When dining with others....

highwood1968

do you notice that you eat heavier than most? I ask because had a work lunch last week and noticed that a lot of the ladies will just eat salads, etc. and I always tend to gravitate toward heavier type meals, lots of carbs, breads, etc. I guess that is why I have 45 lbs to lose.

I think I always think that if I just have a salad even if it has some kind of protein in it that I will be hungry later, but I tell myself in that case just keep a protein bar or some other healthy snack on hand for later.

snickerscharlie

If you've been gaining weight, it simply means that you are eating more calories per day than your body burns. Instead of making drastic diet changes that you know probably aren't going to be sustainable for you, simply try gradually cutting down on your portion sizes first. Eat more slowly. Walk more. Start tracking your food intake here on MFP for a few weeks. Use a food scale. That will give you the information you need to make an informed decision on changes you may need to implement.

cessi0909

I might sound like a crazy person but once the weight came back for me I started to watch how others ate. Especially since a lot of my family is thinner and is what some call "naturally thin" but what I noticed is they ate only when hungry, ate a wide array of foods and didn't mindlessly snack.
Do you think you eat more than you actually hungry for? Do you fill up on the bread left at the table and then eat a heavier meal? Do you go back to work and snack that afternoon when you aren't hungry?

I ask cause I was doing all of that and had to really focus on that and focus on moderation.

lthames0810

I have noticed the same thing...about women choosing salads at group meals. I always wondered if it was for the sake of appearing to be health conscious. i know that restaurant salads can be as high or higher calorie than other menu items. Your lunch choice may not actually be higher calorie than the salads

I don't generally eat a heavier than normal lunch because it makes me sleepy in the afternoon and because I prefer to have s bigger evening meal.

daniip_la

I've noticed that I usually eat more volume, because most of my friends don't pay attention to calories. They think a small volume means less calories, and tend to order small dishes, such as appetisers, which are much higher in calories than my meat + veggies.

One time that sticks out in my mind is when two friends ordered an appetiser order of fried mozzarella sticks, and I had a lemon-pepper chicken breast with grilled veggies. They were talking about how they barely ate anything.

Lounmoun

I think my choices differ from others I eat with now toward the lighter side. I tend to be smaller than the people I eat with so they eat differently anyway. I usually am eating with a mix of people of different genders, ages, sizes. Most people don't order salads. Before watching my calorie intake I ate the same food and quantities as most people.

I get a side salad instead of fries with my sandwich. I might skip things with cheese, breading, gravy. I get a smaller portioned item or share with someone. I don't avoid bread but I would probably order something with less bread. I get an unsweetened tea. I do order salads as my main dish sometimes because I like them. I plan what I am going to order. I am not trying to appear healthier to anyone with my choices. I'm just getting food I like that fits my goals.

CattOfTheGarage

Yes, I have a tendency to eat quicker than others and to go nuts on things like bread, crisps etc. It is not a mystery how I became overweight!

What is interesting, though, is that now that I'm in a calorie deficit, I do not appear to be eating less than others particularly - work colleagues, for example, still see me eating a reasonable sized lunch, snacking etc and are unaware that I am eating to lose weight. Which goes to show that the difference between overeating and eating less can sometimes be subtle and not easy for the casual observer to spot - which I think is behind a lot of the "naturally skinny" mythology.

DKG28

yes, and I always felt sad for others not taking advantage of the food available, like they were missing out and didn't know it. The food always was the celebration for me when eating with others. I'm trying to change my perspective and focus on the time with people, not the availability of food, but it's hard being very introverted and not particularly enjoying small talk around the table.

LazSommer

If I'm being treated, I eat the least usually. If it's my own dime, I normally put everyone else to shame, regardless of my current weight.

jemhh

At a previous job I noticed that whenever we ordered out lunch, which was always from Subway because it was the only place around, 8 out of 10 of the women in the office ordered 12" subs and ate them all for that meal. That stuck out to me as unusual compared to eating with other women.

Anyway, I'd say that I tend to eat more protein-heavy meals than most of the other women I eat with. I eat salads a lot but they have meat on them or on the side. I had training a few weeks ago and we weren't allowed to take any outside food with us. The meals they served were more carb-heavy and protein-light than I am used to and prefer, which was a bummer. I told my husband that I felt like I was in a meat deficit for the week.

PaulaWallaDingDong

jemhh wrote: »

I told my husband that I felt like I was in a meat deficit for the week.

Hope he had some creative suggestions on how to fulfill that meat deficit!

#sorrynotsorry