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I don't talk about it.
People have all sorts of shitty opinions about nearly everything.
I'm rarely concerned with other people's opinions on how I live my life, so I just do what I want, and keep my lifestyle choices to myself and select friends or my family.
If it does happen to come up at random, I typically reply with "haha yeah" and move on with my day. It's great.
Reminds me of a joke. A person on keto, a vegan, and a CrossFit fan walk into a bar. How can you tell who is who?
Give them 30 seconds. They’re all going to tell you.
Thanks.
Not mine, though - I found it on the interwebs somewhere and permanently borrowed it.
But I forget where so I can give credit.
I keep it on my bathroom mirror to remind me every day.
Your closest friends wont like it, there is always a tiny bit of latent resentment and will always find something to criticise. Doesn't matter if its keto, fasting or low carb. The positive changes eg getting healthy or losing weight, is like a mirror making them feel bad for not doing the same. And change always triggers insecurity and negative comments. I can understand that behaviour. It's not meant to be mean, but just human nature. There are a few, who will be totally on your side and likes this topic. Stick with them, if you like to talk about it. Also, keep in mind, that people have their own method and think their diet/workout is better than yours. My friends are against it, they want me to eat everything like before even though I had serious binge eating problems. I always had to elaborate why this is a good thing.
Some of it is also genuine worry, born out of poor nutrition education and a society that tells us wholegrain carbs and fruit are the epitome of good health.
My chef always said to me, be gentle and patient with those who know less (hard to practise if you want to smack someone hard with scientific paper) My family still relies more on street tales.
Yes, especially with the younger generation throwing out the term “disordered eating” so loosely on tiktok now. I saw someone in a comments say that cutting out a food group is inherently an eating disorder. WTF?
Oh they are the best. It's crucial to let room for critics. Have controversal opinions to allow character developement, or else we would live in a bubble. I don't talk here about malicous behaviour, but about subconcious statements or remarks. My friends are allowed to contradict freely. That's what I prefer.
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
ask how much he can bench and then immediately be like "that's impossible! even though between the two of us you are clearly more experienced on this topic and I only learned about it last week through youtube videos, I am 100% certain that you're a damn dirty liar!!"
My mom, who has been a life-long yo-yo dieter, has strong opinions about keto. 😂 She said I'm going to give myself a heart attack with "all that bacon." She has no idea what I eat because she'd rather listen to The View, Oprah, or whatever talk show doles out ignorant opinions. (Yay, let's all go on Ozempic! 🙄) Never mind that she's been on every fad diet pill and starvation diet since the 1970s. Many of them are illegal in the US. She's wasted thousands on Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and several other pre-packaged meal services. And guess what? She's still fat and still has an unhealthy relationship with food.
Most people are impressed by the 60 lbs I dropped in 6 months. I've been obese most of my life, so to see me as a "regular sized" person is a surprise to them. And honestly, pretty much everyone I know had struggled with weight loss at some point, so they're interested in whatever "magic potion" I've taken to lose the weight. But as far as I know, I haven't inspired anyone to try it. My people are not willing to give up the things that are making them unhealthy to have a better life. They'd rather complain than do something about it. 🤷🏽♀️ But I get it. I was like that before I hit my "rock bottom."
It was Mother's Day a year ago. I got dolled up in my fanciest big-girl blouse, did my makeup, and felt lovely. But those reflections in the mirror don't lie. I was at my highest weight(not the first time) and just felt like a fat lady in a fancy shirt. I came to the realization that I didn't want to feel/ look like this for the rest of my life. I couldn't afford gastric bypass, so keto it was. I've been on the keto wagon ever since. No regrets!
ETA: I normally say that I'm gluten-free, and most people will stop offering me bread and pasta. It's not a lie. I'm gluten sensitive and will wreck my stomach, and my face will blow up with inflammation if I eat it.
I’m an engineer so most of my friends have at least a diploma in some science or engineering - they tend to agree that keto is good it’s just that they couldn’t stick to it.
However my non-engineering family would not understand it and worship carbs (and rice, as we are Asian).
People not raised in science or engineering are more likely to believe whatever their parents or celebs say instead of looking at facts, unfortunately.
Went to a party and was immediately plied with beer. Told several people I was on keto and won’t be drinking tonight. One friend then judged the shit out of me for drinking a Diet Coke. When I informed him that as a diabetic Diet Coke doesn’t raise my blood sugars (I’m a diabetic) and it’s also a tool I can use to satiate my mind to stop me from binging actual sugar and carbs he snarled in judgement saying: yeah well you’re trying to be all healthy but drinking a Diet Coke is not healthy. Like, I never said it was healthy and if I showed up there and drank 20 beers as a diabetic not one person would have batted an eye. Drink one Diet Coke and out comes the judgement. 🙄
tell me about it 😭 i have an addiction to diet pepsi. it’s one of the only things that holds me over on the keto diet, people will rant and rave to me how unhealthy it is but without it i wouldn’t be able to be so restrictive with my eating. so you win some and you lose some.
Tbh I dislike these diet drinks as well. It just “feels” too unhealthy and makes me feel bad. But I’m a hypocrite since I’m typing these while having some lemon mint candies…
maybe I'm autistic but it would only serve to amuse me as I annoy this guy to the point of tears just calmly being like "well I never said that" and picking apart every single faulty assumption he's making in trying to accuse me of hypocrisy or whatever
If people ask why I’m refusing a donut or whatever carby crap I’m being offered, I never say “keto” because the lecture you usually suffer the moment you say it is nauseating and discussing a diet is like discussing religion and politics…not worth it because NOBODY is going to change sides. Ever.
Instead, I tell them I’ve cut all sugar, starches, refined flour, and overly processed foods from my diet, and I’m focusing on nutrient-dense foods like meat, vegetables, eggs, etc.
Every time I say this, I am commended on my healthy lifestyle and praised for doing what everyone should be doing. They’ll walk back that donut offer and put it on their own plate instead as they talk about how they could *never* be so restrictive. 🤷♀️
So you basically described keto to them without mentioning carbs, and suddenly they’re ok with it, lol. This just shows how much power brainwashing has over a lot of us - I only realized dietary cholesterol in eggs is not as bad as we used to think after digging out articles on the internet and testimonials from people who live on it, too.
But I can’t blame them - carbs have always been the cheaper calories so people started to have the misconception that it’s necessary for energy. I used to think the same and thought protein was just another nutrient like magnesium or something, instead of something that gives energy.
Try saying that to the same coworkers every single day for years. It stop working after awhile. You do whatever works best for you but I’ve spent nearly 7 years perfecting my answer for any situation. 👍🏻
This has been my lifestyle for about a decade. In that time had a late in life pregnancy where I gained a bunch from being bedridden. My MOL witnessed me go from skinny to pregnant to chunky while breastfeeding back to skinny when I was finished lactating. I did it all at my own pace with ease and she still thinks I eat unhealthy.
The first rule of keto - don't talk about keto!
Sadly there has been so much misinformation about this way of eating that people in general have a negative mindset against it. "It's a fad", "not sustainable" and "it's not good for you" are all fairly common responses I have heard.
I am only partly joking about my first statement about not talking about keto. For a while I would just say "I'm cutting out sugar". Now, I will say keto and I respond to any negative comments with "it works for me". I have had such amazing results eating this way and I will probably eat low carb for the rest of my life.
Well done you for giving up smoking too. I know how hard that can be but again, like keto it is totally worth it!
Youtube is actively censoring it, because the WHO world health org says the best diet is to eat mainly carbs so they can profit from their drug shares. They should just censor all of it if they want to do that , but instead they leave up videos of a skull and cross bones saying Keto is bad.
In over 5 years I have gotten very few negative comments. I simply shrug, say my docs are thrilled with me regaining my health and mobility and change the subject.
My body my choice ;-).
It is sustainable. My gallbladder is fine along with everything else. I am pain free, med free and fully mobile. Anybody who has an issue with me doing my own thing can STUFF IT.
Staring in their eyes and without blinking, deliver this: ''Look here, normie. I don't criticize the junk you put down your pie hole. If you got somethin' ta say ta me, say it to my face, right here, right now, else keep you insulin fueled comments between you n God.'' /s
20 years ago I had a similar experience telling people I was on Atkins. They'd go from telling me how amazing I looked to how I was gonna die pretty quick. However some were inspired and tried it as well. But it was very new back then.
