Keto and Body Image: Say No to Diet Culture
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 sugar, having low energy, and setting myself up for type 2 diabetes and other health problems down the road.
This video, which I have watched at least three times over the past several months, most recently today, gives an excellent balance to this issue. Leanne Vogel talks about how thin and healthy are NOT synonymous and how keto ought to be nourishing and not restrictive. You can be anti-diet-culture and still eat high fat, low carb, healthy foods as a lifestyle, without it being about weight.
For more resources, info, and recipes check out Healthful Pursuit for some excellent keto stuff.
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 sugar, having low energy, and setting myself up for type 2 diabetes and other health problems down the road.
This video, which I have watched at least three times over the past several months, most recently today, gives an excellent balance to this issue. Leanne Vogel talks about how thin and healthy are NOT synonymous and how keto ought to be nourishing and not restrictive. You can be anti-diet-culture and still eat high fat, low carb, healthy foods as a lifestyle, without it being about weight.
For more resources, info, and recipes check out Healthful Pursuit for some excellent keto stuff.
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