Staying on track in social settings and holidays

I've decide to exercise Easter morning and then not worry about food the rest of the day. It's only one day. As far as the social situations, that's much tougher. I'm actually limiting them for now, so instead of every week, say every other, plus definite gym time the day I go out. Finding as I get lighter and am eating less, takes a lot less to get buzzed, so must be careful.

If I know that I'm going out I tend to eat a lighter breakfast and lunch and not have snacks so I can go out and still enjoy myself. I sometimes will also add an extra workout during the day to give myself more of a calorie buffer. If it's a regular kind of thing I think your best bet would be working on moderation.

As for Easter Sunday I'm going to enjoy myself and not limit my calorie intake but also try not to go overboard. It's one day, I would have to consume almost 6000 calories to gain a pound and that would just be pointlessly stuffing myself. The important thing I think is to avoid getting off track before and after. Leftovers/candy and not exercising for a few days before and after I think is where people tend to fall off the wagon.

I hate to see food go to waste, and part of that led me to the weight I was at. Now during social get togethers, I understand it's not my responsibility to eat all the food prepared for the guests. I eat only what I want to eat, not what I think I should be eating to let the host(ess) know I appreciate his/her food. Does that make sense? And, I also just try to cut calories in my options... for example, I don't butter the bread, and I keep dressing on the side. Small changes that nobody will notice, only you.

I am going to have to be careful, and trying to figure out how I will handle it. We are having to go to two easters this year....one side of the family is very supportive of losing weight and has been on me for a while about it, while the other makes fun of me for not eating more then a quarter of the plate (because usually they will eat two or three big plates full).....

Yep I work hard most of the time to stay within my daily allowances but on date night or out with friends I just have fun. I do know a lot more about what I am eating now and cant help but calculate how many cals are in whatever Im eating/drinking.

Work out, light breakfast, light lunch, light dinner, drink what ya want and eat some pretzels! That's how I justify a 12 pack on a Friday!

Eat before you have the feast. That way you're not starving and having to stare at all that yummy food. And if you're going to eat some not-so-healthy food, portions portions portions.
I also like to throw in an extra workout, just in case.
And if it's a pot-luck feast, bring with something healthy.
And most importantly, forgive yourself if you don't eat something healthy. That was always my biggest mistake. I'd eat something bad for me, then throw in the towel the rest of the day because of it. One meal is one meal. Not the whole day.
Good luck!

I am also someone who doesn't like letting food go to waste! I often blindly eat the food, and after I eat, feel guilty. But it's getting better

I like to go out to eat with my friends - I have taken to looking at the menu online in advance to plan out some healthier options or at least plan the rest of my day around the meal if I am going to indulge. For instance I will be having some beer with friends tonight so I am going to have a very light breakfast and lunch + I ran this morning. And try to remember one bad day really won't hurt you if you can keep your weekly calorie goals in mind! A week's worth of exercise/ calorie deficit matters way more, don't be discouraged by one bad meal or bad day, we all have them sometimes!

I cant drink alcohol so that is not an issue for me. As to what to eat, I try to suggest restaurants that have grilled steak, pork chops or chicken since sauces are deadly to the scale. Since most meals come with bread, I try to limit myself to 1 piece. I also ask if I can substitute a veggie for the potatoes. For dessert, I suggest ordering less and sharing.

I also plan my other meals around going out. I try to stick to low carb and low sodium on dining out days.

As for the holidays that is much harder. We have large family get togethers based around food. Again I try to limit the carbs and sodium in other meals that day and just accept that I will go over my goals that day. It is just one day. Our menu for Easter is glazed ham. sweet potato casarole, green beans, cole slaw, blackberry pie and pumpkin pie. I make the potato casarole and use half the sugar and butter, it calls for, no one seems to miss it. I do the green beans with Mrs Dash so they aren't covered in cream of mushroom soup. I also do the slaw with light Marzettis and no one seems to notice a difference. We have lots of raw veggies with a light homemade dip.
I also weigh and measure my food. It is too easy for portions to creep up otherwise. I make sure I am the last one to sit down and the first one to get up. I also refill the serving dishes. I helps me to be moving around instead of watching everyone else eating heaping plates of food. I make sure I cut the pie into at least 8-12 servings depending on the size of the pie plate. No one complains about it since they can help themselves to a second piece.

This works for me since I have a tendency to binge when I feel deprived. I end up gaining alot more than if I allowed myself to have the same food as everyone else.