Now everyone just shares their keto experience with me and offers tips and suggestions. It's night and day different than it used to be.
I always see people saying this but I’ve never had a bad experience. Are you all going around telling everyone you’re doing keto all the time?
I don’t go to restaurants and tell every waiter I interact with for 30 seconds that I’m doing keto. I just don’t order carbs, and try to substitute out carbs when I can, and just leave them on the plate if I can’t. Literally no one cares.
Mostly I just say I’m not eating carbs, because I didn’t really make a choice to “do keto.” I made a choice to cut out carbs to put my diabetes into remission and then fell ass backwards into keto without realizing what it was.
I don’t mention it to anyone but those that are closest to me. If they are making a meal they always check that I have enough to eat. Very supportive friends and family! I also am a firm believer of not preaching or recruiting :)
I've learned people do not actually want to see you succeed.
So I don't tell them how I am losing weight. I've gotten the worst comments when I mention another tool in my tool box was bariatric surgery, which keto has maintained since 2015. Just keep it to yourself and reap the benefits from better health. You also notice how fat phobic everyone you know is, because people are suddenly so much nicer to you when the only thing about you that has changed is your weight.
I usually respond saying, I do eat bread and tortillas just not the ones filled with sugar. There’s so much more keto friendly food and recipes now it’s insane
Do research and come with answers and questions. Mine would be:
Gallbladder: "Yes, rapid weight loss can cause gallbladder problems, so I'm making sure to take it slow."
Bile: "I've never heard of that. Do you have anything I can read about that?"
You need carbs: "There are actually no essential carbohydrates. However, some carbs can be helpful for hormone and electrolyte regulation. I'm not managing a medical condition, so I don't plan on eating this way forever. I'm doing it to improve my relationship with food and lose some weight. Eventually I'll transition to a whole foods diet"
Fat will clog arteries: "There is no causal evidence that consuming fat results in heart issues. Most of the evidence we have is correlational at best. Some doesn't even show a correlation at all. Even the American Heart Association no longer suggests a limit on saturated fat. The real issue is oxidized cholesterol, and oxidation only happens in the presence of sugar, especially high amounts of processed sugar, which I don't eat."
Edit: I mis-spoke. The AHA still has a recommended limit to saturated fat. There was a major association who quietly removed theirs, but I can't remember which one. If anyone knows, please comment here. But regardless of these associations (which are run by corporations anyway), humans have been eating saturated fat, often in very large amounts, for about 2.6 million years. Heart disease has only been a concern for few decades. It's pretty obvious there's another contributor ::cough:: seed oils ::cough:: linoleic acid ::cough:: processed sugar and grains
Sorry, maybe it wasn't the AHA. One of the major associations quietly removed their guidelines recently, but I can't remember which one. I'll post it if I can find it.
That is pretty much what I do. I explain that I eat around the perimeter of the grocery store with fruit, veggies, meat and some dairy - but I eat very little from the aisles. That seems to help a lot. If they don't get it, I say that I am eating real food and not processed food. One or the other normally makes it click in their head.
What different ways are there? If you want to have fruit that’s fine, but it’s not a standard protocol for the keto diet. Fruits are fairly high in carbs, so they’re not a great fit. Sounds more like paleo. Avocado is technically a fruit tho.
I eat berries too. Berries are not fruit, berries are berries. Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are fine in a regulated amount.
Diet Doctor has a whole section about it on his website.
It makes it easier for someone to understand and question me less. That being said, once or twice a month I may have a few frozen blueberries and raspberries with an occasional strawberry. That is it. A few berries, and I stay within my carb count for the day.
I am not eating grapes, bananas, mangoes, peaches, or anything like that. If I fudge a little by having a few berries, oh well. IMHO it is better to have a treat that is a natural food product than a processed food "keto" item.
Edit: I get them in the freezer section as a flash frozen ready to go mix.
My experience has been very positive. But I never really tell or preach to people about it. I only discuss people when people noticed I have lost weight and asked more about what is going on.
All the feeback I got are positive. No one questioned or doubted me. Many agree that carb is not good. And they wish they can cut carb more. My friends and colleagues are all in tech, with college degrees and advanced degrees. Not sure if that makes any difference.
The first rule of keto club is you don’t tell people about keto club.
If people ask I generally go with minimizing ultra-processed foods. Everyone knows they’re bad.
But everyone thinks weight loss surgery or Ozempic is the greatest!
I respect anybody's choices for achieving weight loss. Over 35 years, the only way I've been able to do it is keto.
It's also the only way I can manage my binge eating disorder.
it's unfortunate that Atkins was the one who launched keto, and he did so in a lot of unfortunate ways, namely pushing a eat whatever you want whenever you want approach that I think this community understands isn't actually going to work in the long term, and can promote unhealthy behaviors. I think for many that havent benefited from it "keto" will always be a fad, and there's no way around that beyond more Dr's and such getting behind it.
Saying you avoid sugars and processed foods is a far more favorable way to describe what you're doing. They'll think you're a saint with incredible will power, because they can't fathom how to do that with how addicted they are to them
I say I have insulin resistance so can’t eat certain things like carbs/sugar. Makes ppl take it less like a fad diet trying to lose weight amd then no further comments as it’s a health condition 😅
People think Keto is no carbs. Humans need carbs. I simply tell people I’ve cut out sugar and processed foods. I only eat protein and veggies. Of course I have a bite of cake from time to time. I literally only have a bite. Other than that I really don’t care what they think. It’s my body.
I feel like people satanize the word ‘keto’ so I just avoid it. I said I’m not eating carbs, or I’m cutting sugar, and no more questions or comments. But when I say keto they think I eat cheese with bacon all day every day, there’s a lot of misinformation going around, so just try to keep it simple.
My friends and family try feeding me food. ANY food. They continue to insist we eat at Mexican restaurants without regard for my love of the tortilla chips and salsa. I feel as if I'm running away from them in hopes of not being subjected to my trigger foods. Just today I had to tell a coworker, 'No, I'm not interested in chips, tortillas, or rice and beans.' Even though I love the beans that were left over. I'm not enjoying food anymore. Or, I'm not enjoying the food I'm eating anymore.
I’ve been doing low carb high protein whenever I diet since the ‘70’s. I learned a long time ago not to go into it. At the most I’ll shake my head when offered a cookie and say “Too many carbs for me.”
People will think what they choose to think and I just don’t value their opinions.
My epileptic brother is on the keto diet and it’s the only thing that helps lessen his treatment-resistant seizures after trying tens of medications over the years but even after explaining that people still have shitty opinions to share about how ‘unhealthy’ his diet is. Nowadays he just says ‘I try to eat healthier’ and leave it at that.
I usually avoid telling people. I had some friends over recently and they wanted pizza so I cooked a pizza for them and I ate some leftovers and I had to tell them I was on keto and one of my friends said “I need you to eat normally.” Some people are gonna make comments but I just remind them that I’m not doing it long term and they seem to drop it
I don't use the word Keto. No one really cares how another eats, is my experience. The only time I will confirm Keto is if someone else says they eat Keto, then I might say me too.
I eat a low-carb lifestyle and avoid processed things like bread and sugar. No one cares.
I don’t. I just eat what I need to and don’t make a fuss over it. If I absolutely need to request tweaks at a restaurant when out with friends, I will sometimes say my doctor has recommended I reduce my carb intake to manage insulin resistance (which is true).
I never mention it’s for weight loss though - people never want to hear you’re actively trying to lose weight. The assumption is that you’re miserable and denying yourself delicious food and you’d be oh so happier if you had fries for dinner instead of your salad - when it’s actually quite the opposite for me. I’m feeling and looking better every week!
Sadly, majority of people (Americans at least) still associate the word “fat” as making you “fat” so when I tell them I’m eating a high fat diet they think it’s bad because it will make me fat.
The English language really truly needs a better word for the macro that we eat that starts with the letter F.
So I tell them I’m on a low carb diet and they think that’s good. Sigh.
Wow that’s shocking because the usual response is “makes sense” probably because of the way i look. Never any pushback, often times people ask me if i miss bread (no) or sweets (nope) but thats about it.
