Vacation strategy

(LeeAnn Brooks) #1

I’m going on vacation in a month and I fully plan on staying on Keto as well as trying to get some running during the 10 days away.

My biggest concern is the one day we will be staying at my uncle’s house. He was a cook in the Army, and based on other stays, he will be making us dinner and the odds of it being low carb is pretty low. I don’t want to offend by not eating and I don’t feel it’s okay to request a Keto meal as he’s already opening his home up to us.

The plan is to cross my fingers and hope there’s a protein that isn’t breaded or doused in sauce, stick to the protein and veggies. If he only has butter, I will eat plain. As this will be the only meal I won’t be able to control through restaurant requests, I’ll just have to do the best I can and go with it. I’m not going to stress out too much.

I’m thinking I should fast until dinner that day. Does this sound good?

As far as running goes, I’m going to have to be up at the crack of dawn to get my runs in. Not the most relaxing vacation, but I can’t afford to take 10 days off that close to my 1/2 marathon. I really need the prep time, so if the hotels have gyms, I’ll be hitting the treadmills. If not, I’ll just have to find a good outdoor spot to run. Who knows, I may find a great place to explore.

#2

Hi Leann,

Two thoughts in case they’re helpful: in addition to fasting that day, some kind of sprint or tabata/HIIT session right before your uncle’s dinner will put you in a glycogen-depleted state (also exercise after - even just a brisk walk) will probably help in terms of blood sugar/ketone levels. I don’t know if this fits into your training regimen…
The other idea is a social one: I find that the more I make a fuss over the things I can eat (“wow! this xxxx is SOO good! I’d love some more if there’s any left”), the less of a big deal it is about the things I skip/take small servings of/push around on my plate.

#3

I’m not as experienced with fasting as you but I think either fasting until dinner, fasting after dinner if it’s not a great meal keto-wise OR filling up on keto foods before dinner (butter, hard boiled eggs, pepperoni, whatever is convenient) and then having a small amount of dinner would be some options.

(Shayne) #4

I’m going on a trip soon and staying with friends who are ovo-lacto vegetarians. I offered to buy my own meat when she asked about dietary restrictions, but she is going to hit up the butcher and we’ll have everything we need. But she’s used to having guests frequently, so I guess it’s not such a big deal for her.

In your case, if you think the meal is going to be carb heavy, I’m wondering if fasting before a carb heavy meal is a good idea. I would think that trying to get in plenty of fat beforehand would help reduce any hunger you might have so you won’t be tempted to eat much at that meal. Then you could push the food around your plate to make it look like you’re eating but not actually ingest much during the meal - and just enjoy the company. I think actually eating at that meal will make you feel like shit and your run the next day will suffer.

(bulkbiker) #5

I’d just tell him that for your health you are following a keto diet and could he possibly accommodate with just some meat roast/grilled/fried for you. You never know he might be interested in your way of eating.
Otherwise bacon!

(Ken) #6

Here’s the heretical opinion, based on Science. If you’ve eliminated lipogenic adaptions, (fat adapted according to the Keto misnomer) there is absolutely no chance of experiencing any significant lipogenic readaptation from eating carbs over a ten day period. Unless they nail your feet down and fed you like a Foie Gras goose. Then only maybe. You’d have to eat massive amounts of carbs well over daily caloric needs, and therefore enable chronic overcompensation of glycogen, then the massive conversion to triglycerides, leading to the creation of body fat.

I suggest you go ahead and enjoy his hospitality and food, and consider it an exercise for metabolic purposes. Just don’t intentionally massively overeat, but even that won’t really matter. Especially if you’re still going to be training. You may be pleasantly surprised with the metabolic effects.

(Robert C) #7

@Anniegirl9 I would worry this would backfire. Go in hungry, find out there are really no keto options, also feeling the need to not offend -> maybe you’ll load up on exactly what you don’t want.

A strategy I have heard that might be good for this sort of thing is to “pre-game” the meal - go in right after having some healthy fat so that the combined pre-game+dinner macro ratios aren’t so bad and you start dinner already pretty satiated.
Ask for the smallest portions of the worst keto offenders and enjoy a little but mostly talk a lot and cut up the food so it looks like it has been worked through pretty well.

(Robert C) #8

AND enjoy your vacation!

(Jane) #9

I had to eat a small sub sandwich a few months back when I was on s business trip in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

It was one of those everyone-standing-around-visiting-with-food-in-their-hands.

Only option was a tray of sandwiches. After the 3rd person insisted I get something to eat I was afraid to offend so grabbed one. Fortunately they were small - maybe 4” - and I nibbled and made it last.

Not being used to bread, that 4” sandwich held me until dinner!

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

Enjoy your vacation!

(LeeAnn Brooks) #10

I thought about that, but the only problem is we will be driving 8 hours there. So I doubt I will be able to get my husband to stop somewhere so I can load up on Keto food before we get there.

I will be able to have a Keto lunch when we stop. I’ll just have to make sure I get enough then so I don’t go in hungry.

I could pack some non-perishables too. I’d take a can of tuna if the smell wouldn’t upset my hubby and son.

(Michelle) #11

Whenever we visit my parents, whose idea of veggies are corn and potatoes, I stop at the grocery and buy a big pre/cut veggie tray (you could also buy a big meat and cheese tray with crackers you won’t eat) so that I know my family will have some of what we are used to eating. They’re never offended and everyone snacks on it.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #12

So now I’m thinking my best option is to pack some Keto foods for the first day of our trip. We drive 8 hours from MI to KY and will get breakfast before we leave. I don’t eat breakfast, so I will abstain until we stop for lunch. I will fill up on a good Keto friendly meal and then shortly before we get into KY, I will eat what I packed to ensure I already have some Keto food in the gullet. That way I will eat a little of whatever is prepared and it offend.

(Robert C) #13

The idea of the pre-game is that you’re looking for nearly pure fat.

Then, combined with the not-so-keto dinner you still get 75-20-5 (or close).

Think a good helping of macadamia nuts - like 600 calories of fat just before you arrive.
Add a somewhat balanced dinner plate (200 calories fat, 200 calories protein and still trying to keep the carbs low by simply eating very little of them) and you can hit the ratio.