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Not letting myself lose weight
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So I'm fat. Not like, about to keel over and die fat, but also not shut up you're just a little husky fat either. I'm something like 100 pounds overweight, and have been for years. I recognize that it's a problem, mentally and physically. About a month ago my girlfriend and I decided to lose weight together, and her brother (who does this kind of thing for a living) gave us a basic workout program and diet plan and kinda went through discussing it all realistically with us.
Since then, she's lost 8 pounds, and that was with her being laid up sick for a week. I kept with it for a week, and when she got sick completely fell off the wagon and now I'm pretty sure I've GAINED a few pounds.
I'm really not sure what's wrong with me here. The program wasn't particularly torturous - I had a lot of dietary freedom, it was basically a "no soda, no processed foods, try to avoid starch when you can" program, and the exercise program was a "do these body weight exercises, some days take as long as you need to to reach this very realistic number, other days do as many as you can in x amount of time without killing yourself." I didn't hate it. I actually kind of liked it. It felt good to actually physically challenge myself for the first time in years.
But then she got sick, and I ended up feeling kind of depressed that week, and after a weekend spent by myself playing Assassin's Creed 3 and eating the worst things I could get my hands on, I've not looked back. I feel really awful about it. She doesn't know I've not been keeping up with it, since I eat right whenever she's around.
I feel like I've let myself down, and that I've let her down. I feel like I'm kinda of betraying her a little bit because she doesn't know, and this sort of thing WILL come out in the wash sooner or later.
I also have a blood text in January to see what my blood sugar is like. I was prediabetic a few years back, which got me to lose 20 pounds, but I've been hovering around there ever since.
Ultimately the problem is in my head. Something is stopping me from committing to this, and I can't figure it out. I have a lot of impulse control problems, but with the help of my therapist I've managed to start handling those in every other aspect of my life but this one. When I first agreed to try this program, I told my girlfriend I was really scared, and that it was a fear of not succeeding. I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, however, and that it's due to some fear of...change, I guess? It's like I'm scared of what'll happen if I'm NOT fat. Like I'm worried I won't be the same person anymore. I've been fat for so long that I think I -identify- as fat, and so maybe I'm scared that I'll lose a part of my identity.
I know I need to talk to my therapist about it, and I see him on Thursday, but for some reason I really want some advice from people on the internet.
Since then, she's lost 8 pounds, and that was with her being laid up sick for a week. I kept with it for a week, and when she got sick completely fell off the wagon and now I'm pretty sure I've GAINED a few pounds.
I'm really not sure what's wrong with me here. The program wasn't particularly torturous - I had a lot of dietary freedom, it was basically a "no soda, no processed foods, try to avoid starch when you can" program, and the exercise program was a "do these body weight exercises, some days take as long as you need to to reach this very realistic number, other days do as many as you can in x amount of time without killing yourself." I didn't hate it. I actually kind of liked it. It felt good to actually physically challenge myself for the first time in years.
But then she got sick, and I ended up feeling kind of depressed that week, and after a weekend spent by myself playing Assassin's Creed 3 and eating the worst things I could get my hands on, I've not looked back. I feel really awful about it. She doesn't know I've not been keeping up with it, since I eat right whenever she's around.
I feel like I've let myself down, and that I've let her down. I feel like I'm kinda of betraying her a little bit because she doesn't know, and this sort of thing WILL come out in the wash sooner or later.
I also have a blood text in January to see what my blood sugar is like. I was prediabetic a few years back, which got me to lose 20 pounds, but I've been hovering around there ever since.
Ultimately the problem is in my head. Something is stopping me from committing to this, and I can't figure it out. I have a lot of impulse control problems, but with the help of my therapist I've managed to start handling those in every other aspect of my life but this one. When I first agreed to try this program, I told my girlfriend I was really scared, and that it was a fear of not succeeding. I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, however, and that it's due to some fear of...change, I guess? It's like I'm scared of what'll happen if I'm NOT fat. Like I'm worried I won't be the same person anymore. I've been fat for so long that I think I -identify- as fat, and so maybe I'm scared that I'll lose a part of my identity.
I know I need to talk to my therapist about it, and I see him on Thursday, but for some reason I really want some advice from people on the internet.
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#1 - When you fall, you get back up again. This isn't a videogame speedrun or high score contest, so stop acting like the first time you fall is a big deal. This is a lifelong race, so don't pressure yourself into "Must do x by y otherwise Z!" You are going to fail, cheat and screw up on this plan, which is 100% ok. Very few people have the willpower to immediately commit to something and stick with it 100% all the time.
