Any other social eaters out there?

amersmanders

I've been reading posts where people have talked about being emotional eaters, and that's really not me. I've been trying to figure out what triggers poor eating habits and I've discovered that I'm a social eater. If you look at my food diary from the last two days, you'll see that Saturday was TERRIBLE and that Sunday was bad, though slightly less terrible because I realized my giant mistake from the previous day and tried not to over do it as much.

If I were by myself all the time, I would probably have really good eating habits, but would be a total hermit with a whole host of other issues.

Any solutions for how to tackle this issue? I want to be able to enjoy being in social situations and not be the hefty gal going for seconds at the potluck, so there's some motivation, but I want to internalize some strategies so that it's not just about feeling self-conscious, but being intentional.

ShaneOSX

I would that my diet has been incredibly easy... except when I'm not eating at home.

Just having to match the restaurant food to something in the database can be a pain in itself. I just went on a multi-day trip with friends and family and decided I would track NOTHING and just use good judgement. My philosophy was that I can't really control the calories without making other people uncomfortable, so I'm going to focus solely on the macronutrient ratio.

At McDonald's breakfast I got an egg mcmuffin and didn't eat the muffin. At IHOP I got an omelette with cheese and turkey and avocado. At the Italian restaurant I didn't eat any bread, and focused on the meat instead of the pasta.

I ended up losing 3 pounds on the trip.

Something else worth mentioning is that varying what you eat will help you lose weight. It's easy to end up eating "what works" at home, not so much when going out. Eating more is actually also a method for breaking through plateaus, so if for example, you eat 2500 calories during a social day, you could eat 1500 the next day, rather than eating 2000 both days.

388gigi

Absolutely!! My bad days are always when I see family or friends. I love cooking for them, eating their meals, going out with them, drinking wine with them!!! I eat healthy at home so I can enjoy those moments with my friends and family :-)

monicamcisaac

Yes!! It's terrible, I am a shocking social eater.
But I have a few tips: if you're eating at a restaurant, have a look at the menu online before you go so that you can plan what you want to eat. Also, eat something small before you leave the house so that you're not starving and tempted to pig out. And let friends know that you're trying to lose weight and be healthy so that they don't put cakes and biscuits in front of your face. Good luck!

FlickMclightly

That's my life!
I am a social eater - and as per my bio/profile - eat out at least once a week ! The tricks that I am (only now) starting to learn!

1) Do you really need a 3 course meal? I am doing it in phases - I am so used to eating 3 courses and a side, that I decide what do I want more, starter or dessert? then sacrifice 1 of them (am aiming to give up both !)

2) Cut out the bread ... you dont need the garlic bread, or the free bread etc etc - they are just fillers and bloat you (if you really need a side, go for something like olives)

3) Like Shane said - some of it is just common sense

4) Things like steak & chips & salad - still high-ish in calories compared to totally healthy, but at least if you have that you feel like you are eating out, you're not sacrificing too much, and it's waaaaay better than a pizza !

5) Try and look at the menu's before hand (or places similar) and run the dishes through the database, there is a lot on there, and it gives you an idea of what to have before you go out. Sometimes that helps, coz if your mind is prepared, you are less likely to just order everything !

6) Be super good all week, and after to balance it out

7) You need to sometimes have your treats as staying permanently on a 1200 cal diet will plateau out. Your body gets used to it and lowers its own matabolism to deal with the low cal intake... so to 'shock' you system and get it back on track, you are able to have a treat to get it thinking again ..

All in all, I will never give up eating out. That's my social life (as I very rarely drink) I like it, and I enjoy it - you just need to be sensible not too greedy and just enjoy it as a treat rather than a daily event ..

Vansy

Have a plan BEFORE you go somewhere. If you're planning to go out to eat decide ahead of time what you're going to order and stick to that plan. My "go to" meal is usually salmon and plain steamed veggies OR a plain turkey burger and plain steamed veggies -- because I KNOW how much of both of those is an appropriate amount to eat. But if I know I'm going somewhere new I try to get online and decide beforehand what I'll order -- it's the times that we go out spur-of-the-moment that I get in trouble because I order what sound good (and unhealthy haha).
I've also given up drinking for a while, which will also help with me not eating too much when I'm out with friends or whatever.


Another trick I found, if I'm really hungry before going somewhere is to have a little bit of protein (half a protein bar or something) and it usually ensures that I'm full halfway through my meal.

shabaity

get a togo box most restraunts even in the appetizers give you double to triple actual serving size even before i changed my eating habits i could only eat half an order of mashed potatoes at work i dont for the life of me know how ppl eat the whole thing and fries or cheese sticks also :noway: watch the bread and if you have to have that appetizers or dessert split it with someone else

lambch0ps

Definitely a social eater (and drinker)! Still figuring this out but what I've been doing is pretty much in line with others - be good the rest of the week, plan ahead, stay away from chips and bread - anything that can be consumed mindlessly while chatting. Also, always have a drink in hand - seltzer with lime, a splash of cranberry, etc. Also, on weekends I usually don't snack during the day, so I can save some calories for going out. And if you are going to a party or get-together you can bring something healthy like veggies and dip or fruit salad so you are guaranteed to have something to stuff yourself that won't put you over the edge.