Weekly pizza--how to manage?
texasredreb
Posts: 541 Member
I have a group of friends that I volunteer with--we are all volunteer dog trainers at a shelter. On Saturday nights we all either get a pizza or two to share or we all go out for pizza. I used have a wine or a beer and three pieces of pizza. I think I'll try to cut it down to 1-2 pieces of pizza and add a salad. I can switch the alcohol for unsweetened tea (or keep the alcohol).
Saturday also happens to be the day that I do my shelter volunteering. I spend around 4-5 hours in the shelter, half of that is walking/handling/training/assessing dogs; the rest is less strenuous--cleaning the office, training other volunteers on how to handle dogs, teaching classes, helping the public pick out a potential pet, and visiting with fellow volunteers and shelter employees.
Does anyone pre-load their daily food diary with what they know they are going to eat for dinner and then work backwards for breakfast and lunch?
This is my main social event of my life! I don't want to give it up, I'd like to incorporate it into my diet. Right now I have a lot of weight to lose and I'm starting with small changes. As time goes by, I'll maybe switch entirely to a salad.
Thoughts? Advice?
Saturday also happens to be the day that I do my shelter volunteering. I spend around 4-5 hours in the shelter, half of that is walking/handling/training/assessing dogs; the rest is less strenuous--cleaning the office, training other volunteers on how to handle dogs, teaching classes, helping the public pick out a potential pet, and visiting with fellow volunteers and shelter employees.
Does anyone pre-load their daily food diary with what they know they are going to eat for dinner and then work backwards for breakfast and lunch?
This is my main social event of my life! I don't want to give it up, I'd like to incorporate it into my diet. Right now I have a lot of weight to lose and I'm starting with small changes. As time goes by, I'll maybe switch entirely to a salad.
Thoughts? Advice?
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Replies
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Don't give it up! Sounds like you can work it in. I actually log everything in a week in advance or so and make adjustments as I go, it helps me stay in check.7
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look at your weekly goal. you dont need to eat a salad!
I typically 'save' 100-200 cals monday to thursday so i can eat more at the weekend.18 -
I prelog most days ESPECIALLY if there is going to be a big meal/something out of the ordinary (and might need to look at weekly goal as i can't cut much from other days without starving).
you could also call friday's maintenance day? might slow your rate of loss a smidge but allow a good balance of enjoying social life while still working towards your goal. Because once you hit your goal weight you still need to work on maintenance calories anyway.
personally i am often "that person" that brings my own meal :P I do eat pizza but i make my own to fit in my goals.6 -
Yes I definitely pre-log, it helps so much! I log everything in the morning or the night before and then make small adjustments as the day goes.
I would not give up your pizza night either! Remember that you are trying to build habits that you can sustain for the rest of your life, this isn't supposed to be temporary. So figuring out how to work in things like pizza nights is part of the journey.
You have gotten a lot of good advice above, there are many different strategies you can take for eating out. You can have a maintenance day, you can bank some extra calories during the week for this, you can also cut back on how many slices you have. Your idea of cutting down on how many slices you have and adding in a salad is a great idea, I think next time I have pizza with my friends I will do the same. I used to have 4 slices and I've barely managed to cut it down to 3, 2 if the slices are really big. So I think adding in a salad will help me be satisfied with 1 or 2 slices
For me if it's something planned ahead of time I try to bank calories ahead of time. If it is unplanned and it's something I really want to partake in I will have a maintenance day.8 -
Thanks Y'all! What does a maintenance day look like? I've read about it a few times, but don't know exactly what it is or how to do it.1
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texasredreb wrote: »Thanks Y'all! What does a maintenance day look like? I've read about it a few times, but don't know exactly what it is or how to do it.
its just the number of calories that you maintain on. so if your calorie goal is 1500, and you're set to lose 1lb per week, then maintenance would be eating 2000 calories for the day.4 -
Don't they serve mixed salad with pizza? Have a large mixed salad with a (preferably home made) salad dressing as a starter so you can cut your pizza portion in half and still feel full.5
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I absolutely pre load my meals for the day, that way I know where I have some "wiggle" room and how much I need to push to work out for the day. I always readjust the next day to reflect the truth, and surprisingly I stay within my range most of the time. If I do happen to go over, I know the next day that I must push a little more for a work out or readjust my intake in some areas. If I know I am going to an event or doing something special for the weekend, I pre load for that as well (scan the menu days before) and bank calories when I can for those events.0
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Have the pizza and beverage and work it into your daily calories.
