Girl Night Out with the Company

desaree01

So as part of team building for 2014 my job decided to start a monthly girls night out. This month it's at El Vaqueros and my weakness is carne asada and margaritas. LORD HELP ME!! :sad: I know I could easily just not go to avoid the temptation, but I'm fairly new to the company and I don't want to be tagged at the stuck up new girl because I won't participate in team building events.
Soooooo what to do....what to do? I'm thinking of using that day as my cheat day. What do you all do when it comes to work or family outings? Do you avoid it all together or go and find the healthiest thing you can find on the menu? HELP.

GauchoMark

limit yourself to 1 Margarita and order something like fajitas and just eat the meat and veggies and be careful with the chips and salsa. If your careful you can still eat mexican and stay within your goals.

Or, just practice moderation and try to to go too crazy, then get back on track the next day. 1 "cheat day" can't undo all your progress unless your cheat days are too often or the days in between are not very good!

shadylady_57

I love mexican also my family went to our fav
Casa olea, I don't know if you had wls or not but
if you did I would go with a small bowl of taco soup. O
Or sa Gouchomarksaid a half order of chicken faitis
sorry about spelling. I had the gastric sleeve and
made the mistake of ordering spinach qesiodia
I only ate 2 small slices, which made me very sick.I
guess it was all the butter they used very greasy. Need
less to say I wont order it again. I would drink a glass
of water with a twist of lemon.

jimmmer

So as part of team building for 2014 my job decided to start a monthly girls night out. This month it's at El Vaqueros and my weakness is carne asada and margaritas. LORD HELP ME!! :sad: I know I could easily just not go to avoid the temptation, but I'm fairly new to the company and I don't want to be tagged at the stuck up new girl because I won't participate in team building events.
Soooooo what to do....what to do? I'm thinking of using that day as my cheat day. What do you all do when it comes to work or family outings? Do you avoid it all together or go and find the healthiest thing you can find on the menu? HELP.

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Go out. Enjoy yourself. It's one night, in the grand scheme of things it won't make much difference.

Eat some good food, meet/bond with some new people, knock back a few shots (or have a few glasses of vino)... don't be a debbie downer.

jess7386

I indulge a little but try not to go nuts. Carne asada isn't really bad for you, just order veggies as a side rather than eating a ton of rice/beans. If you avoid the appetizers and limit yourself to a margarita (or a glass or two of wine, which is drastically less calories than a margarita).

So if it were me, I'd go. I'd eat a couple chips & salsa if I were dying for them, I'd have a glass or two of wine, and then order one of my faves (carne asada) and compromise on the sides that come with it, ordering veggies instead. This way, you won't feel like you're missing out but you won't blow your healthy eating either.

Part of making this a "lifestyle change" is indulging a little bit without totally blowing your goals!

christinemadden0223

Two good choices:
1. Get what you want and eat in moderation... eat slowly and stop when you're full. Have a margarita and have fun!
This will only work if you have discipline
2. Order veggies and chicken and avoid chips, drink light beer or vodka/soda with a lime to make it festive! Make your own healthier carne asada later in the week so you know you're going to have it and not feel deprived

VioletHaz

limit yourself to 1 Margarita and order something like fajitas and just eat the meat and veggies and be careful with the chips and salsa. If your careful you can still eat mexican and stay within your goals.

Or, just practice moderation and try to to go too crazy, then get back on track the next day. 1 "cheat day" can't undo all your progress unless your cheat days are too often or the days in between are not very good!

I love margaritas too! I like Marks suggestion all the way. Limit to one margarita, and no not the giant size ones some places have. Still thirsty after then water with lemon which will help you get home safely if driving .
Stick with just the meats and veggies. Staying away from the bread helps afford the margarita . Go out and have fun! Monthly sounds like cycle syncing though so don't feel pressured to go out every month unless you really like to.

missbp

Don't NOT go. This is life. There are temptations everywhere. You need to learn to live in the world with them. No time like the present. Go to the GNO. Order 1 (ONE) drink. Drink only water for the rest of the night. Order something reasonably healthy. Get up the next day and get a good workout in. And most importantly, carry on with achieving your goals. One "cheat day" might be the very thing that causes you to thrown in the towel. It's not worth it.

Good luck!

desaree01

limit yourself to 1 Margarita and order something like fajitas and just eat the meat and veggies and be careful with the chips and salsa.

I was thinking just that. Maybe even pack up half as soon as it comes out.

desaree01

[/quote]

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Go out. Enjoy yourself. It's one night, in the grand scheme of things it won't make much difference.

Eat some good food, meet/bond with some new people, knock back a few shots (or have a few glasses of vino)... don't be a debbie downer.
[/quote]

LOL that would usually be a normal Friday night out for me.

desaree01

MFP needs a like button. You all have great advise. Thanks.

jwdieter

Eat it, log it, carry on.

Can plan it out and pre-log too. Make choices ahead of time, based on your targets. Eat smaller breakfast/lunch, work out, etc.

Binky_Muffin

When it comes to food, I have a lot of control. When it comes to cocktails, not so much. LOL.

Do whatever makes you feel good. If you over-consume food and beverages, just make up for it the next day and the day after that.

bagge72

It's only once a month so I say just enjoy it, and workout a little bit harder the day before and the day after.

seltzermint555

I like the first response a lot and that's probably the direction I'd go.

I have GNO with my friends regularly and I usually indulge quite a bit. But not to the point that I would consider a "cheat day" as I do stay within my calories (even if I go over in some areas like sodium, fat and/or sugar).

I usually plan for it by having a smaller, lighter breakfast and lunch on the day that I know I'm having a larger, more indulgent dinner. For example some Greek yogurt and nuts in the AM, and a salad at lunch with next to zero dressing. Then I can have that philly cheesesteak and Redd's Apple Ale...or nachos and baby shower cupcake...or whatever it is.

PaulFields56

I like to bank some calories beforehand when I know I have an event coming up, especially if it is going to test my discipline. Also, you KNOW that there is going to be a salt kick from Mexican. Whatever increase you have the day or two after, you know it will go away quickly with good eating and plenty of water.

Have fun! If it's one day, do your best and don't worry about it.

dlionsmane

A lot of good advise already. Go, have fun, log it as best you can. Maybe even look online at the menu before you go, so you know what you are going to eat and pre-log. You might want to switch to wine instead of margaritas - it has less calories.

Team building is important and eating at restaurants with other people is a part of life. You have to make life decisions here, sustainable ones.

Good luck and have fun!

cebreisch

That's one of those nights where I say you just have to control the damage if at all possible.

Before you go, make sure you have a lot of protein. That way when you get there, you can have some of the other appetizers or other stuff but can hopefully have a manage-able amount instead of hoover-ing it all in one fell swoop.

If you know there's things you want, like marguarita's - determine your limit before you go. Allow yourself to have 1 or 2, but that's it - and when you have them, make sure you enjoy every drop of them!! I try to pace myself too - trade off with a glass of water. Start with water, then have a marguarita, or vice versa - start with the liquor, then have a glass of water.

Then, afterwards, whatever has happened has happened, you're human, dust yourself off and move on!

mikeroybal

I think you should go. Maybe eat a little lighter during the day so the evening wil fit your macros, and enjoy yourself. Being as it is a work function and you are new I'd go easy on the margaritas which will make it easier for you to make god judgements about what you eat. Have fun

one thing I always say at these funtions is I'm driving so I only having one drink, or not drinking. Nobody ever gives me a problem when I say that

amyx593

You can budget your calories over the span of the week and plan for it! Save a couple hundred cals per day, then use that night as a cheat meal/night. Eat light earlier in the day, too.