Do you find that this requires an unusual amount of self-control? I have no reason to manage my food intake, but in the limited times where I have I've found it quite difficult
Eating out isn't as bad as you think when in that position. Get a steak with some low-carb vegetables on the side. You can still have blackberries and raspberries and if you really need to "cheat" you can find some deserts that are no carb. Although best to limit those types of sugars. Use an app / website to track carbs for the first few months.
Just remember you're either in ketosis or not. There's no such thing as a "cheat" day on Keto as going over carb amount can kick you out.
Also the binary nature of either being in ketosis or not is somewhat disappointing. I unfortunately find it impossible to be on a keto diet for long periods of time due to social situations and eating out. Do you have any advice?
Societal pressures can be challenging but it's really not that bad. We ate out quite a bit because of birthdays and such. If you're at a nice restaurant, get a steak and a low-carb vegetable. At Ruth's Chris we did Tomahawk steak with mushrooms. Drink club soda with lime or lemon. Chipotle is a good meal. Chicken steak, guac, cheese, salsa (check their site)
Wingstop was also goto for us. They have quite a few sauces that have no carbs. Eating out is planning. Check the menu; if it's not a chain, you might have to call. We did that a few times. Ask if they put sugar in certain things. Burger with bacon and cheese no bun is also an option. You have to be careful with chicken dishes because they might put a sauce on it.
Remember, it's low-carb, not no-carb, so if you accidentally eat a few pieces of bacon with sugar in it, it's not the end of the world. It's probably not going to be enough to kick you out.
When I'm on my deathbed, I'm far more likely to regret the things that I did eat opposed to the ones I didn't
I actually think this is an important part of cultivating healthy relationships with food. I needed to stop thinking about boring meals as missed opportunities for consumption.
A diner breakfast of eggs and bacon or sausage will do as well. Just don't eat the starches.
I'm much less strict now than I was, because I am comfortable going into ketosis and losing a few pounds if my clothes start getting tight. But in the beginning, I aimed for 10 g of carbs, assuming that due to wrong estimates and "hidden carbs" (anything with less than 0.5 g per serving can be listed as 0 carbs) I'd still likely be under 20 and definitely under 40.
Some would say that's not a varied diet. I would argue that eating a different dessert at every meal isn't all that much variation except in taste - which is not to be laughed at, but I've always been the kind of person who would rather have more steak or hollandaise than a dessert. Poached eggs on ham, covered in hollandaise, is not exactly an ascetic diet.