Whole Family Diet Change for Weight Loss and Autism, Episode 15

So welcome everyone that's watching today. I am here with Katie Lacey and we are going to chat about how she got started with keto and some of her good tips and tricks for maintaining this lifestyle. So welcome Katie.

Thank you, thank you for having me.

Yeah, and as you can see, um, one of Katie's things is she did hair and makeup for years, so she's always looking glowing and glamorous. So maybe you could tell people a little bit about your background, not only with your, you know, your work life, but how you came to know about keto and kind of how that process of starting that lifestyle has been?

Yeah, well, I am from Texas and I have 3 young boys. My husband was a professional powerlifter for many, many years and he, I always joke, but it's so true, probably about 13 years ago, he's like, there's this thing called paleo. And I'm like, you started the paleo movement. He just has always really kind of been into the high protein and the fats and all the things with that. Um, and once we started having children, it was like, okay, we want to lose some weight. We want to do it in a way that's not like necessarily counting all the calories all the time and all the things. Um, and then our third son was diagnosed with autism. And so about 5 years ago, we really started learning what sugar and carbs can do more for his mentality, but also for everyone's. And so that kind of started the beginning of really, really understanding and really pushing it 100% in our household with our boys now and with us.

And so how old are your, are your boys now?

My boys are 12, 8, and almost 5.

And so you are really, because of your youngest, it sounds like it was kind of the one that spurred it, but really now the whole family is relatively sugar-free or at least lower carb.

Yeah, yeah, everybody is sugar-free. Um, the kids, we allow vegetables and fruit more than we do for our keto, um, our keto journey. But the boys, yeah, they have no— I mean, they are not allowed.

So life intervenes, but we were chatting about the kids going lower carb, so you said they're allowed fruits and vegetables.

So yes, we just did a really big swift move when we committed to it. We were just full-blown, like Everything with any, anything that has sugar included or added, I'm sorry, is gone. And so that is literally everything, you know, especially when you're starting completely from nothing. I mean, everything. I'm like, if it says it's got added sugar, I mean, done. And so really we didn't give it a whole lot of like, okay, well we feel bad. You know, I had a moment probably about 2 or 3 days into the kids' keto and sugar-free journey where I was like, I feel very irresponsible. I'm like, what if they're hungry? Or what if, you know, they're not getting enough? And my husband was like, Katie, the way we've been feeding them is irresponsible. You know, and I was like, oh my gosh, that just changed my whole view on it. And so ever since then, it's just, it is very strict. And it's, you know, as far as the kids go, it's very hard with school and things like that. I mean, everything is, you did good, here's a candy, here's it. And so we've really instilled, make your choices. If you have a cookie at a birthday party for the school, have half the cookie, or if it's a juice box and a cookie, pick one. And so that's kind of just been how we've lived for the last couple of years. And we've noticed gigantic strides in our youngest son. It is night and day when he has, you know, sugar in him versus not.

So, and so for people that aren't as familiar with autism, can you maybe just speak a little bit about that and share what changes you've noticed in him since? I'm assuming at some point he was— when he was younger, maybe you hadn't made this transition yet, so he'd had some sugar. Like, what were the things that you noticed after that was out of his diet?

He, he just used to be so out of control. Um, he was just— he would have very, very high highs and very low lows. And I mean, it would be one of things like we would joke, but it'd be like if he could, he would be spinning on the ceiling fan. Like he was just uncontrollable. We could never calm him down. We could never keep him happy. I mean, it was just, it was horrible. And we noticed within, I really would say 2 days of taking the sugar out and replacing it with healthy fats, it was crazy. Like it was just night and day. He went to where he would sit and he would count things and he, everything he really should shouldn't have been doing at that age, he ended up thriving with. And when he was about, he was 1 and he had a massive cranial reconstruction surgery. And so we always went back to like, okay, so he had this massive surgery. Was this what caused autism or was he already, was he born with it? And that's still a question we have some days where like, we kind of forget, okay, you have some special needs that are, you know, and so really, we look at his diet before anything. Like when he has his bad days, you know, it's like, okay, so you probably did not get autism from the surgery, but, um, you know, it's, it is gigantically, yeah.

