Keto Proof Holiday: Tips From an Expert
It is almost time for our holiday! From October 11th until November 1st, we will be spending our days in India traveling from North to South. You probably think to yourself: how are they going to stick to eating keto? Well … we already decided that keto in India is not gonna be worth it for us since we (and especially Lotte) want to discover the Indian cuisine and try everything! That being said, we will not take it to an extreme level and will still implement a low-carb approach combined with intermittent fasting.
Do you have an upcoming holiday?
Did you also plan your next holiday, and are you already freaked out about staying keto while enjoying your holiday to the max? Don’t be! Keto is a lifestyle, and a holiday fits perfectly within this; whether it is keto or not. As long as you set your mind 100% to the decision you make, and implement it the right way.
In this blog we share tips and tricks from Nadine Bakker; applied psychologist, and founder of digital coaching practice Just Call Me Up on how to deal with staying keto as much as possible during your holiday. She is already one year in keto-lifestyle and in this blog she shares her tips for a ketoproof holiday!
A holiday can change everything
Keto can be a challenging diet in your normal life, but on holiday it can get even harder! There are so many distractions, ice creams and great pizza places. How do you keep your head cool on holiday? How do you say no to limitless temptations?
Keto is about lifestyle. If you’re a few months in you probably don’t even feel the need to refeed or to eat sugary products. But holidays change everything. Holidays equal celebration, eating lots of high-carb foods, drinking beers and enjoying all the things that you normally don’t eat. Fortunately, there are many ways to celebrate your holiday in keto style!
Prepare, prepare, prepare
You probably already know weeks beforehand that a holiday is approaching. This is good, because this allows you time to make a plan. A good option is to create a temptation-celebration list. In this list you figure out a good replacement for your worst temptations. You will see that the list is actually do-able and very handy on your next holiday. Make sure to use the format standing below. The list looks a bit like this:
High carb temptations versus low-carb / keto celebrations
Ice cream -> replace with yogurt ice with berries / stevia
Pizza, french fries, pasta -> replace with zucchini pasta, cauliflower pizza crust, rich Italian salad
Cold beers -> replace with dry white wine
Sugary cocktails -> replace with Gin & Tonic with zero sugar tonic or vodka sparkling water or bacardi cola zero
Implement a refeed, one time
Allright, we understand that a carb refeed is mostly part of the holiday game. Though you might not need it, a small carb refeed doesn’t hurt. However, this carb refeed needs to be planned carefully and not be extended to a long-term holiday! If you started eating keto less than 2 months ago, please forget about this carb refeed. Your body is not fully fat-adapted, and therefore implementing a carb refeed can be very harmful to your body! Have been doing keto for more than 2 months? Make sure you refeed only once and do it right; pick the best pasta or pizza restaurants in town with the coldest beers and have the time of your life on that night. Make promises to yourself and the people around that it is one night only! It is very easy to fall back as the temptations are going to be there for another few days or weeks. If you are going to refeed, fasting the day after is a good option to get your blood sugar levels back to normal. You can experience some hunger and cravings the day after, but that is inevitable and you have to be in control in this situation.
Enjoy your holiday on your terms!
The most important thing is to enjoy your holiday to the fullest. If that includes a carb refeed, intermittent fasting, working out or not, remember that all decisions are perfectly normal.
Let us know how you have experienced keto during your holiday and share your tips and tricks within the comment section below!