Here we go! Amy Berger (Keto without the Crazy) and I have—beyond either of our expectations—become good and close friends. (There’s a very small story there … ) Now we’ve decided that our cumulative and respective experiences, knowledge and opinions may be helpful to others. Thus starts the monthly “Amy & Casey Support Group Meeting.” We’ll answer your questions and provide support, encouragement, or a gentle kick in the rear (if needed) to help you get the best results from a low-carb or keto diet. All levels are welcome, from beginners to experienced keto warriors. There's no agenda, an ..read more

credit:Thom Holmes @thomholmes/unsplash It's been over ten years since I changed how I eat and, consequently, my life. While that is a long time, it has gone by in a trice. Blink, blink, done. I now face a question that is the antithesis of the query that lingered in my brain when I was growing heavier, sadder, and more despairing. Back then, I wondered, "Ugh. What's next?" Now I am asking myself, "Whoopee! What's next!?".  Then, dread. Now, curiosity. Wow, that reads like melodrama, doesn't it? Had I really felt that gloomy? Did being obese, often the fattest person in the roo ..read more

2024 GKwC Calendar! ? ??[LIMITED INVENTORY] $25.00 Time flies when you’re alive and it’s that time again to get ready for the coming year. Every month has a theme, pages designed and laid out by me, and with photos in the bottom right corner from life are GKwC behind the scenes. I hope you enjoy the latest version of this annual product. Thanks for your support! ? Quantity: Add To Cart ..read more

My daily weight chart looks like a polygraph (Maybe it is, metaphorically!) I'm starting a new item on this site: a live chart illustrating the fluctuations of my morning scale readings. Why do this? Well, for one thing, I think it's cool to be able to do so. But the real reason is to let anyone who may think they're the only person whose weight goes up and down—a lot. Weight fluctuates. It just does. I've been weight-stable for about six years, and rarely does the scale read the same number two days in a row. As you can see from the chart, my seesaw range is pretty narrow. The trend line sho ..read more

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All the noise, noise, NOISE!! Make it stop!! (Oh, the humanity!) ? I'm reading Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book about how quick, almost knee-jerk reactions and decisions are often the best ones to make and that sometimes more information leads us to poorer decisions than if we kept things simple. Some of the examples he provides—ranging from war games to antiquities authentications to buying jam in a farmer's market stall—explain how we can quickly get side-tracked by gathering ALL the information we can when a couple of salient facts are all that is needed. Sometimes more data or options d ..read more

my fancy new scale. so much data! A few days into 2014, I found myself in a dreary state of mind. I’ve written about this before, but suffice to say that I was not a happy camper. While my life has always been pretty great and was then, the world inside my head was dismal. I was in my mid-fifties and had been morbidly obese for much of the preceding thirty years. Yes, that means that from my twenties to my fifties, I was fat. That day in 2014, I changed the food I ate and lost 97.4 pounds. Simply put, I laid off the carbs. I continue to do so and I've been weight-stable for over five years. M ..read more

Over the last two or three generations, in the western world, at least, what we weigh as measured by a scale has come to dominate our self-image. Granted, carrying around excess "baggage" is something upon which others may judge us. It seems that every twenty pounds of extra body fat translate into a ten-point reduction in IQ. And at some point, we've started to incorporate this bias into our attitudes about ourselves. "Failure" and "lacking willpower" and "loser" become self-descriptors. These thoughts morph into "unworthy," "unlovable," and "unfit." We somehow convince ourselves that we're ..read more

Anyone reading this has probably thought about, started, has been doing, or maybe just heard about the ketogenic diet. (The previous subject matter of this blog was real estate, so readers wondered what P.I.T.I. stands for. what market conditions are in their area, and what the heck a' due diligence fee' is.) These days, however, there is more meaning to me in sharing my experiences with and understanding of the protocol. The instructions are straightforward and clear; keep carbohydrate intake to 20g/day or fewer (total carbs, not net); if it's not on Page 4*, don't eat it; don't eat if you're ..read more

Sodium and electrolytes in general are a frequent topic because the so-called ‘keto flu’ can be a result of sodium depletion. Legs cramps, same thing. How much sodium do we need when following the ketogenic protocol? The answer, for those who prefer TL/DR info: it depends, but almost certainly more than conventional advice would have us believe. A good rule of thumb is to consume about 5g of sodium/day except for those with sodium-sensitive hypertension. Now, for the rest of the story … One of the most interesting aspects of the ketogenic diet is that so many things that make it work are the ..read more