If we all lived in a bubble, following keto would be easy. You’d make your own choices every meal time. But, we don’t live in a bubble. Friends are an important part of life, so how do you navigate time with friends who aren’t keto? How do you approach it? Most importantly, how do you appreciate friends who just try to understand keto?
Help Educate Your Friends to Understand Keto
We’ve all heard the joke. How do you know someone’s on keto? They tell you! No one likes being preached to, and they probably don’t want to know every detail on what you eat and how you feel. Don’t try to convert your friends, just help them understand what you’re doing and how it will impact them.
Friends will likely have lots of questions, so answer honestly. Just don’t get carried away and turn a conversation into a lecture. If they are genuinely interested and want to know more, expand on it. But, unless they are considering keto, they’ll probably just want to know how it will impact your time together. That’s okay too. Not everyone has to do keto – it has to be an individual choice.
Let Friends Know You Don’t Need Special Food
If you usually go out for dinner with friends, they’ll likely be concerned it won’t be an option anymore. Let them know what you can eat, rather than a long list of what you can’t eat. Maybe switch things up a bit so you get together at someone’s house rather than going to a restaurant. Have everyone bring a dish, and you can eat what you bring and anything that is keto-friendly. Just leave the rolls and potatoes to others. There’s usually lots at a potluck keto people can eat, like salads, meats, and low carb vegetables. If you bring a keto dish, it lets others try it and, hey, maybe you’ll convert them after all!
If you are going to a restaurant, do a little research and know what you can eat there. Picking a specific place is great, but it isn’t really necessary. Know what you can generally eat at certain types of restaurants. For example, there won’t be a whole lot at a Chinese restaurant, as their base is rice or noodles. But, most other places have an option of a steak or grilled chicken. Just get it with a side of Caesar salad. Or, if they have hamburgers just get one with no bun. Easy peasy.
Help Friends Understand Keto Planning
The biggest change you’ll face with your friends is the need to plan ahead a little bit. Don’t be afraid to let them know you need to prepare yourself in advance a little before eating. As you get more comfortable with keto, you’ll need less time to prepare. But, it’s not just about doing research. It’s also about preparing yourself.
There may be some foods that are triggering for you. Many who aren’t on keto call these “normal foods.” Know what they are and how you’re going to handle them. Maybe it’s a fresh apple pie out of the oven. Or a steaming hot roll with butter melting on it. Maybe it’s a particular sugary alcohol drink you loved. You need to keep in mind what you can eat and why you are doing keto.
Whether you have almonds in your purse or bring a dish to a dinner party, be prepared so you don’t get caught off guard. Those are the moments that you’ll slip and pop that warm bread in your mouth. If you do, it’s not the end of the world because keto is not a diet. Keto is about eating a certain way for life because of the way it makes you feel. But, you’ll probably get lots of questions about why you’re eating the carbs and that’s no fun either.
Appreciate Your Friends Who Try to Understand Keto
Most of all, appreciate the friends who support you, even if they don’t completely understand your choices. Some people will try to drag you down or downplay your successes on keto. Those people are not good friends. Real friends lift you up and support your choices. Make sure you thank them for caring what those choices are.
Bill and I have some amazing friends who make sure our food options are included when they have us over. We have cheese and pepperoni as appetizers. We eat at their place instead of ordering out as often. They ensure we have a salad we can eat instead of bringing our own food when everyone else is having carb-heavy foods. Sometimes it’s a bit embarrassing when they single out our needs, but it’s sweet and we appreciate every one of them!
Wendy
