Family Meal out panic! (f**d mentioned)

[loula]

Hello,

It's my granddad's 90th in 2 weeks' time and me and my 2-y-o are going up to Manchester for a big family meal to celebrate. I will be 5 weeks in to the diet and am already panicking about how to manage this. Me and Sophie (daughter) will be staying with my cousin, who is a nurse herself so hopefully won't think I'm too strange or give me the 'unsafe' lecture, so I plan on taking my blender with me and having the packs. It's the big meal out that worries me. There will be about 20 of us going and the whole family are big eaters (hence why we are all fat!!).

I would welcome any tips about how to pretend I'm eating? I thought I could order something and then shovel half of it onto Sophie's plate and mash the rest around?

I don't think I can deal with the whole of the meal being centred around why I'm not eating, and all the questions. So I'd rather not announce it!

I feel confident that I won't be tempted to eat what's on my plate. Will try and order something I do't like!

How have other people handled these situations?

Loula x x x

 

[ApplySomePressure]

Do you know what? People aren't as focused on what we are eating as we expect them to be! I had a few things in my first couple of weeks but the main one was a family meal at home. I filled a plate with plenty of broccoli, a bit of chicken, a potato and mostly picked at the broccoli. My brother was more than happy to finish what was left on my plate and everyone had been talking and enjoying their own meals and not looking at what I was eating! The best thing to order is grilled chicken and veg and if you have to pick at it you won't do too much damage. And if your family are big eaters they'll be happy to clear your plate for you!

 

[Blonde Logic]

Telling people you have a very bad toothache, and are only eating very light meals, order something very small, and push it around the plate all night - no one will notice.

Good luck! It can be done.
x

 

[loula]

That's really good advice Pressure, thanks. Perhaps I'll go for a roast or something and offload half of it to Sophie's plate, then if I do end up picking will meat and veg be OK? I don't want to throw myself out of ketosis after getting so far!

 

[loula]

Hi BL - think we must have posted at the same time! Toothache sounds like a good idea. xx

 

[ApplySomePressure]

If you stick to roast chicken or something and avoid carbs then it won't kick you out of ketosis. Try not to worry too much about it, if your cousin knows about the diet sit next to her and discreetly move some of the food over to her plate! Enjoy seeing all the family.

 

[loula]

Another good idea to sit next to my cousin!
Think I have got my action plan together now - thanks both of you
I would just so hate to undo all my hard work and I am worried that if I decide to eat 'just for that meal' it will end in a week-long binge. Gonna seat myself in between daughter and cousin and share with them, mash rest of the food on plate, and tell everyone I've got a toothache. Genius! xx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Thing is, it's an abstainanace diet. The whole point being removing ourselves from food and learning to deal and cope with situations without food, which strengthens to long term results.

Even eating food that won't take you out of ketosis is a bad idea, in my humblest opinion. It defeats the entire principal of a diet and couseling which we pay a pretty penny for.

Most lapses, planned or otherwise end up in a struggle getting back on. Just look at the stories on this site. It RARELY is as easy for anyone as they think it will be. I can't speak from experience because I never lapsed, in 38 weeks.

So while Pressure's intent is good, I feel strongly it is not the best way forward.

My 2p worth.

xx

 

[Blonde Logic]

Another good idea to sit next to my cousin!
Think I have got my action plan together now - thanks both of you
I would just so hate to undo all my hard work and I am worried that if I decide to eat 'just for that meal' it will end in a week-long binge. Gonna seat myself in between daughter and cousin and share with them, mash rest of the food on plate, and tell everyone I've got a toothache. Genius! xx

Good plan!

x

 

[daisydoll]

hi there
i consider myself an expert now having sat through numerous meals/parties/conference dinners etc!

no one takes any notice at all of what you eat! just shuffle it round, put food on your fork - get your partner to 'try' your food giving him at least half of it, dish it out to your kids
'
if there are paper serviettes put one on top when you have 'finished' with a big 'oh i'm stuffed, can't possibly eat anymore' type sentence (by which time you have hidden what you have left anyway)

i treat it as a game now - well got to have something to keep me amused while everyone else is stuffing their faces - and its amazing how much some people do eat!

you will be fine, honest - and you can always go back to toothache if someone does say anything

daisy x

 

[Poppysparkle]

The meals I went out for, no one gives two hoots about me after the initial five minutes of interest. I just looked like I was having a great time and had a bottle of mineral water in front of me.

Daisy, I love your stories about how you disguise the fact that you are not eating! It would stress me out though - I'm a rubbish liar!

If I really didn't want to tell people, which has honestly never bothered me and I've had no problems, I'd say I was getting over a stomach bug and I wasn't going to eat as it might kick it all off, and I'd join in with a black coffee and water. Nothing would have made me eat on abstinence, as I've seen how much people have struggle with that on here and in my group.

Good luck and hope you have a lovely time

 

[lemma1968]

Make sure you order something you really dislike so that you are not tempted to pick at it.

Thats what i did when i was on Foundation. I ordered squid at a seafood restaurant - i HATE squid. I kept moving it around the plate so it did not look like i was not touching it.

 

[tictac]

A friend of mine took her soup along to the restaurant and explained she was on a diet and asked them to prepare it for her. It took some bottle - and not sure I would have been able to do so - but they were fine about it. Think she rang them beforehand and explained the situation first. Think most places are really understanding especially if they realise you are on abstinence.

 

[daisydoll]

i did get one place to make my soup up - but it wasn't worth the hassle.

its much more fun pretending!

daisy x

 

[loula]

That's another good idea Daisy to use the serviette as a shield!

BL - totally accept your point, and I fully intend to remain abstinent as don't want ANYTHING (let alone a dinner in a crap restaurant) ruin my good work.

I think I've got enough ideas now to feel confident in managing the night out, and will let everyone know how I got on!

Loula xx