#2 - More importantly, don't let your little failures prevent you from getting back on the wagon. It takes a LONG time to learn the healthy habits and unlearn the unhealthy ones. Stick with it and it will get easier over time.
#3 - EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, don't let little cheats or fallbacks throw a week or a month in the trash for you. You eat bad one day? You eat better the next. You don't need to tell her you backslid, just start trying to stick with it.
Oh, and YOU CAN DO THIS.
Sorry if I got all Tony Robbins on this.
A few rules I've found very helpful (especially in regards to your fear of "not succeeding"):
2. Think of it as a lifestyle change, not a "diet", and not a temporary thing that you'll be able to remove yourself from after a set period of time. It helps if you build up slowly, rather than trying to commit to 8 things all at once. As an example, years ago I decided to cut out fast food. Then, I cut out soda. Then juice. Then I moved from white grains/breads to whole-wheat everything. Etc. Etc. It can take awhile, but it's easier to adapt to, because it's slow...and it's also easier to accept as "permanent", because after awhile, you get used to the idea and it doesn't seem "different" or "unusual" to you anymore.
3. Small goals first, big goals later. Don't think about "losing 100 lbs.", think about "losing 5 lbs". Once you've done that, think about losing 10. You're going to hit plateaus, you're going to hit some slow periods, but don't get discouraged. A couple of pounds is a lot easier to focus on initially than 25 or 50 or 100, which can seem overwhelming in the beginning.
It can be really hard to eat healthily when you're depressed - I've struggled with that quite a bit, myself. I know that if I have chocolate or sweets in the house, I have a hard time telling myself not to eat them...or to eat them in moderation. This is why I rarely buy them. If you find that you struggle to eat healthy food, try to remove the unhealthy food from your house. Don't buy it. Eat at home when you can, rather than going out for food. If you go out to eat, consider portion sizes (and maybe only eat half of what is on your plate, and take the other half home as another meal). If you have a problem with munching on chips as a snack, try finding healthier snacks to replace them with (I eat baby carrots and hummus currently). If you crave sweets a lot, try to purchase sweet fresh fruits instead (NOT canned).
I have a friend who lost 150 lbs. over the course of a year or two. He's no different as a person than he once was - though he's clearly much happier, and has gained a fair amount of confidence too.
What exactly are you afraid will change in you, personality-wise? What are you afraid of losing?
Secondly, most people have the opposit issue from you. They believe losing weight will make them they always felt the weight was preventing them from becoming. You already know you will just be you in more comfortable clothes.
I will say, as a person who has struggled all my life with the battle of wanting to be less fat. Future skinny is often not nearly as gratifying now as present happiness in the arms of a cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers never judge you!
But seriously, one day at a time my friend.
And as the previous posters said: This a lifestyle change. The intention at first is to lose weight but after that you want to stick at the right weight and not go back to your old diet. Don't abandon because you're not doing the program, the program is merely for putting you into the correct lifestyle.
You really just have to keep trying until it becomes part of your routine, then it's much easier.
First of all man, I want to congratulate you on making a decision to start looking at your health and making it a priority. This is huge. And not just the decision, all of this. I'll explain as we go why this is so personal for me as well.
Don't kill yourself that you ate some crappy food. I'm in almost the same boat as you except that when I started I was about 140 lbs overweight and had for a lifetime, eaten poorly. So not only was I dealing with impulse control issues, I also turned to food in times of duress (and still do from time to time), and did not have a real history of doing a lot of vigorous activity. Keep in mind that you're rewiring your habits and way of thinking in relation to food and fitness. So I almost guarantee that you'll fall off the horse, and that's fine. The important thing is that you get back up, punch that smarmy long faced bastard in the face and get back on it. Only way you're going to ride off into the sunset.
I'd come clean with your girl about it, mostly because it's not "that" big of an issue. And trying to hide it would be worse than admitting you faltered for a bit.
As for the bodyweight exercises, I personally don't care for them. They're great and will give you a workout, but find what works, what you enjoy and do that. Right now, to lose weight, the big thing is to get into a calorie deficit. A healthy range would be about 500 calories per day less than what you take to maintain your weight with your current level of activity. With that being said, it will take some time to find out what works for you as you go. Personally, it took me a couple months to get down to where I am right now which I would not recommend most folks do as it's not sustainable long term and if you're just starting out it will be tough. (Currently I'm eating about 1500-2000 calories a day and burning about 500-1000 cals at the gym daily and I always go to bed hungry). Over time your body will adjust to the new diet and exercise and then you can kind of play with things again to adjust to what you need to do.
