How to survive family dinners/ functions?

CurolsSmith0525
CurolsSmith0525 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, here is my question.... How do y'all avoid eating unhealthy at family dinners or functions that revolve around food? And do your families give you the "why are you starving yourselves" comments.
So far I have just explained that I'm eating healthier not "starving" but with summer coming there are sure to be plenty more functions, meaning more temptations. Also anyone wanting to friend me feel free!
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Replies

  • andreamariexoxo
    andreamariexoxo Posts: 28 Member
    Fill up on healthy snacks before you go! Or eat what you like but only have a half a serving of everything, and eat the rest of the day considering the calories you ate at the function
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    Pile on low calorie foods. If there's a garden salad, loading your plate with that looks like a lot of food, but is very low in calories. Also drink water or other zero calorie beverages.

    Veggie platter: another thing to load up on. A pound of broccoli has only about 150 calories. Avoid most desserts and anything creamy!!!!
  • Pastaprincess1978
    Pastaprincess1978 Posts: 371 Member
    I agree with the load up on low cal comments. I load my plate with lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes any time I can, also carrot and celery if there is any. Top with soy sauce instead of oil based dressing and you're doing fine. Lean meat if there is any. Then have a smidge of dessert. People cope with this comment-wise better than if you don't eat.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I just bring a salad to share with balsamic vinegar dressing and a dessert. As I have made the dessert myself I know the calories in it. Add whatever meat is available and you can have a nice full plate without heaps of calories.

    You can also reduce your calorie intake by 100 per day for the week prior (or burn an extra 100 calories more) to give you more to eat on the day. That or simply eat at maintenance for the day. One day at maintenance will mean just 1 extra day until you reach your goal.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    Decide how you intend to handle these functions after the weight is lost and for the rest of your life and then do that. I am very comfortable banking calories so I can easily see myself doing that for a very long time. I do not, however, see myself being the person with a plate of broccoli while everyone else is enjoying chips and dip for the rest of my life.

    You have to do you but I would be more inclined (if I didn't want to use my bank) to use an approach like @amusedmonkey.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    I have small amounts of any of the food that I like and keep a mental tally of what I think the calories work out to be. Over time that becomes much easier and pretty much second nature. And, I follow a weekly deficit so I will either bank calories or balance it out over a few days if I think I need to.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    h1udd wrote: »
    I binge and eat everything .... one day will not make you fat in the same way that dieting 1 day wont make you thin.

    as long as your trend is downwards, which it will be if you are good for the rest of the time, then there are no issues.

    All that said though I dont like my progress to be stalled, so I bank calories on the lead up to all my "known" events ... even tonight I am expecting to go over goal, so during the week I have banked enough to break even

    The binge idea might be fine if this is a fairly rare event, you have a 1k deficit, and don't mind erasing 2 or 3 other days of deficit. If the OP has enough aunts, uncles, and cousins though this could be a very regular thing.

    In any event, it is not something I would do because I don't like being stuffed and miserable but you do you.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    its not hard. you eat samples of everything. fill up your plate with green salad (bring one yourself if no one usually makes one), bring a dressing that works for you and one everyone else enjoys and sample everything else.
  • Caralarma
    Caralarma Posts: 174 Member
    Personally I would eat fewer calories that day, and then at the dinner have small portions of everything without actually counting every calorie. This is a way of life so I think sometimes u have to let go a bit, and i don't mean binging on the food.. I just mean stop eating when you are full and try fill up on the lower calorie foods. Most importantly.. do not weigh yourself the next day. Carry on as normal and the weight will carry on dropping over time
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Fresh fruit, vegetables, grilled foods etc
    There are usually lower calorie options at family functions, no matter the time of the year.
    Smarter choices, portion control, moderation, just like everyday. Log it the best you can and If you go over, adjust for it over the next few days.
  • nicolehorn0114
    nicolehorn0114 Posts: 51 Member
    For me, it would depend how frequent these functions were. If it just happened occasionally, I would splurge a bit and eat what I wanted but not to the point of being overly full and uncomfortable. If it is a weekly thing, I would try to make good choices and estimate the calories in dishes to the best of my ability.
  • nicolehorn0114
    nicolehorn0114 Posts: 51 Member
    h1udd wrote: »
    I binge and eat everything .... one day will not make you fat in the same way that dieting 1 day wont make you thin.

    as long as your trend is downwards, which it will be if you are good for the rest of the time, then there are no issues.

