Happy (Healthy) Thanksgiving! Or does injecting the word “healthy” ruin it? Two years ago, a few weeks before Thanksgiving 2022, I had lunch with a client of mine at Black & Brew. While sipping my vanilla latte, I was fascinated with his experience on the Ketogenic diet. Being the Enneagram Investigator Number 5 that I am, I was skeptical that one could lose weight, loading up on steak, bacon, eggs, and cheese. So, I did what any normal person would do and dumped the rest of my delicious latte and proudly proclaimed to my friend with no thought of the implications, “Okay, I’ll do it!”
When I saw my wife that evening, the first thing I told her was, “I’m doing Keto.”
And she shook her head and asked why. It’s not like I had a good reason. I didn’t think I had much weight to lose and felt like I was in reasonably good physical condition. How hard could it be to prove that this diet wouldn’t work? Up until this point, I had never even tried a diet of any kind. I’m the type of person who tends to eat whatever is put in front of him, and if there isn’t much available, I go the path of least resistance. Crackers, a banana, cake, whatever I see, I’m not picky…the old me, anyway!
Keto changed all this.
Unfortunately, I read about the details AFTER I committed to it. And even if I start something for irrational reasons, I’m usually too stubborn to quit. This is kind of how I became a Financial Advisor. Two years in, I was still thinking, I hate this business, I am tired of being rejected, and as soon as everyone knows I’ve made it, I’m quitting. I was just too stubborn to fail, and after I started experiencing some success, I decided it was too late (and too stupid) to quit. Back to keto.
The very first night, I thought, “Oh shoot, what have I gotten myself into? I can’t eat or drink anything!” I love bread and carbs. I love drinking sugar, though I didn’t know until this moment. EVERYTHING has sugar and carbs. Cereal and milk…not allowed. Sandwiches, pasta, and pizza…NEVER. Juice and most fruits…No. The only thing I knew how to cook, macaroni and cheese (Yes, from the box…is there another kind?)…No way, Jose!
So, my unlikely journey began. I ate so many eggs I began to wonder whether I should build a chicken coop in my backyard. I ate lots of turkey, but only oven roasted, not honey roasted, because of the sugar content. I ate nuts with almond milk and tricked myself into thinking I was eating cereal. I thought I was going to have a heart attack just past the age of forty because of all the bacon and cheese I was eating. I learned it takes a LONG time to roast broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. Who knew roasted veggies would become the food I craved most?
A couple weeks in I really started doubting myself.
“This is ridiculous. WHY am I doing this?” But then it happened. I stepped on the scale and thought it was broken. This can’t be right. The moment of truth had arrived. Thanksgiving was in a few days. All those delicious pies. Stuffing. Sweet potato casserole, corn souffle. I could pass on the turkey; in case you are wondering! That Thanksgiving was brutal, but I survived. I lasted three months and lost 20 pounds. Wiser minds finally prevailed and convinced me to replace Keto with a healthy lifestyle—one that allowed me to eat carrots again. I mean, how can it not be good to eat carrots? How many times had my mom told me as a kid that I must eat them for good eyesight? I didn’t want to go blind.
Two years after my keto experiment, I’ve kept those twenty pounds off.
Three months were such a struggle, I’m scared to take the weight back for fear I couldn’t summon the willpower to do it again. I am not a Keto acolyte…no offense to my friends who swear by it. But I have become more of a health nut since then. Talking about good health demands a balancing act as tough as navigating politics, wealth, and religion. But I like talking about things that matter, and good health matters. Bad health sneaks up on you like a thief in the night. It robs you and your loved ones of so much joy. Most people begin taking it seriously when it’s too late. Our family started a tradition of running a 5k Turkey Trot each Thanksgiving. It’s a good reminder that high VO2 max is a better predictor of Thanksgiving than pie.
November 2024
