How to deal with work holiday parties????

crazedcujo

Ok it is that time where my work has about 3 - 4 holiday parties - all of which include, pizza / cheese steaks / sweets. I need that motivation to not overindulge. How does everyone handle this? I guess I could run more.....

jrditt

You hit on what I would do, exercise more in preparation and then just keep everything else to a small amount and eat lighter during the day.

noelslp

I have the same thing coming up too! I'm going to just have a little bit (1 piece of pizza instead of 3!) and make sure I log it all and it fits within my calorie goal. If it doesn't fit, I have to make some changes (exercise more, cut out something else, etc.). I'm not going to totally deprive myself but I'm going to make sure that it won't deter me from my goal. Good luck to you!

crazedcujo

I have the same thing coming up too! I'm going to just have a little bit (1 piece of pizza instead of 3!) and make sure I log it all and it fits within my calorie goal. If it doesn't fit, I have to make some changes (exercise more, cut out something else, etc.). I'm not going to totally deprive myself but I'm going to make sure that it won't deter me from my goal. Good luck to you!

noelslp - I will let you know. I am about having fun this time of year and I will do the 1 piece of pizza instead of 3.... but all these parties - they seem to never end. LOL and of course I'll drink water instead of soda ;-)

robindina

I've already been to one holiday party and I did everything within moderation...unfortunately I don't know how accurate my calories were since It was a potluck style party

TundraTed

Moderation and Planning ahead. This time of year there are lots of celebrations and parties, which equals food. Try to enjoy it in moderation and plan for it with extra exercise or being more diligent with your other foods. Keep in mind it is all about finding a balance.

Coltsman4ever

Lots and lots of exercise from today thru Friday. That's my plan. Also keep logging everything so you know where you are.

wildcata77

I'm slowly learning how not to overindulge at big food gatherings...the first thing I did at Thanksgiving was stop eating anything I didn't absolutely want. Like the stuffing on my mom's side....I've always eaten it out of obligation and b/c you're supposed to, but I never enjoyed it, so I skipped it this year.

I'm a diehard bread addict, but I did not eat any bread with any of the Thanksgiving meals b/c it just wasn't necessary.

I'd say try what you want, keep portions small on the heavy stuff, and try to get larger than usual servings of any raw fruit or veggies (someone always brings a veggie tray to these parties). If you fill up on that first, you can probably satisfy yourself with a small slice of pizza and be done.

And then work out!

And drink lots of water during the day before/during the party. I always feel fuller.

84jeepster

I am skipping my holiday lunch. It is typical catered food so it is most likely high in sodium and everything else bad for my goals. I would rather eat something that can more accurately be accounted for in my diary.

ljholmann

There have already been 3 Christmas parties in different departments, where I work. I have not attended any of them so far. There is another today, I do not intend on attending it either. I have found that the best way for me is to avoid the situation completely. Tomorrow there is a Christmas party for my department, I do plan to attend it, but I am planning on eating in moderation and I am taking a veggie tray & a friend of mine whom I walk with during lunch is brining a fruit tray. I hope to make good decisions tomorrow and prove to myself that I have the will power to eat in moderation.

fiberartist219

I generally don't log my food, but last time we had a party at work, I had a few bites of each food I wanted and kept the next meal really light. If I have a party at lunch, I'm going to have a bowl of veggies and a glass of milk for dinner.

aweightymatter

I've gone to something like.... 15 cocktail parties since the beginning of December? ; / My strategies are similar to what others have suggested: I have a large-volume, high-fiber, but low-calorie meal before I go. Usually something like an egg white veggie omelet or a salad with some protein.

Then if I eat any of the hors-d'oeuvre, etc. I stick to things like chicken satay skewers, shrimp cocktail, ceviche, etc. Unless the party is a seated dinner at a really nice restaurant, usually the catered passed apps are really not that great anyways!

Holiday parties are also always full of people who don't get out much, it seems, and try to push a lot of booze on you... So I either have one glass of wine or something REALLY slowly, and/or carry what I call a "stunt drink" -- order a soda water with lime or a diet Coke if you drink those. People will think it's a cocktail and leave you alone. At the worst I might grab an actual cocktail off a tray and just pretend to sip it if someone important (like a client or something) is being weirdly pushy. Then you can enjoy watching everyone else act the fool while you keep your wits about you. Haha.

aweightymatter

I'm slowly learning how not to overindulge at big food gatherings...the first thing I did at Thanksgiving was stop eating anything I didn't absolutely want. Like the stuffing on my mom's side....I've always eaten it out of obligation and b/c you're supposed to, but I never enjoyed it, so I skipped it this year.

I'm a diehard bread addict, but I did not eat any bread with any of the Thanksgiving meals b/c it just wasn't necessary.

