Friends, Family and Food
So this weekend was my final big cheat until Thanksgiving and boy did I do it up right.
I celebrated with a Halloween party last night and a big brunch with Ryan’s sisters this morning.
We are a society where food, family and friends seem to almost be inseparable.
We sit down to dinner as a family for some “family time.” We meet up with friends for a meal to “catch up.” We celebrate with parties centered around food.
At the heart of most of our socializing is FOOD.
Does that make sticking to your diet, especially around the holidays, easy?
HECK NO!
But that doesn’t mean that you can just give up!
Sure use a few get-togethers and specific holiday gatherings as cheat days, but choose them wisely. Choose ones that are meaningful and satisfying.
Don’t just eat bad food to eat bad food. Don’t just be lazy and take the easy way out.
DON’T JUST GIVE IN TO EVERY TEMPTATION!
I know it is difficult to turn down bad food. I know there are tons of articles with special tips about plate size and drinking water to supposedly help you avoid overeating.
But let’s face it…Once you eat a few bad things at a party and have a drink or two, your inhibitions will be lowered and you probably won’t end up eating only a “bit or two” of the bad food.
So instead pick and choose events to eat badly at.
PLAN AHEAD.
Even if that planning is just knowing that you are going to have a few big cheats over the next few months, but are going to eat super clean in between them.
Think about which events you will really feel deprived if you don’t indulge at and plan to cheat at those. Come up with a plan of action at the others to help you stick to your diet if you don’t want to cheat at them. (This will prevent you from losing all willpower after a drink or two at the party.)
If it is at a restaurant, check out the menu ahead of time. If it is at a friend’s house, there is no harm in asking what the menu will be like.
I always find that when I’m aware of the food choices beforehand, I can create an action plan to keep me on track while enjoying the party and not feeling like the odd man out.
Family, friends and food – You don’t have to miss out OR give up on your diet!
Posted on October 29, 2012, in Conventional Wisdom - How I hate you, Diet and tagged Dieting, family, food, friends, halloween, holiday eating, holiday gatherings, holidays, Overeating. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Man Bicep 
how do you fit alcohol into your training? do you save it strictly for cheat days? or skip it all together? meeting up at bars is a big part of my friends socializing…. do I need to find new friends?
Hi Steph
I’m not a big drinker personally, but that being said I don’t save it strictly for cheat days.
If I’m cheating, I don’t put a limit on how much I drink or what kind of drinks I have. (I’m big into sweet very girly drinks).
If I’m not cheating, I’ll have a class of red or white wine or maybe even a cider. While cider has more calories, at least it is gluten free. Wine, especially red, is very good for you.
If you are meeting up at bars often, try drinking a lower carb and calorie drink on most days. Moderation is also key. Plus if you know you will be drinking later, try to keep your day lower carb so that the drinks you have later will keep you within 150 grams of carbs for the day.
If I go to a bar and don’t want to “ruin” a healthy day, I may literally just milk one drink all night. But that is up to you…
In terms of new friends….haha…If you like them and they encourage you to be healthy and strong, you don’t need to get rid of them. I always try to pick friends that respect me for who I am and that can respect when I’m eating healthily and/or not drinking.
Hope this answers your question!
Cori