Social Life

Well food has traditionally been a very social tool, people often come together to share food and drink as a sign of community or family. Even in business, people share some kind of eating and drinking activity as part of the socializing process.

That being said, my opinion is that you should never be at either extreme in your eating habits.

The smoking, drinking, and fast food on a routine basis is definately bad for you and (no offense to your friends) it's probably for the best long term not to have to engage in that lifestyle or deal with people that have those as their main habits.

At the other extreme is the person that can't go out without it being a calorie counting exercise. Refusing to break their diet even for one social occasion, constantly logging in every item immediately into a smart phone ap. Militancy is also a very anti-social behavior.

I get where you're coming from. My friends go to the pub a lot and I enjoy going with them. So I either just forget about the calorie counting for a night and have it as my cheat day once a week, or if we go out more than once a week I just have 1 or 2 drinks and make them last the WHOLE night if I can haha. The other week I made 2 small beers last 4 hours. But I'm lucky because most of our activities revolve around drinking and not eating so much.

Eat before going out, so that you can minimize eating badly. Only have a few drinks while out.
Exercise that day to "bank" some calories.

eating healthy actually has had a positive impact on my social life.

i am so much more comfortable with my body i love finding an excuse to get dressed and go out, with friends, or just with my husband.
i dont mind getting a grilled chicken salad with no dressing while everyone else eats their steak and fried foods.
and yeah, once in a while i'll eat those "bad" foods too, and then do double time at the gym or park.

i tend to consume more calories drinking than eating when i'm out, but if you plan your day properly its totally doable within your calorie bracket.

bottoms up! :drinker:

EDIT: sorry for the duplicate post, but it wont let me delete

You don't have to give up your social life, you just have to say no to temptations. Food and alcohol are social activities so no matter what age you are, you're going to encounter that. If you go out to eat with friends, look at the menu ahead of time and nutrition facts, if available, and select a healthy meal you will enjoy. If they don't have incredibly healthy options, only eat half. When it comes to drinking, you can let yourself have a little bit of alcohol occasionally. Vodka has the lowest calories and you can mix it with a diet or low-cal beverage. Or, if you prefer the beer route, opt for a light beer that has less than 100 calories per serving.

While it's important that you are staying healthy and getting into shape, your social life is important as well. Friends and social activities are good for the spirit. You have come this far, you can say no to things!

I usually reserve drinking for friday or saturday. I make sure to workout (especially cardio) before going out to lose the guilty feeling. Then once I'm there I try to stay active. I'll dance or at least try to stand and move around to keep going. As for eating out, there's always a best choice on the menu...just be sure you make it.

Me too! I can talk them into to going to healthier options like Thai, I am also totally into the asking for a box when my food comes and putting half of it straight in. Do not pass go! But alcohol is the bane of my existance, traditionally my friends get good and sloshed once a week (usually Thursday) I am working on drinking less when I go out, and working out. If I eat on track and work out for 500 calories then I have 5 glasses of wine or 4 or so beers, not terrible. And if I slip up, well reset tomorrow do not dwell. I have an advantage though in New York City where I live all chain restaurants are required to list calories on the menu so I know what to order and how much to box!