family

1. Their Own Insecurities. If the saboteur is overweight himself or herself, he or she may feel vulnerable, threatened, jealous, or self-conscious. Human nature causes us to be extremely self-preserving and egocentric. With any self-improvement, there is the risk of others trying to bring us back down. Oftentimes, the saboteur may not even really realize they are doing it. But, if you feel they are doing things to make it harder to stay on track, it’s time to talk to them about it.

2. Fear of Change. Even when a change is extremely positive, some people simply resist change. They don’t want to see new foods in the house or on the dinner table. They often fear any change that affects them directly and fear of the change in others.

3. Loss of Fun. If you’ve always provided fun desserts, a fun party atmosphere, or rich, fun dinners, others may fear that they are about to be missing out.

4. Simple Competition. Some relationships will simply always include competition. Siblings, co-workers, and even good friends can have a competitive nature towards each other for any reason.

5. Confusion. Your friends and family may not understand the Keto Zone, the steps to enter it, or have heard myths about it.

Examples of Sabotage

If you’re unsure about your feelings of being sabotaged, and can’t completely put a name to it, here are some examples:

• “You’re losing weight so well! Surely you can have just a little piece of cake.”
• “You’re wasting away… are you sure you’re still healthy?”
• “You don’t like my cooking? C’mon, have seconds.”
• “Don’t you think that diet will raise your cholesterol or cause health problems?”
• “Sorry, you won’t be able to join us at our favorite Mexican restaurant… since you’re on your diet and all.”
• “It’s your birthday! Don’t you appreciate what I’ve made for you?”
• “You know, you don’t seem to be as much fun as you used to be before your weight loss.”
• “You don’t mind that I brought in donuts to work again, do you?”

If you’re in this situation, there are a few steps you can take to handle it:

Step 1: Start with yourself. Know exactly why you’re doing this; why you’re in the Keto Zone. Write it down and keep the list with you.

Step 2: Know your goals. Using a system like this, write down short-term habit goals and long-term ones. Keep it simple, the simpler, the easier to stick to it (1).

Step 3: Name it out loud. Being as objective as possible, let the saboteur know how their specific actions and words make you feel. Simply say “I am doing my best to avoid sugary desserts. I am trying to improve my health and my weight. When you continue to push desserts on me, I struggle to resist them, and this makes it much harder on me. Would you stop offering them to me, to help me?”

Step 4: If they support you from there, thank them for there support. If they don’t, stay strong. Reread your statements for why you are doing Keto Zone and your written goals.

Step 5: Find other support. Even if you have a supportive family and friends, if they aren’t on this journey with you, you can benefit from the support of those who are also in the Keto Zone. Facebook groups, online forums, church dieting groups, and others can be a great source of support.

Suggestions for Friends and Family of Those in the Keto Zone

• Consider it yourself. Keto offers amazing health benefits.
• Offer to do an activity, like a walk or game, rather than continuing to focus on social eating.
• If you start to say something negative or discouraging, ask yourself why.
• If you’re in control of an office environment, try to make snacks available to support healthy eaters.
• Sincere compliments on effort or outcomes are always helpful.
• Plan fun (non-food) rewards when goals are achieved (rewards work – (2).