I’ve been doing Keto since January 10 and went on a trip this weekend and “cheated”…badly… for the first time. I traveled to Las Vegas and had never been there so decided to indulge in a couple of desserts and didn’t always know what I was eating since it was a buffet (two nights in a row) but I did try to stick to meats, veggies and cheeses. The first time I was fine, I drank some ketones since I had them before I went to bed. The next night I wasn’t so lucky… and experienced some major tummy issues about an hour or two after eating dinner. I had fasted during the day (other than a non-Keto sugary drink) and drank some ketones after that to offset the “cheat” and also hold me over till the evening. At the buffet I tried to stick to meat, veggies, cheeses but I did have some desserts. Then with almost no warning, I had (TMI Alert) an attack of horrible diarrhea. It did not end well… so I’m traveling home today and I’ve been wary of eating anything today. I’ve not been very hungry but I want to start the recovery process. I’ve drank water, bone broth and had some macadamia nuts. What else do I do? What is going to be ok for my stomach to handle? Do I eat more fat? Do I just eat when hungry? Do I just act like nothing happened and eat what I normally eat (once I get home…just in case)? Please help!!
I’ll be traveling to DC in a couple of weeks for a week long stay and I don’t plan on cheating like that again but I want to make sure I understand what happened before I venture into public and attempt eating again…
Cheated and Paid for it - need advice
I would and don’t sweat the ‘cheat’. It’s all good experience. Also, don’t bother with ‘drinking ketones’ - total waste of time and money. It doesn’t help or reverse a cheat, just fakes out a ketone reading and stunts actual ketone production.
Remember, as you get healthier under the hood/bonnet, cheats won’t be so painful so don’t run scared of the odd treat but you’ve learned a lesson for now. KCKO.
It’s fine to cheat every now and then. I have a cheat day about every 6 days or so. I find I usually end up fasting most of the day after since I usually feel kinda gross after cheating. I think my next cheat is gonna be much more light and well-controlled. Maybe some Taco Bell and a Zebra Cake or something rather than going all out and letting loose.
Anyway, don’t worry. KCKO.
It is entirely possible that your TMI moment was simple food poisoning. Otherwise I would think about what you ate and see if you have a food sensitivity. The prime one being wheat but there are others that you usually do not eat while keto. People tend to blame everything good or bad on keto. I stumbed my toe, it must be because I am on keto. Not exactly.
I have gone off plan twice in 11 months. Once was deliberate on advice I got to break a stall (it did not). That time I was so sick by day 2 that I could not wait to start fasting. I think it was the wheat which I am sensitive to rather than not being keto. The second time was last month and I was surprised but had no problems with my stomach at all and I ate regular pizza and a bunch of other things. I did not eat that much as it was mostly better carbs (butternut squash, fruit and pizza only on the last day and for me it is quantity that upsets me).
That one was cheating although it started innocently enough with some citrus fruit that I wanted because I was sick and then I had to force myself back on plan after 4 days. Was on a road trip that day so indulged a little.
Note every so often I eat too many nuts or berries which I know keep me out of ketosis, I do not even worry about that. Same with going to a restaurant, I do not quiz the waiter on what the steak has been marinated in, it is steak I eat it and do not worry
While I do not eat out much anymore, I did last summer and that was when I lost most of my weight. If you travel every day that is one thing, but having a trip once every couple of months, stick to keto, make the best choices you can of what is available and if you end up in a pasta place, fast instead.
As for tomorrow, as @Capnbob said.
As for the ketones, I personally have never tried them and if they are helping you in general, fine but I do not think their purpose is to put you into ketosis when you cheat. To me that is simply adding calories and I do not see the point
It is super common (and has happen to me a couple times) to have tummy issues after drinking mct oil. Being some what if a diuretic it can make you have diarrhea. I’d just lay off of it if I were you, I don’t think it’s very helpful.
In regard to your binge, don’t worry about it. Put it behind you and start your next days with keto food as you always do. 
