Yesterday, I had the honor of celebrating my oldest daughter's 9th birthday.
For a while now, under the advisement of my doctor, I have been following a ketogenic diet. This is a diet that is VERY low in carbs and that trains your body to burn fat instead of carbs and sugars. I eat no grains, very little fruit, and no dairy substitutes (I am already dairy and gluten free). It is a diet that is high in vegetables (12 servings day), healthy fats, and protein. In addition to all of this, I do two 24-hour fasts a week.
On Friday, Gracie's real birthday, we went out as a family to celebrate...just us...no distractions. We decided to go to Applebees because they have a fairly good allergen-free menu. They have a wonderful menu that shows you exactly what allergens are in each of the items on the menu. It really simplifies things.
Being that I have not been out to eat since I started this eating plan, I looked at the menu in a new light. I could not eat anything on it if I were to follow the restrictions of my ketogenic diet. When I eat at home, I do not feel deprived...when I was out, celebrating my daughter and the day 9 years ago that I became a mom, though...I did. I didn't want to eat cake. I wasn't hankering after ice cream. I just wanted to be able to order something tasty off of the healthy menu. It felt like regular social outings had ended for me.
What did I do? I decided to stick to no gluten and no dairy...and I lived a little. I got chicken...with rice and tortilla strips on the side...and I smothered it in pico-de-gallo. The next day, when I tested myself to see if I was still in ketosis, I was not. I beat myself up a bit...and felt sad for missing out on social things so much.
My husband. however, was my reality check the day after our dining experience when he told me how lousy he felt after eating out. He had a headache, he was dehydrated from all of the salt, and he did not feel like he was functioning as well as he should be. I, however, still felt great. Today, I am back in ketosis. One day off of it was worth it to have something that felt a little special on such an important day in the life of my family. And...I still felt great the day after eating out, while my husband didn't feel so good.
Need a treat? Need to relax your rules, whatever rules you have set for yourself throughout this challenge? Go for it....within reason...but let it be one meal, one event, one moment. Get back on the horse...and make choices that will make your body feel good. You are worth it.
A good rule to follow? The 80/20 rule. Eat healthy 80% of the time....and allow yourself to have a break 20% of the time. I don't have the luxury of following a rule like this because of my health concerns, but if I were in prevention mode instead of trying to fix problems that are already there, I would live by the 80/20 rule. Consider how this may be able to fit into your nutrition plan.
Have a good week!
Gail