Yeah. Some of the stuff that I have run across with ketones research, um, whether it's, you know, what your body produces or drinking them and fats for the brain, for neurodegenerative, any kind of neurodegenerative disease. And so if you think that autism, it obviously has a, a brain function component, right? So, your brain can have trouble metabolizing glucose. Um, that's what happens in people with Alzheimer's. That's what happens in people with normally aging brains like mine. Eventually, you know, because of the way we've abused sugar for our life, your brain doesn't use glucose as efficiently. But the research shows that your brain can always use ketones. So I think that that's so amazing, and I love that you're telling— sharing this story about your son because I think people always kind of think of keto as a weight loss, um, thing. But, you know, really it started in children with epilepsy. That was the only way that they could control it. And in some kids now, doing it with diet controls it better than any medication they have.

So it does. Like I said, we will look at— if we're having a day with him where we're like, what is going on? We look at what's been eaten. Oh, they had a Valentine's party at school and literally all they ate was sugar. You know, and carb, processed carbs, and you know, I mean, it is night and day.

Yeah, that's amazing. Well, I'm so happy to hear that he's doing well. That's amazing.

Thank you.

And, um, what about more like you and your husband's journey? So you said, um, obviously you've had some big life changes lately with moving and starting school and a lot of different things. Can you talk about like how you had said you had experimented with it when he was powerlifting, and then when you finally got your kids onto it, then you were more committed? Can you just just kind of tell everybody how that's changed over time for you and kind of when you got to the point where you realized this is really a lifestyle, not just a diet.

Yeah, we have been fully committed for probably about close to 2 years, 18 months. And I think what changed from 5, 10, 12 years ago when we would kind of do it and you stop— and besides the research that has come out, and it's just like Oh my goodness. But now there's so— there's a substitution, a healthy substitution for anything except for popcorn. Like, come on, people, let's figure out the popcorn. I never wanted popcorn until I was keto and, you know, doing keto. And I was like, oh my goodness, that's like the only thing I cannot, you know. But, you know, now, I mean, I help a lot of people through, you know, starting keto and stuff. And I'm like, there's a substitution. There is no reason there's not a reason to have sugar or cheat or, you know, if there's a reason, it's because you're not prepared or you get too hungry and you can't think straight or you're, you know, there's just no good excuse for why, you know. So really just the research and the food now is just, it's so awesome that there's so many things that are just allowed, you know, and that has made, we don't do a lot of like, We don't do a lot of low-carb tortillas or keto treats and things like that. You know, for us, we save those for days that are stressful. So at least we're not jumping off the deep end with burgers and fries. Okay. Oh darn, I had a low-carb tortilla. Well, if that's the worst thing you're going to do, then pretty darn good. And we don't like to incorporate those like as a daily thing, but we save those for, you know, times that are like chaotic or times that you're wanting to, you know, to cheat. But really, I mean, I heard someone say the other day about keto, it's like you cheat, you're like cheating on yourself. You're not even doing anything, you know? And so I want to fight for myself. And, you know, we work hard. And honestly, once you stop or once for me, once you cheat, and I think that was it throughout the years, once you cheat, You just can't. Someone said the other day, it's like pushing a bus uphill. It is literally like, I don't know what you— it's so hard to get back on track. And, you know, so, well, that's, that's good that you know that about yourself.

