Happy new year! Time for a keto status update.
I must admit that I wasn't sure whether I would be able to stick to Keto over the holidays - which took us to my native Denmark and then Cambodia. I almost nailed it - but not quite.
Danish Christmas hygge
I'm quite conscious about avoiding to talk too much about my diet when sitting around the table - unless others ask. I do not want to be that "oooh my God there is nothing I can eat here" person either. I resisted a lot of temptations in Denmark simply by passing the plate and saying "no thank you" (although that can be hard enough actually!). I was saved by buffets on a couple of occasions! Everyone takes what they like. No questions asked. Our lovely hotel in central Copenhagen offered a great breakfast buffet that included keto-friendly options - which is basically what you would get in a proper English breakfast - except the beans. We chose a buffet restaurant for dinner two days in a row and again, there were lots of things I could eat. I mostly had salmon, bacon and lots of salad and vegetables.
When we "checked in" at my brother's house on Christmas Eve, my self discipline was really put to the test! There were baked goods available all day long - bread, cookies and sweets. The Christmas dinner was, as per tradition, served with fluffy white potatoes and gravy, traditional Danish rice pudding with hot cherry sauce and much more. I did cheat slightly in Denmark and here are the "forbidden" things I had :
- Liquorice while at the cinema - sugar free but made with some kind of syrup
- 2 pieces of my mom's homemade filled chocolate
- a small portion of traditional rice pudding (don't actually like it but was eager to find the hidden almond and get a present :-))
- Red cabbage and orange salad - too sweet and yummy to be true (and not to contain either a bit of sugar or raisins)
- some edamame beans
Ready for the Christmas feast
Off to the tropics
I have gotten used to avoiding even the loveliest of noodle and rice dishes in Asia but when I see tropical fruits, served in the warm breeze under a palm tree or while strolling around the temples, then how am I supposed to resist?
Where most of said fruits and drinks were consumed
Here is how I cheated in Cambodia:
- I had several fresh pineapple juices, pineapple cocktails and some mango and dragon fruit.
- for lunch and dinner, I mostly had chicken and beef dishes and avoided the rice. But the sauces almost all contain flour so...
- on two occasions I nicked a few of the kids' French fries. Yum! (so forget what I said about not having had potatoes).
Up on the scales
When I eventually weighed myself after the holidays, I had gained 1.5 kilos but I lost them almost immediately again after re-starting strict keto. I also went out of ketosis (not to zero though) but recuperated within 3 days and only had a slight keto flu.
My dinner tonight: Bunless bacon and cheese burger. I enjoyed every bite!
Lise are you out of your mind?
If I were you - reading this - I would probably be shaking my head right now. And that's ok! As I wrote in my last keto-piece, I'm not overweight and I don't need to diet. But here is what's important to remember: Keto is a lifestyle more than a diet. You change your body's metabolism completely. And I feel good. The biggest improvement I have seen is in my energy levels. I'm not saying that this will last forever because trust me there will be times where I simply want to indulge and let loose. There will be times when I'm traveling and I realise that the tiny bag of 10 peanuts they give you with your in-flight carb-heavy meal is not enough and there will be times where I will eat non-keto at dinner parties or other social events. There might also come a time where I want to drop Keto altogether. But for the moment, I don't see any reason not to keep going.
Start weight: 70 kilos
Current weight: 64,7 kilos.
I liked these wise Instagram words