5 Times Vinny from Jersey Shore Failed at Being Keto

Even some of the most diligent dieters indulge in a cheat meal now and then—Vinny Guadagnino included.

The star of Jersey Shore—which is back on MTV Thursdays as Jersey Shore: Family Vacation—has undergone a stunning body transformation, losing 50 pounds and building a cut physique through exercise and the keto diet. (The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet is all about reaching ketosis, a mode in which your body is burning fat rather than carbs.)

Guadagnino has even branded himself as a kind of keto guru with his @ketoguido Instagram account, showing off simple recipes and providing motivational tips for others interested in trying the keto diet. But he, too, falls off the wagon—often purposely. Here are the times Guadagnino cut corners around being the “keto guido.”

Digging into butternut squash

Guadagnino is the first to admit he’s “not perfect Keto.” In this meal, he pairs a bun-less double burger with sweet butternut squash fries. A cup of butternut squash contains 16 grams of carbohydrates, according to the USDA, which can make it tough to fit into a keto diet. “I try to live a #sugarfree #grainfree life as much as I can .. eat natural/real foods .. and cycle in and out of ketosis when I get super duper low carb,” he said. “If I feel like having butternut squash I’m gonna fuckin have a little.” Don’t get between Vinny and a gourd.

Drunkenly picking cheese off a pizza

Technically, this incident might suit Vinny’s keto lifestyle, but it was such an epic moment in Jersey Shore history. On one episode of Family Vacation, after the whole crew went out clubbing, they ordered a delivery pizza. Rather than forego his strict dietary standards, Vinny went all in… on just the cheese. Which prompted Ron to say Vinny was like a “pelican,” and Pauly D scolded, “Stop that shit and eat the crust.” (Jersey Shore family, never change.)

“Late night drunken keto problems! Look shoveling cheese into your mouth is not a great thing but in a pinch it feels better than stuffing all those grains into your belly! #ketoguido,” Guadagnino wrote on Instagram.

Processed cheese of unknown origins can be tricky on keto, as it may have added carbs. Still, the real cheat here is that Vinny was clearly heavily imbibing alcohol before snacking on drippy cheese, and booze hinders ketosis. Still, when he’s getting handsomely paid to party on TV, it’s hard to blame him.

Literally holding a bottle of Jameson

Again, alcohol in excess is not exactly keto-approved. “All praise the almighty bottle of Jame-O,” Vinny wrote of his whiskey. Then again, sometimes a bottle of Irish whiskey feels appropriate, even necessary, whatever your regimen. And Vinny has been extremely open about his occasional hangovers on social media. But he always hops back to his routine.

Housing a pizza

Vinny is always going to be Vinny, and sometimes he has to get in touch with his Staten Island roots. But he’s diligent with his keto diet, and he’s known for what he calls his “semi-cheat” meals.

“Ok so pizza is my favorite thing in the world and I haven’t had it in 3 weeks. Because I’ve been kickin my ass and I’m not too far off from my goal, I wanted a ‘semi’ cheat meal pizza for my sanity,” he said of this grain-free, low-carb pizza, which he made with his mom. The crust is made out of cheese, almond flour, and arrow root flour, but with its emphasis on cheese and generally carb-loaded marinara sauce, it’s probably pushing Vinny past his daily carb limit.

“I usually would eat regular pizza on a Sunday but because I’m really trying to stay focused, this is better pizza option for me and is more fatty than it is sugary,” he added. And that’s okay. Because keto or not, we should all stay sane.

Eating bread with the ‘fam’

Special occasions call for special rules (bread even!). Vinny captioned this heartwarming post of him with his Jersey Shore cast mates and his real flesh and blood, saying, “Someone say Sunday dinner? Last week my fam came to my other fam’s house for dinner and it was amazing. (Yes there is bread on my dish because it was a cheat meal and I’m still the @ketoguido ).”