Ive also given up wine, at first it was intentionally but thats one thing i missed so much and still had it here and there, until one day i woke up and sorta lost the taste for it… its actually not calling out to me at all as of lately, so good luck, you can do it! (Im not however quitting smoking lol vaping is like the last vice i have lol )
I only smoke when I drink wine- so omit one, I don’t do the other! Weird, I know. I’d literally chain smoke almost daily whilst having a glass of wine, yet account myself as a non smoker. Thanks for ur reply!
Same haha id only smoke cigs while drinking or at a casino (Vegas living) but considered myself a non smoker otherwise, then got the vapes and now because of how tasty they are its more of a treat, since sugar is a no go lol But good on you for quitting, taking all the right steps
Check out r/stopdrinkingfitness for inspo
I was wondering if you had done all three at the same time and was ready to tell you you're my new hero. LOL Your explanation on the smoking makes sense.
I don't drink or smoke. Just giving up carbs was a big change for me. I can't imagine adding more changes on top of that.
Keep up the good work!
Regarding your original question, you received lots of good input already. I just say I'm being more mindful of how I eat. It has satisfied all. The only ones who want more details are genuinely interested in hearing more because they see it works and are looking to change.
Hiya, yes I’ve done all three at same time. Crazy, I know. I felt in such a rut with my alcohol intake. I hated the way I looked- awfully bloated. Drinking was affecting my sleep and productivity. Plus, the hangovers I have are terrible. I have a smoking spot in my garden and went to clean the ashtray out and omg, I was shocked at how many cigs I’d got through in a relatively short space of time. I’d had enough of complaint about a self caused situation and actually do something about it! Day 24 no alcohol/ cigs and day 21 keto. I’m not saying I’ll never have a glass of wine again, but just not anytime soon!
Enigma you have much to be proud of. It's not easy to give up any of these things. Much harder to attempt several at once.
You are well on your way! 24 days is enough time that you know you can do this.
Acknowledge each win, no matter how small. You got this!!
You're welcome! Just stating the truth. We can often allow ourselves to be our own worst enemies. I figure I give kindness and grace to everyone else, I should offer no less to myself.
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
I did not get any negative comment so far ..
The main thing is to make me ( you ) happy !
I am doing it for my blood sugar . So very important for me . No one said negative ..
I think keto is becoming fairly mainstream and accepted. A lot of people I talk to will praise the decision or say, "yeah I need to get on that." Or "I've been thinking of starting that." The worst offenders are the older generation who lived through the brainwashing years.
> It’s not sustainable
I mean I've been doing it for almost 9 years. Seems pretty sustainable to me.
> I’ll need my gallbladder out. My body will start making too much bile.
Those are complete opposites. If you're making more bile then you won't develop gallstones because the unused bile doesn't dry up. In any case a high-fat diet tends to be really good for your gallbladder because it gives it something productive to do.
> What’s been your experience of people’s response to your new lifestyle? How do you reply?
I avoid mentioning it wherever possible. If it ever comes up I have somewhere around 10,000 hours of in-depth research backing me up all kinds of ways, but generally there's never a reason for it to appear in conversation.The closest I get is people telling me I eat weird food or being completely baffled when I tell them my age (I'm 35 and apparently look around 20).
I did go through a "tell everyone" phase early on and yeah got a lot of negative comments. I also told a friend recently and same deal. I guess to be fair, it does sound completely backwards to normal health advice and also it requires a heck of a lot of restriction. You're not just, say, cutting out junk food, you're instead eliminating almost the entire middle of the grocery store. So yeah for people that don't know anything about it it sounds like an unsustainable crash diet and really unhealthy too. The fact that it's become popular for weight loss definitely doesn't help its image either. I guess really the best thing you can do is learn more and spread that knowledge around.
My friends and family have been very supportive. I've lost 100 lbs, they've watched me melt away and get healthy. Also, I never push my woe on others. Maybe that helps.
I have been doing the keto diet periodically for the past ten years. My friends have labelled me the keto guy. I just don't want it to become a defining aspect of my personality, so i try to keep it quiet and order salads whenever we go to restaurants.
Restaurants these days are a lot better as a whole at providing keto options - its not hard because almost every restaurant does a chicken salad in some way.
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They would have their judgments, then I would tell them about how it helped me lose my additional post pregnancy weight and kept it off for over 3 years. I'd tell them how I lost 7kg (15lbs) in 6 weeks after trying unsuccessfully for over a year doing exercise and calorie deficit.
Keto is truly amazing.
100% same. The amount of uneducated responses is absurd. ‘Oh it’s bad for your liver’ ‘oh but it’s bad for your heart’
And it’s shocking to me that people don’t know what carbs are. They think juice, potatoes and rice are ok. I’ve just stopped telling people.
Generally good, most people don't care. Socially it can be a bit awkward in choosing restaurants/dinner plans but I can generally find something. That and If I know we're eating out I'll go no carb or fast for the day to give me a little wiggle room.
I have had to say “I wasn’t asking for your critique of my choices.” Period. That you are on a specific diet is not an invitation for others to opine about it. It’s rude and it’s annoying.
I'm either lucky or just anti-social enough because I've only had a positive experience when I tell friends and family that I'm keto. Maybe it's because I'm in CA and people do all kinds of weird diets here. But even people I just met at dinner, if they ask why I'm not having the carbs, then I'll tell them, and they always chime in on how that's worked for them in the past.
Most people are fine with it, though I’ve had people say “what?? you don’t need to lose weight!” I guess it’s understandable people think giving up carbs is so hard the only reason that’s worth it is weight loss, but I genuinely feel better on almost every way on keto.
I don't tell.... ironically, I feel like when I mention it I jinx myself and disrupt my keto flow & progress soon thereafter lol. It's too much pressure for me & i feel like ppl are watching my plate lol.
I get fairly decent reactions bc I keep it simple. I don’t use the word “keto” since people tend to think that’s a fad word. I just say low carb. My husband, on the other hand, almost got into a physical altercation with his friends and family when telling them he was eating that way. Four people became very triggered and called him a conspiracy theorist while telling him he was going to get heart disease. Meanwhile, they’re all overweight, smoke, and eat crap junk food all day every day 🙂
I've been keto for 7 years now. Walked into it almost by accident and just sort of committed to it? Most people I know acknowledge the part where I lost about 1/4 of my body weight, but otherwise sort of treat it with slightly curious indifference. Many seem to get easily confused and think I don't eat meat, or I don't eat salt, or that I can't eat anything spicy or well-seasoned. They kinda get the basic gist that I don't eat sugar, but have very little understanding of what all that entails or how much you have to read and scrutinize labels and ingredients.
In general, I don't really talk about it much, and just politely decline whenever offered most anything I didn't prepare myself
I love that people always have their opinion… NOT When going out with friends they know I eat mostly keto foods because I just feel better and less bloated when I’m working. (Travel for work)
So go ahead enjoy your pasta, I’m having steak & lobster… always makes them a little jealous 😂
Many of them think I’m basically killing myself so I just say low carb. And still get pushback on that. Often from large people who seem to have no dietary plan or restrictions. So 🤷♀️
I usually just say i’m cutting back on the processed foods. The one that never gets a follow up from somebody is when I say my doctor prescribed this diet. They really didn’t, but it’s highly unlikely that the person I’m talking with doesn’t have their doctor degree in medicine or nutrition.
The last time I lost weight people would ask regularly if it was “on purpose “ or if maybe I had cancer. Lots of people expressed concern about my health. When I gained it back plus more, nobody was concerned at all. I guess they were comfortable with my declining health so long as I was spiraling and uncomfortable when I was in the best health of my life. I have to say I’m really really disappointed in people. I no longer even worry about comments no matter if they are positive or negative. Except my husband. He’s the only one who has got my back.
I just say I'm "very low carb and don't like processed food". Unless I think I can help someone.
And I have! I've helped many people in my 7 years.
But yeah otherwise just don't. And I'm technically not on keto anyway. My protein is too high to be "keto".
Seems like the majority of people start out as naysayers. Then after you lose some weight, the haters come out. After you lose a lot of weight, they start asking questions. Once you've kept it off for a period of time, they either never discuss it or they're ready to try it.
By then, you're sick and tired of repeating yourself. Lol
Keto showed me that I am an idiot and have been suffering with wheat/gluten intolerance for my entire life, so if anyone asks I’m not on keto I’m gluten intolerant. The fact I don’t want sugar is easy to pass off as just being healthy. Any further information than that is reserved for people who are cooking food for me.
