Help on what to do when my meal is already planned for me???

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SaraWo24
SaraWo24 Posts: 192 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey MFP community! First of all, I just want to say that I LOVE this community...you are all so incredibly helpful and intelligent when it comes to food/exercise/health issues. That being said...does anyone have any tips/tricks that I could use for my dilemma below? Here it is:

I got invited to a work dinner function (incredibly honored) at a fancy banquet hall tonight. The problem is that the meal is already planned out for every person. Not only do I NOT know what the meal is, but I also can't make any special requests (like, no dressing on the side, please).

What do I do to help myself stay on track??? What would YOU do?

Replies

  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
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    Depending on what is served, I would maybe eat just half of the serving. Most things cooked in a public setting (even things like broccoli!) is loaded with butter, that's why it taste so good! At least then, you are only consuming half of the calories! Good luck!
  • 34at35
    34at35 Posts: 318
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    There is no law that says you have to clean your plate. Eat only half of the meal. Put your fork down after every bite and don't pick it up again until you've talked with the person or your left and teh person on your right. Pretty soon, they'll be coming around to pick up the plates. Let them take yours. Voila! Problem solved. You can't eat what you don't have.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    it happens, I agree with some of the above, also, plan the rest of your day accordingly.
  • boomersooner806
    boomersooner806 Posts: 90
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    I have the same exact problem coming up tomorrow for lunch!! I'm subbing tomorrow at the junior high here in town and they're having some sort of fancy lunch catered and I have no idea what's coming! It makes me so nervous! But, like 34at35 says... we don't have to eat it all! :laugh:
    Good luck! Let me know how well you do tonight and maybe that'll give me motivation to do as well as you did! :bigsmile:
  • hhhdddggss
    hhhdddggss Posts: 119
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    I faced this situation today ... I decided to eat what I knew was the lowest cal on the plate: a piece of chicken. I did have the option of fruit (instead of cheesecake) for dessert, so I count myself lucky! The best tip after that: Eat before you go. That way, you can control your intake and simply "pick" at dinner so as not to be rude! (Best for party-food situations as well .... if you're not starving, then you will be less tempted to make bad food choices!)

    Good luck!
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    Portion control. You can't control what you're served, but you can control how much you eat. :)
  • sleepl8s
    sleepl8s Posts: 37
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    I agree with everyone else about portion control. Definitely only eat half of your plate(s). Some tricks that help me are 1.) eating very wisely during the day before my big meal, 2.) hitting the gym and burning off some calories, and 3.) I take huge gulps of water or diet soda before my big meal in order to take up some space in my stomache. I don't always have self control and this kinda forces me to quit eating before I actually would.
  • ali258
    ali258 Posts: 403
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    Also, drink a lot of water with your meal and if you do get a choice when you're there (like chicken or beef), maybe you can ask the wait staff if there is one without a sauce on it, or maybe even choose the vegetarian option (unless it's something Italian and loaded with cheese). Above all though, enjoy yourself, make good conversation, and don't stress out so much about the food that you make yourself miserable. It's only one meal, and you've got a game plan to handle it!

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