I have never been much of a drinker and prefer water or diet pop. We have thin crust veggie pizza frequently. We don’t miss the meat at all. Calorie wise it’s very manageable.
Thank you for your volunteering working/training dogs at your shelter ❤️
I have been a dog owner all my life, and really appreciate your dedication! Don’t know what I would do without my “best furry friends “ I have had over my lifetime.7 -
My trick for pizza meals is to eat it with a fork and knife. I can eat just 2 slices at the meal and have it last the whole time. Before I started doing that I had very little control over how much of it I would eat. Folding the slice in my hand and inhaling half a pizza in 15 minutes was no problem at all.9
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My trick for pizza meals is to eat it with a fork and knife. I can eat just 2 slices at the meal and have it last the whole time. Before I started doing that I had very little control over how much of it I would eat. Folding the slice in my hand and inhaling half a pizza in 15 minutes was no problem at all.
This is a great idea. We are celebrating National Pi day in the office today with pizza. I'll try this!3 -
Why not work out how many calories you normally consume in food and how much is alcohol . This gives you a clear starting point to decide what to cut out , reduce or stay the same! So one week you may decide no alcohol but normal pizza and the next week you may fancy a beer which means cutting down on pizza .4
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Thank you so much for all of the work that you do for these animals. There is no more deserving population than shelter doggos.
The last three furbabies I've had have been shelter animals, and I have never known such steadfast, loyal companions in my life.
I echo everyone here - don't skip the night out! These are the things that keep us sane!! Maybe cut down to 1-2 slices of pizza, but keep the beer/wine. =]
And echoing everyone again, I log my days in advance, and then adjust as I go along - especially if I know I have an outing or a beer tasting or whatever event. =]3 -
The weekly calorie settings is a very useful tool if you decide to skim 100 calories from the other days of the week. Learn your maintenance calories as well. I find it useful to know I can have a day at maintenance calories any time. Knowing I can be at maintenance for one day then back to a deficit the following day helps keep me from making poor decisions and binging on thousands of calories more than I had planned for. I log everything to keep myself accountable. Don’t be surprised if the scale bumps up for a day or two after due to water weight fluctuations3
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Thanks again for the advice and support! I thought I had this novel and brilliant idea of pre-loading my food diary! Turns out it is a well known tactic! I was worried about the pizza because I didn't want to miss out; nor did I want to derail my diet on the first weekend! I've got some sound strategies now!
Off topic: Animal welfare is my passion! I have volunteer credentials at most of the shelters in my area, but my main focus is at one place. I'm an "elite" volunteer--there are only 25 of us out of a total volunteer population of about 700. I live in a no-kill community (no-kill means that less than 10% of healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized for space). I work with dogs at risk of euthanasia for behavior. If we (the elite group) can't turn them around, they will be deemed unadoptable for public safety reasons. We do all we can to modify dangerous behavior. The success rate is varied. I lost two dogs to euthanasia last year that I had worked with for over a year--multiple hours a week for each dog for over a year. It can be heartbreaking and gut wrenching at times. When a dog is saved and placed into a loving home (who are aware of the dog's issues); it makes it worthwhile.
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I do pre-log sometimes to account for treats. Last night I had a mini deep dish veggie pizza. My lunch and breakfast were lighter. 3
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I pre-log every day, it's especially helpful for things like this.2
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I used to eat > 1000 calories of pizza in a meal; now I have < 500 with the help of a big salad.2
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My rescue dog. He was a lot of work at first to get him over separation anxiety and teach him how to walk on a leash without pulling my arm off (and boy could he pull!), but well worth it.