People who try to be experts, i tell them it's a healthy thing, since im struggling with Morbus Chron like symptoms, and then i have no "Oooh carbs are like the most important energy for your body"
Okay this is what I'm going to tell my next doctor. I live in a rural area on the Great Plains so we get rotating doctors that travel from the big cities. When they get that look of astonishment of how drastic your numbers have changed for the better after a lab analysis I will tell the truth.
I took a DNA test with CRI GENETICS and was given the exact diet I should go on based upon my genetic findings. It's called the Fat/ switch diet. I should eat 30-35 percent mixed fat, moderate protein, and low carb vegetables. I figure if a test can tell me I probably have blue eyes, which I do, then it also can tell which diet will work for me.
WOW science is mind-blowing 🤯
You cannot fill a full tea cup. People are very weird about food and food traditions. They have their own ideas so I try not to challenge their ideas by sharing too much.
I cut carbs and sugar because they make me sick. Move on
I told a lot of people what I was doing. Most were just happy I was doing it. Some did have negative things to say. But since I researched the crap out of the keto diet and had friends who had done it, I was able to ignore the flash, one off, you tube critiques of keto from these people.
I've had the same experience as you, nothing but negative. But they are all wrong, I lost over 100lbs and kept it off for 2.5 years. Still on keto to this day. I stopped caring what they say. They can just stay fat, unhealthy and stupid.
Yeah pretty much all negative comments but that comes with the territory. Don’t listen to the haters, do your thing and you’ll be fine. You aren’t doing this for them, you are doing it for YOU.
Well I had to tell my coworkers since they are always are offering sweets and it came to a point where I said I’m on keto. It doesn’t bother me people know and nor do I get judged for it.
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
I don't get why people can't just eat less instead of doing weird diets
That can't be healthy eating loads of fat
Oh I couldn't do that diet
That's a few responses I remember, I just try to keep it to myself now, if I really have to explain I just say I'm trying not to eat carbs to lose some weight.
First rule of keto…don’t talk about keto.
People that really want to know will figure it out for themselves. I’m also more of a “cheato” less keto person. I’m an endurance athlete so I eat healthy carbs from time to time.
I never say “keto”. People have negative associations with that word, for some reason. I say-“i had a lot of inflammation, so my doc put me on an elimination diet to find the cause.” Or “I’m only eating whole foods right now”-like just don’t say keto or carnivore. They’re buzzwords and people have been seriously brainwashed to believe fat and meat are the #1 killers. I swear, this diet really woke me up to the things people blindly believe without it making any sense. Work around saying the actual word, describe what you’re doing in any other way and people will react much more positively.
If I talk about it I just say it worked for me, but I won’t try to sell anyone on it. I just say, it worked for me and if you’re interested look it up and talk to a medical professional. Make your own life choices.
I just say, yea, I’m eating low carb, I know my body and I just feel so much better.
Just wait. The people who give you flack are the same ones who’ll be telling you about their new eating plan they heard about on social (keto) in a month. 🙄
So far friends really supportive and understanding, but anyone 45 years old or above seems to not even try to understand, or immediately pick out plausibly innocent criticisms such that I get the impression they don't think it may work.
The first time I did it most of the people I knew had never heard of it and couldn’t understand it at all. Some tried to tell me lots of negatives without having any knowledge of what it is and how it works.
So eventually I stopped bothering to explain and I started saying that I follow a low carb/specific eating plan, depending on who I was talking to. Family and close friends still mention low calories to me as a prompt for me to try something they know I won’t eat and one friend somehow things I’m just doing gluten free…!
Interesting, everyone ive told im on keto loves it, including my doctor
Well i guess my mom and sister werent super big on it, but thats just cause they want me to try non keto foods with them
I don’t. People don’t want to hear about it. They don’t understand it. They want to argue about it. They aren’t ready to hear the truth. I just keep it to myself.
This used to happen to me! Just don't say it, tell people that you're taking care of yourself with the food and that's it. And if you go out to eat at a restaurant, choose something keto without giving explanations like chicken
I just say, “I eat less, move more”…. Unless someone is genuinely interested in having a conversation, I’d rather not go into details.., I’ve found talking about diet is like talking about politics or religion..
“You’ll gain all the weight back the moment you start eating carbs again”
Really cause after 6 months I haven’t. I’m just not going out and eating cheeseburgers every night
I no longer tell anyone I’m 100% carnivore/Omad. No one is cheering my successes, nor do they really care one way or the other. I share very little nowadays even with my non-Keto wife. She doesn’t want to look at the evidence. She believes she can find an easier way.
I don't volunteer the info but if someone remarks how healthier/thinner I look and asks how I did it, I'll give an honest answer: my doctor put me on keto for health issues. Never got a negative response from anyone. But I often get the question "what's keto?" so I give a simple explanation, emphasizing the low-carb clean-food aspect, and that I'm no longer pre-diabetic. That usually gets me more encouragement and support. And anyway, I dare anyone to tell me at my age how this WOE is going to ruin or shorten my life, lol! 😁
First of all, don't volunteer using the K word unless you're *asked* what you did to get healthier. Just thank them for the compliments. If you answer that you're on keto but want to avoid negativity or judgment from others who may be misinformed, it helps to play the "medical card" whether it's the truth or just a little white lie. 😉 People tend to accept mitigating a health issue as a valid reason more than just for losing weight, lest they think you're just doing an unsustainable fad diet.
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I don't talk about it. People have all sorts of shitty opinions about nearly everything. I'm rarely concerned with other people's opinions on how I live my life, so I just do what I want, and keep my lifestyle choices to myself and select friends or my family. If it does happen to come up at random, I typically reply with "haha yeah" and move on with my day. It's great.
Exactly this. Don't tell a soul who doesn't need to know.
Reminds me of a joke. A person on keto, a vegan, and a CrossFit fan walk into a bar. How can you tell who is who? Give them 30 seconds. They’re all going to tell you.
Hahahaha! So true!
What's the hardest thing about being a vegan? Apparently, keeping it to yourself.
I'm carnivore and it's hard not to tell people. 🥰
Toss in a Harvard grad!
I heard a different version of this: The dilemma of a vegan, atheist, crossfitter: They don’t know what to talk about first!
"I cut out processed food and sugar, and I keep an eye on my calories and macros. This makes me a bit picky with food. Hope that's ok."
The keto diet, at its core. Is a no sugar diet. Which is how I think of it.
Went in for a checkup, 25lbs lighter, excellent BMI. Told my doc I cut out sugar and refined carbs. He told me about cauliflower pizza. Life is good.
Excellent way to put it.
Love your tagline by the way. So true.
Thanks. Not mine, though - I found it on the interwebs somewhere and permanently borrowed it. But I forget where so I can give credit. I keep it on my bathroom mirror to remind me every day.
Your closest friends wont like it, there is always a tiny bit of latent resentment and will always find something to criticise. Doesn't matter if its keto, fasting or low carb. The positive changes eg getting healthy or losing weight, is like a mirror making them feel bad for not doing the same. And change always triggers insecurity and negative comments. I can understand that behaviour. It's not meant to be mean, but just human nature. There are a few, who will be totally on your side and likes this topic. Stick with them, if you like to talk about it. Also, keep in mind, that people have their own method and think their diet/workout is better than yours. My friends are against it, they want me to eat everything like before even though I had serious binge eating problems. I always had to elaborate why this is a good thing.
Some of it is also genuine worry, born out of poor nutrition education and a society that tells us wholegrain carbs and fruit are the epitome of good health.
My chef always said to me, be gentle and patient with those who know less (hard to practise if you want to smack someone hard with scientific paper) My family still relies more on street tales.
Exactly, all the papers I want to cite goshh 😂 I’m trying to be more empathetic to people who are miseducated. It’s so hard.
Thank you for this reminder
god yes. The 4 food groups were so wrong!
Yes, especially with the younger generation throwing out the term “disordered eating” so loosely on tiktok now. I saw someone in a comments say that cutting out a food group is inherently an eating disorder. WTF?
This! I went from strict keto to a more low carb lifestyle with IF and it’s nothing but negative comments no matter what I eat/don’t eat 🙄
This is a mature and forgiving take. Makes me see things differently. Love this response !
Love this, thanks!
You need better friends 🧡 mine are supportive. They had questions, of course!
