Newbie Needs Help: First Time Eating Out/Company

TMW2119
TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My dad is coming to town this weekend. So far his plans include lasagna, cheeseburgers, and most likely a buffet. When I started this journey I made the decision to only put unhealthy foods in my mouth if they are absolutely delicious. I've lost 10 lbs and stopping to think about how much I'm going to enjoy a bad thing has kept me on track. The problem is, until this weekend I've spread the "absolutely delicious" meals out and didn't cram them in all together. Our Grammy's lasagna is absolutely delicious and the burger joint is a 30 year family tradition because they know how to make a dang good burger.

I do have some adjustments in mind. I'm filling my plate with salad before partaking in the lasagna. I'm pre-cutting the lasagna into smaller servings. They can have 2...I'll have 1. I'm cutting my cheeseburger in half and getting rid of the top bun. Also, skipping the fries which I never really enjoy anyway. I feel like the buffet is the easy part. I don't enjoy buffets and at least I will have some salad options.

I feel like I've been mentally preparing myself for this all week. My dad isn't a healthy eater and I know his presence is going to make it harder to maintain the balance I have found. I have zero guilt about the food coming my way, but I want to be smart about it. What other adjustments would you make?





Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I think your plan is good. The only other thing I'd say is to remember that the point of spending time with your dad is to spend time with him, not to eat with him. That's something that I remind myself sometimes.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    Side note: I just put Grammy's lasagna recipe into the app so I could see where my numbers would be for the day. Grammy may be trying to kill us. :neutral:
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I think your plan is good. The only other thing I'd say is to remember that the point of spending time with your dad is to spend time with him, not to eat with him. That's something that I remind myself sometimes.

    Thanks! All of my Dad's plans revolve around food. My kids know that when Poppy comes we will be eating out. We are going to a hilly theme park together one evening. I've never been so excited to climb those hills!
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    wann2119 wrote: »
    Side note: I just put Grammy's lasagna recipe into the app so I could see where my numbers would be for the day. Grammy may be trying to kill us. :neutral:

    That sounds familiar. My Granna made a wicked meatloaf with mashed potatoes back in the days. You did not get up from that table without having taken seconds and thirds (nothing like a guilt tripping Granna).

    Seriously, enjoy it for what it is. Worst case make it a maintenance day, that way it won't set you too far back but you'll be able to enjoy some homemade Lasagna which includes the secret ingredient! :wink:
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    I think your plan is sound. The other thing to keep in mind is that it's one weekend. You won't tank yourself permanently if you end up with a few extra calories.
  • Myrnlvr
    Myrnlvr Posts: 16 Member
    It sounds like you already have given it a lot of thought and have a pretty solid plan. The only thing I would suggest is water, water, and more water. Especially before sitting down to the delicious meals. And don't sit down to them too ravenous (have an apple or something before you head to the burger joint) so you can stick to your plan. Best of luck!
  • laur357
    laur357 Posts: 896 Member
    It sounds like you're doing a fine job prioritizing the things you want -
    Lasagna
    Burger
    Buffet

    You have good plans for how to handle portions and focus on the higher calorie foods that you really enjoy while scrapping the rest. Lots of veggies to round out the meals, eat lighter at other meals during the day.
    Stick to veggie salads/brothy soups/grilled or roasted carved meat/baked potatoes at the buffet. I also agree that the buffet would be the easiest, simply because I find that buffet food never really tastes that great. The ploy is quantity over quality (usually), so it's not as hard to focus on finding something that tastes ok and keeping the portion reasonable.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    Good plan - you can also eat smaller meals at other times of the day (breakfast, for example), and try to get in some exercise.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    wann2119 wrote: »
    Side note: I just put Grammy's lasagna recipe into the app so I could see where my numbers would be for the day. Grammy may be trying to kill us. :neutral:

    That sounds familiar. My Granna made a wicked meatloaf with mashed potatoes back in the days. You did not get up from that table without having taken seconds and thirds (nothing like a guilt tripping Granna).

    Seriously, enjoy it for what it is. Worst case make it a maintenance day, that way it won't set you too far back but you'll be able to enjoy some homemade Lasagna which includes the secret ingredient! :wink:
    Thanks. I had to google maintenance day. I didn't know what that meant. It brought up a lot of interesting articles.

    Lasagna seconds are a must at Grammy's table too. She won't be here this weekend so I will get that guilt trip at Christmas.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    not_my_first_rodeo wrote: »
    I think your plan is sound. The other thing to keep in mind is that it's one weekend. You won't tank yourself permanently if you end up with a few extra calories.

    I am worried that the weekend will make it harder to get back on track. I keep reminding myself that I ate whatever I wanted at Thanksgiving and got back to work the next day. I'm probably not giving myself enough credit.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    elkirschner wrote: »
    It sounds like you already have given it a lot of thought and have a pretty solid plan. The only thing I would suggest is water, water, and more water. Especially before sitting down to the delicious meals. And don't sit down to them too ravenous (have an apple or something before you head to the burger joint) so you can stick to your plan. Best of luck!

    Thank you! I didn't think about increasing water or eating something before. Eating an apple on the way to go eat would probably be a good habit to start.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    wann2119 wrote: »
    not_my_first_rodeo wrote: »
    I think your plan is sound. The other thing to keep in mind is that it's one weekend. You won't tank yourself permanently if you end up with a few extra calories.

    I am worried that the weekend will make it harder to get back on track. I keep reminding myself that I ate whatever I wanted at Thanksgiving and got back to work the next day. I'm probably not giving myself enough credit.

    I've been doing this for about 32-33 weeks now. I have gone off plan more than once. What I keep telling myself is that one weekend, one day, whatever, is not enough to derail me. I just get right back on plan.

    You have some strategies in mind already and the other advice should help too. You got this.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    Thanks for the encouragement!
  • jessiefrancine
    jessiefrancine Posts: 271 Member
    You have a great plan already, and several good pieces of advice above. I would add trying to get some extra activity in whenever you can and drinking lots (more than usual, perhaps?) of water. Burgers and lasagna can be high in sodium, so extra water will help you stay hydrated and can help you feel full faster. Have fun!
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    jessiefrancine wrote: »
    You have a great plan already, and several good pieces of advice above. I would add trying to get some extra activity in whenever you can and drinking lots (more than usual, perhaps?) of water. Burgers and lasagna can be high in sodium, so extra water will help you stay hydrated and can help you feel full faster. Have fun!

    I put the salt shaker down a couple of weeks ago and I can now tell the difference in my body when the smallest amount of salt is added to food. I've seen the lasagna sodium count and it almost makes me dread eating it. I will fill my gallon jug to the top today. I've been drinking 8-10 glasses. Seeing it so full always makes me drink more.

    The amusement park we are visiting is all hills so I have tomorrow covered for movement. I'm cleaning today and walking 3 miles later.
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    I had all of the foods I planned and a couple of unplanned treats. I blew my calories, sodium, and cholesterol out of the water. I did it all guilt free and enjoyed our visit. Today, I turned down breakfast out in favor of my regular oatmeal. I'm prepping salads, soup, and oatmeal cups today. I have no desire to eat the left over lasagna. My body feels the difference in the diet change. I feel like I'm finding balance. Thanks for all of the encouragement!
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