7 years, 11 months ago- Posts
HELP! I have been surrounded by cookies, fudge, candy, and full of calories cakes for weeks now. I feel like I am gaining weight in my thighs, and butt by just looking at them! I find it rather irritating that these horrible food choices surround me, and tempt me to make bad food choices when I sincerely do not want to. I have tried to throw them out, but they are literally everywhere I look (Bank, work, home, friend’s gatherings). Any advice on how to stay away from these treats during holidays and special occasions without making a scene?
I need more answers to this! I try eating before I go to a party, but the new foods and sweets just look too interesting and tempting.
Yes eating prior to going to the party is definitely helpful. Another thing is to make sure you eat lighter in the early hours of the day, knowing that you will be eating a larger meal in the evening. I do know what you mean about the new foods looking so delicious. I think before you go to the party you need to make a “plan” in your head. What I mean by this is decide how much you can indulge depending on your earlier meals. Then create some rules for yourself like I am only going to try 3 new things tonight that look absolutely amazing (if they don’t, its not worth your calories). Serve yourself a very small sample of the things you are wanting to try. Another rule is to allow yourself 1 alcoholic beverage and sip it VERY slow throughout the evening, which serves the purpose of making it last longer and keeping you from snacking too frequently. Another trick is to bring some gum or candy and use that to deter you from popping chips into your mouth. Remember you can still have fun while not going crazy! Enjoy conversation with good friends and family and you will be too distracted from the treats. Also position yourself in such away that you are more than a few arms lengths away from the treat/food tables.
I have learned to be mindful (mostly) when eating out. But have to admit it still scared me to think of a celebration or a dinner get together. I know I will have to be aware for the rest of my life.
I generally try to decide what and how much I will eat prior to taking even the first bite. Putting all the food on the plate is so much better, than just grabbing and snacking on it. That way you can see the amount of food you are about to indulge in rather than “oh, I will just try this and that” which can amount to a WHOLE lot of food and calories.Work and family gatherings are the worst! I try to bring a flavored yogurt and my favorite fruit so I get to enjoy a treat along with everyone else. So far this has been working when I’m aware and can plan ahead, when I can’t then I stay far away (other end of the room), so I’m not tempted by smell or sight. If it is right under my nose then sometimes I use mental reminders of the size I was and how I felt before to keep me on track now. It’s so hard to get off sugar, I try to stay far away from it now.
I have trouble with this also. Very hard for me to resist tempting treats in a social setting.
Lynette those are great tips to stay away from tempting treats…I always try to have something on hand in my purse that I can have instead of the things that I shouldn’t. My tip in these situations is to find that one thing that looks the best and get a small sliver of it so you can have the taste of it and be done with it…the rest of the time order a sparkling water and carry it around and sip on it for the duration of the evening. I even do wine on occasion…tread carefully with alcohol though, I retain water like crazy when I drink…so one glass to sip for the night is enough to feel like a treat to me!
Social eating is one of the trickiest of lifestyle…however remember that what you do 80-90% of the time is far more important!
@Karma Coins: 0I’m not sure my situation counts as a “special occasion” as it is going to last for a month, but I am going to stay with my daughter when she has her baby in March. Her husband is a big fan of bringing something home for dinner and my grandkids are terribly picky eaters. I really don’t feel like I can impose my eating requirements on them. I will still be on phase one and would love some ideas on how to keep things really simple so that I don’t totally backslide.
I don’t have a lot of great advice on how not to “backslide” on these occasions, but I do have some advice for those times when you do. I know it is disappointing when we don’t make the best choices and the scale goes the wrong way, but cut yourself some slack. If you do lose a little ground on your weight loss, focus on the progress that you have made instead of the little bit you gained back. Then just get back to the program. If you don’t let a setback derail you, recently gained weight usually comes back off fairly quickly.
It is OK to be human. Just don’t let a little setback discourage you and cause you to make a lot more bad choices. Sometimes it is worth gaining back a pound or two to really participate in those special occasions. Whether you intentionally choose to indulge a little or find yourself slipping up, don’t beat yourself up. Take a little time to decide whether your choice was worth it or not (that will help you the next time one of these opportunities comes along), and whether it was a good choice or a bad one, don’t beat yourself up. Accept the fact that because of the choice you made, it may take a couple more weeks to reach your end goal, then get back on the program.
I’m leaving for a vacation with my family … and I’m planning on doing the best I can. I’m going to keep with the drops, which help a ton, and then just make wise choices if/when we eat out. I’m nervous. But I need to figure out a way to make it work, this needs to become the new way of life. Scratch that, THIS WILL BECOME THE NEW WAY OF LIFE.
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