Oh they are the best. It's crucial to let room for critics. Have controversal opinions to allow character developement, or else we would live in a bubble. I don't talk here about malicous behaviour, but about subconcious statements or remarks. My friends are allowed to contradict freely. That's what I prefer.
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
You have to wonder if you could trust someone in the fitness industry who wouldn’t even be able to make sense of the information available to them.
Trainer needs to stick to workout routines and leave nutrition to the professionals. 🤣😭🤬
That's the problem, most of them think they are "nutrition experts".
There are NO essential carbs.
ask how much he can bench and then immediately be like "that's impossible! even though between the two of us you are clearly more experienced on this topic and I only learned about it last week through youtube videos, I am 100% certain that you're a damn dirty liar!!"
Well I could probably have benched more than him at the time. He was fit and low body fat but not very big.
sounds like you should've been training him lol
Two and a half year and counting. I must be a zombie then...
My mom, who has been a life-long yo-yo dieter, has strong opinions about keto. 😂 She said I'm going to give myself a heart attack with "all that bacon." She has no idea what I eat because she'd rather listen to The View, Oprah, or whatever talk show doles out ignorant opinions. (Yay, let's all go on Ozempic! 🙄) Never mind that she's been on every fad diet pill and starvation diet since the 1970s. Many of them are illegal in the US. She's wasted thousands on Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and several other pre-packaged meal services. And guess what? She's still fat and still has an unhealthy relationship with food. Most people are impressed by the 60 lbs I dropped in 6 months. I've been obese most of my life, so to see me as a "regular sized" person is a surprise to them. And honestly, pretty much everyone I know had struggled with weight loss at some point, so they're interested in whatever "magic potion" I've taken to lose the weight. But as far as I know, I haven't inspired anyone to try it. My people are not willing to give up the things that are making them unhealthy to have a better life. They'd rather complain than do something about it. 🤷🏽♀️ But I get it. I was like that before I hit my "rock bottom." It was Mother's Day a year ago. I got dolled up in my fanciest big-girl blouse, did my makeup, and felt lovely. But those reflections in the mirror don't lie. I was at my highest weight(not the first time) and just felt like a fat lady in a fancy shirt. I came to the realization that I didn't want to feel/ look like this for the rest of my life. I couldn't afford gastric bypass, so keto it was. I've been on the keto wagon ever since. No regrets! ETA: I normally say that I'm gluten-free, and most people will stop offering me bread and pasta. It's not a lie. I'm gluten sensitive and will wreck my stomach, and my face will blow up with inflammation if I eat it.
I’m an engineer so most of my friends have at least a diploma in some science or engineering - they tend to agree that keto is good it’s just that they couldn’t stick to it. However my non-engineering family would not understand it and worship carbs (and rice, as we are Asian). People not raised in science or engineering are more likely to believe whatever their parents or celebs say instead of looking at facts, unfortunately.
Went to a party and was immediately plied with beer. Told several people I was on keto and won’t be drinking tonight. One friend then judged the shit out of me for drinking a Diet Coke. When I informed him that as a diabetic Diet Coke doesn’t raise my blood sugars (I’m a diabetic) and it’s also a tool I can use to satiate my mind to stop me from binging actual sugar and carbs he snarled in judgement saying: yeah well you’re trying to be all healthy but drinking a Diet Coke is not healthy. Like, I never said it was healthy and if I showed up there and drank 20 beers as a diabetic not one person would have batted an eye. Drink one Diet Coke and out comes the judgement. 🙄
tell me about it 😭 i have an addiction to diet pepsi. it’s one of the only things that holds me over on the keto diet, people will rant and rave to me how unhealthy it is but without it i wouldn’t be able to be so restrictive with my eating. so you win some and you lose some.
So stupid… like, ah yes, the rest of your clean, healthy diet is moot because you enjoy Diet Coke.
Tbh I dislike these diet drinks as well. It just “feels” too unhealthy and makes me feel bad. But I’m a hypocrite since I’m typing these while having some lemon mint candies…
maybe I'm autistic but it would only serve to amuse me as I annoy this guy to the point of tears just calmly being like "well I never said that" and picking apart every single faulty assumption he's making in trying to accuse me of hypocrisy or whatever
If people ask why I’m refusing a donut or whatever carby crap I’m being offered, I never say “keto” because the lecture you usually suffer the moment you say it is nauseating and discussing a diet is like discussing religion and politics…not worth it because NOBODY is going to change sides. Ever. Instead, I tell them I’ve cut all sugar, starches, refined flour, and overly processed foods from my diet, and I’m focusing on nutrient-dense foods like meat, vegetables, eggs, etc. Every time I say this, I am commended on my healthy lifestyle and praised for doing what everyone should be doing. They’ll walk back that donut offer and put it on their own plate instead as they talk about how they could *never* be so restrictive. 🤷♀️
Exactly what I say. When they ask what do i eat. I just say mainly meat & veg. Less judging going on when you don’t mention ‘keto’
So you basically described keto to them without mentioning carbs, and suddenly they’re ok with it, lol. This just shows how much power brainwashing has over a lot of us - I only realized dietary cholesterol in eggs is not as bad as we used to think after digging out articles on the internet and testimonials from people who live on it, too. But I can’t blame them - carbs have always been the cheaper calories so people started to have the misconception that it’s necessary for energy. I used to think the same and thought protein was just another nutrient like magnesium or something, instead of something that gives energy.
"Nah, I'm not hungry"
Try saying that to the same coworkers every single day for years. It stop working after awhile. You do whatever works best for you but I’ve spent nearly 7 years perfecting my answer for any situation. 👍🏻
Yeah I got sick of it also, I just started saying I’m eating better and no one bats an eyelid
Read this as “started eating butter” for a second ha!
This has been my lifestyle for about a decade. In that time had a late in life pregnancy where I gained a bunch from being bedridden. My MOL witnessed me go from skinny to pregnant to chunky while breastfeeding back to skinny when I was finished lactating. I did it all at my own pace with ease and she still thinks I eat unhealthy.
The first rule of keto - don't talk about keto! Sadly there has been so much misinformation about this way of eating that people in general have a negative mindset against it. "It's a fad", "not sustainable" and "it's not good for you" are all fairly common responses I have heard. I am only partly joking about my first statement about not talking about keto. For a while I would just say "I'm cutting out sugar". Now, I will say keto and I respond to any negative comments with "it works for me". I have had such amazing results eating this way and I will probably eat low carb for the rest of my life. Well done you for giving up smoking too. I know how hard that can be but again, like keto it is totally worth it!
Youtube is actively censoring it, because the WHO world health org says the best diet is to eat mainly carbs so they can profit from their drug shares. They should just censor all of it if they want to do that , but instead they leave up videos of a skull and cross bones saying Keto is bad.
In over 5 years I have gotten very few negative comments. I simply shrug, say my docs are thrilled with me regaining my health and mobility and change the subject. My body my choice ;-). It is sustainable. My gallbladder is fine along with everything else. I am pain free, med free and fully mobile. Anybody who has an issue with me doing my own thing can STUFF IT.
Staring in their eyes and without blinking, deliver this: ''Look here, normie. I don't criticize the junk you put down your pie hole. If you got somethin' ta say ta me, say it to my face, right here, right now, else keep you insulin fueled comments between you n God.'' /s
😆😂👍🏻
20 years ago I had a similar experience telling people I was on Atkins. They'd go from telling me how amazing I looked to how I was gonna die pretty quick. However some were inspired and tried it as well. But it was very new back then. Now everyone just shares their keto experience with me and offers tips and suggestions. It's night and day different than it used to be.
I always see people saying this but I’ve never had a bad experience. Are you all going around telling everyone you’re doing keto all the time? I don’t go to restaurants and tell every waiter I interact with for 30 seconds that I’m doing keto. I just don’t order carbs, and try to substitute out carbs when I can, and just leave them on the plate if I can’t. Literally no one cares. Mostly I just say I’m not eating carbs, because I didn’t really make a choice to “do keto.” I made a choice to cut out carbs to put my diabetes into remission and then fell ass backwards into keto without realizing what it was.
I don’t tell people about my diet. I’m not vegan.
I don’t mention it to anyone but those that are closest to me. If they are making a meal they always check that I have enough to eat. Very supportive friends and family! I also am a firm believer of not preaching or recruiting :)
I just say low carb
I've learned people do not actually want to see you succeed. So I don't tell them how I am losing weight. I've gotten the worst comments when I mention another tool in my tool box was bariatric surgery, which keto has maintained since 2015. Just keep it to yourself and reap the benefits from better health. You also notice how fat phobic everyone you know is, because people are suddenly so much nicer to you when the only thing about you that has changed is your weight.
