How do you say no to the snacks at a party?

iLose2Gain

Honestly though, are the parties so dull that you keep thinking about the food? I know at bbqs I go to I tend to forget about the food because we're busy kicking a football about or something.

Okay, first I'm pretty much thinking about food all the time, dull or not. Right now I'm thinking about dinner, I'm thinking about what's in my fridge, I'm thinking about what my next snack can be, I'm thinking about all of the food at the party. It's how I became obese and yes, I'm already seeing a therapist.

At these parties my friends/ family have a tendency to congregate in the kitchen, where the food and booze are. It's tough to sit in a kitchen for 4 or 5 hours surrounded by food, watching other people eat and comment on the food without wanting to eat some of it.

My social circle seems to be quite a bit different from yours.

You are not alone! I think about food all the time too! I try to log my food the day before to make sure I stay on track! That way I know how many calories I have left to allot for the party! Plus who doesn't go to a party, see food & not want to eat it!!! It isn't that the party is boring or other activities aren't going on, it's FOOD!!!!! Why do you think people are on here trying to lose weight? She is on here for suggestions, not to be ridiculed! Sorry but that really irritated me!!

HauteP1nk

Like this: *shakes head* No thanks. Not right now, I'm full. Had a big dinner.

EddieHaskell97

I remind myself that: "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels!"
And then I suck down some carrots, celery, and a lot of water.

papastu

What can I do to either avoid the snacks or discourage my body from freaking out?

"no thankyou, i've just eaten"

"no thanks i'm not hungry"

really !!! :noway:

hiker359

I tell them I've started seeing other snacks and ask them if we can still be friends on a very limited basis. They're usually surprisingly agreeable.

Mollydolly10

Carry a clutch in one hand (and don't put it down) - that leaves only one hand for eating/drinking, and it's hard to hold a plate and eat with only one hand. In your open hand, either munch CAREFULLY and slowly, or have a drink to sip on!

chris1816

Choose to.

jdploki70

Hit the veggies, everything else in very small portions, and sit well away from the spread. Also a good idea is to put everything you are going to eat on a plate before you eat anything. Grazing will undermine even the most portion conscious of us, but putting it on a plate so you can actually see what you are eating helps a lot. And just stay away from dips, cakes, and any other taboo food altogether.

Oh, and mingle well away from the food table. I've been to three parties in the last two weeks, and the biggest helper I had was distance. If I had to get up and walk across the room for something to eat, I had plenty of time to contemplate whether this was a good idea or not, and usually didn't bother.

yaymeforlife

I never WANT to say no. I know I SHOULD say no but I don't want to...so I don't. Instead I am good for every single day that week, like way overly good, like exercsing ridiculous and eating under my calorie count. And then on the day of an event that I know is coming I literally eat Saltines for BF, and lunch, and then I go to the party and eat whatever the eff I want. And then I am super good for two days after and by then I am back to normal. But I am maintaining so maybe mine's a different story. But it works for me! Then I can eat literally 1600 calories in one sitting. Which admittedly is not so good for the digestion, but when its only once in a while it doesn't kill me.

JoeSzup

When I want to eat something I shouldn't, I try to compare it to what I currently eat OR how much additional exercise I would need to work it off. It's a battle of willpower, but sometimes viewing it this way helps.

This is what I used to eat for breakfast:
Ho Ho's (1 package, 3 cakes)
Calories 370
Fat 17g
Carbs 54g
Sugars 42g
Protein 2g

--- This is what I had for my 7am to 9am meal ---

6 Egg whites
1 Spicy Chipotle Chicken Sausage
4.25 oz. Applewood Smoked Ham

Calories 414
Fat 16g
Carbs 6g
Sugars ?? (not measured, but I'm sure it's below 42g!)
Protein 58g

MommaKit79

Drink plenty of water before, during, and After. Also, I find if I take and chew gum, that usually helps, especially if it isnt easy to find the trash can! (LOL)

I have this same problem. I also try to get in some extra walking or something to help offset what I eat. I end up eating a little but, i find if I jsut have a little bit of something instead of nothing, i do better. It is hard but, we can do it!!

Timmyttt418

I would stick to the hummus and the vegetables and not concentrate on the food and then just have fun socializing with all of your friends.

IBetterShapeUp

Believe me, this is something I struggle with. A lot. One thing I've found that does help - sometimes - is to think about how I will feel after I eat _______ (fill in the blank). Honestly, that's what got me off of a lot of the crappy food I used to like. I realized I feel disgusting after eating it.

The other thing that has helped me, though I can't say I've been able to apply it consistently, is to remind myself that I am worth it. It's okay for me to care enough about myself to pass over certain foods RIGHT NOW because they are not going to be healthy for me TODAY. There may be other days when they will be okay for me to have, but just not today. Because I am caring for myself - not depriving myself.

Don't know if that makes any sense at all, just sharing some stuff I've learned that works for me. Good luck!

LindaCWy

I do two things;

1. For every party we show up after dinner (if there is dinner) and always make sure to have eaten a full meal at home before hand.
2. I park myself as far away from the food as possible

jmasse25

I went vegan - purely nutritional - not moral.

I know it's extreme, but giving up eggs and dairy make it next to impossible to reach for a cookie or a piece of cake at a party. It is no longer about 'not indulging because I'm on a diet' but 'not grabbing a piece of cake because it has ingredients I no longer eat.' I've always had a sensitivity to dairy, and I just explain to people that since I have been on a plant based diet I feel much healthier, have more energy, and am worried that if I indulge in the dairy that I once consumed - that my body might react poorly and I'd rather not subject myself, or other party guests to that discomfort.

