When you are always invited somewhere..

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tracefan
tracefan Posts: 382 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hubs and I go out a lot.. we have a lot of friends and are always doing something. Whether it's a tailgate party, fancy restaurant, party at a friends house etc. HOW THE HECK do I find the willpower to control my food intake? I do not want to stay home just because I don't want to see that devil on my shoulder.
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  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Willpower is like any muscle... you have to exercise it! Start by saying no to little things... the third glass of wine, the chocolate you don't actually want as you are already stuffed.
  • blkandwhite77
    blkandwhite77 Posts: 281 Member
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    Bring your scale. Eat the food but the scale will help you eat in moderation. I know the scale keeps me grounded and not likely to go crazy
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited October 2015
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    self control is something that is practiced and exercised, not something that is just magically found. as you practice and exercise self control, it becomes easier just like anything you practice. but like any kind of exercise or practice, it can be a bit painful in the beginning.

    ETA: it helps to not stand around the food platters and whatnot. I will usually try to find people to chat with who aren't hovering around the food platters. If I feel like drinking, I drink...but often, I will just nurse a glass of wine for about an hour while I'm chatting...then maybe have another...then maybe a decaf espresso or something or in the summer, most of my friends have iced tea and whatnot out.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    Willpower and discrimination are the key.
    Try not to eat for the sake of it.

    Taste everything, eat only the the things that you love.
    Posh dinners, miss a course or opt for salad as an appetiser, dressing on the side.
    Drink gin and 0 tonic, it is easy to move between g&t and just t.
    Don't eat the whole bun with hot dogs and burgers, or use lettuce instead.

    I cruise and have learnt to apply these points when eating out as well.

    I don't need to eat all 5-6 courses.
    I can have a starter and appetiser and skip the main ( or any combination of the above)
    I don't have to finish the plate, especially if it is a rich dish, eat a small portion and enjoy the flavour.
    Doggy bags are my friend.

    Cheers, h.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Pick the "best" choice for you when you're out. Does protein satisfy you? Go for the steak at a fancy restaurant instead of a pasta entree. Get "better" for you sides. In terms of alcohol, I stick with wine and hard liquor- I just can't justify the 250-300 calorie IPA's that I love, except for a few times a month.

    Also, you could try eating less when you can make your meals at home, to save calories for those going out. Some people go by their weekly calorie average instead of the daily.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Well you can eat less the rest of the time to give yourself more calories for those events... or you can pick lower calorie options when you eat out. They are just as tasty as the fried/sauced dishes.
  • tracefan
    tracefan Posts: 382 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    self control is something that is practiced and exercised, not something that is just magically found. as you practice and exercise self control, it becomes easier just like anything you practice. but like any kind of exercise or practice, it can be a bit painful in the beginning.

    ETA: it helps to not stand around the food platters and whatnot. I will usually try to find people to chat with who aren't hovering around the food platters. If I feel like drinking, I drink...but often, I will just nurse a glass of wine for about an hour while I'm chatting...then maybe have another...then maybe a decaf espresso or something or in the summer, most of my friends have iced tea and whatnot out.

  • tracefan
    tracefan Posts: 382 Member
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    Yes you are all correct. I need to practice self control
  • tracefan
    tracefan Posts: 382 Member
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    :/:)
  • katznkt
    katznkt Posts: 320 Member
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    What helped me was somebody saying to look at every offering and ask if it is something special or if it'll be around for you to enjoy later down the line. Then just eat the truly special things.

    For example... a cook out. Somebody's grilling hot dogs and there is a table of food available. Chips, store bought cookies. Junk. Stuff you can get any day/time you want. Then there is somebody's grandma's recipe for german chocolate cake. I might eat the fruit and veggies (or take responsibility for preparing a tray that is actually appealing to me), then have a slice of the special cake. The rest I say no to. I don't feel deprived because that stuff is always around, and I got the cake that I can't always get. It allows me to stay on track without feeling like I miss out.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
    edited October 2015
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    You could always ask your friends to not pick restaurants for which the nutrition data is not readily available. You'll probably have to name which do and don't that they frequent. I'm all for exercising self control, don't get me wrong, but if they care about you I'm sure they wouldn't mind picking B over A every so often to help you out. As for non restaurants, bring your scale, again if they care about you you're going to get more compliments on your strength than jeers...
  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
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    Great suggestions already.