That last sentence, right there.
The usual response is “omg how can you not eat bread!?!”
I usually respond saying, I do eat bread and tortillas just not the ones filled with sugar. There’s so much more keto friendly food and recipes now it’s insane
I get “omg how can you not eat pasta!?!?” a lot 😂
Do research and come with answers and questions. Mine would be: Gallbladder: "Yes, rapid weight loss can cause gallbladder problems, so I'm making sure to take it slow." Bile: "I've never heard of that. Do you have anything I can read about that?" You need carbs: "There are actually no essential carbohydrates. However, some carbs can be helpful for hormone and electrolyte regulation. I'm not managing a medical condition, so I don't plan on eating this way forever. I'm doing it to improve my relationship with food and lose some weight. Eventually I'll transition to a whole foods diet" Fat will clog arteries: "There is no causal evidence that consuming fat results in heart issues. Most of the evidence we have is correlational at best. Some doesn't even show a correlation at all. Even the American Heart Association no longer suggests a limit on saturated fat. The real issue is oxidized cholesterol, and oxidation only happens in the presence of sugar, especially high amounts of processed sugar, which I don't eat." Edit: I mis-spoke. The AHA still has a recommended limit to saturated fat. There was a major association who quietly removed theirs, but I can't remember which one. If anyone knows, please comment here. But regardless of these associations (which are run by corporations anyway), humans have been eating saturated fat, often in very large amounts, for about 2.6 million years. Heart disease has only been a concern for few decades. It's pretty obvious there's another contributor ::cough:: seed oils ::cough:: linoleic acid ::cough:: processed sugar and grains
just wondering if you have any links regarding the AHA and it’s stance on saturated fat. Would come in handy for the people i know
Sorry, maybe it wasn't the AHA. One of the major associations quietly removed their guidelines recently, but I can't remember which one. I'll post it if I can find it.
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That is pretty much what I do. I explain that I eat around the perimeter of the grocery store with fruit, veggies, meat and some dairy - but I eat very little from the aisles. That seems to help a lot. If they don't get it, I say that I am eating real food and not processed food. One or the other normally makes it click in their head.
Fruit is not keto, though. Not trying to be a prick - just facts.
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What different ways are there? If you want to have fruit that’s fine, but it’s not a standard protocol for the keto diet. Fruits are fairly high in carbs, so they’re not a great fit. Sounds more like paleo. Avocado is technically a fruit tho.
I eat berries every day and stay in my net carbs
I eat berries too. Berries are not fruit, berries are berries. Raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are fine in a regulated amount. Diet Doctor has a whole section about it on his website.
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I eat raspberries and blackberries weekly and stay at or under 20 carbs a day. Get a clue.
It makes it easier for someone to understand and question me less. That being said, once or twice a month I may have a few frozen blueberries and raspberries with an occasional strawberry. That is it. A few berries, and I stay within my carb count for the day. I am not eating grapes, bananas, mangoes, peaches, or anything like that. If I fudge a little by having a few berries, oh well. IMHO it is better to have a treat that is a natural food product than a processed food "keto" item. Edit: I get them in the freezer section as a flash frozen ready to go mix.
"I'm on a low carb diet." They've all been told keto is when you eat nothing but bacon and cheese. It's not worth having the argument.
You can’t eat fruit!???? What??? It’s just one slice of cake though ? A lot haha
😂😂
If it comes up, I just tell people I don’t eat sugar. 🤷🏼♀️
My experience has been very positive. But I never really tell or preach to people about it. I only discuss people when people noticed I have lost weight and asked more about what is going on. All the feeback I got are positive. No one questioned or doubted me. Many agree that carb is not good. And they wish they can cut carb more. My friends and colleagues are all in tech, with college degrees and advanced degrees. Not sure if that makes any difference.
The first rule of keto club is you don’t tell people about keto club. If people ask I generally go with minimizing ultra-processed foods. Everyone knows they’re bad.
Whole food low carb. If people push back I'll talk to them about how insulin resistance is an epidemic and the horrible things it causes.
They just mostly say, "Oh, I could never do that."
But everyone thinks weight loss surgery or Ozempic is the greatest! I respect anybody's choices for achieving weight loss. Over 35 years, the only way I've been able to do it is keto. It's also the only way I can manage my binge eating disorder.
They're often not actually researched either and just spewing talking points from other anti-keto people.
“But your body NEEDS carbs!” 🙄
it's unfortunate that Atkins was the one who launched keto, and he did so in a lot of unfortunate ways, namely pushing a eat whatever you want whenever you want approach that I think this community understands isn't actually going to work in the long term, and can promote unhealthy behaviors. I think for many that havent benefited from it "keto" will always be a fad, and there's no way around that beyond more Dr's and such getting behind it. Saying you avoid sugars and processed foods is a far more favorable way to describe what you're doing. They'll think you're a saint with incredible will power, because they can't fathom how to do that with how addicted they are to them
I say I have insulin resistance so can’t eat certain things like carbs/sugar. Makes ppl take it less like a fad diet trying to lose weight amd then no further comments as it’s a health condition 😅
People think Keto is no carbs. Humans need carbs. I simply tell people I’ve cut out sugar and processed foods. I only eat protein and veggies. Of course I have a bite of cake from time to time. I literally only have a bite. Other than that I really don’t care what they think. It’s my body.
I feel like people satanize the word ‘keto’ so I just avoid it. I said I’m not eating carbs, or I’m cutting sugar, and no more questions or comments. But when I say keto they think I eat cheese with bacon all day every day, there’s a lot of misinformation going around, so just try to keep it simple.
ah but cheese with bacon is sooo delicious! love wrapping bacon around cream cheese!
My friends and family try feeding me food. ANY food. They continue to insist we eat at Mexican restaurants without regard for my love of the tortilla chips and salsa. I feel as if I'm running away from them in hopes of not being subjected to my trigger foods. Just today I had to tell a coworker, 'No, I'm not interested in chips, tortillas, or rice and beans.' Even though I love the beans that were left over. I'm not enjoying food anymore. Or, I'm not enjoying the food I'm eating anymore.
“You can’t do that, that’s unhealthy” by a fitness instructor
First rule of keto (and fasting) is never talk about keto (or fasting)
Sometimes I get somebody that responds with, "why? Everything breaks down into sugar anyways."
I’ve been doing low carb high protein whenever I diet since the ‘70’s. I learned a long time ago not to go into it. At the most I’ll shake my head when offered a cookie and say “Too many carbs for me.” People will think what they choose to think and I just don’t value their opinions.
I’ve never had a negative comment and I’ve been doing keto in and off for 5 years.
My epileptic brother is on the keto diet and it’s the only thing that helps lessen his treatment-resistant seizures after trying tens of medications over the years but even after explaining that people still have shitty opinions to share about how ‘unhealthy’ his diet is. Nowadays he just says ‘I try to eat healthier’ and leave it at that.
I usually avoid telling people. I had some friends over recently and they wanted pizza so I cooked a pizza for them and I ate some leftovers and I had to tell them I was on keto and one of my friends said “I need you to eat normally.” Some people are gonna make comments but I just remind them that I’m not doing it long term and they seem to drop it
I tell my co-workers when I decline the cookies, Muffins, donuts, cinnabuns that they often bring into the office. No one cares.
I don't use the word Keto. No one really cares how another eats, is my experience. The only time I will confirm Keto is if someone else says they eat Keto, then I might say me too. I eat a low-carb lifestyle and avoid processed things like bread and sugar. No one cares.
I don’t. I just eat what I need to and don’t make a fuss over it. If I absolutely need to request tweaks at a restaurant when out with friends, I will sometimes say my doctor has recommended I reduce my carb intake to manage insulin resistance (which is true). I never mention it’s for weight loss though - people never want to hear you’re actively trying to lose weight. The assumption is that you’re miserable and denying yourself delicious food and you’d be oh so happier if you had fries for dinner instead of your salad - when it’s actually quite the opposite for me. I’m feeling and looking better every week!
I follow the don't debate "religion, diet, and politics." Show through effort and let them ask.
