Sticking to a diet

nyc artist

Hi all,

I am currently on a 30 day cleanse. I am finding it the most challenging when I'm in social situations. Dinner with friends, company coming over, etc. The other night I had company and offered to make some salmon (healthy and in line with my diet) and my guests told me they don't eat fish but love italian! LOL. So I ended up making (and eating) chicken parm and baked ziti. UGH.

How do you stick to your diet in social situations or at restaurants like Mexican, or Italian?

joleri23

I either plan ahead by looking at the menu online and strategizing, or I just cut my losses and eat what I feel like. The things about "diets" is that they have to be sustainable or you won't be able to keep up with it for long. I always remind myself that it's a marathon, not a sprint, and if I eat a hamburger, oh well!

housewifehobbyist

I use the myfitnesspal ap on my phone, and it has been really eye opening.  Diet, like much in life, is about balance.  You log all of your daily food/beverage intake and your exercise, and it keep track of not only calories consumed/burned, but nutrients as well.  It also really teaches you portion size and the amount of calories in a portion. 

If I know I am going to a great restaurant later in the day or week?  I make sure I eat extra clean/healthy the day before and after, and at the end of the week it all evens out.  "Dieting" isn't sustainable to me, but maintaining a healthy  IS, so that's what I strive for. 

meredith828

I follow the 21 day fix meal plan which incorporates eating out into the plan. I LOVE it!!

DZKathryn

I agree with @joleri23 and @housewifehobbyist.

It's important to maintain some freedom and balance in your life. You should be able to have a slice of cake on your birthday, a glass of wine on date night, pasta when you have guests over and the occasional hamburger. It's just about balancing out those choices with healthy choices the rest of the time.

I use MyFitnessPal too and love it. It is easy to log and track what I eat. It helps keep me responsible to myself for the choices I make. It's also helped me learn how to make healthy choices by really understanding what is in things so I can make a healthy choice and not end up with a 2,000 calorie salad.

Planning ahead works for me too. Checking out a restaurant's menu before I go helps me decide before I get there what I want to indulge in or even if I want to indulge. I've made healthier dinners when I have guests over too. For example, I've made pasta with less cheese and guests don't even notice. Also, I always try to have a side dish or salad I can fill my plate with so I feel like I'm eating as must as the other people at the table. I don't want to feel like I'm imposing my diet on my guests, but I like to give myself options to try to stay 'good' while they are over.

jen4med

Everything in moderation! My advice would be to eat before you go so you aren't famished and then you can order something off the menu and have a small portion and take the rest home! I've also heard of people ordering a to-go box right when they get their food so they keep what they want on their plate and put the rest away for later. I know it's hard sometimes but your co-workers should be understanding of your focus on health.

SarahBrown123

If I stuck in such situation then I try to have almost healthy food like salads, fruits and food that is less spicy and oily with lower calorie. And at night used to drink a cup of green tea which I got specially from







tea Australia.

dodkalm83

Awww... I would so pick salmon over Italian

Low-carb options tend to work better for me when dining out i.e. salads/no pasta. If I do get carbs, I go for the complex carbs like brown rice or wheat or something like that. It's been really really hard cutting simple carbs. I dream about pizza and pasta all the time

RedAppleJellyBean

Eating what I like while keeping portion in control has worked best for me. When I restrict myself of certain foods, or try to be too strict with my diet in general, it ends up backfiring on me. Nothing is off limits. I focus on how I feel, or would feel, after eating certain foods too. If I eat a lot of pasta, I feel bloated and sluggish... so I try to remember the after effects of eating poorly and most of the time it works.

doclago

Cleanses are such bullshit...it's all marketing. You need a plan that is simple.   www.kalicoaching.com      

You need to figure out what your caloric/macro needs are an follow accordingly.  Jay Kali of Kali person coaching has helped me to make things simple. When they are simple they are easy. Easy things become habits really fast so eating out becomes simple..../salads with grilled meat, sauce/dressing on the side/ (for me) no bread/potato....Jay can work with you to figure out what you need based on your needs and likes. ..

ShellyAvery

TBH, if it's a cleanse or something times I just avoid those situations because I know I don't have the willpower. It's easy to stick to my diet at home, but smelling a guilty pleasure will immediately throw me off the wagon.

jessikavel

Ohh, when I want to lose some weight, I drink protein in the mornings and evenings!

I tried many kinds of protein and choose out the best for me!

If I go to the restaurant with my friends, I put the food in the pots and take them with me.
Don't see any problems!

Do not forget to drink A LOT OF water;)

Erikan73

My husband just had gastric bypass so the big thing for us when going out is to look at the menu online before going to figure out if there are any options for him. If not, he'll eat at home & just go for the company. When you are cooking for friends, chicken is a pretty safe item, just find a recipe that allows you to bake it, serve steamed veggies with some seasoning on them & quinoa. If you are going to someone's home, nothing wrong with calling in advance to see what they are making. If it doesn't fit into your plan, just tell them "I'm sorry but what you are serving doesn't fit into my meal plan currently, would you mind if I eat before & just came to enjoy everyone's company?" This way you aren't asking them to change their menu, they can plan that there will be one less person eating there and that you still want to spend time with them.

DivaNYC1226

I've been following the 21Day Fix for over a year now and it's helped me lost 98lbs (85 of which was baby weight) and keep it off.  I love it because no matter what restaurant, or what's on the menu, I'm able to eat and enjoy. 

Make sure that you're "diet" is something that actually fits into your lifestyle.  I think that's the reason why so many dieters don't stick with it for too long.

Also, preparing yourself for the meals to come is a big help! When I first started this plan, I was so sure I was going to fall off at my first party.  I checked out the menu beforehand, made up my mind on what I was going to eat - including wine and the satisfaction of keeping myself in check was an amazing feeling!  

If you need any help or pointers - I'm happy to help!