And a lot of people, it takes them a little while to get to that idea. And I also think that there's this— you got to know yourself, right? For me personally, once every couple months, if we go— we— there's a French restaurant for— this is a great example— in town. And now I've been doing this low carb for 5 years, keto for 4. And I don't do this very often because I don't want the inflammatory gluten in my diet. I don't want the wheat and all of that. But we go to this French restaurant where they have this most amazing French bread. It is like 1,000% worth it. Not like crappy bread, you know, this is like— yeah, slathered in butter. And I'll have like 2, you know, little maybe 2-inch pieces and like just savor it and love it, and it's delicious. But I don't I don't really have like— and this is just me personally, but I would like to encourage people. I think this is a good thing. Like, if you want the one thing that's driving you nuts, I say have it. Unless, you know, if you're severely diabetic or something and you don't— that's different. I'm not diabetic. So anyway, I have these two pieces of bread, I thoroughly enjoy it. I get home and I test my ketones, I'm still in ketosis. It's not like— it's not like you're killing yourself, knocking yourself out. But if you do something like have a whole cheat day and you know about yourself that this is likely to send you off the deep end and you won't be able to get back on. Well, that's, that's a great reason to not do that if you know that about yourself.

Yes.

And some people can't do that.

You can't. I mean, some people can do it and it's really cool that you can. And some people, it just, you know, puts them completely on a slippery slope. And then, you know, it is really hard to get the motivation back. And, you know, last year we went gosh, I want to say 13 months without anything, without any cheating or any indulgences or anything. And, you know, this— I was talking about it on Instagram the other day, this last weekend where, you know, we have a lot of stuff going on, a lot of movement and a lot of changes. And I was just like, I don't want to resent keto. And I kind of would like the last couple of weeks, I was like, so mad I don't want to do this. You know, I don't want to— I want to eat what I want to eat. I don't— you know how you get a lot of nos in your life? And, you know, and so we had 2 meals that were not keto. But man, you know what, after being in keto for so long, it really was kind of like the, okay, you don't— this is not a restrictive diet. You know, this is something that's lifestyle. And if this mentally, if I was— if I'm going through a mental thing and if this is the little thing that it took for me to be like, oh, I love keto, duh. Like, what are you thinking, Katie? I was still in ketosis the whole time. Yeah, my ketones were a little lower, but, um, you know, it's like, that's exactly what I needed. And, you know, pressing on, you know, it's just, it's really cool.

No, that is awesome. And I think that's what makes it sustainable for people if you're doing this long-term. And so I think it's important for people to hear these sort of diverse perspectives, like, hey, some people might be able to go and eat carbs all day one day and then hop right back in. They're totally fine. Makes them feel good. Gets over that mental block you're talking about. Other people, if they're fighting neurodegenerative diseases or a lot of inflammation in their body, or if you still have a whole bunch of weight to lose, or if you're new in the keto diet. I definitely recommend when people start, like, stick with it for several months pretty strict before you start doing these other things.

Yeah, there's really— I mean, there has to be a really good reason to, you know, and there's just not— I mean You know, so I 100% agree with you.

I think, I mean, it's the easiest way of eating I've ever done. I was vegetarian for 7 years. That was way harder.

Yeah. What is your next? That's awesome though. Well, and that's the deal. I mean, I think before this last weekend or whenever it was, I was like, do not cheat, do not cheat. It is not worth it. Don't ever do it. And it was really, it was really cool to learn that kind of about myself, but now to be able to relate to other people and it's like, I'm not gonna judge you as harshly now, I just like saw, oh, sometimes it's not about, you know, you really have to keep your brain healthy. And if you have a timeframe or if you have a plan, that was the biggest thing. It's like, we are not exceeding this amount of time. We are not exceeding. We're not going to have a huge giant chocolate cake. Okay. You know, you want to have a yes. And that was kind of where we were. And it's like, control that at least, at least make it something that you're not completely mentally messing up all the work you've done inside your body. And you have healed your body from the inside. And once you— once you cheat or cheat for too long, I mean, you just start scratching it all back open, you know?

