In your twenties and social? So hard to count calories!

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  • ajhr
    ajhr Posts: 92 Member
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    If something spontaneous comes up and you haven't planned for it, enjoy it and don't stress if you end up a little over. Then for the next day or so, try to save a few calories - even if it's only 50 per day, if you do it for 4 days you've got 200 back! - and/or add an extra 10 minutes to your workouts. Remember to enjoy yourself, as others have pointed out, this is a lifestyle, not a short-term diet. You can still do the things you love :)
  • jlebert716
    jlebert716 Posts: 92 Member
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    I am in pretty much the same situation! I might handle it a little different than everyone else though. Feel free to friend me!! I am a grad student living in boulder, colorado so beer is everywhere and always delicious. I have come to the conclusion that it is okay for me to lose the weight slower if I can still have some fun. When I go out I do try not to eat the food because its really high in calories, so I will have dinner first and then just drink when I am out. I also ride my bike out and really like to dance (poorly) but always try to get some in on a night on the town. So both of those things burn cals so then I just call it even.

    Might not be accurate, but I would rather have fun and do things versus sitting home alone to lose weight a little faster.
  • Luffzilla
    Luffzilla Posts: 11 Member
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    I generally over guestimate my calorie count and then log it later for accuracy.. but I have a good memory. xD you don't have to be extremely social and drink though..
  • Amanda_Grace25
    Amanda_Grace25 Posts: 23
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    Yeah! I totally agree! I'm in college and I live in a dorm, and I hate it when people ask me if I'm on a "diet" or something. Then they're like why are you on a diet you look good or whatever blah blah blah. . . I find it so much easier to just keep it to myself & my MFP friends of course :)

    Idk but the drinking and social eating is definitely an issue for me too. I mean yeah, I'm in college of course I wanna go to parties and stuff and don't even get me started with the 3 am fast food runs... omg... hahaha
  • ashm86
    ashm86 Posts: 1 Member
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    There are some great suggestions here. If I'm going for a big night out, I try hit the gym, watch my calories during the day and try make good choices while I'm out- drinking vodka and diet coke instead of sugary cocktails, having the odd glass of water in between beverages and avoiding the chipper at the end of the night :laugh:

    I went a wee bit overboard during the week; my boyfriend insisted we eat dinner out and my willpower faltered at the unexpected invitation! I just worked a little harder at the gym the next day and am being a little more mindful of my calorie intake for the rest of the week. It won't be so easy considering it is a holiday weekend here in Aus!!

    It would be much easier to stay in, away from temptations but that's no fun at all! With a bit of moderation and we can enjoy the best of both worlds :smile:
  • jrwatson87
    jrwatson87 Posts: 66
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    I'm a 22 year old social college student who had the saaaame problem at the beginning of my calorie counting. Bottom line: you have to own your weight loss. How badly do you want this? My friends would always give me crap about trying to eat well and how it was no use because we were just gonna party it up later and gain back all the calories. I had to be straightforward and tell them I can go out and do the same things with you guys as always but I'm not going to drink every time, I'm not going to make poor food choices, I'm going to make time for myself to go to the gym with or without you guys, etc. We had a BBQ- I made mushroom/bell pepper/zucchini shish kabobs. I brought low cal hot dogs and skipped the bun. Now these friends (my 3 closest) all gym with me everyday. They are also attempting to eat better. I'm so proud of us all and they say I inspired them. I don't miss one gym day because that gives them an excuse to skip (and myself of course). Basically, the ability to say 'no' will fix this problem you are having.
  • 25kgbefor25
    25kgbefor25 Posts: 1
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    I know how you feel! I get invites minutes before I am picked up and have no time to prepare. FR me, we can help each other!
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    I am older than you and go out to dinner every weekend (half of the time for the entire weekend). Everyone has pretty much covered my tips:

    1. eat less the day of in other meals
    2. eat less during the week
    3. exercise the day of or the day after
    4. smaller portions when you go out (eat half of your entree and the rest in a box)
    5. drink mostly calorie free drinks (sparkling water with lime looks like vodka soda/vodka tonic)
    6. only eat it is it is worth the calories. Let's say there are cupcakes at a party, I am only eating the really good one. If it is mediocre, then I don't finish it. Same with drinks. I only believe in using my calories for the best tasting treats. Is it worth it to have a mediocre dessert? Not in my book.

    I also have 2 cheat meals a week. I log and don't concern myself with the calories in the meal. I've been doing this since I started, and have gone over calories maybe 3 times on one of those days. Most of the time the calories end up being 20% more than I typically have for that meal. Things end up being right on target.
  • violabeatle
    violabeatle Posts: 87 Member
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    Same boat! I'm not a big drinker but my friends LOVE to bake, go out to unhealthy restaurants (a lot of which are one-location places that don't post cal counts online), and generally take time out of their day to ensure they eat a ton of junk food. Lucky for them, they are all "healthy weight" and don't work out and have no reason to care. When I started on MFP I started to bring a pack of gum EVERYWHERE. I limit myself to ONE of whatever they bake and then pop a piece of gum in my mouth - that way I don't feel rude, but at the same time I can easily stay within limits.

    When we go out I try and factor it into my day, or only eat half the portion and bring the rest home.

    Feel free to friend me - you can work through this!
  • RMuske
    RMuske Posts: 271 Member
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    I do have some similar issues and would be happy to be supportive of each other.. :) Add me if you would like.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Best thing to do is the have the MFP Mobile App if your always out and social. It helps you realize that you'll need to stay in a certain calorie range. Gum is always great to have on hand. Remember water is your best friend.

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