Ack! Business dinners snuck onto my belly

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jackthelad66
jackthelad66 Posts: 12
in Introduce Yourself
Hi there,

I am excited to be here and was a bit skeptical at first. I saw a few of my friends on Facebook having success and thought I would check it out. I have been here a week and have found that I am learning quite a bit. I decided firstly that I had to be as honest as possible when it comes to logging what I am putting into my body. I figured that cheating at that did me no good if I wanted an accurate picture.

I was surprised to learn how little my body required to be properly nourished. I don't usually make poor choices when it comes to the type of food I eat, but the quantity I was eating was absurd. I was always the guy that came back from the line at a pot luck dinner with the physics-defying tower of food, and usually one of my four children carrying an extra plate for me, or I would pile it on their plate- all the goodies that I have to have an extra helping of, or else I would regret it on my 3rd or 4th trip when it was all gone.

I have to take clients to lunch or dinner a few times a week. That is where I think I started to lose control. It is way too easy to order dessert, or get the butter sauce or even the rich side dish. Couple my sedentary job with a neck injury a few years ago, and it is a recipe for ghastly weight gain. I was in pain, so I ate. I neglected to stay active due to the pain, so I stopped doing the fun things I used to do.

Since doing mfp, I learned quickly that even small choices in my eating habits can make big differences in my totals. I now try to eat slower, instead of devouring my food as if it is my last meal. I skip the mayo. I took some clients a few days ago to a nice restaurant for dinner and actually got a big salad. And did not eat the rolls! And did not get bleu cheese dressing slathered on it, and lived to tell about it!

My wife is a huge help with my diet. She has had 4 children and looks incredible. She eats correct portions. I didn't- until now. I am sure I will slip a tad on occasion, but logging my intake itself is addictive. I suppose it is all about being aware of what I am putting in, and portion control. I hope to continue to learn here.

Replies

  • Kjandcuttysmom
    Kjandcuttysmom Posts: 146 Member
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    Welcome! Interesting how things change when we really put it all into perspective. Glad you're working on changing your eating habits! Good luck.
    shine
  • Taitia
    Taitia Posts: 6
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    Hi. I'm fairly new too and have learned a lot since I've been on. You are dead on when you talk about what you actually log in versus what you'd like to "think" you ate that day. I like the fact that all my categories (calories, fat, protein, etc.) get captured. What I'm starting to do now is remember back to breakfasts I had that filled me up and what I ate. It helps keep me on track.

    We all lapse from time to time...we're human. Keep up the good work and stick with it. Best of luck!
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Welcome!

    And sorry if this seems rude, but business dinners did NOT do this to you. When I regularly entertained clients, I was in the best shape of my life!

    My strategy for client dinners and lunches:

    -Get your workout in early in the day, usually at the hotel before breakfast.

    -When out with clients, lay off the booze. YOU can have ONE drink. They can have whatever they want. You need to be on your game-uh, you are at WORK! Get one drink and they usually don't notice that you aren't keeping pace while they get totally pissed. If you're buying, they're happy. As a woman, it would have been unsafe for me to get all liquored up in strange cities with a bevy of drunk men anyway. ;)

    -Always order the healthiest salad on the menu as your starter. Eat the entire thing.

    -With your entree, eat the veggies first. If you just had a huge salad and then ate the veggies, you are way too full to have any, and I do mean any, entree damage your diet. You can't possibly eat enough of it to hurt you.
  • WifeMomDVM
    WifeMomDVM Posts: 1,025 Member
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    Those sneaky business dinners! Yes, we all have less than stellar days (today was one for me for sure!), but if you keep plugging away at it and stay consistent, the good will outweigh the bad (no pun intended) and you will see the results you want!

    And yes, logging is addicting for me too. I see so many people say - I had such a bad day, I'm not gonna log it? Huh? Who cares? You're body isn't going to know if you put it in the computer or not, your body just knows that you ate all that stuff! Might as well be honest and own it.

    Sounds like you are going to be successful, can't wait to read your success story on here some day!

    Welcome to MFP!

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