It's also easier to explain 'Vegan' than strictly dairy free. White lies don't hurt anyone, and if it makes it easier to pass up the snacks at a family gathering - go for it!

This weekend, go in with the mindset that your belly hurts, if you mention it to a few people, no one will think twice when you don't grab the cake.

summertime_girl

I don't. I exercise like a lunatic before going to a party though. A 7 mile run is equal to about 4.5 margaritas.

IBetterShapeUp

Just saying no isn't always that easy. I get that. So if you want a bit; taste half and work out double. :flowerforyou:

Laurej

this is what I do, allow myself 1 piece of the bad stuff, and then go for the veggie sticks / hummus and brussel sprouts ( do veggie sticks and hummus 1st, then count the 1 piece of whatever looks the most tempting as "dessert"):flowerforyou:

handeye

unlike everyone else, i don't think you should say no completely! have you ever heard of the book "french women don't get fat"? in it the author (who is a french woman) makes the argument that although french women enjoy rich foods like chocolate, cheese, pate, etc. just like the rest of us, they never have to diet because they consistently use portion control and quality ingredients in their daily lives.

anyways one of her tips is if you are going to a party, SAMPLE whatever you want. you don't have to make yourself miserable to stay on your diet. but sampling means only 1 or 2 bites of something, not filling yourself. and sampling also means you only go for the items that look REALLY good, and you don't waste the 2nd bite on something that doesn't taste amazing.

if you are still worried i would make sure i had an extra intense work-out that day, and also filled up on a healthy meal beforehand so i wouldn't be tempted to overeat at the party.

abnerner

There is really no reason to say no completely. Instead of a full piece of pie, take a sliver. It'll curb the craving but you won't over indulge. When I go to parties, I get a lot of veggies and eat them all first and let them get in my stomach for a minute, than I am less hungry for everything else.

mleboid1

i wouldn't say no to the food. you shouldn't have to. what i will do is fix a plate with a little bit of each of the things that i want and eat them slowly. satisfies my desire to taste each item, but doesn't make me feel bad about it either.

good luck and congratulations on your success to this point.

wendyapple

I don't. I exercise like a lunatic before going to a party though. A 7 mile run is equal to about 4.5 margaritas.

i do this too. super high calorie burn then try to fill up on light stuff before the party and decide which tiny few of the million delicious foods i will sample, and sample only once.

realistically, i probably wouldn't go to a party like this around TOM, or if i felt i wouldn't be able to resist.

kristen_lynn

Sadly, I don't. Still my downfall.

me too! every damn weekend there is another kiddie birthday party, or celebratory bbq. i do great all week, even all day leading up to these parties, and i walk in with the best intentions and i end up guiltily stuffing my face. i try to not beat myself up over it though, since apparently old habits DIE HARD. just set out to do better each time! drink water, work out, move on.

taso42

Maybe I'm dense but I don't see what the issue is here. You want to avoid temporary water weight gain? Why? How will that help your life or your goals?

Faye_Anderson

Are you going to say no to the party snacks for the rest of your life? If not why let it worry you, you know it's water weight, as long as you don't overindulge you're not going to suddenly morph into your old self, and you also know how to make it right afterwards. This shouldn't be about losing out on enjoyment, it's about a healthier LIFEstyle :flowerforyou:

jerbear1962

You've been dieting for a year now and know what works for you. You have an idea of what the menu is already, decide now what of this menu works for your weightloss. Stick to those that do and skip those that don't. I fell in love with buffets as I was getting bigger and bigger...I now go to only one buffet that I know carries many vegetables, and fruits. I still see all those things from my past but I walk by them. You can do it...Good Luck!

whiteheaddg

I don't. I exercise like a lunatic before going to a party though. A 7 mile run is equal to about 4.5 margaritas.

This is fantastic. I like the way you roll!

justal313

I don't. I exercise like a lunatic before going to a party though. A 7 mile run is equal to about 4.5 margaritas.

This is my usual plan. I did however plan a fasting bloodtest for the following morning of a party recently. Made it REAL EASY not to eat anythintg "bad" but there were also dark chocolate covered strawberries and I had to turn them down and I so totally could have had one.

Earlier that evening my wife made us a very calorie light dinner knowing we were going to a party and I might need calories. Maybe I should have mentioned the fasting, I came 500 odd calories under my NET for the day

bluejayyy

ask yourself this question after you look at the food/before you eat the food...

1. is this ____ (name of high fat, high carb, high sugar, high sodium food) really worth the one minute of pleasure I am getting out of it? Or do I have the power to overcome this craving and have the best feeling of being able to say no which lasts longer than the taste of that fat pill in my mouth

also, I recently learned that if I am at a party and I let myself have JUST ONE TREAT, that usually leads to more and more until I say to myself "okay, I'm just going all out and I'll get back on track tomorrow morning" which actually sets me back a lot
So, if I were you, I would avoid all the unhealthy foods and stick to the lean meats/veggies/fruits/WATER.

it's up to you, no one on this board is going to be there to make the decision, but you won't end up regretting the decision to eat healthy, you MIGHT regret giving into your weakness of ______ (food that you are eating for FUN because honestly it's not doing anything good for your body)

Sorry if this message comes off mean...I am trying to get this through to myself too
do what you gotta do, and remember you are a beautiful person, food doesn't define/own you.

bethfartman

Gum is a good excuse and people rarely question it, but if you really like the stuff and it's only on special occasions, why don't you just eat it and make sure you get back to eating extra healthy for the next week or so, tack on a couple extra workouts, and avoid weighing yourself for the week after? You only live once and if it really bums you out to skip them, then just do it. You'll get to your goal weight eventually, indulging every once in a while just makes life more pleasurable.