Thread: How do you manage socialising?

I was wondering what everyone else does when it comes to going out with friends/family etc?

I find that as long as I am at home or work I'm totally fine with sticking to the diet, but when I go to see family or have a social thing like a birthday meal I have no idea how to manage it. I know a diet shouldn't totally rule your life, but how do you get a balance between living your life and totally falling off the wagon?

I also find some people, mostly family, tend to give me a bit of a hard time e.g: what are you doing that for? that's not food? you're starving yourself etc! I explain that I'm eating a perfectly adequate and healthy amount, and am not hungry at all but I just get withering looks - not exactly supportive! I can probably handle my family, when they get used to the idea that this isn't a passing fad, but I could really do with some advice on how to manage being in an environment other than home and work where I'll be around food (that I have no control over how it's cooked etc).

Thanks!

I had all the 'advice' from my friends when I was on the Cambridge and when I came off it and rapidly regained all the weight they couldn't wait to say 'I told you so!' It's human nature I'm afraid.
I told everyone in advance that I had made a mistake and yes, they were quite right, but THIS time I was having a really healthy diet. Yes, I was, as they thought, 'starving' myself for 2 meals, but I was eating healthily in the evening and I went to great lengths to point out, that I was mixing my shakes with milk, not water.
I've also told them that at long last, I seem to have found the perfect balance between unrealistic 'starvation' diets and healthy eating.
I try not to go out and meet the girls for coffee etc, but when I do I intend to practice 'damage limitation' I'll have a coffee and as low a calorie a snack as I can. If I fall by the wayside, it's not the end of the world is it? I can soon get a small gain off.
Try not to set yourself unrealistic targets, accept that you are human and will, now and again, cheat. The important thing is to not lose heart and fall off the wagon.

Hi Serem,
Socialising is a part of life and no-one should hide away because of a diet. I think the key is to make the best choices with the options available.

If you are going out for coffee try not to have a cake. See if they have fruit you can have instead. Or if you do want a cake try to choose the healthiest option.

If you are going on a night out, drink spirits with diet mixers as these are best calorie wise. Alternate 1 alcoholic with 1 non-alcohol drink if you can. Also try to dance as it will be burning off some of those calories.

When it comes to meals, I try to choose lean meat with veg, salad, even jacket potato. I try to avoid anything with pastry/batter, creamy sauces or too much carbs.

Don't forget you do have a snacks allowance which you can use when you socialise. Plus if you exercise you will burn off calories to try to even out and blips. If you want that slice of cheesecake or chocolate bar then have it! Then take it out of your snacks allowance or burn it off with some exercise. Depriving yourself will make you lose motivation. An extra 200 cal once a week is not going to make a huge amount of difference when 1lb is equal to 3500 calories. Don't beat yourself up about it and get back to being as good as you can as soon as you can.

Most of all don't listen to other people if they are being negative. People who really care will support you with your decisions even if they think it won't work. Prove them wrong. Thats the best motivation you can have!

Good luck
BL x

Thanks for the advice BL and BW - I know you're both right about the odd mishap. I just wish people could be happy for those who are trying to do something to become healthier and fitter, and keep their negativity to themselves!

I tried Cambridge for a week and I just couldn't cope with not eating anything. I admire the people who have the willpower to stick to something which was so difficult for me, but I do find SlimFast a lot more flexible and I guess I'll just need to try and plan ahead a bit, like you said, I can use my snack allowance etc. I've started going to an aquafit class too so I'll just have to work extra hard if I do have something I probably shouldn't!

Seeing how well everyone is doing is a real motivater too. I think when people try to be 'helpful' I'll just come on the forum to cheer myself up!
x

Yep this is the best place for support and motivation. When I done Slimfast I would just cut out a couple of the snacks on the day before and day after going out for dinner or whatever the occasion was. Be realistic and make the diet live with you, don't live with the diet x

I knew how many calories I was taking in in a day (1500). So if someone was coming up where I would have to eat, and I could work out the calories I would simply deduct that from my 1500 and whatever was left have on shakes etc.

That does make sense and also raises an interesting point puggso (btw, so impressed with how you are doing!). I went out for a birthday meal to a restaurant, and although I tried to pick what I considered to be the healthiest option on the menu there was no real nutritional information anywhere to be found, apart from the 'may contain nuts' disclaimers. So I had to guess at roughly how many calories the meal was. The restaurant in question was a chain so I looked on their website to see if they had any calorie info for their dishes etc and there was nothing, so I emailed them to ask if they could provide the information - I'm thinking if McDonalds can do it so should everyone else! Anyway, I received a standard reply saying they don't have that information available yet, but will be working to publish it as soon as possible. Honestly, how hard can it be?

The below website has been suggested to me by a friend and I fully intend to use it next time I know I'm going out for a meal or something:
Calorie Counter Database - Free Online Diet Program

I love Subway and was really impressed that I could still go there on Slimfast. They print the calorie content on their napkins.

Like Puggso if I went over my calories for a day I would not have one or both of the replacements