Strategies for unavoidable carb intake

#1

I need some advice and/or reassurance.

This Saturday I am going to an old friends for dinner. I haven’t seen her in over a year. They are moving far away, and this is the last time I’ll see her for ages.

For YEARS we have talked about her husband’s paella, and she has been asking us to come and eat this with them- and this Saturday is it. The paella night.

I CAN’T not eat it. It would be so rude.

So, how do I manage this? I will be end of week 6, I’ve been pretty strict and have easily fasted up to 24 hours now, feeling good most of the time. Under 20g total carbs most days, highest ever has been 24 (but net carbs that day were 16, so…)

There will be alcohol (wine, gin), there will be rice, I’ve said we’d bring cheese for dessert (my husband has T2DM), but any other advice would be welcome.

#2

You say that not eating it is not an option.

So eat a bit of everything, reduce the carb intake, and then fast for the next 24 hours or more. You’ll be back on the horse in no time.

Don’t sweat it. Enjoy it!

(Marta Loftfield) #3

@Swiftynix I have found having a Tbsp of ACV in a glass of water before carbs seems to lessen the damage. Eat something with lots of fat before you go. If you can dish your own portion pick out lots of shrimp and sausage with a little rice.

(Ron) #4

This is life, just enjoy your friend.
Preparations would be maybe fast 12 or so hours before.
Don’t worry about the event and just get right back on the horse the next day. It will all be ok.
Keep Calm, Enjoy, then Keto On!:wink:

#5

What everyone else said. I was worried about these types of situations a lot at first, but then realized they come up very infrequently. If she has salad or veggies, load up on those, pick out the proteins and eat as little rice as you can politely do. If it’s delicious and you choose to eat lots, do that and enjoy it and then get back to keto the next day.
Sounds like a super fun evening and I hope you really have fun and it’s yummy! Let us know how it goes

(Leslie) #6

I can remember Carl of the 2 keto Dudes once saying that he countered a heavy carb event with fat immediately thereafter. I think your cheese for dessert is an excellent way to make this happen. Eat cheese. I also know that fasting after the event is an excellent way to compensate. Do your 24 hours for sure, maybe even try to stretch it out longer

I hope you find this helpful

(Mother of Puppies ) #7

I heard heavy carb had to be countered with heavy protein, not fat…

(Leslie) #8

I cannot reference the science used by Carl, but I do know that protein causes insulin secretion. Thus it’s only reasonable that to reverse the insulin effects of carbs one would not consume protein, or at least not a lot of it.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #9

Swifty:

Take a deep breath.

It’s gonna be okay.

I have a term for this… it’s called a value cheat (don’t tell Khan).

You are having a meal that is off plan because the social aspect, the personal meaning, the spiritual connection, whatever you want to talk about the portion of your life that isn’t run by your manner of eating, outweighs the need for 100% compliance with your manner of eating.

The key concept behind the value cheat is that you need to ensure that the occasion is special enough, and that the occasions are infrequent, like 3-5 times a year, at most.

Go, enjoy, drink and be merry, and eat the whole portion of paella, savor the flavors and textures, and be sure to get some of the soccarrat (the burnt part of the rice that sticks to the pan… it’s the best part).

Then Sunday, dust yourself off and get back on plan. Fast, BPC, Big Ass Keto Meal (my strategy… if I have a value cheat, I go have a few eggs, some bacon, and maybe some pork chops or a steak at the diner… BAKM), whatever it is, have it planned ahead of time, scheduled, so you have a clear idea of what to do.

You’ve been solid for six weeks, you should be close to metabolically flexible at this point in time, you’ll be fine.

NOTE: This philosophy is predicated on you doing keto for weightloss, mental clarity, endurance athleticism, or something else that isn’t life threatening. If you’re T2DM, or are doing therapeutic ketosis for cancer, epilepsy or some other big bad, I think the value cheat equation works out differently. If a meal will accelerate your death or reduce your quality of life years, then, you can politely explain to your hosts why you are picking the protein out of the rice without any bit of rudeness.

Second NOTE: It is NEVER rude to explain your dietary requirements as they relate to your health. Your company is worth more to your friends than your enjoyment of their cooking. Your health is also worth more to your friends.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #10

Carb + Protein is highly insulinogenic.

I would just accept one meal as a norm, get a good night’s sleep, clear the glucose load with at least 12 or 13 hours until your next meal, and then go either straight protein (lean beef) or keto meal or fasting.

(Chris) #11

I think you need to enjoy it. Savor your time with friends, embrace the foods. Heal your soul during the evening. Don’t be surprised if a couple days after the event, you are back setting new weight loss records.

#12

Thank you SO much @LeCheffre - that is excellent advice, that I will take.
I am definitely in the former category (fat and foggy) and not the latter, so dinner it is. Fast for twelve hours before, a tablespoon of AVC on the way out the door, then I’ll eat and be merry!

Then- no food until 1-2pm the next day, bacon, eggs scrambled with cream and butter. Back on the plan. That I can do.

I’m also taking the very good advice of @Lesliemont @ketoteacher1 @avocadosrule @MountainGirl and @mtncntrykid too- you have all really helped me get some perspective, put a plan in place, and a few tricks up my sleeve as well. You guys! :clap:

#13

Thanks @Untraceable- I think that’s what I’m going to do!

(Alec) #14

I think this is the key point. You are working towards being fat adapted (if you aren’t already). We know this takes time. Equally it doesn’t disappear quickly either.

We can all get a bit religious in our keto lifestyle (especially me!). But taking the odd journey away from it for good reason I think is a good thing. Not every week, but occasional. If only to see what eating carbs feels like… it may remind you well why you love keto!

(Roy D Rushing Jr ) #15

Yeah I figure if you’re going to go off the plan, at least make it satisfying. Tank up on the experience and don’t let yourself feel guilty over it. If you go in there trying to stay keto, you’re likely to both fail at that AND fail to get the most you can out of the evening. That would be worse than just letting loose for the night and then getting back to business on the next day.

(Jennifer ) #16

I call these memory meals. Like looking back, I would regret remembering that I didn’t partake in the meal. 99.9% of all foods do not qualify for this exception.

Family bbq? Nope.
Birthday cake at a party? Not really.
My mother’s butterscotch brownies from my childhood when I see her the one time a year that I go home to see her? Yes. Those qualify for me.
I go on an international trip to Hong Kong? Yeah you better believe I’m eating some dim sum. No regrets.

Fast before, fast after, and exercise a bit to burn off the glucose, enjoy the memory, and march onward. Just don’t let one meal turn into 5.