You can find some calorie calculators here and a more complex one here.
One other thing I highly, highly, HIGHLY, recommend if you're trying to drop fat is to start increasing the amount you walk. Nevermind running, but walking at about 50-75% of your max heart rate will burn fat quicker than doing high intensity cardio. I try to walk at least an hour a day on top of weight lifting and the walking I do towards the end of my workout since I want as much energy as possible for the weights. If I have time, I'll walk for as long as I can or until my feet might start getting blisters.
As for your diet, let us know what you're currently eating, what you like and personally I'd be more than happy to recommend some recipes or things that you can try subbing in that might be healthier than current options.
It's not for everyone but I've been transitioning to a paleo/primal diet and have gotten myself off of grains/legumes/soy/sugar about 90-95% of the time. I'll still cheat once a week or so and have a burger but as time goes by, I want those grains less and less. Also, try and get off of diet drinks (and diet anything really) as there are more and more studies that are finding that diet drinks lead to sugar binges as they trick your body into thinking it's getting the sugar it craves and not getting it.
As to any of that stuff about you 'not' being the same person. You'll be a little different, but it will be you being happier, healthier and more active. I dropped 100 lbs in about 9 months and felt absolutely amazing and was incredibly more happy than at any other point in my life. Unfortunately I got into a bad relationship that was exceedingly stressful and I put back on 80 lbs. Since we broke up, I'm back to eating healthy and working out and have lost 35 lbs and am constantly losing. Trust me man, once you find out how much more enjoyable things like snowboarding, hiking, biking, sex, and just about everything else is you'll never want to go back.
As for the why, you need to talk to your therapist about that. S/he can help pick through whatever the block is, if there is one. And maybe there isn't a block greater than "this is making me nervous and causing anxiety and I don't want to do it right now." That is a possibility. If that is the case, you don't need to make up a fancy psychological reason involving inner fear and identity or anything, just own it and do your best to work day by day because it's something you know needs to get done, like going to class or going to work or brushing your teeth needs to get done. Maybe pick between diet and exercise and stick with that. This may not be the best time to jump into something whole-hog, since therapy is pretty new for you, but definitely mention it to your therapist as being something that's important to you to think about.
If you have to pick one for a focus, I do recommend you make it exercise. Sometimes just the act of starting a physical routine can make you more aware of what you put into your body.
I agree with this as well. My diet tends to fall into line as long as I stay active and physical. Once I take a week off I wind up having cravings for junk food. When I'm working out these pretty much go away.
So do that.
Although honestly I have a hard time relating. I routinely get into these conversations with people. And they keep breaking the challenge down into smaller and smaller descrete mental blocks that they say they can't overcome. Then they ask me how I do it.
I just tell them "I shut the fuck up and do it. Talk only gets you so far."
Needless to say this isn't the most helpful advice, but it's all I've got.
Supposedly setting a penalty for yourself helps a great deal. I've heard promises as extreme as "If I don't pull this off I'll kill myself" (please don't do that) to "If I don't pull this off, I'll give someone I hate $5000". Some people just respond better to negative reinforcement I guess.
Also, as to the parasites, I haven't heard that theory before. But I have heard about oxidation and inflammation of your system as well as the regulation of insulin. Having worked on coming off insulin affecting carbs, it seems to be something similar as I have a much higher energy level now, think clearer, and don't experience the "crashes" I would get after eating rice/bread/beans/sugar. Not saying that this is what you have to do, but I'm amazed by what's changed for me once I got past the "detox" period of it and wanting to hit everyone with a board during that part.
which is setting yourself up for massive disappointment/shame/fuck it all when you inevitably slip.
for me, the best way to go about it is to keep the end-goal murky. realize that the daily habits will eventually get you to a healthier place, but focus on integrating newer habits - regardless of degree - into your life. for example, if your plan calls for daily exercise, you may not meet your goals for the week due to shit coming up/not feeling like it/life getting in the way. when that happens, though, make a pledge to do at least a token effort THAT same day, even if it's one pushup, not 50 or whatever. making the habit sustainable has everything to do with consistency of schedule, not consistency of degree. you're not going to manage your top fitness/diet goals every week. but if you're consistently doing SOMETHING every day to get healthy, then lapses won't completely screw up your motivation.
