How do you deal with get togethers?

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knfigura
knfigura Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Two friend couples of ours and our kids get together every Thursday for "family" dinner. We usually hash out main dish/sides/dessert over the course of the week.

This tends to be a wine/beer, unhealthy dessert type thing that is REALLY hard to track.

How would you deal with this?
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Replies

  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
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    Offer to bring the dessert and make it a healthier option. Skip dessert completely. Have dessert and find something similar in the database to log. You could decrease the rest of your meals that day to save back a few extra calories for dinner or put in an extra work out.There's really not a wrong or right way to go about it.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    Eat something filling beforehand, drink a lot of water, then carefully choose small portions of the foods you want to try or eat if you are still hungry at all.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    I would eat it and log it as closely as I could. There is no such thing as unhealthy desserts, just don't eat too much of it.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Don't go.
  • KarmaLaine
    KarmaLaine Posts: 37 Member
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    Here is how I deal with these types of things:

    -Eat a snack before you go so you aren't super hungry.
    -Decide in advance how much alcohol you will have.
    -Bring your own "safe" dish.
    -Bring healthy snacks.
    -Don't eat anything you can't log.
    -Remember to have fun. :-)
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
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    Log as closely as you can, eat smaller portions of the things you enjoy.
  • popsicklestar
    popsicklestar Posts: 166 Member
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    Optimally on special occasion days, I try to get a workout in and eat fewer calories during the earlier part of the day. Try to save a reasonable amount of calories to have some food and a glass of wine or two. Sometimes I can only fit in one drink, and then I just have sparkling water, tea, or diet soda. You could always eat 50 or 100 calories less on the other days of the week to give you more calories to use on your get together day. The important thing is that your weekly goal is still on point. Always log everything.
  • katef66
    katef66 Posts: 7 Member
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    Kristen, I treat Thursday night dinners as my cheat meal when I go. I have one each week. I keep the portions in mind and eat mostly veggies and I don't feel guilty about it.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Eat sparingly at breakfast and lunch so you can budget enough calories for a drink and small portion of dessert. Encourage the others to bring/prepare a protein-heavy entree, and make sure to bring a veggie dish.
  • Zoe_lifts
    Zoe_lifts Posts: 120 Member
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    Offer to bring the dessert and make it a healthier option.

    This.
    Try making these, they're AMAZING !
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/02/amazing-flour-less-brownies.html
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
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    Eat something before that. Like an apple?
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,718 Member
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    I would do a big cardio workout before hand that earns at least 500 kcal (65 minutes on the elliptical with a target heat rate of 140 does it for me) and just eat at maintenance for the day once a week. For me with the exercise cals, that is almost 2500 which leaves a lot of wiggle room. If you ditch motorized transport for the day, and get an hour of walking in, that is another 300 calories which should cover the most decadent of celebratory food days.
  • powerpigeon
    powerpigeon Posts: 46
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    Don't stress about it too much; if this a lifestyle change and not a diet, then you can't give up all the nice things like this get together.
    Give yourself a little bolster of extra calories by getting a good, hard workout earlier in the day if you can. Don't meal skip, but go a little light at breakfast and lunch. Maybe snack less throughout the day.
    Don't go starving; have a few almonds or something like that before you go, so you aren't ravenous and want to eat everything in sight.
    When you get there, eat what you enjoy, but load up on veggies/salad and have a smaller portion of the things that aren't so friendly to your waistline. Whatever dish you're providing, pick something healthy! Have the desert, but have a small portion. If you want to drink, maybe have one glass and then switch, or at least alternate between alcohol and water. If you're not bothered, skip the alcohol altogether. You'll save a bunch of calories.
    One night off won't stop you losing weight, and getting to relax and enjoy this will help you keep up the good behavior the rest of the week.
    Is there any way you can get your friends in on the healthy eating? Make it a challenge. What dishes can you all bring that are healthy, but super delicious?
  • zchastain
    zchastain Posts: 55 Member
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    Here are some things I do for events like these:
    - Eat a little less the morning of, day before, and/or day after to allow more calories to enjoy
    - Get in a good calorie-burning workout that day
    - Track everything to the best of my ability (just to keep myself accountable for long-term deficit goals)
    - Try not to eat above maintenance... unless there's something really good to eat
    - Don't waste calories on something that's not particularly delicious or "worth it"
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    My BF is only here once a week- Wed/Thursday- on his weekend- meanwhile I have a regular 8-5 job and then gym time.
    And it's fairly consistent that we cook one day- and go out to eat the other day- so I feel the pain of having to juggle regular outings of non-controlled food content.

    I "bank" calories- so I have an extra buffer- not eating back all my workout calories- and or-not eating nearly as much through the day- it's worth it to me to be hungry during the day so I can go out and eat with him and not stress about going over- I do log- and I do the best I can- but I know if I get home and still have 1000 calories to eat- and didn't fill my calorie quota from the last two workouts- I'm probably still doing okay.

    Also- offer up to help provide great options you can control
    ask for recipes of things
    eat smaller portions

    There is only so much you can do- so just do the best you can and don't' sweat it.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
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    Two friend couples of ours and our kids get together every Thursday for "family" dinner. We usually hash out main dish/sides/dessert over the course of the week.

    This tends to be a wine/beer, unhealthy dessert type thing that is REALLY hard to track.

    How would you deal with this?
    I alternate day fast, so a holiday, or party, or gathering doesnt faze one bit as you just plan that as an up day!
  • knfigura
    knfigura Posts: 13 Member
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    Kristen, I treat Thursday night dinners as my cheat meal when I go. I have one each week. I keep the portions in mind and eat mostly veggies and I don't feel guilty about it.

    Kate! (for some reason I totally spaced you were on MFP)

    That's a really good idea. So, you have one cheat meal per week. Is that difficult? Or not so much with your schedule?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I don't care for wine personally - but would bring a lower cal drink that I can enjoy/measure with accuracy. I'd skip the desert or have a small portion. As to the main dish, I'd volunteer to make it (others bring sides, etc.) so I could have control over it...
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    I'm currently prepping for a competition, so generally I avoid them altogether. In the cases that my absence would be considered extremely rude, I make sure I STUFF myself with as much low-cal prep-approved food as I can hold, and then go and sip water the whole time I'm there.

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