How do you deal with get togethers?

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.

Don't go.

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. :-)

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.

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.

Eat something before that. Like an apple?

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?

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.

cheat day, back on track the next day.


one day will not kill your progress.

Go, enjoy yourself, log as closely as you are able, don't weigh for two days, discover you've lost two pounds.

That's how it works for me, at least.

Not only did one day not make you fat, it can actually be a boost for you losing weight.

I have get togethers with my friend once a week (or more), as well. Luckily, my gf and I are both fitness/health minded, so we usually graze on yummy stuff and/or JUST consume the healthy stuff. We always seem to have cake or some sort of dessert around and with that, we just eat a very small piece.

I think just being PRESENT and aware of how you're eating, how much you've eaten and WHY ARE YOU STILL EATING is important. Once you get 'content' and satisfied, move on to playing a game and not making it about the food anymore.

I fast that day until the get together.

That way I can eat the good stuff and usually still not go over my allotment for the day.

Win-Win.

I personally try to bank 100 cals or so per day for the days before. (I can do this because I'm still on a 1400 cal allowance). Not sure if it would work for you.