Thanks for the advice! I hadn’t planned to use the ketones in this way; I originally got them to get through a horrible 6 week long keto flu when I first started but since I had some left I thought I’d bring them along for the trip. I’m not sure they helped or not…
And I agree I’ve definitely leaned my lesson… I think if I’d just stick with the one buffet, instead of going for two, I’d have been fine. I overdid it, as I often do with things…
I was surprised after the first day, I didn’t feel bad at all! Today though… definitely gross…
Usually my food sensitivities aren’t quite so…explosive…it’s usually just very uncomfortable bloating so I was very concerned about the way my body handled food that it hadn’t had in a couple of months. If it was food poisoning it was very mild because, thank goodness, it was just a short duration and I’m not queasy or sick today, just very hesitant to eat. I didn’t want to be too sick to get on an airplane. Good news is I made it home with no issues and just ate a meat stick and I’ll start my normal eating patterns tomorrow. Can’t wait to get back to my routine!
I have been LOVING my MCT oil powder, haven’t tried the liquid. But I avoided that today too, just in case… I can’t wait for my very missed coffee blend of coconut oil and MCT oil powder in the morning!
I should also note that I’ve never had any tummy issues with coconut oil, the ketones, or the MCT oil (powder) and always started slow, thus my cluelessness about what to do in this situation. My only major tummy issues were early on when I learned I wasn’t absorbing fat properly but that was taken care of quite easily with enzymes with ox bile. Yay for an easy fix for once! 
So your digestive enzymes change when you switch to eating primarily protein and fats. Your body doesn’t need as many of the digestive enzymes that process carbs and sugar so when we cheat and our body gets an influx of carbs, starch and sugar, it can go straight through us rather than rotting in our guts.
I traveled across the country to see my Marine son, whom I hadn’t seen in 15 months. He and his friends want to take care of me aka feed me. I’ve had more carbs in the last 3 days than I’ve had in 6 months 
my son didn’t know. My skin hurts!
I know when I return home I’ll get back to Keto and fasting. I don’t call this trip a cheat, Just a pause.
I’m so curious, how has your body responded?? Any adverse effects? I’ve been very wary of going off course just because I was so afraid my body would revolt (which it did in a very horrible way!) so it concerns me about future “pauses”!
It’s just so weird that the first day I was totally fine and then the next time I had a horrible experience. That’s why I’m trying to understand what happened because I want to make sure I’m smarter with my “cheating” next time (because there will be, I’m not foolish enough to think I can eat perfectly forever!)
Maybe not so weird.
I could be wrong about this, and I’m sure someone will correct me if I am.
The thought occurred to me that on the first day, you may have been replenishing glycogen stores that may not have had much there since you’ve been good previously. The excess sugar had someplace to go. But by the second day, you hadn’t depleted any of those glycogen stores yet and continued to pile in more sugar. Uh oh, no place for that to go. Worse day.
Don’t know if that makes sense or whether it’s just rainbows & unicorns. But it’s what came to mind.
I’ve been “fasting” in between my meals while on my trip. I haven’t eaten in 20 ish hours and I have dinner plans tonight. I’ll go home tomorrow and get back to my regular routine. I feel pretty good. I haven’t been bloated or anything. My only complaint is my skin is very sensitive. I think I’m “detoxing” in between my meals if that makes sense. I think (I hope) it’s because I’m keto adapted that I won’t do too much damage and get right back on keto/fasting routine.
As @Bellyman described , could you have switched to using glycogen as your fuel possibly? I considered the fasting possibility so maybe I’ll try that next time I travel! It sure would be nice to not have to worry about eating every few hours.
After looking at the different information I would get enough fat to sustain the time in fasting. By feasting and I have felt that when I just had a light day and sat around and they started a fast, I was better when I had more fat the day before.
I am doing great on keto and will not go back. fighting cancer…
I have not traveled since I was in was in the military but I do miss it but do not miss the munchies why flighing…
the bulking up before the travel may work…