Cath goes keto

Nope, this isn’t turning into a diet blog. Just taking a moment for something personal.

And I don’t have tips or advice or strategies or anything.

I am a sedentary 50-year-old menopausal mom who really needs to lose weight. I have no idea if this is gonna work or not. But I have tried everything else, and what has seemed to work the best is low carb.

I have done WW, Paleo, multiple Whole 30s, and tried NSNG, but the ‘loopholes’ keep tripping me up. By loopholes, I mean things like the ‘put life into living’ part of NSNG and the reintegration period of Whole 30.

Now, I want to take a second or 12 and address the issue of diet culture. I am not doing this to be ‘thin.’ And I wholeheartedly reject the belief that weight has anything to do with morality or integrity.

I am fat. I currently have a BMI of 31.4, which puts me in the obese category according to the Centers for Disease Control.

According to my doctor, I am also healthy. Blood pressure stays in the low-to-normal range; no issues with blood sugar. He has never advised me that I need to lose weight.

I am honest, caring, and reliable. I have a happy marriage and lots of friends. None of the people in my life have made me feel like there needs to be less of me. 🙂

Soooo – why am I even doing this?

I am honest, caring, and reliable. I have a happy marriage and lots of friends. None of the people in my life have made me feel like there needs to be less of me. 🙂

I do have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s disease), which I was diagnosed with in my 20s and has affected my metabolism since. It is controlled with medication, but I am now on the highest dose that my doctor feels comfortable prescribing.

And, basically, I like to eat. I don’t make regular time for exercise. I often overeat when stressed. I’m 50. A+B+C=Obsese

My weight does affect my life. It has started to limit my mobility and activities. It has become an impediment to doing some things I really want to do.

I have also started to have more issues with lower back pain. I get more muscle strains when I exercise. (And, yes, I do exercise.)

Research has shown that people who are active live longer and have a more active old age. So, I want to start now, with a plan to get in better shape and adopt a diet (meaning way of eating) that is better aligned to my metabolism as someone with Hashimoto’s and someone who has gone through menopause.

My weight does affect my life. It has started to limit my mobility and activities. It has become an impediment to doing some things I really want to do.

My version of keto is informed by the work of Mary Claire Haver and The Galveston Diet. So I will be prioritizing getting enough fiber, magnesium, omega 3s, and vitamin D in addition to just tracking my macros. And, I am limiting and avoiding certain inflammatory foods (hello, all that bacon in the header!).

I’ll be sharing more as I go along this time. If you are also keeping keto, let me know in the comments what worked for you and what didn’t. And if you tried keto and it wasn’t what you expected, let me know that, too.