Aagh - new job food panic

[whatsnewpussycat]

I'm looking for some advice from the 'holier than thou' group - of which I'm currently a member (I remained abstinent for the whole of Foundation and am continuing my abstinence in Development), but about to be on shaky ground.

I start a new job in 2 weeks time, and have just found out that I have to fly to Atlanta for a sales conference for the week. Now these sales conferences are really an excuse for the sales and pre-sales guys to have a 'jolly' - a lot of them don't see each other from year to year as they're goegraphically spread across the globe - and a lot of the week is about socialising and networking and revolves around food and drink.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem for me, I'd just take my packs and get on with it. If I'd been working for my old company I'd have just avoided the sit down dinners (no need to socialise with people I don't really care about!) and I'd have had my nut bar at buffet dinners. However, my new boss has organised a dinner one evening for me to meet my new team, and there will be a number of other formal dinners (I think there will be 3) where it will be a bit odd if I don't show up. And I don't really fancy sitting around a table with a bunch of strangers (who could easily be the CEO or executive team) trying to explain why I'm not eating. Breakfast and lunch shouldnt be a problem at all - it's the dinners I'm worried about.

I've spoken to my counsellor about it and she suggests that for these dinners I follow the RtM plan - ie. have 3 packs during the day and have protein and green veg for dinner. But if there is any way I can avoid this, I want to (for example if its a buffet dinner then I'll just not eat and have my 4th shake later in my room).

Do you guys have any advice for me? What would you do?
I'm really worried that if I start eating - without being at goal or ready for RtM - I'll have problems getting back on track, especially having read Mrs Lard and Cerulean's recent posts. I know that some people have no trouble having a planned lapse and getting back on track, but how do I get in that mindset? Or does anyone have any tips on how I can go to these dinners and not eat?

Any help greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[whatsnewpussycat]

PS - sorry this a bit of a long thread. Hopefully you won't fall asleep before you get to the end!

 

[dietingqueen]

WOW.... Lucky you... I think you seem very focused, I agree with your cdc and would recomend you have packs and jus protein with a little salad for the evening meal.... Must be really awful when your with strangers and having to explain this diet! I think if you have the attitude that you will only have this meal if it is neccasary i think you will quickly go back to SS... and a small amount of protein and green salad wont knock you out of ketosis!

 

[whatsnewpussycat]

Thanks Dieting Queen. You're right of course. A little protein and some salad won't knock me out of ketosis (assuming I don't cover the salad with mayonnaise!) and I've got this far, and I'm totally focussed on my goal, so with the right mindset I should be able to get right back on track. I'm probably just panicking about nothing - but as I'm getting closer to maintenance I'm beginning to really stress about eating food again.

 

[iceycold]

If you go determined to get back on track as soon as you return hopefully you should be OK. Remember just because the protein and greenery are on your plate, it doesn't mean you have to eat it all, pick at it, push it around, move to edge of plate, hide it all under a lettuce leaf, and put your knife and fork down. Or should I just say fork as it is America. The size of their portions every one will be leaving something on their plates I should imagine, so if you start off with a small/smaller portion, and push it around you can probably leave most of it.

Just go absolutely determined to be back on the packs the day you return. Keep that in mind all the time you are there, and do your best to hate all the food and resent having to eat it while you are there.

Despite all that I hope you have an enjoyable time, with your new team and colleagues.

 

[scotwannabethin]

Whatsnewpussycat,
I have been on LL for over 14 weeks and I still have a long way to go to get near target but I made a concious decision to go to a company dinner dance and eat. I know, not part of the commitment I signed up to.
I had some protein and a green salad and went straight back onto the packs the following day and have remained abstinent since. I guess my thinking was that it was easier to eat a little, and it was just a little (it's amazing that folk don't notice what you are doing with the food on your plate whilst they are eating theirs, you can easily push it around and no one notices!!) and that I saw it as a treat of sorts. I know, we shouldn't treat ourselves with food cos that's what got us here in the first place, but my mindset was that it was a one off and that to continue my journey I knew what I had to do the following day.
I guess that I am slowly coming to terms with my own personal demons wrt food and where I may have gone wrong for all those years and I am not ready to give up the journey until I am at goal and have a better relationship with food. I have no doubt in my mind that I will always have to think about what I am putting into my mouth and that it will never come as second nature and I guess that is a sobering thought but one that I think I can live with.
I had a clear picture in my mind as to what I was going to eat and how much that night and I stuck to that and wasn't tempted by all the other things on offer at the dinner and I think that it was very important to me to be prepared. Other wise my eyes would have been too big for my belly as they say and I would have gone overboard.!
I think that your councellor is right about doing it as though you were in rtm and that you just have to look at the long term goals you have set for yourself and remember when you feel like taking the eating further than you agreed with yourself what it will do to that goal. How much do you want the goal? Would you look back and wish that you hadn't had that extra xxxxxx?
I kept the adult voice in my head at all times that night and that really helped me through and no one commented on how little I ate, which surprised me.
I don't know if that will help you in any way but it is just my take on how I dealt with the situation.

Good luck and network, network, network!!!

 

[whatsnewpussycat]

iceycold and scotwannabethin - thank you so much for your replies. You're right - i don't have to load up my plate and I don't have to eat everything on it. Stick to the plan - protein (fish or white meat) + green veg / salad - and don't deviate from that.

scotwannabethin - you will get to goal I have no doubt. You sound very focussed. For every day that you stick to the plan, you'll be closer to that goal. It's got to be worth it hasn't it.

Night night guys. x