Go Keto with Casey

Weight Loss Fluctuations (1.6.2025 to 1.12.25)

I started following the ketogenic protocol over eleven years ago, and I continue to see more benefits of burning fat for fuel as my experience evolves. Over time, I've tweaked, tweaked, tweaked while continuing to adhere to the tenets—keep carbohydrate intake to 20 grams per day or fewer; if it's not on Page 4, don't eat it; don't eat if you're not hungry; stop eating when you've had enough. What is there to tweak if we stick to the precept? In my case, I adjusted the amount of food I eat. And that has everything to do with directives numbers three and four, which are the most challenging aspects of the diet. Why would not eating if not hungry and stopping when satiated be tough to do when hunger and eating have been integral parts of everyone's life from the first hours of birth? Because those of us who spent decades with jacked-up eating habits and running on glucose (sugar) haven't had a legit hunger sensation since the Milli Vanilli scandal.

"What's that?" you might be asking. "I'm always hungry. I think about eating all day. Of course I've had hunger pangs. Are you crazy?!"

BEYOND KETO (with Casey)

And bingo. There's the issue. There's brain hunger, and there's actual 'time for nourishment' hunger. Differentiating between the two takes practice. You'd think that something as fundamental as knowing if we need to eat—newborns know, after all—would not take a lot of effort. But it does. I'm here to confirm that. We must unlearn a lifetime of habitual rather than need-driven eating and replace old paradigms with new ones. You know the old ones: breakfast is the most important meal of the day; three meals and two snacks are best; and the most illogical one: You need to eat every three hours or so to keep your metabolism up. Huh? If that's how things work, why don't we eat every ten minutes? Our metabolism would be on fire, right?

Last week in this space, I shared a moment from the first ‘Go Keto with Casey Cruise.’ The item featured above was a gift from one of the cruise attendees. They kindly presented me with a smooth stone etched with a phrase I’ve quoted often in my videos, a verse from Luke 12:48. I include this in the “Beyond Keto” portion of today’s blog post because I didn’t always know much could be expected of me. Not because I’m selfish but because I wasn’t sure I had much to offer.

I now feel differently.

Why the change of attitude? Because I genuinely feel better about myself than I did for all those years before I started following the ketogenic protocol. While I’ve always known that much was given to me, it took a fundamental change in my eating habits to make a fundamental change in my self-esteem. It is that change that I hope to share with others who may have held themselves back from being who they could be, doing what they could do, and feeling they have much to offer. You can thrive beyond keto. Beyond whatever might have held you back. It can be done.

BTW, anyone up for another “Go Keto with Casey Cruise?” Let me know your thoughts!

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So what's a body to do? First, if you find yourself wondering if you're bored or hungry, you've answered the question. Around "Go Keto with Casey" we employ the B.L.A.S.T. method. Granted, it's a total rip-off from many 12-step programs—the H.A.L.T. method. Whereas the latter recommends not turning to whatever stuff from which one is trying to break free if Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, we stretch that into not deciding to eat if Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stressed, or Tired. And of those, stress may be the most significant vulnerability. Or being angry is. Or loneliness. Heck, we can use food for any of those states of mind. Ultimately, though, if hunger isn't the problem, food is not the solution. (Another thing we say around GKwC.)

That brings us back to the question: What is hunger? What is it not? How do we learn to know the difference? My experience was that it took being mindful and in tune with my body. I'm not talking about the mystical way of being in tune, but instead taking a moment to ask myself if I was heading to the kitchen or pantry out of hunger or out of habit. (Yet another GKwC phrase! We're lousy with catchphrases, aren't we?) And then I had to practice that—a lot. When I felt peckish, I'd push that until peckish became legit hunger. I realized that the shift from "I could eat, but I'm okay for now" to "I'm going to eat" could take hours. When I followed the 'push the peckishness' mindset, I ate less, felt lighter, and was in control. And being in control of my eating was one of the greatest victories of all.

Food is not the boss of me. You guessed it. That's another so-called Casey-ism. I go a million of 'em! 😉

Featured

Staying on the Keto Wagon

Hunger? What Do You Mean, "What Does It Mean?"

Missed My Goal. Shrug. I Made a New One.

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical doctor, researcher, or Ph.D., but instead, I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths, and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all. I welcome questions, comments, and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!

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