January 02, 2019
The Start of Something New: Keto Diet for Beginners
Writen by Naomi Whittel |
Published on: January 02, 2019
There are moments in time that stick with you forever. I’m not talking about major events that become part of you, like the birth of a child. I’m referring to those small, everyday, routine moments that — because of circumstances surrounding it — become indelible.
For me, one of those moments is a quote I came across almost two years ago when I first started working on my documentary series, The Real Skinny on Fat.
While I had accomplished many things before — I felt both excited and nervous about beginning this new endeavor, The Real Skinny On Fat. Like millions of people, I experienced some self-doubt about what the outcome might be instead of focusing on the doing. And that’s when I came across this quote by tennis champion and humanitarian, Arthur Ashe:
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
These words shook my brain out of paralysis brought on by doubt and reminded me that it was okay to move forward in an imperfect way.
We come across motivational messages like this every day in social media memes and videos that inspire us to take action, to overcome our fears and take a massive step outside of our protective comfort zone. For a moment or two, we think about the power of the message before falling right back into our daily routine.
However, the right motivational message at the right time can fuel your ignition in a spectacular way, and for me this quote was the kick that I needed to push forward despite my attempts to limit myself.
Therearefter, over several months, I logged roughly 16,000 domestic and international travel miles to interview dozens of distinguished experts in science, medicine and nutrition. And the outcome was something truly powerful.
It’s hard to be a beginner
As children, trying something new and being a beginner are part of the adventure. Living in the moment, they enjoy every step of the process as they progress in their new skill, sport, or activity.
As adults, we tend to lose enthusiasm for the process, not taking a moment to recognize that a transformation is happening with every step. Instead, we have the desire to rush to the finish line and be done with it.
In my experience in helping people adopt a keto lifestyle, I can’t tell you how many of them were on the brink of giving up before they even got started. Some of the common fears I would hear and read include:
- I don’t know what to eat
- What if I don’t like the food?
- I’m too busy to prepare keto-friendly foods
- What do I do if I get too hungry?
- What if a keto diet doesn’t work for me?
- Will I be able to dine out?
These individuals felt overwhelmed by what they considered to be long, painful steps necessary to reach their destination of transforming their health and well-being. There is some truth in this narrative — reaching a goal requires a series of actionable steps. But it’s the focus on the difficulty associated with them that’s the real hurdle.
More often than not, it’s the noise we create in our own heads that hold us back. In those times when the chatter gets too loud, threatening to derail you from your course, it’s vital to your progress that you shut it down by refocusing your attention and energy from the problem itself to finding a solution.
Doing so helps you reframe the issue from an insurmountable problem that makes you feel powerless to something you have some control over. It’s retraining your brain.
Taking the first step
Indeed, the first step is the hardest.
Have you ever set your alarm an hour earlier with the intention of getting in a short workout before work? When the alarm goes off shaking you from a deep slumber, you silently protest as you snuggle in for a few more stolen moments in your warm, cozy bed. Then, you get up, albeit reluctantly.
Once you’re in the middle of your workout, as the endorphins course through you making you feel happy and accomplished, you realize you wouldn’t trade that feeling for another five minutes in bed. Today you feel great about making the right choice.
Committing to a positive action may take some coaxing, but rarely will you regret the decision. And if you can hold onto those positive feelings tomorrow morning, then you stand a better chance of not questioning your decision at all. You’re on your way to forming a new, healthy habit.
Boot camp for your brain
Sometimes, the brain chatter comes from outside influences, too. Last year, when The Real Skinny on Fat docu-series launched, over 200,000 men and women signed up for free limited-time access; perhaps you were one of them.
The subject matter was controversial — after all, 80-plus leading experts in science, medicine, and modern nutrition exposed the big fat lie that was served to America under the guise of protection against heart disease and obesity.
This was a lesson in “retraining your brain” if ever there was one!
Imagine having to ‘unlearn’ everything you’ve heard about fat. For decades we’ve been told by governing health agencies and food manufacturers that nonfat yogurt laden with sugar was healthier for you than whole milk yogurt, or that low-fat, processed cookies with a shelf life of three years (thanks to fake trans-fat) made perfectly fine snacks.
Embracing a keto lifestyle requires a keto diet boot camp that prepares you for all elements of the lifestyle. And this is what the docu-series was designed to do — it’s basic training for the brain, the first big step toward understanding why eating fat doesn’t make you fat.
We all need reminders
Back to the motivational quote I mentioned at the beginning. The quotes we pin, repost or print out remind us of who we want to be and what we want to accomplish. Rarely are they new lessons on their own.
We all need reminders to help us keep us on track, which is why The Real Skinny on Fat documentary series will be made available again, for FREE, beginning January, 15th. All the experts, all the research, all nine episodes for free.
By understanding the role of fat and why it’s essential for brain health, cellular function, and weight management, you can make the first few steps of your keto diet life easier. If you missed it last year or want to watch it again, register here.
The Real Skinny on Fat docu-series is so powerful, it is going to be featured on The Dr. Oz Show this FRIDAY, JANUARY, 4th. You can also see Dr. Oz interview Montel Williams and me about living a ketogenic lifestyle! (check your local airing time).
