Strategy for a 3 week vacation overseas
kittyneutron
Posts: 160 Member
Yes, that's me...going to the USA for 3 whole weeks this July.
Basically, I'm trying to start thinking about how I want to do this already now. I am sure there are people out there somewhere that could keep themselves in ketosis while traveling, but for me it's a bit lofty to assume I can do that with unfamiliar foods, and particularly when I'm on a vacation that I paid a small fortune for! But I don't want to binge, and I'm not looking for a license to have pancake breakfasts every day or anything
My thoughts are as follows: eat consciously, and make good choices when possible. As in, the most obvious choices (I don't need the burger buns, bread, potatoes, rice, ect) When it comes to desserts, that I can indulge here and there. I am thinking that as long as I stay active every day, and am mindful about my choices and monitor to some degree my daily caloric intake, I should not experience some kind of crazy 10 pound weight gain just because I fell out of ketosis. I love the way eating keto makes me feel and so I know I'm going to keep making the best choices I can, but I also feel like this presents a challenge for me in terms of how I can best maximize enjoying and indulging on a fun vacation but not wrecking things and setting myself back a month!
Bottom line: is calorie counting and exercise going to be enough to stave off a lot of weight gain if you are normally eating keto style?
I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about how to approach this!
Basically, I'm trying to start thinking about how I want to do this already now. I am sure there are people out there somewhere that could keep themselves in ketosis while traveling, but for me it's a bit lofty to assume I can do that with unfamiliar foods, and particularly when I'm on a vacation that I paid a small fortune for! But I don't want to binge, and I'm not looking for a license to have pancake breakfasts every day or anything
My thoughts are as follows: eat consciously, and make good choices when possible. As in, the most obvious choices (I don't need the burger buns, bread, potatoes, rice, ect) When it comes to desserts, that I can indulge here and there. I am thinking that as long as I stay active every day, and am mindful about my choices and monitor to some degree my daily caloric intake, I should not experience some kind of crazy 10 pound weight gain just because I fell out of ketosis. I love the way eating keto makes me feel and so I know I'm going to keep making the best choices I can, but I also feel like this presents a challenge for me in terms of how I can best maximize enjoying and indulging on a fun vacation but not wrecking things and setting myself back a month!
Bottom line: is calorie counting and exercise going to be enough to stave off a lot of weight gain if you are normally eating keto style?
I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions about how to approach this!
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Replies
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You should have no problem maintaining a keto diet while in the usa. You can find super markets everywhere. Also are you going to have microwave and stove and ovens where you are staying. Pounds are excess calories so if you just watch those and aren't so strict on the low carbing you should be able to maintain your weight.0
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I'm in the USA and after two months of die-hard keto, it's still hard for me to eat out and stay on track (10 minutes of staring at the menu :-/....burger, no bun please...and then, will someone kindly take the fries off of my plate, no really...I insist..etc.) because even with my work around's, so many restaurants add extras to their food....extra fat, extra starch, extra carbs, meh. My two best tricks: (1) keep google at hand via a cellphone and google restaurant nutrition items, since most are actually online in one form or another....this has saved me from many a "chicken lettuce wrap" with 1200 calories, and (2) pick up a cute insulated lunch bag/purse from a grocery store ($8-10) so you can carry along an avocado, stevia packets, boiled eggs, etc to "save the day" and help you stay in control. Then, there's always "I'll just have a salad with grilled chicken/salmon, please" but that's no fun, is it? It does make McDonalds a bit safer, though! :-)! If you can prep most of your food wherever you're staying, that will take a load of stress off of you! Good luck! You can do it!0
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and I do agree with Miamiuu...it's easier here than most places! So many people are gluten free, low carb, etc etc that it's not hard to order to your diet in most places :-) P.S. "Whole Foods" grocery is your friend.0
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I travel 4 days a week , every week or every other week. It's pretty easy if you are creative, order a heavy cream iced latte from star bucks, which should take care of your fats. I just eat regular salads with chicken and a heavy cream latte. Order fatty meats like Rib eye with extra butter. As for the dessert order low carb cheese cake from cheese cake factory, lose the crust. Bottom line, make Starbucks your friend on the road, you will get plenty of fats.0
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I live in the South (home of fried food) and even here I have no trouble ordering low carb at a restaurant. I would try to plan ahead (if you can) as much as possible, that always helps me. But have fun and enjoy yourself. It won't kill you to indulge especially if you are visiting some of our amazing restaurants.0
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You can stay keto while on vacation. However, would you want to? I feel like this way of eating, while wonderful, can be a bit limiting, and while that's fine when you're home or constantly traveling for business, but for a vacation, I'd like to think that you get to sample a bit of everything. So much of other cultures comes through with food. Deprivation isn't a part of a sustainable way of eating.
If you watch your calories and eat outside the limits of a keto diet, you should not gain any fat. You may gain some water weight, but that's a simple fix.0