Registered just for the Mass Effect threads | Steam: click ^^^ | Origin: curlyhairedboy
That's the same problem I've had. I'd always set some relatively short-term deadline (I'll stop smoking after I finish this carton I just bought, or I'll start working out next month), type stuff, but I never actually go for it.
You can't force yourself to do something that you genuinely have no desire to do. That's sad reality, but if you deep down don't wanna, you're going to find ways to not do it.
It's like they say: You gotta want it.
I'm trying to get there as well. I should probably lose about a hundred or so myself to get back to an ideal, healthy weight range. I think I've managed to kick caffeine (only been a couple of days), which was the only thing stopping me from quitting soda. Then I want to transition from non-soda soft drinks (like Hawaiian Punch) to straight water. If I manage to kick it completely, the smoking goes next, and if I can pull that off, I'll know I've turned the corner, and I'll start pushing bigger goals.
You just have to wait for the timing. It sucks that you're in basically a pact with your girl, and you really, really need to be honest with her. Part of the reason people do stuff like this in pairs is for accountability, and hiding it from her not only defeats the purpose, but it also potentially causes a problem there because you're hiding something, however small or trivial it may be.
So fess up, own up to it, and when you're ready, you'll be in there.
You just gotta want it.
I don't know, if you watch enough national geographic channel, they have experts who would disagree, I mean I linked that video about it on my earlier post, and if you watched it all you would know what I am talking about.
To the OP: try changing your purchasing habits first. If you don't buy junk food, you won't have any laying around the house, and you won't be tempted to eat it. A little self-control at the grocery store can count for a lot more at home.
As your therapist will perhaps tell you, people also eat to feel better or get a sense of control. Your feeling bummed, playing video games and eating badly all interrelate.
For me, anyway, it isn't just video games, it's that I am usually at work at least twelve hours a day. On bad days, eating may be the only enjoyable thing that I do. So you need to address the emotional issues of why you eat.
And, as others have noted, there's a lot going on subconsciously, with your body being used to eating too much of bad things. Your body's responses to hunger and the like doesn't change overnight. It is a long term process and if you fight to establish good habits and address the whys of your eating with your therapist then you will be in good shape.
But I saw it on Futurama!
As for weight loss, theres no way to do it but do it. I can easily say that I have issues with over eating when I feel down and in the dumps but I just tell myself no matter how much I think some food item will make me feel better, it most assuredly wont in the long run.
2) Get a calendar. Get some stickers (or just use a pen). Put the calendar somewhere visible. This calendar is full of no stickers (or Xes) right now. You have a chance to put 2 stickers on each day, one for exercise, one for sticking to the diet plan. If you miss a day or two, remember that the calendar started off blank. Any stickers you can put on the calendar are evidence you're doing better than you were to start, and you can start putting on new stickers any time. (You can do this electronically if you want, but it's more satisfying to physically put on the sticker or X off the day.)
Both of these sound kind of silly but having something to record your accomplishments in is really gratifying and helps make you want to do well.
Some studies have shown that the people who successfully resist food temptations are the ones who focus on their success rather than their failures (and everyone has failures).
For example, dieters who are near unhealthy food generally either think about past instances in which they did cheat on their diet (and how badly they felt), or past instances where they ate healthy. The people who focused on their past failures were much more likely to fail again, while the people who focused on past success were more likely to resist unhealthy food and successfully change their diet.
The article recommended that next time you do eat healthy, spend a little time afterwards just focusing on how you feel. While there might be some craving for fast food, I bet that you can look past that and find some pretty great feelings based on both the better diet and the satisfaction of pursuing your goal. Really do your best to identify the feeling, maybe even write it down. And the next time you are tempted by some unhealthy food, thinking of that feeling will help resist the temptation.
289.9lbs as of this morning! Don't get discouraged. It's really hard for the first few months while you get used to it but once your mind and body adapt it get's to be manageable. My #1 tip is not to "graze". Don't leave snacks around and take 2-3 crackers or chips every time you go to the kitchen.
I agree with the approach of "going Nazi" and cutting out all the sugar/bread/refined carb junk entirely for a few months because it will regulate your hormones which affect everything from fat storage to hunger to release of fatty tissue to your mood and energy and happiness.
