Dinner party!

FLBeachluvr

I've been doing so well with MFP since the end of July and am on a roll. Today we were invited to a dinner party with two other couples. I don't want to call attention to myself in any way by not eating what everyone else is having. I do plan on bringing a roasted veggie dish. How do people track in situations like this or do you just do the best you can and start fresh the next day?

middlehaitch

Go, enjoy yourself, and try not to have seconds.

Use it as a learning experience, you are going to be having lots of times when you can't weigh your food, so it is a good time to try judging appropriate portion sizes.

Log it and move on.

Cheers, h.

feeferb

I would also say just use reason based on your calorie counting since you started. Try small bits of things you want and don't beat your self up over it. This will be issue thought life journey in weight loss, gotta figure how you can handle it.

rhiannongrindley

Dinner parties are hard! I went to one a couple weeks back. My friends are aware that I'm trying to be healthier but it's still hard. Mentally I counted the calories (estimating portion sizes etc) and then captured when I could. I figured that these parties will happen but as long as you stick within your calories most of the time it'll all even itself out. But main thing is for you to still enjoy yourself!

macgurlnet

I try to eat lighter over the course of the week leading up to the party. If it's reasonable to do so, I'll eat lighter that day, too.

When choosing stuff to eat, I do a few things.

1) Take small portions of anything I want to try, especially things that look like they're high on fat (greasy-looking cheesy potatoes, for example). And by small, I mean 2-3 bites worth
2) If I don't like something on my plate, I don't finish it.
3) If I'm still hungry after 1 plate, I sometimes will go back for seconds on things I liked, but I try to limit seconds on the high-fat dishes. You'll have a better idea of what was higher on fat after you've eaten it.
4) Save room for dessert only if it's things worth eating. If not, I'll fill up on dinner.

Keep in mind that fat is not an enemy, but it is the macro with the highest number of calories per gram (9 cal/gram). Protein and carbs are each 4 cal/gram. Limiting fat intake at a party is a good way to keep calories in check.

As for logging, generic entries and guestimates are fine in these situations. Accept that you will likely not have an entirely accurate food log for the day, and enjoy the time with friends.

~Lyssa

Jecka987

Good luck, enjoy it, drink lots of water, do some extra exercise tomorrow/today.

One think I've learnt on my journey is: I used to go to events like dinner with friends, or birthday parties, and think I had to eat what everyone else was or they would notice/question me/think I was being rude. I have learnt that 1) no one really thinks about this that much, and 2) if they do its normally because they are worried about their weight/ what they are eating, so it's pretty easy to deflect.

E.g. the other day I went to a young cousins birthday. There were about 5 of us adults sitting around the dining room table. My aunt when I got there said my (other) cousin had made scones for me because I like them. I really do, but mostly cause I have them with too much jam, cream and butter. So a big red flag for me. I sat at the table with everyone, drank tea, chatted, didn't touch the scones, and it wasn't even mentioned, I can't say my Aunt even noticed. It was a surprise to me when I learnt I could choose what to eat and actually no one gave a s**t.

So just know you are in control of your choices. If someone does ask why you're not having something I generally go with, "It looks delicious, I just don't really feel like it, I am going to have more of this [INSERT HEALTHY FOOD]" or something like that.

adamyovanovich

my wife's grandparents invite us to a meal every other sunday and we have 900 calories in tacos and rice. So we eat a small breakfast and a small snack at lunch and save it for 4 tacos!!!! its great! just make it fit.

z4oslo

It frustrates the crap out of me to read posts like this.
Are you gonna worry about dinner parties for the rest of your life?
Because if you cant let go, you will!

You cant stop living your life just because you want to lose weight/be healthier. Dont save up calories. In the long run, the dinner will make no differerence what so ever.

You just continiue with your new healthier lifestyle the next day.

AnnPT77

It's likely no one will pay much attention to your eating if you don't call attention to it.

That said, a rare over-calorie-goal day is not going to cause a big problem, either. Look around you at people you know who've been at a healthy weight kinda forever: How do they eat on occasions like this?

#!: It's a trick question. I'll bet you probably don't know, because you haven't paid attention. See, no one pays attention!
#2: I'm also betting that they sometimes eat a little extra of things they find extra enjoyable, but they don't make a habit of it, and they don't open-endedly go wild on everything. On special occasions, they eat a little extra of particularly yummy (to them) stuff, a moderate amount of pleasant stuff, and a tiny, polite amount of things someone made specially but that they don't especially care for. They probably net out a little higher than their typical days, but they have many typical days for each higher-eating day. If you choose, you can do that, too.

and, on a slightly different note,

#3: You can eat more of the lower calorie/nutritious thing you bring, a taste of caloric things, and some of the other things, and come out within goal, if you go about it thoughtfully, especially if you eat more lightly earlier in the day, or get a little bit of extra activity that day.

No matter your strategy at the dinner party, just go on with your next day on your usual, healthy path. If and only if you're slightly less hungry than usual, eat a little less. If and only if you feel a surge of extra energy from eating a bit more than usual, go for some extra exercise intensity the next day.

Try not to fret or stress about it at all.

Return2Fit

keharty wrote: »

I've been doing so well with MFP since the end of July and am on a roll. Today we were invited to a dinner party with two other couples. I don't want to call attention to myself in any way by not eating what everyone else is having. I do plan on bringing a roasted veggie dish. How do people track in situations like this or do you just do the best you can and start fresh the next day?

I realize life is to be lived at times, but I get stressed going to parties or dinner events.
I just know the food will be mostly unhealthy garbage, and that I am going to go nuts stuffing my face with it.
I am like an alcoholic who goes to a bar and temptation floods over his will to stay sober.
WEAK! WEAK! WEAK!
My solution these days is to just call it christmas and consider the evening a cheat meal.
Once that trigger is pulled, for your own safety, don 't stand between me and the food.

kgirlhart

I just guess the best I can and start fresh the next day. An occasional dinner party won't derail your progress. Enjoy yourself but don't go overboard and log it the best you can.

FLBeachluvr

Thanks to those with positive suggestions. I did the best I could, logged guesstimates and am back on track today.

Return2Fit

keharty wrote: »

Thanks to those with positive suggestions. I did the best I could, logged guesstimates and am back on track today.

That's the way to do it.
I am sure is was a terrific event. Have a great Sunday!