how do you have a social life and lose weight?

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  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
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    If you know where you are going before you go, check out that company's website if it has nutritional information. A lot of the chain restaurants do. If you have the chance to suggest where to go (in case your friend didn't just call you out of the blue and tell you to come down and hang out) then suggest someplace where you know that you can get something that will fit into your day. A good example from my own experience is one of my friends here at work suggested we go out for lunch one day. I wanted to go but he wanted to go to Subway. That's not the world's best place for a vegetarian. So I suggested we go a little further away to an area where there is a pasta place and a burrito place right across from one another. He had a huge burrito and a soda. I got a huge glass of water, a bowl of pasta loaded with veggies and a tomato-cucumber salad. We ate outside because it was a beautiful day. And I came back with half of my pasta still in the bowl to eat another time. Best of both worlds!

    When it comes to drinking, I'm not a big fan of alcohol so this bit is a little easier for me. But, I do like to have a drink once in awhile, and when you're in a social situation like that, it's tough to say "no" all the time. So, generally, what I do is sit down and order a glass of water while I look over the drink menu. I pick out something that's unique to the place (I know one place that does a pineapple drink that rocks!) or something that just sounds really good. I order that...with my dinner. Not alone. I drink my drink, eat my food, drink some more water...and I try to observe the one hour between drinks rule. If you're out to dinner with friends, you can easily spend 2 hours eating, drinking and chatting. But if you get your drink in the middle of all that and you're leaving not too long after you eat, it's tough to order another.
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    Depends on what kind of going out I'm doing.

    If it's to dinner (I'm dating too):

    1. As odd as it sounds - I get the steak! Too many hidden calories and complicated ordering in salads. I just get the smallest steak with steamed veggies and plain baked potato.
    2. I stick to red wine (what goes better with steak??) and drink at least 1 glass of water in between each glass of wine.
    3. No desert - luckily guys never want desert anyway. If I'm out with my girlfriends, it's a bit harder - still get steak (I have steak loving girlfriends too) and claim fullness and tell them I'll share a dessert with them -- I take a single bite - they don't really notice.
    4. I do eat lighter during the day to "make up" for the higher cals later.

    If it's out to a bar

    You've pretty much got this one. Don't drink enough you want to eat. Eat before you leave. G&T's with diet T or diet and rum. Wine. You could do light beers -but if you are like me, light beers just aren't worth it. Water in between drinks - with a wedge of lime. No one knows you aren't drinking and you still have something in your hand so you don't feel awkward.
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    Oh and an easy one - cut out the bread when you are out. I never eat bread when I'm out anymore. No sandwiches, no bread with my cheese plate, no appetizer bread. Just a hard and fast rule of no bread when out. I can't control myself around it. Home is one thing - but when it's just sitting there - nope.
  • jmruef
    jmruef Posts: 824 Member
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    It's hard when so much of "socializing" is wrapped around food! First date? Dinner. Friends are in town? Drinks and appetizers. Family reuinion? Barbecue. Etc.

    So many good suggestions have already been made here - I really have none to add. I practiced a few this weekend, though. I drank lots of water (without my Crystal Light - UCK! :wink: ), divided my dinners in half and took leftovers home, and while I did go over my calories (and didn't really exercise), it wasn't unreasonable and I LOST a pound. On vacation! I don't think that's ever happened before. :happy:
  • AtomicDarling
    AtomicDarling Posts: 42
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    I usually try to order something baked, usually fish (not tilapia or catfish but I loooove salmon). I also substitute vegetabls for any fried foods or super starches (baked potatoe).

    Then when the food comes I make sure to only eat half -NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT IS- and get a box for the rest. I skip appetizers completely.

    If we're going to the movies I usually sneak a bag of little rice cakes or some other healthier snack to munch on instead of popcorn.

    I don't drink so that's never really been an issue for me.

    I don't know how helpful this is it's just what I do. :P
  • iAMaPhoenix
    iAMaPhoenix Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Why even lose weight if you cannot have a social life? After all, isn't that the reason why we all want to look better is to show off to all our friends? Seriously, Social support is very important. I find that if everyone in your circle knows you are on a mission to get healthier, they will make sure you are not eating, or drinking, anything you are not supposed to. Just let them in on how good you have been and your need to stay focused, and they will ensure you do not order that pasta drizzling in butter with lard laden fried bacon off the side of a yak that was mated with a buffalo, from Kansas. And they will be even happier to have you order all the drinks you want, then tell you that it is not healthy for you to be drinking said beverage you paid for, so they will assist you by enjoying it in your honor. So the short answer is YES, social life is easy if you put in a little effort and have a great team around you.

    Be Healthy, Always.

    E.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I find that my safest bet is to talk as much as possible...it keeps me from eating or drinking too much in social situations...and stand instead of sitting...it's a whole lot easier to plow down food while sitting at a table then when you have to balance it on your lap...
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I seem to be eating out more since being on MFP than before and sometimes it's been tricky to stay within my calories.

    The main thing that I do is exercise on a day I know I'm going to be going out, even if it's doing some extra walking to a shop or something. I feel I should earn the calories I will be indulging in.

    The iPhone/Android app is a godsend, without it I probably wouldn't still be on MFP and when I'm out I log everything I consume (unless too drunk to do so, then I'll do it the next day! ; ).

    I try and make healthier choices. I'm learning roughly how many calories are in the things and can guestimate a calories in a meal when out (sometimes). I also generally over-count restaurant meal calories as I feel I would be cheating myself by putting less calories. I normally have a starter and a main (I'm not very sweet-toothed) and soup is great for filling you up for less calories (unless it's packed with cream).

    Some restaurants have nutritional info online and also do low cal versions of things. Worth checking before you go out. I'm a huge fan of going to Pizza Express and knowing I'm eating 500 cals for my main!

    My drinks go in my normal calorie allotment. I'm only really a social drinker and can't do consecutive night's out getting boozy, so I'll have one day a week where I'll indulge and then lay off it a bit but have a couple ot be sociable. I love whiskey at the moment so I've been ordering diet cokes with a whiskey on the side at 69cals. + 2 for the coke!

    When eating at friend's I'll offer to bring some of the food so I can take salad's fish etc.

    About once a week I'll go over my cals but so long as it all evens out over a week (weekly progress on the app) I'm not too bothered and it hasn't affected me. I'm set to lose 0.8 pounds a week and have lost 9lbs in less than 8 weeks.

    Anyway, I'm probably going on a bit now, but feel free to friend me and you can see my diary. I don't believe I should stop socialising because I'm trying to eat better than I have previously.

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