Navigating summer cookouts while dieting

When I know I'm going to be eating food prepared by someone else, I give myself some wiggle room in my calorie budget by eating fewer calories at home that day.

For cookouts in particular, my strategy would be to stick more with grilled meats and dishes with lots of veggies and less with desserts or salads likely to have a lot of mayo - I make some of these things myself but I also know what exactly I put into them. It's harder to guess at how other people would make them. If I felt like having alcohol, I would only have one drink instead of several - saves some calories and prevents letting my impulsivity getting the best of me and just diving in for more snacks later.

But I don't think you have to get anxious over it. It's not the kind of thing even very extroverted people do every single day, and even if you end up eating maintenance that day or even a little more, it's not going to "ruin" your day or week or make weight loss impossible. What matters for weight loss is behavior over time. One cookout, or even a couple, won't make or break you.

In situations like that, I pick my favorite things to try...I don't try everything or eat things that are just "meh".
With standard cookout food, I'm going to have a burger because I love burgers.
But the potato salad or coleslaw or pasta salad...eh...not worth the calories to me.
Homemade cookies or brownies? Yeah, that's worth it!
Some store-bought cupcakes...nah, I'll leave that.

I also find it a good strategy to grab a drink (water or diet soda if you want to save the calories), and stand up while you visit with people. If I'm holding a drink, I can't hold a plate of potato chips at the same time. Helps with mindless eating.

I support others' comments so far.

One more: No matter what happens at *one cookout* . . . ONE, rare thing . . . there is *no possible way* you will "throw all of my work so far down the toilet." Not possible.

The majority of our days determine the majority of our progress. One day is a drop in the ocean.

If you're just getting started - this round, anyway - on weight loss, this is a learning experience. You can figure out a way of eating enjoyably, ideally moderately - and this cookout can be a learning experience. You'll meet a lot of different experiences on the road to achieving a healthy weight, and staying at that healthy weight - happily and with good life balance - long term.

Even if the worst possible thing happens (which needn't), you can still learn more about how to handle events like this in your life. This is one day, one event - that's all. It's a tiny lego block in building a way for your life to include fun cookouts occasionally forever, and enjoy them, while achieving your weight management goals.

Look at it that way: Make a plan for eating moderately (and moving lots, if games or dancing or something like that are on offer - even just walking around talking to people instead of sitting in one place, if that's an option). Test-drive the plan at this cookout. Afterwards, think how it went, what you can repeat happily next time, what could use some better strategies, and what those improvements might be.

For sure, strive to have fun. The day after the cookout, just get back on the healthy track you've been working on, no matter what happened at the cookout. Everything will be fine.