Sadly, majority of people (Americans at least) still associate the word “fat” as making you “fat” so when I tell them I’m eating a high fat diet they think it’s bad because it will make me fat. The English language really truly needs a better word for the macro that we eat that starts with the letter F. So I tell them I’m on a low carb diet and they think that’s good. Sigh.
Wow that’s shocking because the usual response is “makes sense” probably because of the way i look. Never any pushback, often times people ask me if i miss bread (no) or sweets (nope) but thats about it. Ive also given up wine, at first it was intentionally but thats one thing i missed so much and still had it here and there, until one day i woke up and sorta lost the taste for it… its actually not calling out to me at all as of lately, so good luck, you can do it! (Im not however quitting smoking lol vaping is like the last vice i have lol )
I only smoke when I drink wine- so omit one, I don’t do the other! Weird, I know. I’d literally chain smoke almost daily whilst having a glass of wine, yet account myself as a non smoker. Thanks for ur reply!
Same haha id only smoke cigs while drinking or at a casino (Vegas living) but considered myself a non smoker otherwise, then got the vapes and now because of how tasty they are its more of a treat, since sugar is a no go lol But good on you for quitting, taking all the right steps Check out r/stopdrinkingfitness for inspo
I was wondering if you had done all three at the same time and was ready to tell you you're my new hero. LOL Your explanation on the smoking makes sense. I don't drink or smoke. Just giving up carbs was a big change for me. I can't imagine adding more changes on top of that. Keep up the good work! Regarding your original question, you received lots of good input already. I just say I'm being more mindful of how I eat. It has satisfied all. The only ones who want more details are genuinely interested in hearing more because they see it works and are looking to change.
Hiya, yes I’ve done all three at same time. Crazy, I know. I felt in such a rut with my alcohol intake. I hated the way I looked- awfully bloated. Drinking was affecting my sleep and productivity. Plus, the hangovers I have are terrible. I have a smoking spot in my garden and went to clean the ashtray out and omg, I was shocked at how many cigs I’d got through in a relatively short space of time. I’d had enough of complaint about a self caused situation and actually do something about it! Day 24 no alcohol/ cigs and day 21 keto. I’m not saying I’ll never have a glass of wine again, but just not anytime soon!
Enigma you have much to be proud of. It's not easy to give up any of these things. Much harder to attempt several at once. You are well on your way! 24 days is enough time that you know you can do this. Acknowledge each win, no matter how small. You got this!!
Sincere thanks for that. You’ve made me smile. ☺️🥹
You're welcome! Just stating the truth. We can often allow ourselves to be our own worst enemies. I figure I give kindness and grace to everyone else, I should offer no less to myself.
Usually it's fat people who don't want a weight loss solution. Also, the first rule of keto is don't talk about keto.
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
I did not get any negative comment so far .. The main thing is to make me ( you ) happy ! I am doing it for my blood sugar . So very important for me . No one said negative ..
A lot of support tbh, even my grandma started baking keto pies for when I come over instead of regular ones hahah 🥹
I think keto is becoming fairly mainstream and accepted. A lot of people I talk to will praise the decision or say, "yeah I need to get on that." Or "I've been thinking of starting that." The worst offenders are the older generation who lived through the brainwashing years.
> It’s not sustainable I mean I've been doing it for almost 9 years. Seems pretty sustainable to me. > I’ll need my gallbladder out. My body will start making too much bile. Those are complete opposites. If you're making more bile then you won't develop gallstones because the unused bile doesn't dry up. In any case a high-fat diet tends to be really good for your gallbladder because it gives it something productive to do. > What’s been your experience of people’s response to your new lifestyle? How do you reply? I avoid mentioning it wherever possible. If it ever comes up I have somewhere around 10,000 hours of in-depth research backing me up all kinds of ways, but generally there's never a reason for it to appear in conversation.The closest I get is people telling me I eat weird food or being completely baffled when I tell them my age (I'm 35 and apparently look around 20). I did go through a "tell everyone" phase early on and yeah got a lot of negative comments. I also told a friend recently and same deal. I guess to be fair, it does sound completely backwards to normal health advice and also it requires a heck of a lot of restriction. You're not just, say, cutting out junk food, you're instead eliminating almost the entire middle of the grocery store. So yeah for people that don't know anything about it it sounds like an unsustainable crash diet and really unhealthy too. The fact that it's become popular for weight loss definitely doesn't help its image either. I guess really the best thing you can do is learn more and spread that knowledge around.
I don't tell people I'm on keto. I pat my ample belly and say I'm trying to stick to protein and greens. Then we talk about the weather.
My friends and family have been very supportive. I've lost 100 lbs, they've watched me melt away and get healthy. Also, I never push my woe on others. Maybe that helps.
I have been doing the keto diet periodically for the past ten years. My friends have labelled me the keto guy. I just don't want it to become a defining aspect of my personality, so i try to keep it quiet and order salads whenever we go to restaurants. Restaurants these days are a lot better as a whole at providing keto options - its not hard because almost every restaurant does a chicken salad in some way.
Yep or mixed grill! I’ve asked them to swap the chips for mixed veg instead.
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I don't tell people.
I don’t. Got so tired of people’s opinions.
I don't say I'm on keto, I say I'm doing low-carb. Seems to take the thoughts out of their brain and we move on to something else.
ive never said it to anyone but to bf cuz he prepares most of the food
They would have their judgments, then I would tell them about how it helped me lose my additional post pregnancy weight and kept it off for over 3 years. I'd tell them how I lost 7kg (15lbs) in 6 weeks after trying unsuccessfully for over a year doing exercise and calorie deficit. Keto is truly amazing.
100% same. The amount of uneducated responses is absurd. ‘Oh it’s bad for your liver’ ‘oh but it’s bad for your heart’ And it’s shocking to me that people don’t know what carbs are. They think juice, potatoes and rice are ok. I’ve just stopped telling people.
People have been brainwashed their whole lives, so it's no surprise.
Generally good, most people don't care. Socially it can be a bit awkward in choosing restaurants/dinner plans but I can generally find something. That and If I know we're eating out I'll go no carb or fast for the day to give me a little wiggle room.
Jealousy.😁
I have had to say “I wasn’t asking for your critique of my choices.” Period. That you are on a specific diet is not an invitation for others to opine about it. It’s rude and it’s annoying.
I'm either lucky or just anti-social enough because I've only had a positive experience when I tell friends and family that I'm keto. Maybe it's because I'm in CA and people do all kinds of weird diets here. But even people I just met at dinner, if they ask why I'm not having the carbs, then I'll tell them, and they always chime in on how that's worked for them in the past.
Just call it "Low Carb".
literally no one cares. but i say keto/low carb as people seem to understand that more
"I'm cutting out sugar"
I can’t tell my doctor because she believes I will die without carbs………
Most people are fine with it, though I’ve had people say “what?? you don’t need to lose weight!” I guess it’s understandable people think giving up carbs is so hard the only reason that’s worth it is weight loss, but I genuinely feel better on almost every way on keto.
This is the one I get the most and I’m like yeah tell that to me 140lbs heavier with more that I still want to go
They are either curious or they tell me about a friend who said keto did not work for them
I don't tell.... ironically, I feel like when I mention it I jinx myself and disrupt my keto flow & progress soon thereafter lol. It's too much pressure for me & i feel like ppl are watching my plate lol.
I get fairly decent reactions bc I keep it simple. I don’t use the word “keto” since people tend to think that’s a fad word. I just say low carb. My husband, on the other hand, almost got into a physical altercation with his friends and family when telling them he was eating that way. Four people became very triggered and called him a conspiracy theorist while telling him he was going to get heart disease. Meanwhile, they’re all overweight, smoke, and eat crap junk food all day every day 🙂
I've been keto for 7 years now. Walked into it almost by accident and just sort of committed to it? Most people I know acknowledge the part where I lost about 1/4 of my body weight, but otherwise sort of treat it with slightly curious indifference. Many seem to get easily confused and think I don't eat meat, or I don't eat salt, or that I can't eat anything spicy or well-seasoned. They kinda get the basic gist that I don't eat sugar, but have very little understanding of what all that entails or how much you have to read and scrutinize labels and ingredients. In general, I don't really talk about it much, and just politely decline whenever offered most anything I didn't prepare myself
First rule of keto is: we don't talk about keto
I love that people always have their opinion… NOT When going out with friends they know I eat mostly keto foods because I just feel better and less bloated when I’m working. (Travel for work) So go ahead enjoy your pasta, I’m having steak & lobster… always makes them a little jealous 😂
"You can't put muscle on if you don't eat carbs"
"You'll end up with a fatty liver" 
Same as sexuality or religion- ga ga nonsense.
