A lot of people find themselves in situations where everyone is imbibing alcohol or high-carb foods at social events, and they feel pressured to partake. When I was on Paleo, that wasn’t typically such a big deal; my body could handle a meal and a little alcohol with aplomb, and recovery time was typically pretty light. On keto, however, this can be more problematic. One glass of an alcoholic beverage coupled with a slice of pizza can throw my body out of ketosis and force me to have to work on getting back into ketosis that could take up to a week.

How do you tell people that you don’t want that glass of beer or that slice of pizza? I’ve found it to be pretty easy: I just politely say, “No, thank you.”

You may get a few quizzical looks or a question about why, but typically, polite people smile and move on to the next person. In rare cases, I’ve been asked more specifically if I’m on a certain diet or if I have some health issue precluding me from imbibing what’s being offered, and depending on who is asking and the setting, I’ll either just say, “No, thank you,” or I’ll explain that I’m on a diet that restricts the type of food I’m on. If they persist and ask why, I will reply with, “For my health.” And I leave it at that.

I’ve not had anyone really get upset or feel insulted, contrary to what I expected when I first started eating well. I have been very surprised with how understanding and supportive most people are, and on the rare occasion when someone doesn’t truly understand, I just smile and let the awkward silence tell it all.

Don’t feel forced to eat bad food. Don’t feel like a social situation makes it imperative for you to eat foods you don’t want to eat, or drink what you don’t want to drink. It’s ultimately up to you, within your power, and you are armed with the words, “No, thank you.”