. I still refused a lot of things and continued to come up with all kinds of reasons why I couldn’t try them. Because it was easy, most of the time when Morgan was at her dad’s, I’d grab a bag of pretzels or a box of crackers and call that dinner. And all the soda, holy crap, I think I could fill a lake with the amount of soda I’ve drunk in my life. Instead of coffee in the morning, I’d have a 20 oz. Coke. Then for lunch, I’d have another 20 oz. Coke. And for dinner, if I wasn’t feeling a Smirnoff Ice or some other similar drink, it would be a 20 oz. Coke. I hardly ever drank water. Some break out. I became aware of my shortcomings, and while I did keep chipping away at the hole for the sake of my daughter, I unfortunately didn’t chip enough. It seemed she was destined to turn out just like me, but in her own way.
It wasn’t until I met Greg that I really started hacking away at that shell. I don’t know if it was his unyielding persistence for me to try new things (he didn’t buy ANY of my excuses and called me out on my BS), or if I was just getting bored with eating the same thing day in and day out. Maybe it was both, with a strong lean towards his pestering. Either way, my pallet expanded drastically. And since starting Keto, I have expanded it even more. I still have texture issues, and I’m not sure how to get around that, other than constant exposure….but baby steps on that one. My other main issue of not wanting foods to be mixed together has pretty much been resolved. I am now more open-minded when it comes to trying new things, and I am often the one that says, “Hey, let’s try this!”
Luckily, Morgan has had a similar change in the last few years. I like to attribute some of that to me, some to Greg, and some to her dad and step-mother. Her step-mother is Brazilian and has opened up a whole culture’s worth of different and new dishes for Morgan. I think the kid eats a bigger variety than I do now! Parenting win for all!
Suffice it to say there is another love in my life, and it goes by the name Keto. If this carbivore can give up sugar and carbs, anyone can.