    All that said though I dont like my progress to be stalled, so I bank calories on the lead up to all my "known" events ... even tonight I am expecting to go over goal, so during the week I have banked enough to break even

    I’m not sure what bingeing means to you, but to me, it’s eating WAY too much food which is never okay. It’s something I’m working really hard to get past. Maybe that’s not what you mean. I’ve noticed a lot of people throw that word around when they’ve just went over maintenance or just ate a little more than they were planning on. That’s really not what the word means...

  • kroe4
    kroe4 Posts: 111 Member
    I never get the "why are you starving yourself" but I do get the "Oh get a piece of cheesecake! Oh wait, your on a diet right?" or the "Just get a smaller slice of pizza! You'll be fine." LOL They mean well, but it's definitely not easy being the one on the diet. If I know what they are going to be having I can usually look it up on MFP and see what fits in my calories. For instance, I know I can go to the family cookout and have a cheeseburger, some fruit and a water and it fits fine in my daily goals. I just don't eat two burgers and a plate full of BBQ chips and a coke like I used too. hahaha If I do decide to splurge on something, I make up for those calories by walking/exercising that evening. Good luck!!
  • jefamer2017
    jefamer2017 Posts: 416 Member
    For me it depends on what time food is being served if it's noon, I'll skip breakfast. If it's later I'll eat low calorie filling items during the day. To save room for the stuff I want.
  • GOT_Obsessed
    GOT_Obsessed Posts: 817 Member
    h1udd wrote: »
    I binge and eat everything .... one day will not make you fat in the same way that dieting 1 day wont make you thin.

    as long as your trend is downwards, which it will be if you are good for the rest of the time, then there are no issues.

    All that said though I dont like my progress to be stalled, so I bank calories on the lead up to all my "known" events ... even tonight I am expecting to go over goal, so during the week I have banked enough to break even

    I personally avoid doing this. I was away last week and it accidentally happened. (Ok, I admit it. I pigged out and ate way too much) and I felt so sick. My body was not used to this and it was not worth it. Perhaps work out the day of the event then after the meal grab some family members and head out for a walk.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Family parties are a LOT of work for me - there's extra shopping, cooking, cleaning. I log calories for cooking and cleaning that's above everyday time for that.

    I'm throwing the party Sunday, so am in charge of the menu, and will be putting in a lot of work for it.

    All I'm doing for the party Saturday is showing up, but I've been very active this week so have extra calories for it. At my family parties, there are always low calorie, high volume options but if there weren't I'd bring a veggie tray or green salad.

    At buffets, I always get really small portions, so I can try lots of things and not get stuck with a large amount of something that turns out to be unpalatable.

    Yes, these events are more frequent during the summer, but not so frequent that the inherent difficulty in logging accurately is going to make a difference. My NEAT is also up in the summer, so that helps.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    I try to bring a fruit and/or veggie tray to events. If bringing desserts I make the portion sizes tiny fir everyone. At the last picnic I attended there were lots of comments about the cute “brownie bites” that I had cut into 3/4 inch squares. I know I ate over my regular calories but I had extra servings of fruit and veggies and tiny servings of other items. I also logged it all in with the best estimates I could find.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    Family gatherings are the hardest for me. Especially because it’s mainly curry and oily based dishes LOADED with calories and tonnes of rice, tonnes of 6 different desserts...one tiny salad. Nope it’s always a disaster for me. And if you don’t go for seconds then it’s a crime! And it’s not like this once a year. Nope it’s every week or every few weeks. Especially in the summer. No wonder I dread meeting family members now as they make comments on how ‘skinny’ I am (compared to them I’m very skinny apparently) with how much I eat. ‘What’s the secret?’ they ask whilst stuffing their faces...
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Nobody really pays attention to what/how much people are eating at my family's get togethers. I've never had a "why are you starving yourself" comment.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    edited May 2018
    Eat smaller portions. Pay attention to your hunger and stop eating when you’re full. If there aren’t any healthy / low cal options, bring something yourself, a fruit platter or veggie tray to munch on. ( or whatever)
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Nobody really pays attention to what/how much people are eating at my family's get togethers. I've never had a "why are you starving yourself" comment.

    Oh man. Some families are definitely not like this, but will watch like hawks and try to shove food down your throat and maybe even CRY if you aren't enjoying what they brought/cooked.

    Especially large Southern families, Italian American families, and more...



  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    seltzermint555 wrote: »

    Oh man. Some families are definitely not like this, but will watch like hawks and try to shove food down your throat and maybe even CRY if you aren't enjoying what they brought/cooked.

    Especially large Southern families, Italian American families, and more...

    QFT

    Italians who live in the south... DOUBLE WHAMMY

  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i bank some calories.
    i eat smaller portions of the "good" stuff
    i eat lots of low calorie veggies and fruit

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