Aaah! Houseguests!

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MsCzar
MsCzar Posts: 1,039 Member
edited June 2021 in Motivation and Support
I love my guests, but am having a lot of trouble keeping my calories within maintenance during their stay. This has gone far FAR beyond a mere deficit break.

I want to be a good hostess, so there are many more goodies in my kitchen - (pastries, granola bars, ice cream, crisps, candy and cookies) - than I would normally ever dream of buying. There are also lots of fresh fruits, nuts, cheese, cereal, fresh bread, preserves and nut butters available at a self-serve station where I find myself grazing far too often. Add to that all the summertime grilling, restaurant meals, picnics, food shops, late evening glasses of wine and yummy calorie-laden summertime cocktails.

What is giving me the most trouble is the schedule. Ordinarily, I eat two meals a day and don't eat after 6M. Since my guests have arrived, I'm up before everyone to prep breakfast and then eat whenever they eat.

I know it's only a few more days (this Friday) until they depart, but I could sure use a few strategies and suggestions to help keep serious backsliding to a minimum... or at least have a good mitigation plan in place for the next couple of weeks to recover lost ground and get back on track.

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  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I don't have long term house guest too often (especially now...), but when I do, they adapt to my schedule, for the most part, and not the other way around. I don't buy things that are not part of my diet (as a way of eating), but they are welcome to buy/bring their own choices, and take them back when they leave. I may prepare or buy something that my husband and I don' usually eat, but it would be the exception not the rule. When we go out, I decide what I am going to eat. I only drink water, so that eliminates calories and a potential problem.

    When my younger grandchildren used to visit, I would buy more "kids' food/snacks," for them, but neither my husband or I were ever tempted to eat it and my daughter in law would take the left over treats back with them.

    If you still want to prepare meals for your guests like breakfast, lunch and dinner, just have a cup of coffee for breakfast or reduce your calories during the other meals. But this is a chance for you to practice self-control and stop grazing or changing your eating habits.

    Having a nice conversation with your guests, spending time with them, being gracious and polite, and having a place for them where to sleep and eat, makes you a nice and gracious hostess already.

    Enjoy your company!
  • MaltedTea
    MaltedTea Posts: 6,286 Member
    edited June 2021
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    In light of the short timeframe left and the number of apparent temptations, maybe just pick 1 or 2 things?

    For example, anything from the buffet snack station is verboten 🙅🏿‍♀️ and opt for water instead of wine.

    I also have things - generally purchased around the holidays - which are "For The Visitors." Giving them that title helps me avoid noshing on them because goodness forbid someone come over and I have nothing "special" to serve them 😰😱😓
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,039 Member
    edited June 2021
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    Unlike yesterday's total disaster, I was able to stay away from my own fresh baked scones. Managed to stop at 2030 calories today. And it was NOT easy.
  • Skyler103
    Skyler103 Posts: 121 Member
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    Send all of the high calorie food with them when they leave!
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    edited June 2021
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    I am going to suggest three things.

    Thing 1 - During their visit:
    Do the best you can, but don't wreck their visit with you for the sake of your calorie deficit. The food is in the house, now. See where you can save some calories maybe, but again: don't make the visit or yourself miserable right now.

    Thing 2- Getting back on track after the fact:
    Send the stuff home with them and then just go back to what you were doing before. Don't try to exercise extra hard, don't try to cut more calories, just step back to what you were doing. Worse case, you gained maybe 2lbs.

    Thing 3 - For the future:
    I think were I you I would seriously investigate what about being a host means to you - and what is telling you that being a good one means to pack your house with cookies/cakes/ice creams/baked goods. I can tell you, right now, that it is a knee jerk inclination I have and it is a thing my mother does. Because these are 'special occasion' foods, and 'treats' and 'feeding people is love' and it feels celebratory. But every one of those reasons that we do it? Will come back around and bite us at other times, unless we disarm that belief.

    what a good host provides: Foods the guests can eat and enjoy, as well as company + maybe one special trip out/dessert/wine in either a day or a trip depending.

    Not an entire kitchen stocked with a self-serve station, homemade baked good buffet, and all the snacks ever.

    Source: My MIL who is the most gracious, polite, KIND woman in the world but who is sure as heck not stocking things she doesn't eat (okay except our preference of breakfast cereal because she ALSO is not getting up to cook breakfast for us)
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,039 Member
    edited June 2021
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    Good suggestions, all! Thanks!
    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    Maybe your guests are thinking, "I can't wait to get out of this house. All these baked goods she keeps on hand are making it hard for me to stay under my calorie goal!"

    As a houseguest, I want to disturb my host's habits and routine as little as possible. I would be MORTIFIED to discover that a host had completely changed her cooking and eating habits because of what she thought I expected.

    lol - Maybe that's a good strategy for shifting guests!

    I don't think I'm a corrupter of healthy habits. 😁 I figured I'd have low calorie/healthy foods available along with the decadent treats my sugar-loving guests prefer. The sweetened granola and cookies have been fast disappearing while the Cheerios and Wheatabix remain untouched. My offer of grilled salmon for dinner didn't exactly prompt mass applause; so tomorrow it will be hot dogs with a side of mac & cheese. Will also be opening the second party sized package of Double Stuff Oreos. Thankfully, I work a half day tomorrow.



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