I know it can be hard to find that motivation. For me, it was a fatal car crash I was involved in at my employment that got me to think about my life seriously and gave me the drive to stick to it hardcore, and then 100+ pounds was gone in eight months... But we don't all have major tragedy in our lives to spur us to action so I'd say just talk to your therapist, go somewhere quiet and beautiful, ponder your life, ponder your future, ponder a future where you're 40 years old with children but too overweight to have enjoyed much of their lives or a future where you feel happy, fit, healthy and have been running with them every step of the way.
Or whatever else you want in life. Every obese person dreams of being thin and thinks it'll make everything so much better - in many ways it will, but it isn't the key to everything. Find what makes you happy, what motivates you, what you want in life... And use it.
Yeah, this is not happening, stop posting about it.
Oh god theres too much for me to respond to...
Oh god okay.
So here's a limiting factor I should have mentioned: I live with my parents and don't have a lot of money. I'm unemployed, and the unemployment checks do little more than keep gas in my car while I try and find real work. This makes personal grocery shopping kind of difficult, and keeping certain foods out of the house basically impossible. Add to this a mother who goes out and buys junk for the house in response to ever seeing me upset (she likes to see me happy, and in the past food has been a go-to) and who doesn't understand certain dieting concepts (she's had a lot of success on things like Jenny Craig and thus something like the paleo diet just doesn't click with her) and I'm in a bad spot for eating right. I've talked to her about keeping some chicken in the house that I can just grill up, but instead she's taken to making it FOR me when I'm not around. The problem there? She uses a HEFTY amount of teriyaki sauce when she does it, and it prevents the little bit of self-sufficiency I was going for. This, however, doesn't absolve me of responsibility.
Hilariously, the paleo diet was mentioned here, and that's what girlfriend and I are basing our diet on. Her brother lives by it, and after he broke it down for us it felt like a good idea. It's just difficult to keep to that standard when you're living with parents and kinda broke.
Another factor I should have mentioned: I've had pneumonia three times, and I'm mild-to-moderately asthmatic. As a result, my lungs are in a piss-poor state. This is why I'm sticking to bodyweight exercise and light cardio. I lose my breath easily, and that can lead to dizzy spells and vomiting if I push it too hard. I can fix it, it's just going to take more time than it would if my lungs were healthy.
If I had worms, they probably would have shown up on the countless endoscopies and colonoscopies I've had in the years since I've been fat (most of my late teens and adult life). I have some GI issues, so...cameras all in my gubbins.
I told my girlfriend that I've seen no progress, and that I've been going too easy on myself. She just smiled and told me I'd get there.
When it comes to goals, my initial goal was just to stick with it. I fucked it up, but you're all entirely right - I can't just quit here. And even when I was fucking it up, I still only fucked up to a certain extent. In the past, whenever I've cracked, I was suddenly drowning myself in sodas all over again. This time? I think I've had 2. And I didn't really enjoy them as much as I used to.
I have a number of loftier, end-game goals, but I try not to think about them.
I really appreciate the huge response this thread has gotten. I knew I could count on a few replies, but this is more than I could have asked for.
I don't usually stick to the recommended time periods for the "easy/active rest" parts, because sometimes it takes me more than 30 seconds, or a minute, to recover from my 30-second or 60-second (if I can handle it) run. But for me, it's been a great way to lose weight in a way that my lungs can handle. I feel like I'm able to push myself, but without having to sustain a very high intensity workout for an extended period of time. I can tell that my lungs improve after doing this for awhile, but in the beginning after a period of little-to-no exercise, my recovery period between sprints is usually much longer. Don't worry if that's the case for you too...because again, "sticking to the routine of exercise" is much more important than "doing the perfect amount of exercise".
Also, have you tried sitting down and explaining to your mother that you'd prefer she not buy junk food for you? You can say something like "I really appreciate you trying to cheer me up when you see me feeling down. Eating chips doesn't really help me feel better though, could you maybe buy some baby carrots next time? I'd really like that". And also perhaps that you'd really like to get some hands-on experience cooking, and while you - again - really appreciate her trying to help you out, you'd like to try to cook for yourself to learn how to prepare the chicken in the way you'd like.
My mother never really stopped buying junk food when I was living with her, even when I asked her not to. She also still will buy me chocolate and such, even when I ask her not to. There are some unspoken issues surrounding that I imagine, but when she does that to me now, I just thank her, and give the chocolate/candy to my friends. I might save a small amount for myself if I'm really craving it, but I try to make an effort to not have the bulk of it around me. This might not be entirely possible for you (talking with her should obviously be the first step) but after that, I think it might be helpful to try and remove the junk food from areas you could easily access it...or put the boxes/bags away in a cabinet somewhere, so they're not left out where you might grab them on a whim if you're hungry. It might be a small step, but trying to remove the triggers that lead to temptation might help you in learning how to regulate your impulsive tendencies.
