Preparing for a possible overload.......

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bikecheryl
bikecheryl Posts: 1,432 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was just wondering how other people prepare for those times when your pretty sure your going to exceed your caloric goal for the day. ie: weddings, nights out with friends, vacations away from home, etc.

Do you:
1) completely forget about the calories and have a blast?
2) starve the whole day so you don't feel as guilty
3) completely ignore all the good (bad) food/drinks and stay strictly on course?
4) make a plan going in on what you will splurge on and what you will stay away from?

I ask because I have a few of these occasions coming up.

I'm 7 weeks into my "healthy" lifestyle and am really happy how its going.

But for me........... I find it really hard to "cheat".

I know, I know, it's usually the other way around ...... but hey, if I had a handle on moderation, I wouldn't be needing to loose 100 lbs.

I'm worried if I stray a little..... I won't find my way back. But then that defeats the end game - living a healthy, happy life.

So .................. how do YOU approach these possible mind fields? And what do you tell yourself to make it work?

Thanks !!

Replies

  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    For me, I'd make a best guess at logging (which would likely keep me from going off the rails too much). I'd plan to eat light the rest of the day; it's a splurge meal, not a splurge day. I'd pre-log the next meal and the next day with enjoyable, on-target foods, as well as a work-out. I'd work on not allowing it to snowball.

    So my suggestion is to plan it all out. This is your life in progress, so apply the process that's been working in these seven weeks.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
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    If you know where you are going before hand, lookup the menu and pre-log your meals, and drinks. This worked for me last night! I was starving, so I decided I was going to eat sometime else before bed, I found a few options, looked up the calories, and then logged it before I even started cooking, it helped alot, because I probably would have gone for the mac and cheese and had the "im just so hungry I dont care" Mindset.
  • ashjongfit
    ashjongfit Posts: 147 Member
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    I honestly used to "calorie bank" calories for like a week before and over work out the day before and after.

    . Xmas, a wedding, baby shower, birthday, etc are all things that don't happen often. I go out, eat and enjoy every bite. The most I will do is have a lighter lunch if say we were going to a fancy pasta place. I might skip the cookies at xmas and go for two slices of pie.

    Life happens, its great to enjoy yourself, no guilt, then resume as normal - still with no guilt the next day :)

  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
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    I never do #1. For a couple of reasons...I don't want to go back to thinking that in order for me to have a good time, I have to splurge. I can have a great time and eat at moderation. Also, I know I feel so much better when I am not stuffed.

    Some days I don't eat until the event that evening. Somedays I know I'll be over so I walk to the event or work out longer the next day. Or I reduce my calorie intake a couple days before and 'bank' the calories, like the poster mentioned above. It depends but I never say *kitten* it and eat everything in sight.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    Mine is more along the lines of #4, but I won't stress about it too much. I will just make a few plans (mainly, so I can make sure I eat the things I really DO want to eat without going too crazy) but for major celebrations, I just log and move on. Sometimes my weekly deficit will cover it, sometimes it won't- that's just life.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    I usually just won't eat until that evening. I won't die if I'm hungry for a while, plus I generally don't get hungry until late afternoon anyway, I drink coffee in the morning and that keeps me from being hungry for quite a while.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
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    I won't starve the whole day prior, just eat a little less than what I normally would and enjoy the event. Except vacations are a little different for me. With those I do go all out, because my vacations are not the relaxing kind and the amount of movement and activity I get cancels out most, if not all of the extra calories I eat.
  • BaranVonCoop
    BaranVonCoop Posts: 34 Member
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    It's a single day out of so many more. I go out and enjoy my day and pick up and carry on the next.

    (Caution: If you've been super clean, it's worth exercising some caution and eating slowly and seeing how you feel as you go. You don't want to end up feeling physically sick while you are out.)
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Depends a little on how big the splurge is.
    But options I have used
    Bank a some calories (i.e. eat a little less the week before) and do the same after.
    Add in an extra workout to make up for if it is a minor overage
    Guess as much as I can en take it into my stride move on
    And anything in between
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    Also, I find that I just don't gorge myself on holidays anymore. Since I've started eating until I'm just not hungry, eating a huge holiday meal makes me so miserable I've just learned to eat a little bit of what I really like.
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
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    OP, thanks for coming here for support. You are definitely not alone on this journey to better health. My personal advice is similar to those above.

    1. I definitely look up in advance where we are eating and log the food beforehand if I can.
    2. If I can't look up the menu because it's a buffet or a cocktail hour, I will eat right before going to the event and drink a LOT of water - then I am not ravenous when I arrive at the buffet table and can think more clearly about what I want to put on my plate.
    3. Speaking of plate, always fill with fruits and veggies first! Look for items with little to no sauce (especially creamy sauces) and focus on whole foods.
    4. Remember the reason you are at the event is not to eat, but to enjoy the company of others. This was the most difficult mental transition for me to make. It's okay to have coffee while everyone else is eating a piece of cake - you're there for the conversation and the memories, not the food. Do you ever look back on big events and remember what you ate? No! That's because it's the people that make it memorable. Put that mindset at the center of your reason for being there.
    5. Enjoy yourself! If all else fails, remember that this is just one day of many on your journey to better health. One meal won't wreck your progress. As you already know, this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. So treat it accordingly and enjoy the event(s).

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