    Social events are for socializing! Food is just a bonus. :) Change how you think about it and the rest will eventually fall into place. My family's events are always revolving around food and this was something I had to practice, too. Eat small portions of things you don't normally have a chance to try and leave the rest. Make sure you log your food as your eating it so you know where you are calorie wise and what you can fit in later.

    I drink seltzer water with a little lime (or vodka and soda) when I go to restaurants instead of pop/juice. I'll even bring a bottle of it with me to my friends' houses when I hang out with them! Great subsitute
  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    blkandwhite77 wrote: »
    Bring your scale. Eat the food but the scale will help you eat in moderation. I know the scale keeps me grounded and not likely to go crazy

    Not that I'd judge anyone who does, but... carrying around a scale with you seems a bit OTT.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Pre-log as much as possible. Be conscientious and use moderation.
  • AJMB704
    AJMB704 Posts: 590 Member
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    katznkt wrote: »
    What helped me was somebody saying to look at every offering and ask if it is something special or if it'll be around for you to enjoy later down the line. Then just eat the truly special things.

    For example... a cook out. Somebody's grilling hot dogs and there is a table of food available. Chips, store bought cookies. Junk. Stuff you can get any day/time you want. Then there is somebody's grandma's recipe for german chocolate cake. I might eat the fruit and veggies (or take responsibility for preparing a tray that is actually appealing to me), then have a slice of the special cake. The rest I say no to. I don't feel deprived because that stuff is always around, and I got the cake that I can't always get. It allows me to stay on track without feeling like I miss out.

    Great advice. I will keep this in mind especially at work. Unfortunately our friends are all foodies and fantastic cooks which makes me not want to pass anything up! You won't ever see store bought stuff on the dinner table when we are with company or have company :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Portion control is your friend.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    MarziPanda95 wrote: »
    blkandwhite77 wrote: »
    Bring your scale. Eat the food but the scale will help you eat in moderation. I know the scale keeps me grounded and not likely to go crazy

    Not that I'd judge anyone who does, but... carrying around a scale with you seems a bit OTT.
    MarziPanda95 wrote: »
    blkandwhite77 wrote: »
    Bring your scale. Eat the food but the scale will help you eat in moderation. I know the scale keeps me grounded and not likely to go crazy

    Not that I'd judge anyone who does, but... carrying around a scale with you seems a bit OTT.

    I agree and it doesn't solve the problem if the OP doesn't know the ingredients in the dish that she is eating.
  • LadyLots2Lose
    LadyLots2Lose Posts: 110 Member
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    Lots of good tips there. I sometimes eat a light meal or snack (yoghurt) before I go out so that I'm not ravenous when it comes to eating out or other social events. It makes it easier to resist the temptation of extras and make better decisions for the main meal. I also make an effort to eat slowly (chew each bite at least 10 times) and rest my cutlery while I chew. If you take a little longer you take to eat, your brain has more time to register satiety (making it harder to over indulge). I also like to alternate alcoholic drinks with still or sparkling water to save on calories.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    MarziPanda95 wrote: »
    blkandwhite77 wrote: »
    Bring your scale. Eat the food but the scale will help you eat in moderation. I know the scale keeps me grounded and not likely to go crazy

    Not that I'd judge anyone who does, but... carrying around a scale with you seems a bit OTT.

    Hmmm, maybe for some, but like for me as an example, I am way happier knowing that I have logged accurately so I don't find that I haven't lost and go "crap maybe I didn't log accurately". I'm really determined for this to work, and I am highly susceptible to burn out if I'm not seeing results, so it's absolutely necessary for my peace of mind. So I guess it's fair to say my worrying can get over the top, or my motivation, but it really is a great feeling to lose weight on track and know it's because I took the initiative and made sure I held myself accountable, even though dragging my scale around is kind of a pain in the rear. And I never wonder if I've accidentally cheated myself out of calories I totally could have nommed if I had just weighed the darn food;)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
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    Eyeball portions - 7-8 oz of meat (if you eat meat), grilled is better than fried; 1/2 cup starches (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta); 1-2 cups veg.

    Or, 1-1.5 cups starches and a little meat.

    Stay away from heavy or sugary sauces, dips, etc.

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