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| Candy Crush! |
I started my keto diet on Halloween, not the smartest move. I took great pride is saying NO to all that candy dancing around my house. No, little Tootsie Roll. Not giving you a break, Kit Kat. Self-righteous, much? Yes, okay. It was so easy! Right! Until the keto flu kicked my ass.
Then over that. Ha ha! Keto easy! Keto good! But now, I was staring right into the face of Thanksgiving! The one holiday my family takes seriously. We pride ourselves on the number of desserts we have. We serve a salad that is jello and whipped cream. I had to plan an entire meal Just. For. Me! No one I'm related to is down with my weird diet, even if it's working. Every person suggested I just cheat.
Permission to damage yourself.
You can't cheat ketosis. Why would I want to cheat something that is making me feel better? Cheating is easy. I've been a cheater before. I once cheated on a 6th grade spelling test- that I remember this is how much is weighs on my conscious. Cheating on a spelling test is bad, cheating on a diet is okay. Society says it's okay. Just a little taste. One won't hurt.
No. Not this time. I have a bigger reason than me and my health. I promised my dad. He could no longer speak, but he made it clear my weight was NOT OKAY. I planned my low carb high fat Thanksgiving. I gave up my sawdust salad and chocolate meringue pie. I skipped the mashed potatoes and gravy. I pretended the yeast rolls and angel biscuits didn't exist.
I planned a calorie laden keto meal that made me stop and ask myself what was I eating before? No, really. How many calories was I devouring past Thanksgivings? But I stuck to my plan. I was full, but not stuffed. I had no post-meal lethargy. It's not the turkey people! It's the carbs!
I had succeeded! Survived the long carb weekend! My brain wasn't deprived. There was no "little tastes." Despite this huge success, I'm still afraid of eating out. And parties. December is a month of parties. Birthday parties, Christmas parties, meet up with old friends parties. I'm still so new to ketosis...
I love it when a plan comes together!
Not quite as good at getting it together as the A-Team, but I'm working on it. Plan ahead. It works. Fat bombs. Leftovers. Freezer meals. Nuts. Before the niece's birthday party, I ate at home and put some nuts in my purse. Those cute little cupcakes got nothing on me. For my nephews' birthday party it was pizza and junk food in my kitchen. I had meatballs in a sugar-free marinara with cheese on top.
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| Girls or Boys? Ignore the Sugar! |
The big test, a grown-up get together. What would I eat? Is alcohol low carb? Will alcohol make me hungrier? How will my resolve stand up so late at night?
I ate before I left. Put some fat snacks in my car. Researched carb counts on alcohol- drinking on keto is possible! I had a Jack on the rocks, which got me high fives from the guys- no girly drinks for me! Jack, Jose, Jim, Mr. Smirnoff are all zero carb! I love my boys!
My plan: One drink, only eat if I'm hungry, eat my food if the party food is sketchy.
All the food was breaded and/or sugar-sauced. Ignoring the food was easier because I knew I could get my bag from the car. Hunger did hit, either late night craving or the alcohol I was nursing. It's what I describe as the vague hunger- where I could eat, but don't need to eat. I actually made the long drive home without eating anything.
It's getting easier.
Here's what I've learned so far. Keep learning!
4 tips to survive parties
1. Make a plan, but be flexible. Eat beforehand. Be well hydrated. Gather a general idea of the menu and what might be keto friendly. It's a party. You are supposed to have fun, but if you are stressing over every little decision you're going to crack. If you flub up, I'm not going to put you in front of a firing squad- unless you drive drunk. Then I'll fire the all the bullets!
2. Be polite. If it's a dinner party there will be something you can eat if you don't have severe food allergies. It may be considered weird to skip the bread and the potatoes, but it can be done. The longer you stick to your guns the easier it will be.
3. Be polite. Yes, I'm repeating myself. Yes, this is important. When people push bad choices at you, just say, "no thank you," and move on. No lectures about your lifestyle. Anticipate what kind of food will be served. Anticipate not being served anything even remotely keto-friendly. Don't be a cranky pants. That's what all the planning was about.
4. Make a backup plan. Pack your own fat snacks. Nuts, jerky, keto friendly cookie, anything temperature stable that keeps you out of the danger zone. Your plan had you eating before you left for your event. Yet you get there and suddenly you're overwhelmed with desire for fried pickles. Eat a couple of nuts and tell yourself, you're going to keto-fy fried pickles as soon as you get home. Look someone's already done that for you! http://www.pinterest.com/pin/120119515034538752/
What's your plan to navigate the holiday sugar season?
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