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Keto and Body Image: Say No to Diet Culture

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Following a ketogenic way of eating, I have been tempted to engage in unhealthy behaviors on both ends of the body image and diet spectrum. A lot of people do keto for weight loss, so sometimes I get discouraged that I don't have any impressive before and after pictures like a lot of people in the keto community do. But that is silly, because I am either wishing I were overweight to start with or wishing I could lose weight that I don't have to lose. Both of those are unhealthy thoughts, because health is as much about mental health as it is about physical health, if not more so. On the other hand, I've read some things about intuitive eating and how it must include all foods, even sugar. It can be tempting to think that I shouldn't be on a "diet" and that I should reintroduce the sugar and starch, even though those foods make me feel bad and are harmful to my long-term health. But this would also be unhealthy, because I would go back to being addicted to

Is Keto a Diet?

I read a blog post a few weeks ago that was anti-dieting and I'm still thinking about it. It was great, except that keto was on the list of "diets" that were bashed. It was right up there along with the Whole30 and juice cleanses. Hmm. I don't think keto is necessarily a diet like that, even though some people have made it into one. I know that I said awhile back that I am no longer keto, but it's more that it doesn't define me, even though it is how I eat. Here are 10 reasons why the ketogenic diet is not a "diet": 1. Keto is not restrictive. It doesn't cut out foods, only processed food-like "products". Some foods are limited to special occasions and small amounts, but only because they have detrimental effects to health.  2. I can eat what I want and as much as I want, but I do try to eat mindfully and intuitively.  3. I have experienced some pretty dramatic results (not weight loss). It took time, but it was and is worth it