Finding the fun

November 8 2017 by , in Helpful tips, Keto

“It’s just one day, and my kids are going to have candy if they want it!” The commenter went on to tell me how irrational I was for suggesting a cute pencil and eraser set for children instead of candy for a holiday. The message she sent me was that she refused to spoil the holiday for her children by denying them candy. It reminded me of comments I had heard before from others. Once a lady said to me, “How can I enjoy a movie if I can’t have popcorn?!” And a man once said to me, “You cannot take away my beer! It’s football season, and there is no way you’re gonna ruin my fun!”

I used to feel that way. I used to believe the unhealthy lies that marketers and food manufacturers want us to believe. We see people smiling on television as they drink beverages together; commercials show parents bonding with kids over breakfast cereal; and we see in images that Friday nights are made better with friends all reaching for a slice of pizza dripping with cheese. Advertisements for special holiday foods are abundant, and even when there is no holiday, food advertisements and commercials nearly always have some element of happiness in them. Marketers want you to know they put the happy in the Happy Meal, and they can help you put the fabulous feast on your table fast for only $19.99 at the drive-thru.

We had been a keto family for nearly two years when we went on a brief weekend vacation to the mountains. Although I had gone into a store to purchase bottled water, I got sidetracked by a display just inside the door — donuts! The children’s favorite brand was stacked in a colorful configuration. My husband and I used to take our children to that donut shop to buy donuts hot and fresh. Those were such fun times when the kids were little! I started to reach for a box, and then I caught myself. We didn’t eat those any more.

As I continued towards the bottled water, there was an enormous display of cookies — every flavor that one could imagine! The manufacturer had seasonal flavors of cookies and fillings in various combinations. We could have a taste test! It would be so fun to try the different varieties and pick our favorites! As I began to consider what flavors each of the children and my husband might like to try, I had to stop myself again. We don’t eat sugar. Why would I even be attracted to that display? Those cookies would make me sick and really weren’t good for the children either.

I finally got the flat of water and headed towards the checkout, but as I rounded the corner, I was greeted by the convenience of a table holding all of the ingredients for s’mores. The chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers called to me. In my mind’s eye, images emerged of a fire on the side of the mountain with the kids dancing around and gathering sticks to roast the marshmallows. David and I would wait to sandwich the gooey, roasted marshmallows between the layers of chocolate and cookies, so that the kids could enjoy them. I could see their little faces light up when I showed them what I’d bought.

Not unlike a someone waking from a dream, I shook my head and went to the register to purchase the water. What was wrong with me? Three times I had been tempted by sugary foods that my family no longer even ate! Three times I had imagined how happy my family would be because of those foods.

While I waited in line, I considered why those high-carb and highly-processed foods had caught my attention. Having been keto and having enjoyed fantastic results, I didn’t want those things. I truly knew better than to buy them. I had finally reached the point where seeing cakes and cookies, made me think of them as poison, yet I was struggling to avoid them because of the nostalgia that those foods were “fun”. Each time visions of the children’s smiling faces had appeared, yet I knew intellectually that we didn’t need those sugary foods to have a good time. That’s when it hit me that I would have to be intentional. I had to find ways to replace food as fun and find new ways to bond with my family.

New ways to have fun

My family was waiting in the car, so I knew I had to act fast. I glanced around the checkout aisle on either side of me. There was gum and candy – NO! There were also batteries and chips, and then I spied a deck of playing cards. I snatched up two decks just as the clerk was asking, “Will that be all?” I smiled and said, “I’d like to get these too, please.”

When I got to the car, my husband seemed surprised that I had bought just a flat of water and had only one small bag in my hands. “That took a while. Is that all you got?” he asked as I put the water in the back of the car. I answered, “Well, I got something fun. I got cards!” Each of the children took a pack of the cards. That evening we laughed together as we played Rummy and War and Crazy 8s. My son spent much of the weekend learning a card trick and delighted in showing it to his grandfather when we saw him two days later. We all enjoyed watching as my son went through the “magic” and his grandfather wondered how he did it.

We also started a new tradition with our bonfire. We roasted smoked sausages instead of marshmallows, and they tested a whole lot better! Even without the sugary s’mores, we still laughed and told scary stories while we watched the stars come out and marveled at the universe, which was still magical.

The fun wasn’t in the packages of food that made me nostalgic. It never was. Holidays are fun because we take the time to be together. Movies, if they are bad, cannot be made better by a tub of popcorn that gives us a tubby tummy, and football without beer is still a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon (or a Friday night or a Monday night) as long as you’ve got a good team and good friends to help you cheer them on. The best part is knowing that I’m giving them, and me, better health with better foods so that we have more time to make more fun.