Way to go man. Similar story for me, though I use www.loseit.com (I find the interface a little better than fitnesspal, and the community is pretty active). I've gone from 265pounds to 213.9 yesterday morning. My goal is 200, though my real goal is running my first marathon (currently training for one, it's on February 17th). After I get that goal, I can already tell I'll probably want to drop another 10, and then add in some serious weight training at some point...my ultimate goal is to do a full Iron-man triatlon by the time I hit 40 (I'm 32 currently).
To the OP,
There will always be temptations. Plan plan plan your meals! Focus on what you're eating, slow down when you have a meal...don't just stuff it down as quickly as possible. Really helps me feel full faster. Drink a lot of water...also helps with feeling satisfied. I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning (halfway between breakfast and lunch) and another cup usually late afternoon...helps with cravings as well for me.
If money is an issue, there are plenty of "free" exercises to do, specifically walking, running and hiking. I'd definitely recommend looking at getting some good running shoes though...but if you shop around you can find something somewhat affordable. If nothing else, Christmas is next week.
The two main things that have helped me with my loss so far are:
1. Surrounding myself with support. Whether this means consuming media that motivates me (running magazines, frequenting health-oriented forums, reading up on upcoming races), or finding friends who encourage and share my goals.
2. Get back up! I fall all too frequently. But what matters is that I get up and go again. In the end, that's all that matters.
You can do it. It can be a challenge to find what works for you, but keep trying.
It's shitty but your lifestyle needs to permanently change, and it needs to be treated with just as much severity as any other addiction. An alcoholic doesn't go to AA, get sober for 6 months, and then decide they can start having a few beers every week because they've been doing so well. They *know* the addiction will be right back.
This is something that you'll have to work on your entire life, every single day, or you'll never succeed long term.
Completely agreed. I'm at 50 pounds down...but that's over 14 months...it's been slow weight loss...but it's been because I've slowly but surely been making lifestyle changes. Even if I don't run for a few weeks, my weight still slowly goes down because I've trained myself to seek out healthy options at restaurants, and cook correctly-sized portions at home. Even if I never used loseit.com anymore, I wouldn't bounce back up to my old weight, because I don't even eat like that anymore.
Heck I've TRIED to eat large meals now, and it's funny how quickly I get full now compared to a year and a half ago. You train your body and mind to adjust to your new lifestyle, until it feels natural.
The only reason I bring this up is because, like others have said, eating healthy needs be a lifestyle decision and not a temporary thing, and the only way to do that is to find something EASY to stick to.
This is treading into D&D territory here, but the bolded isn't necessarily true. Your body needs carbs...especially if you're doing a lot of workouts...it's fuel. Technically speaking, eating more calories in a day than you need makes you fat.
In my opinion it's all about moderation, for pretty much any aspect of one's life.
I agree that it is (mostly) all about moderation, but finding a nutrition plan that you not just tolerate but actually ENJOY being on is incredibly hard for many people. I think keto / bulletproof is extremely promising in that regard. Also, don't worry about cheat meals / days. Your emotional and mental health are just as important and if you want to snack on potato chips to not go insane, you should and shouldn't feel bad about it.
Also, if you want some fun exercise, swinging a kettle bell is a not-boring "is this even exercise?" exercise that will whip your ass in no time.
Link to (shirtless man) picture of my personal friend after 60 days of hardcore keto with no exercise. ~195lb to ~155lb.
Link to r/keto on reddit
Nice Keto FAQ from above
This helps immensely. It kept me losing weight even though I wasn't going to a typical gym everyday. Plus it was way more fun than an hour on the treadmill watching food commercials. And it's also some of my primary motivation for getting back to where I was because trying to rock climb where I'm at now is really difficult. Same goes for snowboarding, hiking etc. It's like carrying a 10 year old around with you wherever you go and whatever you do. Life in general is much better being fit.
Fat is fuel just as much as carbs are, and carbs are absolutely not necessary in any way. Plenty of people live just fine without much of them.
This doesn't prove necessarily that doing so is ideal or even necessarily healthy (though I'm with the camp that believes it is), but it is foolish at this point to continue believing the "carbs are necessary" philosophy.