So I’m going to Toronto on Monday for vacation with friends who lets just say don’t eat the best food. I’ve been doing Keto for almost 2 weeks and intermittent fasting for 4 weeks. I feel amazing, satiated, cravings gone and ive dropped over 10 pounds. Im worried about how Im going to stick to keto while still wanting to embrace the cultural food. I don’t think I can tbh but I was thinking about doing a 24hr fast when i come back. Do you think it will be enough to negate the carb effects and get me back into ketosis? I appreciate your thoughts, thanks!
Vacation Help?
Anniegirl9
(LeeAnn Brooks)
#2
I’m facing a similar issue. In a little over a week I’m going on vacation and one night we will be with my uncle who was a cook in the Army. He will most certainly make us a meal and I doubt it will be very Keto.
But at least I only have one meal to deal with. I guess just do the best you can Keto wise but try not to stress too much. Stress causes cortisol levels to rise, and next to insulin, it’s the other hormone that causes the most weight gain. Try not to compound the problem.
KCKO
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#3
The problem with Canadian cooking is that Canadians think arrowroot is a spice, lol! 
Seriously, though, wherever you eat in Toronto, it ought to be possible to have meat and leafy green vegetables. Get steak or chicken with broccoli as the veg, skip the potato, and have a green salad with plenty of blue cheese dressing. You’ll be fine.
Reina_Noemi
(Reina Noemi)
#4
I was definitely planning on that! I guess i was thinking also in terms of sweets. Which is a weakness of mine. I will do my best though!!
jmbundy
(John)
#5
I didn’t binge, but didn’t eat strict keto on my vacation, as usual when that happens I swell up with mostly water weight and 4 days after getting strict I am back to where I started.
charlie3
(charlie3)
#6
In August I’ll join the traditional family vacation with my grown siblings. When my brother makes his spagetti I’ll have a bit of the noodles and pile on the sauce. Then I’ll probably be in charge of dinner salad. It will be very large. Most of it will go uneaten. I’ll eat all of it, plus olive oil, with ease. I’ll probably skip the several trips to the ice cream place. There will be a birthday to celebrate. I’ll have one bite of cake. The other holiday I spend with sibs is Christmas. I’m sure I’ll follow the same stratagy. It will do me no harm.
If I was some how immune to all the metabolic diseases I would stick to keto because I like the food and the control and the way I feel.
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#7
Ah, well, can’t really tell you how to manage that, although I can say that Sunday evening we went out for dinner for my birthday, and I broke discipline and had a dessert. That was very risky, because I consider myself a sugar addict, and it could have triggered a binge. Fortunately, it didn’t, but I’ve been feeling a bit off, as a result of the sugar, most of this week.
I believe that part of why I haven’t binged yet is that I’ve been keto for over a year, and have been really careful with the carbs, for the most part. Also, dessert was a crème caramel, which contains a lot of fat, except of course for the crust of crystalized sugar on top. I think I was lucky that the crust was very thin, so it wasn’t actually all that much sugar. By contrast, the time I ate the crust along with the pizza toppings, I actually felt worse afterwards than I did on Monday, but it was still a serious risk for me to take. I have seen recovering alcoholics start drinking by making just one tiny exception. That way lies a very slippery slope. As we say about drinking, "Always a reason, never an excuse. . . . " 
If you keep carbs generally very low, then it might be possible to safely indulge in dessert, but such thinking can be a psychological trap, even if it doesn’t trigger physical cravings. If you do succumb, enjoy the moment, even if the aftermath is unpleasant. And if the aftermath is really bad, well, they say the burnt hand teaches best!
MissSimon
#8
Id say do your best!
When eating out ask for substitutes for the potatoes, pasta, or rice. I do that all the time and I havent run into anyone who said no. In order to get in more fat, you can ask for butter on the side then smother it on your veggies. Skip the dessert if you can and order a tea or coffee to sip on. Maybe even pack a mini squirt bottle of stevia in your pocket or purse to have it on hand as a quick sweetner.
I dont tend to focus too hard on sauces or spices and just eat them regardless of what MIGHT be lurking in there because you cant help everything. Considering this is just a vacation for 1 week or however long, it wont ruin the whole year. We dont get to where we are because we indulge a few times out of the year on vacations/holidays.
If youre committed in your regular schedule, I dont see how even a small slip up or indulgence on your vacation will harm you. Its good to find a healthy balance mentally and not torture yourself for it. Accept that you will take some allowances during vacation, be ok with it, and enjoy! Then when you return you can resume as normal.