—
Kristie Sullivan

Do you want to read more by Kristie Sullivan? Here are her three most popular posts:

The ultimate guide to low-carb or keto kitchen essentials
The ultimate low carb and keto cookie collection
Festive low carb and keto Christmas cookies

A keto diet for beginners

Keto

MEMBERS ONLY
All things keto with Keto Connect
16:44
What is it like running the very popular YouTube channel Keto Connect?
MEMBERS ONLY
My success story with Jim Caldwell
02:23
Jim Caldwell has transformed his health and gone from an all-time high at 352 lbs (160 kg) to 170 lbs (77 kg.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Diet Doctor Podcast #35 with Ben Bikman, PhD
00:00
Why is insulin so important for us to control and why does a ketogenic diet help so many people? Professor Ben Bikman has studied these questions in his lab for years and he is one of the foremost authorities on the subject.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Diet Doctor Podcast #31 – Dr. Ken Berry
51:26
Dr. Ken Berry wants us all to be aware that much of what our doctors say may be a lie. Maybe not an outright malicious lie, but much of what “we” believe in medicine can be traced back to word-of-mouth teachings without a scientific basis.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
My success story with Gillian Szollos
02:55
Gillian had a normal life when she all of a sudden started to get seizures. She suffered terrible side effects from the meds so she started a keto diet.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY

Low-carb basics

MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Low-carb tips with team Diet Doctor – Traveling
08:05
How do you stay low carb when traveling? Watch this episode to find out!
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
A global food revolution
34:30
The mistakes behind the obesity epidemic and how we can fix them together, empowering people everywhere to revolutionize their health.
MEMBERS ONLY
7 tips to make low carb simple
09:41
The star of the BBC series Doctor in the House, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, gives you seven tips that will make low carb easy.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Women's questions introduction
01:36
In this video series, you can find expert views on some of your top questions about low-carb and women's health.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Q&A with Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt
23:06
Has Sweden adopted low-carb dietary guidelines? Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt answers questions about the work we do at Diet Doctor and low-carb as a treatment for different conditions.

Weight loss

MEMBERS ONLY
What if medicine is wrong about obesity? - DD Insights
08:06
Although more people are trying to lose weight, few people are succeeding. Why? Is it possible that the medical community has basic concepts about obesity wrong?
Diet Doctor Podcast #35 with Ben Bikman, PhD
00:00
Why is insulin so important for us to control and why does a ketogenic diet help so many people? Professor Ben Bikman has studied these questions in his lab for years and he is one of the foremost authorities on the subject.
MEMBERS ONLY
Living low carb with Yvonne Lane
05:51
Yvonne used to see all those pictures of people who'd lost so much weight, but sometimes didn't really believe they were real.
Diet Doctor Podcast #33 – Dr. David Unwin
43:25
Dr. Unwin was on the verge of retiring as a general practice physician in the UK. Then he found the power of low carb nutrition and began helping his patients in ways he never thought possible.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Diet Doctor Podcast #32 – Jen Unwin
39:19
Life changes can be hard. No question about that. But they don't always have to be. Sometimes you just need a little hope to get you started.
Diet Doctor Podcast #29 – Dr. Spencer Nadolsky
47:49
Dr. Spencer Nadolsky is a bit of an anomaly as he openly wants to explore low carb nutrition, low fat nutrition, multiple forms of exercise, and use it all to help his individual patients.
Diet Doctor Podcast #28 – Amy Berger
54:29
Amy Berger has a no nonsense, practical approach that helps people see how they can get the benefits from keto without all the struggles.
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
MEMBERS ONLY
Podcast #19 — Dr. Robert Cywes
55:25
Dr. Robert Cywes is an expert at weight loss surgeries. If you or a loved one is thinking about bariatric surgery or struggling with weight loss, this episode is for you.
Part 7 of Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
05:01
Dr. Fung gives us a comprehensive review of what causes fatty liver disease, how it affects insulin resistance and, what we can do to reduce fatty liver.

