Have you become "Anti-Social" since you started?

I usally try and eat off the kids menu when eating out but to the question of anti-social the answer is No. I am as social as I was before starting this journey.

Find something that you can eat at these places. Most restaurants have something relatively healthy to eat on the menu! I had trouble with pot lucks at the office prior to the holidays, but ended up bringing my own veggie and cheese platter!

^This^

Salads work well. Pot lucks are easy....kinda. Portion control is key, though it does take practice to get the hang of it. Stick with any type of veggie/fruit selection and bring something you know you can eat.

Being un-social is not an option for me. I like people waaaay too much!!!!

Check the menus before you go to places, find the most reasonable thing, or eat before. Learning to go out to eat and still stick to your goals is a big part of this "life style" change.

I've become a hermit trying to stay focused and keeping myself away from bad food environments. I was really depressed about it but now I am actively seeking friends that are like-minded. I am trying to surround myself with good influencers and motivators and people who like to get together to be active instead of to eat. So far I have only found one person who has been helpful but she is still lacking in the willpower department. I'm her rock instead of the other way around.

It's very hard for me to maintain the same unhealthy friendships as I'm changing my lifestyle. Most of my friends give me a hard time and make me feel like I'm no fun or starving myself. And I just don't want to be around that negativity anymore.

Until I knew I could say "no" to foods that I needed to avoid, I too didn't go to events with friends. After a while, I realized that I could plan my meals at restaurants via scanning the internet menus. For social events at friends houses, I take food I know I can eat. It is amazing how many of my friends now enjoy having those healthy options too. Oh yeah...I sit far away from the snack table and since everyone knows I avoid certain foods, I view it as another "check" for me to not cave and eat the junk in front of my friends! Hope this helps.

I think you need to take a step back and think about these relationships you are hanging onto. You need to figure out what the benefit of each scenario brings to the quality of life. ie the Bible study adds a spiritual element that helps you through other areas of your life. That is a positive thing. Is there maybe another Bible study group within your church that has a healthy kick. Eating healthy, maybe a walking club? You could always suggest it to the group you are in, to start a healthier meeting trend for the new year. As for your card night, maybe you could meet up with someone from the group and go for a walk before playing cards, then bring healthier snacks and reward yourself when you get home if you were able to control your eating. Having a treat to look forward to will help your resolve be stronger.

If these solutions don't fit in or maybe you are not benefitting enough from these relationships to put forth that effort, then it is time to move on. We all have different needs as we move through life. Learning how to let go of one to let another in, is a good thing. It's just like getting married; somehow going to bars with single friends who are trying to pick up guys, just doesn't seem like as much fun as it used to.

Don't be anti social, learn to adapt. It is a lifelong process. Best wishes to you.
If you want you can add me as a friend.

You have to exercise your willpower muscle occasionally. I come from a family of big eaters, and I can't avoid them all the time. My mom's house has tons of delicious junk food she always keeps on hand. When I first became more mindful of my eating habits, it was really difficult to be around family, especially there. It gets easier. If you are doing it right, the over-sweet and over-salty stuff will eventually stop sounding so good. If you really have a craving for it, you will be happy with just a taste.

My advice would be to ease back into the social eating slowly. You'll learn the tricks and alternatives that work best for you to deal with each of your social groups.

If I can go to the gym and do a really good workout before a social event it makes me more inclined to say yes because I can pre-plan a little extra into my day knowing that I have worked it off. I was pretty surprised this December about how many events I went to that I would usually over eat at but didn't this year either because the item didn't seem worth it or because I was too busy talking and drinking water!! I can see the thought behind saying no but maybe you could try planning a little better so you can still enjoy the conversation and company! :drinker:

I like the suggestions to check out their menus online before you go. I got quite a shock when I saw just how many calories were in the grande hot chocolate and cranberry orange scone at Starbucks that I liked to eat (almost everyday!). Now I look to the yogurt at Starbucks.

That being said, if I know I'm going to be in a situation where I will eat more than normal, I plan to exercise more - or not eat so much the day before or after. that way I can still participate in family and social events without feeling guilty. This has worked well for me.

I think the biggest thing is - don't set yourself up to fail. If your diet/lifestyle is making you feel "anti-social" is it one that you can live with for the rest of your life? Probably not. You need to find a solution that allows you to be as social as you want.

You can find a way!

If you know where you are going ahead of time, check out the nutritional info at the restaurant websites. I did this with Panera because my friend likes to meet me there once a week. Not all restaurants post their nutrition, so then I either check here or at Livestrong. Just type in the name of the restaurant and you find healthy choices others make. I know when I plan ahead, I feel empowered to stick to my menu choices. Also, for me personally, sipping a hot drink seems to take the edge off. I'm a coffee lover but I have friends who sip hot tea as well. I totally understand where you're coming from. You're trying to break your food habits and not your friendships. If you feel close enough to your friends, tell them what your thoughts are. Maybe they will support you. If they try to damage you, then it's time to move on. Pot luck is harder. I'm thinking, make a dish that you know you can safely eat. Then once you scan the table, maybe there might be a few choices you can eat for variety. If not, at least yours is safe. Sorry this is wordy. I also have another piece of advice. If you do turn your friends down, please encourage them to invite you again, tell them you still want to be included, that you just have to turn them down this time. I hope this helps.

If it is that big of a problem for you that you don't want to be around your friends out of fear of eating the wrong foods then EAT before you go so you are not hungry and if you are you can order something very small and as healthy as you can get so you are not doing as bad.

Also once a month is not going to KILL your progress. In my opinion not doing something you enjoy at least once a month will kill your motivation and make you feel deprived over time and possibly make you give up, it would me!!

I've always hated people... /shrug

this.

this! again.

I haven't become more anti social. I just have new excuses.
Food that I hate:
"Ooof. Sorry your potato-bean-mushroom-acorn-pig feet casserole just doesn't fit into my calorie plan for the day. I'm going to nibble on the table instead. I need the fiber"

Places I don't want to go:
"Ooof. There is not elliptical at Chateau Sit-Around-And-Play-Remember-When.... Ah, well I have to burn so many calories a day and with this asthma (cough cough cough) I can only do it on a Precor Elliptical or AMT"

**Ooof is the sound I would make while pretending to be disappointed but secretly being relieved that I have a legitimate reason for saying No Thanks.

I did change my pic. I don't hate people. I am just a natural introvert and so they wear me out quickly. I like people in small doses.

I'm a chef, so I am naturally anti-social. I can be foul mouthed, short tempered, and have ego issues, both too big and too small of an ego.

So, in my work, I am typically working when everyone else is partying. So, it works out well for me!