Frankly, though we may feel obligated and people can be annoying in the moment, after a couple of days have passed, nobody is going to remember who ate what

ssstefanieee

best tips I adhere to:
1. Eat beforehand
2. Avoid appatizers

crzyone

I"m a schoolteacher. Today, we are having our Christmas dinner. I am going to eat the dressing only. That is what I like (and will be the only dressing I get this holiday) and I've saved calories for that. I'll have my regular salad with it. Tomorrow we are having our food party in the lounge. I'm not going to the lounge tomorrow. Just going to do my regular lunch. I won't be missing out on anything grand.....in my opinion. My problem, right now, is all the gifts I'm getting. It's a lot of candy and homemade goodies....I'm trying to share the goodies with the kids so I'm not tempted to eat it. It's hard just having it around.

agthorn

I've already been to one holiday party and I did everything within moderation...unfortunately I don't know how accurate my calories were since It was a potluck style party

I have several of these this month (every Saturday, really) and decided in advance that I didn't want to try to log every appetizer, drink, etc and figure out a bunch of homemade stuff that would really only be guesses anyways. I'm currently maintaining, so what I've done is leave a small deficit (200-300 calories) each weekday and then "quick-add" the total accumulated calories as my dinner on Saturday to account for the holiday party (you can see in my food log for December 10th). It seems to be working fine so far, and I don't have to worry about tracking during a party.

ackeebee

My office Xmas dinner is Wednesday 21st Dec and I am dreading it already. It is usually just a sit down meal in a fancy restaurant and while I find it easy to make wise choices where food is concerned, the challenge I have is the alcohol. Red and white wine are always the only 2 alcohols available. I am not really a big drinker but at least for this event I try and have a drink in the spirit of Xmas. It is impossible to keep track of how much you are drinking when your glass is continuously being topped up before it goes empty. It would definitely help I think if we were at an actual party where there is a dancefloor and I could burn some calories in the process.

I usually try and have a sip of water for every sip of wine so in the end I drink half as much alcohol. This year as I will have the day of work and only be joining my colleagues at the restaurant in the night, I will aim to put in some extra time at the gym that day.

robinogue

plan on getting a great workout in before, eat within moderation and adjust your food to accomidate what you might eat. I have a few parties coming up as well.

Ge0rgiana

Skip them. That simple. I'm a software developer (they're used to us huddling up in front of a laptop trying to finish working on deploying the latest crisis fix), and my company is big, so I'm getting away with it. If you're at a smaller company, it may not be that easy.

I have a party this weekend to go to. It's the annual party my friends throw. I'm swinging by Randall's and getting one of the organic veggie trays they like to throw on sale and bringing it with me. There will probably be other veggies, but you never know. Then I intend to stuff myself on that before I eat the first bit of anything else. There will be cheesecake (there's always cheesecake), and I'm sure my boyfriend will split a piece with me. Lots of fluid for excess sodium. VERY important if you hang on to water like I do.

Debbe2

I plan, I don't go extremely hungry and then I scope out the choices at the party and plan again before I eat. I try to know how many calories I've eaten so far for the day as well as my protein, sugar, carbs, fiber and fat #s. This allows me to plan with some knowledge and reasoning in my decisions. I guess something has clicked for me and I am remembering that food is fuel for my body to function well, not only something pleasurable for me to enjoy.

Also, I now know that the situation is healthier for me if I keep my focus on the people NOT on the food as much as possible. And I always remember to have a good time

DawnB86

I was very worried about this as well. We usually go to a place that serves pub food and the party is mandatory as it takes place during the work day. Fortunately (or unfortunately) this year, I got called for jury duty and it falls on the same day as the party. :laugh:

lbetancourt

portion control

lbetancourt

portion control

ljholmann

I was very worried about this as well. We usually go to a place that serves pub food and the party is mandatory as it takes place during the work day. Fortunately (or unfortunately) this year, I got called for jury duty and it falls on the same day as the party. :laugh:

Have you ever served on Jury Duty before? Depending upon the type of trial, they may feed you and very well. Most will take into account dietic needs, (just a heads up).

1WorkoutAtATime

I just skip them..

ackeebee

I just skip them..

this is what i would love to do because to be honest, i dont enjoy it at all. i dont mind my work colleagues but quite frankly, the less time i spend with them outside office hours, the better in my opinion. i work in a very small company (7 of us in the london office) and usually the partners are invited though they dont always show up. i think this year it will 12 or 13 of us at the dinner. it would be easier to avoid it if you work with a larger group and other people were ducking out as well. i go every year not because i enjoy it but because i dont want to be labelled as the antisocial one.

iuew

i have to admit i get annoyed at the constant food that seems to be around at every workplace during the holidays.

i've tried not eating at them at all, and then i feel deprived or something, even though i shouldn't.

lately, i've just been having one small thing and then stopping. yesterday was a cookie, today was a piece of fudge. hopefully that will be the end of the holiday foodfest at work, as most people are going on vacation next week.

therealangd

Extra exercise and eat a lot of fruit and veggie appies and eat the really good ones in moderation. Skip the ones that I could take or leave.

JoolieW68

I just skip them..

Ditto. We are having a huge potluck at work today, which might as well mean "STUFF YOUR FACE UNTIL YOU VOMIT". I am not participating and brought grilled chicken and steamed veggies for lunch. And fortunately all of the food is set up way at the other end of the building so I don't even have to walk past it.

writtenINthestars

I fully believe in enjoying this time of year and all the festivities that come with it.

That being said, I keep an eye on portion control and generally only enjoy snacks and treats that I either don't know how to make myself or don't have the time to make myself. Example...Thanksgiving...I enjoy tiny amounts of plain stuffing, potatoes and such..but I have the pork stuffing only my mother in law makes, the torte my aunt makes....things I can't have any day I please.

At Christmas...I enjoy a slice of my mom's homemade blueberry pie or her lasagna.

I don't believe any food is evil...it's whether I abuse it or not that is the problem! lol

DawnB86

[/quote]

Have you ever served on Jury Duty before? Depending upon the type of trial, they may feed you and very well. Most will take into account dietic needs, (just a heads up).
[/quote]

I've been called 3 times in the last 5 years but never served. They never want me cuz I work for a newspaper company LOL. I'll keep that in mind though in case they decide to take me this time