(Sadly, he died young from lymphoma.)15 -
kshama2001 wrote: »My rescue dog. He was a lot of work at first to get him over separation anxiety and teach him how to walk on a leash without pulling my arm off (and boy could he pull!), but well worth it.
(Sadly, he died young from lymphoma.)
He was a beauty. Thanks for all you did for him.
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Do you HAVE to eat pizza to socialize? That is a mindset that I had to get away from, ie eating and drinking to socialize. I can socialize with friends and not drink alcohol nor eat. My social "drink" is seltzer with a slice of lemon and lime and it looks sexy. Plus I don't go around announcing what I choose or do not choose to eat and drink. Notice I didn't say can or cannot eat. Best wishes though. 11
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Pre-logging and working back from there is how I do it on pizza night 4
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I'm a serial pre-logger. There are plenty of ways to try and make a single pizza night fit your calories; I think you're on the right track opting to drop the alcohol as empty liquid calories. Make sure the pizza has some meat on it for a protein source and I wouldn't worry about it much; especially if allowing yourself the leeway helps with your overall compliance.1
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dolliesdaughter wrote: »Do you HAVE to eat pizza to socialize? That is a mindset that I had to get away from, ie eating and drinking to socialize. I can socialize with friends and not drink alcohol nor eat. My social "drink" is seltzer with a slice of lemon and lime and it looks sexy. Plus I don't go around announcing what I choose or do not choose to eat and drink. Notice I didn't say can or cannot eat. Best wishes though.
I could not go. It's a weekly get together for dinner at a pizza joint with the people I volunteer with. It's been a thing for about 4 years now--we talk about dogs, our week and our lives. This group of volunteers went from a group of people who didn't know each other to a group of friends who are invested in one another.
If I gave it up, I would work, work at home, and volunteer. Work is 45 hours/week (scheduled) and another 20+ at home. Volunteering takes up my Saturday afternoon and evening, plus several more hours a week of "behind the scenes" stuff I do from home. The rest of my life involves housework and yard work.
I don't really care if my beverage looks sexy--and I have no problem ordering what I want. Several in our group abstain from alcohol and/or skip the pizza. No one cares. We are there for the fellowship and a meal. I'm usually covered in dog hair, mud, dog poo and worse when I go eat. Sometimes I actually remember to wash my hands--now there's sexy for ya! Ya, looking sexy in any situation isn't very high on my agenda.
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don't add the salad just to feel better about the night. the dressing will wreck your day! just have a slice or two of pizza!4
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I would not give it up if it’s something you enjoy. I have a night out weekly that I am able to plan for. That night out is good for my emotional well being and helps me feel less restricted. I also think learning to work these types of events in will serve you well once you reach maintenance.4
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I don't/can't/won't cook. I'm really time poor, I'm bad at it and I don't like to do it so I choose to eat prepared or take away foods for dinner pretty much every night
On a usual week my dinners will be:
pizza (yep, a whole pizza) x3
Burger/Kebab/Take away meal x1-2
"Man Size" frozen dinners x2-3
All of these meals are between 750 - 850 calories.
I am able to do this because I save most of my calories for dinner (I'm rarely hungry during the day), so easily have enough calories for my dinner and even some left over for a few fun size chocolate bars for desert.3 -
+1 Preplan/ prelog
Had half of a pizza and dessert pie still under my cal intake for the day.1 -
Yes, through out my whole loss phase I pre-logged special planned meals and events and then I could plan my week around it so I maintained my deficit without missing out2
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I pre-logged it for two pieces of pepperoni pizza and a glass of wine. I'll work backwards from there. Yesterday was a huge calorie deficit for me and I was going to "save" them for Saturday, but MFP wouldn't let me log that few calories so I ate an ounce of walnuts to bring it up. Also, I just got a food scale yesterday, so I'll be weighing my foods more and guessing less.2
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