Yeah, I mean, and that is, you know, and that's a great tip that you had there for, um, for people for making it sustainable. If you are going to go off plan for a little bit, put a time limit on it, make it pretty serious, write it down, tell other people if you're You know, if your spouse is on board with you in the lifestyle, that's really helpful. But if they're not, you can still do that too. I mean, it was a long time before my husband really got on board with low carb that I was doing it. And, um, you know, you can do it by yourself. A little more challenging, just— but you have to just like put those parameters around. Like you said, if I'm going to do this, I'm doing this for one meal, and then tomorrow morning I'm back to keto, back to normal.

Yeah, yeah. I didn't realize you know, as far as my husband goes, I didn't realize how lucky or blessed I was to have somebody that's doing it 100% with me, you know? And really, like I said, once we made the whole family, you know, just turn into it, like, you don't have a choice. I buy the groceries, you know? And I remember at one point a couple of years ago, my son going, "Well, if you don't want me to eat it, why do you keep buying it?" I'm like, "I don't really know why I keep buying it. You ask me for it and then I say no." You know, like, what is the— so once everybody's on the same track and, you know, now my, my 8-year-old, He will read every label, you know, and he'll be like, "Oh my gosh, you know, whoever had a Coke with 52, you know, grams of added sugar?" And I'm like, "Oh my goodness." He's like, you know, so it's really cool to get the kids reading the labels and, you know, really learning that.

Yeah, that's awesome. And it's also interesting to hear. I think the way that you approached it is probably the best way because My husband has not done that with our children yet. They're teenagers, so it's probably a little challenging at this point. But just by nature of being around us and hearing about our choices and seeing how we're concerned about the amount of sugar in things, even though they're not eating strictly low-carb and even though they still eat a lot of garbage that I wish that they wouldn't eat, they are at least, the seed has been planted.

Hearing it, yes, exactly.

And I think that's important when we're just living our life, you know, around other people. You know, I want everybody to feel as healthy and feel as amazing as I do. Not everybody's there in their brain yet, but it's amazing over time how many people's ways have shifted just by kind of knowing what we're doing and the information that I put out there. So I think that that's awesome that you're being that example for your kids as well.

Well, I always think, you know, my 12-year-old, um, I think it's good for them to see, like, I'm struggling right now, or I want to, to eat something, or I want to use food. Food was never like a comfort for me. It's, it's always been a social thing, you know. Um, and so I think it's really good for our children to see, like, we are having, um, self-control and discipline when it's not easy. And I think that that goes far beyond just food in teaching our children, you know. It's like, hey, This is not easy right now. My son will be like, just have a cheat day. I'm like, no, because, you know, like, if I can be disciplined in this, I can be disciplined in everything, essentially. I mean, so I think it's just really good for them to have that seed planted, seeing mom do it even if it's hard and moving past the hardness of it sometimes, you know.

And would you say because you move, because you're starting, I think, did you just start your program this year for school?

Yes.

So during COVID— so, so we've had COVID, you've moved, you've had this thing. Tell me about how— and you're talking about this a little bit, I think, already— but tell me a little bit about how stress has impacted, or has, has that made it more challenging for you to stay on it? Or have you noticed shifts in like the way you're feeling mentally because of all this extra stress right now?

You know, when we first moved, we moved from Dallas to a little teeny tiny, you know, Texas, Central Texas town. And the stress was real and it was very different. I mean, I've always lived in the hustle and bustle and lived near everything and everyone. I was very involved in our community and the stress. I never knew what anxiety really was. I was like, oh yeah, I've had anxiety. And then I was like, Oh, when you start having the physical effects of anxiety and I started questioning myself, maybe I'm having anxiety, maybe my, you know, because of keto, I, that was one of the biggest things. Maybe I should do like Weight Watchers and just eat, you know? And I started, it was this huge like tumbling thing of, you know, just anxiety and stress and just, but I had to kind of go back to the place where it was like, wait a second, I know what I know, you know? And what I know is that keto keeps my brain healthy and the stress is so much higher when I was not, you know, doing keto. And I mean, it, it's almost like gave you more control to navigate the stress rather than to just indulge, or, you know. So there's a lot— I think there's a lot of benefits in, you know, how just how it moved me forward and through it. Sometimes the only way through it is to get through it, you know. And so it was just it was nice to have one thing that I wasn't changing. You know, we have all this change, all the stress. This is staying the same.

