Difficult environments

oberlin078
oberlin078 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Since I've started losing weight, I've had very little trouble staying on track. I prepare my own meals, I decide what comes into the house, and it all works very well, for six out of seven days.

The problem is the one day a week when I visit my parents. It's like a minefield. Everywhere I turn there's some evil, delicious thing. Today there were croissants and some very nice cheese, three kinds of cookies, key lime pie, four kinds of candy bars, two kinds of chips, the yogourt that I absolutely love, and some very nice ice cream. I haven't yet figured out how to deal with this, and every week my diary has one day that's about 2000 calories OVER my goal. On weeks when I don't go, I'm fine.

I suppose I just have to grit my teeth and take responsibility for what I eat, even on the days when I don't control what's in the environment. Seems so straightforward but I'm finding it a little difficult in practice.

Does anyone have strategies for dealing with environments like this?

Replies

  • LazyFoodie
    LazyFoodie Posts: 217 Member
    I have the same problem when eating at my parent's house. They have lots of different fruits, nuts etc on the table even before a high calorie dinner is done. I will try to eat less calories that day (or even a few days before) to make up for the dinner calories. I'll also eat some high protein but low calorie foods before going so I am not hungry and tempted by too much fruit and nuts before dinner.

    Is there anyway you can tell your parents you are trying to be healthier and so cannot eat everything? Maybe if you talk to them, they can support you by either not having so much variety or putting it somewhere where all of that food is not right in front of you? Maybe if they are for other guests then have another designated room/ table for those things that you do not go into or look at?
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
    Below I have provided a list of what has worked (still working) for me while in uncontrolled environments.
    1. Eat before I go.
    2. Focus more on enjoying the company I'm with instead of the food.
    3. Drink plenty of water before and during the gathering.
    4. Only eat the things I absolutely must have. And if I do decide I must try something, I slowly enjoy it and only about half of a portion if I know it's higher in calories.
    5. Exercise a little more that day to have some extra calories available.
    6. Practice self-control. I realize I don't have to eat everything that's put in front of me.

    If I can do it, YOU can certainly do it!!!!
  • cresyluna
    cresyluna Posts: 48 Member
    Pretty much the same here, going to my parents once a week is also a traditional 'stuff myself silly' kind of place. They like to put out cheeses and crackers and nuts and try out wines and all the food served drenched in butter and let's not forget dessert! Lots of dessert!

    So, on navigating that, smaller portions (if there is a lot of variety, a bite of everything is reasonable), less booze and more water, eating lightly for breakfast and lunch, and getting some good exercise in before going over so that eating like 1200-1500 calories is not ruinous. And stopping when full, I don't need to eat until I feel like throwing up, even at my parent's house.
  • oberlin078
    oberlin078 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks everyone for the ideas. Yes, we've talked about it many times. They always agree, it seems like we have a good discussion, then within a week or two the old habits come back. They love to entertain, and my Mom especially has a very strongly held belief that we should take pleasure in food. I don't disagree in principle, just in the way to do it. I really like the idea of preparing for the visit ahead of time by eating lightly that day and exercising. I'll give all of these a try next week, make a plan and let you know how it goes!
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    edited November 2014
    Ugh, my brothers house is a bad choice haven. When I really want to stay on track I pack feed bag and include my own junky preferences along with the healthier options. Other times I wing it and just make sure to track all of my lesser food choices. My SIL has a food scale and buys a lot of prepackaged food so I can use my MFP scanner and weigh out my food choices. I know that my success is up to me.

    Edit: I forgot to add I will often offer to cook. This way I know what is in the food. I tend to choose something I know they like and we all can fill up on all of the yumminess that I contributed.
  • noexcusesjustresults2014
    noexcusesjustresults2014 Posts: 212 Member
    oberlin078 wrote: »
    Since I've started losing weight, I've had very little trouble staying on track. I prepare my own meals, I decide what comes into the house, and it all works very well, for six out of seven days.

