Social things to do besides eat and drink

movies, interesting walks, whatever you like just dont feel pressured to fit in when everyone else gets an icecream cone etc etc

you can still do the dinners and order something you enjoy - just eat smaller portions of it - be proud if you dont finish what is on your plate - skip dessert or just have a couple bites (sharing is good) - same with going out, I would still do it for the social side of things but not drink - or if it is a special night out and you are all going dancing etc then drink smart and DANCE lots

you won't feel very good about your new eating plan if it is taking all the fun out of life

Rockclimbing!!! i did this the other week... it was AWESOME!

PUT-PUT! You can go play mini golf or disc golf!!! (Burn calories!)

Movies (sans the treats!)
Go for a walk or a hike and be one with nature (Burn tons of calories!)
Do something creative? (Photography, Design...etc)
Go swimming! (burn calories also!)

Hiking
Spa Day
Take Swing Dance Lessons
Take a Gym Day
Go to a Museum
Take in a Musical or Theater Show
Help Feed the Homeless
Volunteer at a Charity Garden
Rock Climbing

The list goes on and on!

When I first started retraining my brain to that of my former thin self (it had been awhile so I literally forgot that I needed to change my mind with my body), I did feel overwhelmed by restaurants and the pitfalls they represented to me and any event where I would be presented with choices that were unhealthy. I ate home alot and if I took my puppy to the beach for the day or hung out with a friend I would pack a small cooler with food and snacks for the day. I felt I needed to control every morsel and calorie and account for it or I might not succeed, or better yet I would be a failure. And it's stage and it's fine, do what is comfortable. I needed to gain my training wheels until I felt, hey I can handle this now, and finally, I'm at the stage where I think I could handle about anything except maybe not a vacation yet (I have a tendency still to tell myself it's ok to eat whatever I want if I'm travelling....this idea will need to eventually disappear).

Now I agree with BJAM1234....I know it can be difficult until eating healthy and making choices more easily becomes a way of life but if I'm going to restaurant or event I think might be a potential problem I usually make a goal or agreement with myself before I get there. I figure out what I'm in the mood for (maybe a glass of wine or cocktail) or maybe it's a special they have there or whatever, and work around that thing that is most important. Ok, I'm going to have a drink and enjoy it, and then order an appetizer and side salad or I'll have the main dish and take half home, or I'll skip wine and appetizer and have salad and dessert....you get the picture. I realize I can't have everything i might want (2 drinks and chips too) and expect to be thinner or even stay thinner when I get there. it's not reality, and me and my body live in reality now lol!

other non-food ideas.....meet friends for a hike and go to coffee afterwards, go mini-golfing, go the movies at a time when you're not hungry (or sometimes I budget for a kid's size popcorn), go bikeriding and bring a bag lunch for you and your friend! invite friends over, there are tons of sites and magazines where you can plan out healthy, yummy food or munchies and serve wine spritzers which are much fewer calories.

You can cut down unhealthy dinners/drinking but in the long-term you are going to need to figure out how to live your life normally and that includes around food, restaurants and special events and friends and family. When I visit my aunt for the weekend now, I bring a cooler with some of my own food (she never has food with enough protein for me) and skip dessert (she buys store-bought so it's easy). I also realize that one meal, no matter how poorly I eat is not going to cause me to gain 5 lbs. It's one meal. It's continual poor choices that caused us to gain weight.

Enjoy and with each step and each good choice you gain power and confidence, you can do this!!

I went to paintball a couple of weeks ago. That was awesome. And not too expensive (about the same as dinner and a few drinks). Massive work out and the most fun I've had in ages.

Last weekend I went rogaining, but that may not be available near where you are. I'm sure some other kind of outdoor adventure sport is though.

I have a few friends that like to do a lot of bushwalking, and other friends that I go running with. Tennis isn't too hard either. If there's a lake nearby, you can go paddling on the lake, or sailing (get some friends together and do a beginners course).

Ok, just a few ideas. Back to work.

I like to invite people over for grilling and game night. That way I control what I eat and how it is cooked. I also try to keep sparkling water on hand so I can make myself a drink while my guests are having beers. I also have a walking buddy and we have a walking date every Thursday. Finally, I'm in Southern California and we have TON of adult sports leagues. Beach volleyball, Beach football, bowling, soccer, running clubs, bike clubs and a ton of great things that adults can do.

We go to a lot of concerts and theatre shows. We love that.

This is hard for me, too. Usually I suggest getting a coffee or a pedicure. Most of my friends understand when I explain my diet.

I'm lucky my friends enjoy outdoorsy things like rock climbing and hiking

If we're staying indoors, we go bowling or out to a movie sometimes. We're also into playing trivia once per week at a few local bars, so maybe keep bar/restaurant activity to a planned weekly thing instead of nightly. We all decided on this because going out to eat too much was not only killing our waistlines but also our wallets.

We also go geocaching frequently, if you're familiar with it at all. Nerdy hobby

My family and some friends are on a bowling league, we can burn calories and have fun. Play volleyball in the back yard (summer is around the corner). Good friends will support you for this effort.