You know, now that's, that's really a great point. And it would be interesting, like, if you would— what your experience would have been if you would not have been eating keto, if you would have been having a lot of sugar in your diet and stress on top of that. What would that do?

Well, we— it was so funny because when we moved, it was the hardest move I've ever had to do. And my husband and I the whole time were like, We're like Superman and Superwoman. Like, thank God we are doing this and we have done this with our bodies because there was no way we could have lived through it because, you know, and just we kept going, man, we're really good. Like, thank God. Thank God we have this. Thank God we could like do this because, you know, this is the only way this could have happened.

And do you think that's what, like when you say that, is it because you had more energy or you just felt like when you're doing all this busy move stuff, like you didn't have to worry about eating every couple of hours.

What happened? Yes, the energy, the strength behind it. You know, my husband, like I said, he, he was an incredible powerlifter. He has a world record. He's like, he's the strongest guy you've ever seen. He's amazing. And, you know, through children and moving and weight gaining, this is pre, pre this move. It was just crazy to see his strength kind of come back. He's always been strong, but then like, like when I'm watching him walk across the yard, you know, with the washing machine machine on his back. And I'm like, holy cow, like, you're unreal, you know. But just, it was nice to not be hungry and to be sharp and not to be short with each other or with our kids, you know, in the move. It was just very controlled, um, like you had control of your emotions and control of your own strength, you know. And that was really, really just— we just kept going, this is so cool, this is so— we would just never be able to do this.

That's awesome. I love that. And so you've had an effect you know, obviously your children's health, brain health, your brain health, strength. I mean, this is why we do it, right?

Yes, yes ma'am, it is, it is the best thing ever.

So just to finish up with something that's a little, um, a different topic, since, you know, part of my Heal, Nourish, Grow brand is all about helping people live their best lives, I think, you know, part of that, especially for us as women, is how we look and how we feel about how we look. And I mentioned that you did hair and makeup for years and years, and I'm totally obsessed with your eyelashes. So can you just maybe share with everyone out there a couple of your favorite beauty tips, like around hair and makeup, just to finish out on a very positive note?

You know, I have learned since in the last couple years the importance of moisturizer and, you know, finding a good moisturizer, that sort of thing. Um, You know, I think that with makeup, you know, there's a lot of people that discourage it or don't hide your beauty. And, you know, I think people for makeup, like I use it, I'm an artist, you know, I do a lot of things that are artistry and it's like, I used to tell people like, oh, you wear too much makeup or do you just not think you're pretty? I'm like, you like to read books, right? Okay, you have a library, right? Okay, well I have a library of lipstick. This is my book reading. This is what I do that makes me feel good And I like making other people feel good. And, you know, that's really it. It's just, you know, do what makes you feel good and invest in the moisturizer. You know?

And what's your favorite mascara?

Oh my hair. You know what? I'm L'Oréal all the way. I have spent $50 on mascara and I have spent $1 on mascara and L'Oréal is the bomb. I mean, they have every single, mascara they have is just like, it's just really the best. Like, I mean, I will spend some money on concealer and I think that, you know, for me, foundation, concealer, and that's probably the most, the two most important things. You know, I will spend money on that, but man, give me that L'Oréal. I had a girlfriend write me yesterday and she's like, hey, you know, I'm selling Mary Kay mascara, you know, do you want to buy some? I was like, well, I said, I really love my $6 L'Oréal, you know. She's like, okay, well, this is $18. I said, well, it's not about the money, it's more about, you know, You know, just, it's a bomb.

Well, thank you so much for the tips with both keto and beauty stuff. And Katie, it has been such a pleasure finally getting to feel like I've known you now on Instagram for a little while, feeling like I know you a little better after this conversation.

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Good to have you.

You too. Thank you.