Cheat Day - What to Expect

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #1

Keto diet for 3-4 Months and I’ve not tried it. (cheating)
I’ve got a big wedding soon (no, not mine) and will be away from home for 2 weeks.
It would help everyone out if I ate with the masses.
Any tips?
Will it spike my BS? or should I now be very insulin sensitive now?
BTW, not looking forward to the celebration meals :pleading_face:

(Marianne) #2

I think eating out on keto can be very manageable. The key to me is to stick to clean, simple foods like meat/protein, salad, low carb veggies (broccoli, asparagus, etc.), and just eat larger servings of low carb selections available. Most importantly, I’ve found, is not taking that first bite of trigger foods, whatever those are. For me, that’s anything with sugar, breads, potatoes, etc. Be careful with alcohol as it can lower your resolve.

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #3

Ah, there’s another issue. At most weddings I could pick through my plate and eat the sensible bits. It’s a vegetarians wedding and the main meal is risotto! Damn :joy:

#4

I personally would eat before the meals. If you arrive already satiated, then you would feel more comfortable skipping anything that isn’t keto. People will be pretty busy and probably won’t bother much about what you eat or don’t eat.

However, if you do indulge, you may not feel very well the next day. It depends on how much you indulge, but some report feeling pretty awful if they eat very high carb after becoming keto adapted. Yes, if you eat cake or carb heavy foods, it will spike your glucose. You are an adult, so you get to choose. :smiley:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

You’ll do better, the less carbohydrate you eat. At big meals you can usually get away with sticking to the entree and salad. At the wedding reception, no one will notice if you don’t eat the cake.

But it also depends on what you want. Do you really want to revert to your old diet? If so, then do it, and then start over with keto afterwards. The only question, which only you can answer, is whether you’re a carb/sugar addict. Because that might keep you from returning to keto, or might give you a great deal of trouble coming back.

If you really want to stay keto, you can find a way to do it. For example, suppose you were allergic to nuts or to fish–you would find a way to avoid those foods, wouldn’t you? You surely wouldn’t risk anaphylactic shock just because “it would help everyone out if I ate with the masses.” The same with coeliac disease, which can get pretty gruesome when people eat gluten.

My strategy would be to go out for breakfast, because a local diner will probably be quite happy to feed you eggs, bacon, and sausage, hold the toast. Then with a good meal in my belly, I could go for hours, until supper, pretty much, where the food is likely to contain a meat dish, a salad, and a veg that’s not too bad. The problem comes with visiting Aunt Millie, who’s likely to be offended if people don’t eat the cookies she baked.

#6

I would have what I call pre-load meals, which help me to eat less and avoid overeating bad stuff. As Paul suggested, a protein-rich meal with eggs works amazingly. About 1 hour or 1/2 hour before the wedding meal, I would have a whey protein drink box and a handful of walnuts. Then, after dinner, go out and dance the night away. This strategy has helped me greatly. I avoid alcohol because I tend to overeat when drinking.

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #7

Hmmmm great advice. Thanks guys.
A big fatty breakfast is a great idea, and the idea of eating a big sugar cake makes me feel sick.
I never did have a sweet tooth.
No I won’t be returning to a high carb diet.

(Allie) #8

and go to your head a lot more on keto

#9

You very nearly never need to eat what you don’t want :slight_smile: Definitely not on a wedding. I can’t imagine how it would help others that… They still get your company, why does it matter if you eat or not? Maybe I don’t know anything about such things, as a hermit :slight_smile: But it just shouldn’t be as important. But even if it’s important, your health, well-being and even joy is way more important.

I only want to eat carbs I desire, otherwise it’s a bad deal. (And I do my best to desire the right things, it goes well.)

If you eat a ton of sugar, various things may happen between nothing and being super sick.
I barely feel if I eat a lot of carbs (as long as it’s one day and I ate very low-carb previously) but it’s usually starches, not simpler sugars… I have read about keto -> high-carb being a shock to the body and it made sense but I still don’t experience it nowadays. After just a few months of low-carb, a very wild high-carb day wasn’t so nice (I didn’t feel too bad but definitely not so well and that’s very bad in my hedonistic books) but as time passed, it got less noticeable (and I know which items I should be more careful with anyway. I don’t go overboard with starches either, usually but 200g carbs is so little, I eat it up in no time, it happens here and there. I feel I ate carbs, I have a less easy feeling…? but no unpleasantness).

But if I ate off for 2 weeks, that wouldn’t be pretty for sure. But I am a hedonist so I wouldn’t. I would want carnivore to balance things out after 1-2 days…

#10

I wouldn’t worry about it too much…it’s only 1 day, and as long as you’ve half decent will power, which you will have as i know you’ve been successful on keto.

I would stick to low carb as much as possible, gorge on meats if available…but if you have a few mouthfuls of risotto so be it. Just don’t make a habit of it.

#11

image
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#12

Wow, some of these words are new to me… And I read novels with big words! English words are like animal species (even if we restrict it to vertebrates). No matter how much time I spend learning about them, new ones keep popping up. All the time.

#13

:slight_smile:

The second pic is of a Dyonisus painting.

’ Originally Dionysus was the Greek god of fertility. Later, he came to be known chiefly as the god of wine and pleasure . The Romans called him Bacchus.’

…and this is why I always smile when you call yourself a hedonist…because I always imagine you as a mad raver in a a club in Cancun or Ibiza lol. (I know you’re not btw!), taking big bites of pork rib and flushing it down with copius goblets of wine. :slight_smile:

#14

:sweat_smile:

(Joey) #15

You’ve gotten great advice. At the risk of putting too fine a point on it…

I’d only suggest not thinking about eating stuff that you’ve concluded isn’t healthy for you as being a “cheat” (… unless perhaps you made a solemn vow to someone else? In which case that might qualify as cheating in my book.)

Simply put, you cannot cheat on yourself, any more than you can lie to yourself.

We reach conclusions, we make choices, and then we deal with them - and their consequences.

Best wishes!

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #16

Totally right and Thanks for reminding me. This is one day and important for the loving couple.
It’s also my health and life. No compromises. Thanks SG

#17

But you can bounce back quite quickly. I used Keyto acetone tracker (breathalyser).
I know, through experience, if you are low ketosis because of carb intake one day, it’s possible to bounce back in quite quickly.

I don’t use the tracker anymore- no need, but it’s all documented on here somewhere.

I’m not saying deliberately cheat, I’m saying don’t worry about slightly backsliding for one day.
This isn’t a cult, and i don’t think your metabolism or body will fall out with you in anyway over temporary raised insulin levels.

Apologies for any spelling issues, Carly and I are chilling to the Arctic Monkeys @ Galstonbury live, BBC iPlayer.

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #18

hahahah also enjoying the Monkeys lol … with a little Havanese dog called Lyla

(Peter - Don't Fear the Fat ) #19

Lyla%20pup
Lyla pup.jpg2592×1936 830 KB

#20

Brilliant!

I like!