St Patrick’s Day is a family gathering for my family and it’s all about delicious corned beef and cabbage. The family gathers and my mom makes the most mouth-watering corned beef the problem is she serves it with a heaping side of boiled cabbage potatoes and carrots and then throw on a side of homemade soda bread. I knew that I was not going to forgo the Gathering so I planned ahead I made Fathead bread in the cheddar garlic style and brought real fresh butter with me since my mother only uses margarine. I even made a keto friendly dessert that I brought with me to share with my family. I had a wonderful serving of corned beef a small side of cabbage which I slathered with butter and salt yum. Then I had my keto rolls which I also slathered with butter. I was able to eat family holiday meal without blowing my keto diet yay. The funniest part of the whole night was at dessert I made a pumpkin gingerbread crumble that’s keto friendly I thought it was delicious my family decided it was not sweet enough. I was actually quite impressed when I decided that it was just sweet enough for me and I didn’t need the sugar, again yay. Now that that’s under my belt I’m pretty sure I can weather all the holidays with my family who don’t eat a keto diet. Here’s to small victories.
Made it through the first family gathering
Great report!! Well done, you! These social things are so fraught, you want to participate without ruining all your hard work or upsetting people you love.
LOL I made a totally unsweetened pumpkin cheesecake so I could have a dessert at Thanksgiving but I warned all the sugar burners to stay away from it as they would hate it lol. I loved it and found it was even better with a sprinkle of salt hahaha! Keto craziness.
Bravo You!!! 
It’s amazing how your tastes change on Keto. Now if someone tries to slip sugar on me I know it instantly. Sad to think how immune you can become to sugar. I guess it really is a drug, you just need more and more to taste it.
I find family gatherings difficult as I don’t want to make a deal out of my “special” food, so I just do the best that I can. In that St. Patty’s Day situation, you did super! I would have just let them put whatever on my plate and then eaten the parts I wanted and left the potatoes, carrots and bread aside. I find no one watches/cares what I’m eating, anyway, like I could care less what they eat, so it all works out.
Sometimes I just get more carbs or protein than I like to in social situations. And usually always way less fat. But it’s one meal on one day so I roll with it. Personally, my body falls out of ketosis very easily, but it also hops right back in effortlessly, too.
I’ve just started saying “I’m not hungry, thanks”, “but I’m not hungry, no thanks”, “I’m not really hungry”, “I’m not hungry but thank you”, “no really, I’m not hungry” etc. Eventually, they realize that they are “pushing” and stop, which is a good thing. When they continue to push they become the jerk, not you for your “special” diet (which doesn’t keep you in starvation mode all the fucking time. What a concept!). It’s all about conditioning family and friends. It’s difficult to wrap your head around not starving. all. the. time!
Before break my sister were both in town visiting and I was visiting them up at my parents. Since I was Zorn fasting in my own way I was drinking tea, and water at meals. My poor dear mom was so afraid the fasting would make me faint. Lolololol
K
Well done!
That’s why I like potluck family gathering. I always bring something keto that everyone can have. Also, when we are invited over at a friends’ place for dinner, I volunteer to bring dessert and I make sure it is keto (I usually keep that information to myself!
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And now that I’ve been living this way for more than a year, my family has finally understood and leaves me alone for the most part. My MIL is the one who still has trouble. She fears I’m not eating enough, or that I’m always eating the same thing (I keep it to bacon and eggs when we visit).
Big Congratulations!
I enjoyed your report.
We are social creatures, as are all mammals. We rely on connection for life and spirit. Undeniable differences, like way-of-eating, can be huge stressors. To have handled this with problem-solving, grace, AND learning is a significant NSV.
As you said, you have new confidence that you can handle such situations in the future. Well done.
I’ve been keto nearly a year now, and it still feels weird not to be constantly hungy. And I have to stop eating long before my stomach feels as though it’s going to burst–what’s with that? 