    The problem is the one day a week when I visit my parents. It's like a minefield. Everywhere I turn there's some evil, delicious thing.........

    I suppose I just have to grit my teeth and take responsibility for what I eat, even on the days when I don't control what's in the environment.

    It sounds to me like you answered your own question!

  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    My solution was to just eat everything in sight and call it a free day.
    It's better now, but there was a season where I just could not be around that and not eat like a guy on his way to the gallows.
  • sus49
    sus49 Posts: 94 Member
    Do a lot of exercise before you go. 50 minutes of swimming/elliptical or calisthenics will give you a lot of calories! Then you can go and enjoy whatever you like!
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    edited November 2014
    I have exactly the same issue. My parents' house is the bane of my weight loss efforts since it's full of good comfort food and endless temptations.

    I've started pre-logging the meals I know my mom is going to cook. (Fairly easy, since she tends to cook more or less the same things all the time.) I also have input many of her recipes into the recipe builder so that they're easier to log. She doesn't have a food scale, but by eyeballing portions and then weighing leftovers when I get home (yes, I usually am sent home with leftovers... those of you with Jewish mothers will understand) I can get a pretty decent approximation.

    That way, I know before I show up how much of things I'm going to eat. And to everything else I just say "no thanks" and leave it at that.

    I've also started cutting back on how much I eat earlier in the day if I know I'll be going over there for dinner, so I can at least allow myself to have a good hearty meal.
  • oberlin078
    oberlin078 Posts: 10 Member
    50sFit wrote: »
    My solution was to just eat everything in sight and call it a free day.
    It's better now, but there was a season where I just could not be around that and not eat like a guy on his way to the gallows.

    Yeah, that's what I've been doing. It's time to improve my game, though. I'm glad to hear that it got easier for you.
  • SuninVirgo
    SuninVirgo Posts: 255 Member
    Parents could explain the struggles with your weight.....Ask them to hide the food. or make your visits shorter
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    you can try eating lightly, but if you go hungry you may find it harder to manage your eating. Another strategy is to cut back by 100-200 kcals for a few days before and after, and then eat your normal plan that day.

    It's your parents so there is a lot of emotional weight to going to their house - you might feel judged for being restrictive, you might be rebelling a bit... Try to figure out what it is for you and ask yourself what the opposite thing to do would be.
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
    I make sure I fill up before I go into the dreaded Danger Zone. I've noticed though, with my family/friends if I don't tell them I'm watching what I eat, they don't notice the smaller portions of fewer foods. If I draw attention to it, so do they. I take a little of what I really enjoy and eat very slowly, drink lots of water.
  • cynthiamm67
    cynthiamm67 Posts: 52 Member
    I'm a binge eater. I can't eat just a little of something i like. I solved the problem by bringing my own food, every single time. It's not very satisfying to my mother, but it's what I have to do right now.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    croissants and cheese, that sounds sublime.

    Work it into your daily, and you're good to go.
  • LadyLots2Lose
    LadyLots2Lose Posts: 110 Member
    Yep, it's a familiar story for me as well. The easiest strategy when I was on Weight Watchers was to eat something wholesome before I went so that I wasn't tempted by the appetisers.
    When it's a buffet style meal I start with the healthiest food and work my way down the scale. That way, there's not enough room on the plate for a large serve of anything 'naughty'. It usually works for me.
    I still have my weak spots but, I work on a 90% positive/10% negative strategy. As long as 90% of my day/week/year is healthy I'm doing well. So far it's working.
    Try not to let the bumps in the road derail your journey.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    sus49 wrote: »
    Do a lot of exercise before you go. 50 minutes of swimming/elliptical or calisthenics will give you a lot of calories! Then you can go and enjoy whatever you like!

    Yep! With a nice number like 2000 calories, sounds like you have an additional exercise goal to shoot for over the course of about two weeks. I think figuring out the over eating part would be the best long term solution, but the exercise part is what I could personally execute today if I had to

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