Commit to Consistency

I’m listening to a great podcast. The two fellows who run the podcast have had their own metabolic challenges: one has lost over one hundred pounds following a ketogenic diet, and the other has reversed his type two diabetes and has lost at least 60 pounds.What impresses me is their consistency. One has been eating ‘keto’ for 4 years, the other for 2. They aren’t discouraged, they love the way they eat, and even though each are on their own plateau, they aren’t discouraged; they are trying to find out what it is they can do differently to lose more weight.One accepts he has had long-standing insulin resistance, and knows it will take some time to ‘break through’ this. Thus, he is doing longer cycles, and being very careful to limit his carbohydrates. The other is trying, (mind you, only for 10 days), eating one meal per day at 3 pm, making sure it’s primarily high fat and moderate protein (he knows this will sustain him for the next 24 hours).To be frank, I’m envious. They have been consistent. They admit they are ‘foodies’ and love to cook and create new recipes (low-carb recipes)...but, it is their good nature, positive perspective, “never-give-up” attitudes, and their ability to search for what works for their metabolism that impresses me the most.I know, I get discouraged. I will allow myself to question whether anything works, yet at the same time, I know I am not truly consistent day by day. I too easily let events, friends, situations, etc. get in the way of my health and my goals.I know where I want to be; I can’t get angry that this or that isn’t working because in my heart I know I’m only being 50% honest with myself about what and when I’m actually eating. To move ahead, I need to find consistency in eating; not a haphazard ‘almost’ low carb, no-snack pattern of eating.I do know that time-restricted eating, with the last meal at 5 or 6, would work well, without another intake of food until 10 am. (Ideally 8 hours of eating and 16 hours of not.) The evening snacks (no matter how healthy) simply turn on nutrient receptors and my fat mass goes into storage mode.A lot of us are in the same boat; getting discouraged and not trying to find solutions. We have no choice but to try something different if the body hits a plateau. The first step that usually works the best, is avoiding snacks after dinner. Moving dinner earlier to allow insulin to settle down and let our bodies turn to our own fat as a fuel can work as well. Almost invariably it’s those extra ‘feeds’ that occur when we aren’t hungry (usually evening) that set us back.Commit to change. Commit to consistency. Commit to your journey to being in the best health possible, and be open to making small changes that could add up to amazing results. You can do it. Keep learning. Keep trying, and never ever give up.Dr. Doug