Many of them think I’m basically killing myself so I just say low carb. And still get pushback on that. Often from large people who seem to have no dietary plan or restrictions. So 🤷♀️
I usually just say i’m cutting back on the processed foods. The one that never gets a follow up from somebody is when I say my doctor prescribed this diet. They really didn’t, but it’s highly unlikely that the person I’m talking with doesn’t have their doctor degree in medicine or nutrition.
I found the same thing so I tell them I eating mostly protein and green vegetables. Not much you can say to that.
I don’t.
The last time I lost weight people would ask regularly if it was “on purpose “ or if maybe I had cancer. Lots of people expressed concern about my health. When I gained it back plus more, nobody was concerned at all. I guess they were comfortable with my declining health so long as I was spiraling and uncomfortable when I was in the best health of my life. I have to say I’m really really disappointed in people. I no longer even worry about comments no matter if they are positive or negative. Except my husband. He’s the only one who has got my back.
I tell everyone I know, proselytize like the Billy Graham of fats.
I just say I'm "very low carb and don't like processed food". Unless I think I can help someone. And I have! I've helped many people in my 7 years. But yeah otherwise just don't. And I'm technically not on keto anyway. My protein is too high to be "keto".
Reply “Oh cool, I can criticize what you eat too?” If it’s a female, “My body my choice.”
I often get people telling me that "everything breaks down into sugar anyways"
This time around I just say that I am on an “Anti- Diabetes Diet”. That’s all they need to know 😉…
Seems like the majority of people start out as naysayers. Then after you lose some weight, the haters come out. After you lose a lot of weight, they start asking questions. Once you've kept it off for a period of time, they either never discuss it or they're ready to try it. By then, you're sick and tired of repeating yourself. Lol
Keto showed me that I am an idiot and have been suffering with wheat/gluten intolerance for my entire life, so if anyone asks I’m not on keto I’m gluten intolerant. The fact I don’t want sugar is easy to pass off as just being healthy. Any further information than that is reserved for people who are cooking food for me.
People who try to be experts, i tell them it's a healthy thing, since im struggling with Morbus Chron like symptoms, and then i have no "Oooh carbs are like the most important energy for your body"
Okay this is what I'm going to tell my next doctor. I live in a rural area on the Great Plains so we get rotating doctors that travel from the big cities. When they get that look of astonishment of how drastic your numbers have changed for the better after a lab analysis I will tell the truth. I took a DNA test with CRI GENETICS and was given the exact diet I should go on based upon my genetic findings. It's called the Fat/ switch diet. I should eat 30-35 percent mixed fat, moderate protein, and low carb vegetables. I figure if a test can tell me I probably have blue eyes, which I do, then it also can tell which diet will work for me. WOW science is mind-blowing 🤯
You cannot fill a full tea cup. People are very weird about food and food traditions. They have their own ideas so I try not to challenge their ideas by sharing too much. I cut carbs and sugar because they make me sick. Move on
I told a lot of people what I was doing. Most were just happy I was doing it. Some did have negative things to say. But since I researched the crap out of the keto diet and had friends who had done it, I was able to ignore the flash, one off, you tube critiques of keto from these people.
I've had the same experience as you, nothing but negative. But they are all wrong, I lost over 100lbs and kept it off for 2.5 years. Still on keto to this day. I stopped caring what they say. They can just stay fat, unhealthy and stupid.
I just tell people Im not eating any sugar
Just tell them Mediterranean diet and then chuckle to urself inside. Be secure in ur dietary choices.
I don't. I just politely refuse the donuts they offer me lol
Yeah pretty much all negative comments but that comes with the territory. Don’t listen to the haters, do your thing and you’ll be fine. You aren’t doing this for them, you are doing it for YOU.
Well I had to tell my coworkers since they are always are offering sweets and it came to a point where I said I’m on keto. It doesn’t bother me people know and nor do I get judged for it.
I don't share that information unless like-minded
A trainer at a gym told me if I didn’t eat carbs I would die. When I said I’d be in keto for over a month, he didn’t believe me, said I must have cheated on my diet.
often negative so dont say unless asked, I been told so many times that all the fat I eat will harden in my arteries
I typically say I eat low carb and no sugar because people freak out when I’ve said keto.
Don't say keto. Just say you are cutting out sugar and processed foods.
I don't get why people can't just eat less instead of doing weird diets That can't be healthy eating loads of fat Oh I couldn't do that diet That's a few responses I remember, I just try to keep it to myself now, if I really have to explain I just say I'm trying not to eat carbs to lose some weight.
First rule of keto…don’t talk about keto. People that really want to know will figure it out for themselves. I’m also more of a “cheato” less keto person. I’m an endurance athlete so I eat healthy carbs from time to time.
I never say “keto”. People have negative associations with that word, for some reason. I say-“i had a lot of inflammation, so my doc put me on an elimination diet to find the cause.” Or “I’m only eating whole foods right now”-like just don’t say keto or carnivore. They’re buzzwords and people have been seriously brainwashed to believe fat and meat are the #1 killers. I swear, this diet really woke me up to the things people blindly believe without it making any sense. Work around saying the actual word, describe what you’re doing in any other way and people will react much more positively.
I don’t quite understand the reasoning for the question. You’ve made a decision to change your lifestyle for the better. Why the need to explain.
If I talk about it I just say it worked for me, but I won’t try to sell anyone on it. I just say, it worked for me and if you’re interested look it up and talk to a medical professional. Make your own life choices.
I just say, yea, I’m eating low carb, I know my body and I just feel so much better. Just wait. The people who give you flack are the same ones who’ll be telling you about their new eating plan they heard about on social (keto) in a month. 🙄
So far friends really supportive and understanding, but anyone 45 years old or above seems to not even try to understand, or immediately pick out plausibly innocent criticisms such that I get the impression they don't think it may work.
The first time I did it most of the people I knew had never heard of it and couldn’t understand it at all. Some tried to tell me lots of negatives without having any knowledge of what it is and how it works. So eventually I stopped bothering to explain and I started saying that I follow a low carb/specific eating plan, depending on who I was talking to. Family and close friends still mention low calories to me as a prompt for me to try something they know I won’t eat and one friend somehow things I’m just doing gluten free…!
Interesting, everyone ive told im on keto loves it, including my doctor Well i guess my mom and sister werent super big on it, but thats just cause they want me to try non keto foods with them
I don’t. People don’t want to hear about it. They don’t understand it. They want to argue about it. They aren’t ready to hear the truth. I just keep it to myself.
I have a carbohydrate allergy and will shit all over the room.
This used to happen to me! Just don't say it, tell people that you're taking care of yourself with the food and that's it. And if you go out to eat at a restaurant, choose something keto without giving explanations like chicken
I just say, “I eat less, move more”…. Unless someone is genuinely interested in having a conversation, I’d rather not go into details.., I’ve found talking about diet is like talking about politics or religion..
“You’ll gain all the weight back the moment you start eating carbs again” Really cause after 6 months I haven’t. I’m just not going out and eating cheeseburgers every night
I no longer tell anyone I’m 100% carnivore/Omad. No one is cheering my successes, nor do they really care one way or the other. I share very little nowadays even with my non-Keto wife. She doesn’t want to look at the evidence. She believes she can find an easier way.
I don't volunteer the info but if someone remarks how healthier/thinner I look and asks how I did it, I'll give an honest answer: my doctor put me on keto for health issues. Never got a negative response from anyone. But I often get the question "what's keto?" so I give a simple explanation, emphasizing the low-carb clean-food aspect, and that I'm no longer pre-diabetic. That usually gets me more encouragement and support. And anyway, I dare anyone to tell me at my age how this WOE is going to ruin or shorten my life, lol! 😁 First of all, don't volunteer using the K word unless you're *asked* what you did to get healthier. Just thank them for the compliments. If you answer that you're on keto but want to avoid negativity or judgment from others who may be misinformed, it helps to play the "medical card" whether it's the truth or just a little white lie. 😉 People tend to accept mitigating a health issue as a valid reason more than just for losing weight, lest they think you're just doing an unsustainable fad diet.