Social situations....and Eating

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Go4it1985
Go4it1985 Posts: 169 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yikes! It's Melbourne cup next Tuesday and silly as this may seem I've a little teensy bit nervous about how to control what I eat...

There will be a large spread of different items (some unhealthy but a few healthy options I expect) but it's not just that, it's quantity...grazing and eating the wrong kinds of food. The last 2 morning teas I haven't been particularly good - it's when I end up going over my calorie limit...

I think I'm just nervous about eating out these days...I haven't done it for weeks. I know when I bring lunch or eat at home I can control.

Already I'm peeking at the menu for this Friday's dinner with friends...trying to guess at the best choice.

Ugh...

and logging it may be a challenge. *sigh*

But in reality I know I usually go out fairly often (but haven't been lately due to other commitments) so it's not sustainable not to have a social life haha!

What strategies or what do you do when you have work morning teas/lunches/outings with friends (especially if you are going to a pub/club/bar)??

Replies

  • liezele0323
    liezele0323 Posts: 25 Member
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    For me, I have eaten something before I went, just so I can keep myself from gorging. It is very difficult to have self control when you are out. If I am unable to eat something before going out, I pop one of those intensely strong mints right when I walk into a place. It helps me from eating everything in sight so quickly And if you drink water along the way, that helps too. At least these two things have helped me so far :)
  • poisonbloom
    poisonbloom Posts: 28 Member
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    Hiya! I went through a period of DREADING these kinds of social occasions because frankly I would turn into some crazed-feeding machine...

    I think what I found most useful as a combination of things
    1) I used to restrict my intake in the lead up to these events to "gain" extra splurge calories... That lead to one SERIOUSLY hungry, black-hole of a stomach and I would end up chugging more han I ever would have done ususally..
    So I learnt to just eat well 90% of the time and ENJOY nice food with friends and not feel guilty - this resulted in me eating way less...

    2)If its a buffet style situation, I get a plate, look at everything first and then portion myself a normal sized plate of food - i take my time over eating that one plate and don't go back for more!! Endlessly squirreling away at the food table only leads to over-consumption!!

    3) I stopped FREAKING out about counting calories at these occasions - I had total MFP calorie obsession at one point, and would stress out if I couldn't work out calorie contents - this lead to anxiety and pre-planning meals with friends at restaurants so i could fit it in my calories - do you know what that behaviour is?? INSANITY!!! Its just freakin boring and frankly wierd!! So I got to the point where I realised my behaviour wasn't normal and decided to stop beating myself up!! So I started choosing foods with a sensible head, trying to make healthy choices and not stuffing myself with crap just because everyone else around me was...
    It's a slow process, letting yourself indulge - but just remember that indulging is different from binging, and once you work out the difference you can have your cake, eat it, love it and Not need a second slice!!

    Hope some of that's helpful, good luck!!
    xxx
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    I have this problem quite a lot as I do have a fairly active social life.

    Some tips:

    1. Save calories throughout the week. All you need is a weekly calorie deficit to lose weight. But don't cut drastically - 100 to 200 cals a day is the maximum you should go.

    2. Squeeze in an extra workout on the day. The cals earned plus whatever you have saved could add up to a nice little amount,

    3. If it's an event that has a buffet, eat before you go. The worst thing you can do is rock up to a buffet feeling hungry.

    4. If you are going to a restaurant, look up the menu online first if you can and pre-plan.

    5. Above all, enjoy yourself! Don't get so worried about it, it's only food and the occasional night out is not going to undo all your hard work.
  • NickeeCoco
    NickeeCoco Posts: 130
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    I just do an extra bit of working out that day so I don't have to worry about it.
  • Go4it1985
    Go4it1985 Posts: 169 Member
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    Thanks guys :) I'll take it on board! A friend of mine has been going through similar things - she's on a Metabolic Precision Program and you are not meant to deviate much at all.

    It's just hard...trying to practice self control especially when all the yummy food is in front of you and there's too many choices :)
  • moelowens132
    moelowens132 Posts: 13 Member
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    I know how disconcerting it can be to not have control over your food when you're trying so hard to be disciplined and healthy! If the gathering us early, say before and through a meal, then eat there. Get one plate of the healthiest items you can find, eat it, and then just decide that's it. You can always have a healthy snack when you get home. If it's late, say after dinner, you can eat before you go and then pass up the food. No one will think anything of it if it's past mealtime anyhow. Also, have a great workout before so that just in case you have some leeway! Just decide before you go and follow through with your plan!!

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