Earlier with Kristie

All earlier posts by Kristie Sullivan

Name	Provider / Domain	Expiration	Description
ckdc-premium	.dietdoctor.com	1 month
app-banner	.dietdoctor.dev.dietdoctor.com	1 day	This cookie shows whether user closed the App Banner prompt
_gaexp	Google LLC dietdoctor.com	1 year	Used to determine a user's inclusion in an experiment and the expiry of experiments a user has been included in.
_gaexp	Google LLC .dietdoctor.com	1 year	Used to determine a user's inclusion in an experiment and the expiry of experiments a user has been included in.
_opt_awcid	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_opt_awmid	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_opt_awgid	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_opt_awkid	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_opt_utmc	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_opt_expid	.dietdoctor.com	25 seconds
gtm_auth	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
gtm_debug	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
gtm_experiment	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
gtm_preview	.dietdoctor.com	3 days
_hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress	Hotjar Ltd .dietdoctor.com	30 minutes	The cookie is set so Hotjar can track the beginning of the user's journey for a total session count. It does not contain any identifiable information.
_ga	Google LLC .dietdoctor.com	2 years	This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics - which is a significant update to Google's more commonly used analytics service. This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports.
_dc_gtm_UA-3268327-1	.dietdoctor.com	1 minute	This cookie is associated with sites using Google Tag Manager to load other scripts and code into a page. Where it is used it may be regarded as Strictly Necessary as without it, other scripts may not function correctly. The end of the name is a unique number which is also an identifier for an associated Google Analytics account.
_hjFirstSeen	Hotjar Ltd .dietdoctor.com	30 minutes	The cookie is set so Hotjar can track the beginning of the user's journey for a total session count. It does not contain any identifiable information.
_dc_gtm_UA-22012422-2	.dietdoctor.com	1 minute	This cookie is associated with sites using Google Tag Manager to load other scripts and code into a page. Where it is used it may be regarded as Strictly Necessary as without it, other scripts may not function correctly. The end of the name is a unique number which is also an identifier for an associated Google Analytics account.
AWSELBCORS	Amazon.com Inc. www.podbean.com	5 minutes	The cookies AWSELB and AWSELBCORS are functionally the same cookies. The latter has an explicit SameSite attribute set because of changes made from Chrome 80 and upwards.
_ga_YMCP8KW9S4	.dietdoctor.com	2 years
_hjIncludedInSessionSample	Hotjar Ltd www.dietdoctor.com	2 minutes	This cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the data sampling defined by your site's daily session limit
__cf_bm	Cloudflare Inc. .vimeo.com	30 minutes	This cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the website, in order to make valid reports on the use of their website.
_gid	Google LLC .dietdoctor.com	1 day	This cookie is set by Google Analytics. It stores and update a unique value for each page visited and is used to count and track pageviews.
CookieScriptConsent	CookieScript www.dietdoctor.com	1 year	This cookie is used by Cookie-Script.com service to remember visitor cookie consent preferences. It is necessary for Cookie-Script.com cookie banner to work properly.
__cf_bm	Cloudflare Inc. .podbean.com	30 minutes	This cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the website, in order to make valid reports on the use of their website.
_hjIncludedInPageviewSample	Hotjar Ltd www.dietdoctor.com	2 minutes	This cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the data sampling defined by your site's pageview limit.
_dc_gtm_UA-22012422-1	.dietdoctor.com	1 minute	This cookie is associated with sites using Google Tag Manager to load other scripts and code into a page. Where it is used it may be regarded as Strictly Necessary as without it, other scripts may not function correctly. The end of the name is a unique number which is also an identifier for an associated Google Analytics account.
_gaexp_rc	.dietdoctor.com	25 seconds

Name	Provider / Domain	Expiration	Description
IDE	Google LLC .doubleclick.net	1 year	This cookie is set by Doubleclick and carries out information about how the end user uses the website and any advertising that the end user may have seen before visiting the said website.
_uetvid	Microsoft Corporation .dietdoctor.com	1 year	This is a cookie utilised by Microsoft Bing Ads and is a tracking cookie. It allows us to engage with a user that has previously visited our website.
loc	Oracle Corporation .addthis.com	1 year 1 month	Stores the visitors geolocation to record location of sharer
test_cookie	Google LLC .doubleclick.net	15 minutes	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to determine if the website visitor's browser supports cookies.
_gcl_au	Google LLC .dietdoctor.com	3 months	Used by Google AdSense for experimenting with advertisement efficiency across websites using their services
_uetsid	Microsoft Corporation .dietdoctor.com	1 day	This cookie is used by Bing to determine what ads should be shown that may be relevant to the end user perusing the site.
uvc	Oracle Corporation .addthis.com	1 year 1 month	Tracks how often a user interacts with AddThis
YSC	Google LLC .youtube.com	Session	This cookie is set by YouTube to track views of embedded videos.
MUID	Microsoft Corporation .bing.com	1 year	This cookie is widely used my Microsoft as a unique user identifier. It can be set by embedded microsoft scripts. Widely believed to sync across many different Microsoft domains, allowing user tracking.
_fbp	Meta Platform Inc. .dietdoctor.com	3 months	Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE	Google LLC .youtube.com	6 months	This cookie is set by Youtube to keep track of user preferences for Youtube videos embedded in sites;it can also determine whether the website visitor is using the new or old version of the Youtube interface.

Name	Provider / Domain	Expiration
_hjSession_1945121	.dietdoctor.com	30 minutes
_hjSessionUser_1945121	.dietdoctor.com	1 year
_ga_Y4DLH4EPXM	.dietdoctor.com	2 years