chryssm's Journal, 06 February 2014

I think you handled it very well! Eating out or socially is a challenge for me as well....good job! 

Id look at it as a cheat day. Everyone deserves one day of something special. You or anyone can't live on just eating healthy ALL the time.. one day isn't going to hurt.. I think you did good. Don't isolate yourself because your afraid your going to eat something bad..  

You did a great job, I know it is very hard. I think you also could of gone with a all vegetable pizza, I am sure they would of made it for you. I have found out that if you ask them to do something and it is not on the menu that a lot of the times they will do it. It is hard to go out with friends, however you need to do it, small baby steps at first. Keep up the great work. 

I think you did a great job! :) 

You did great! You made the best choice you could and it is better than starving yourself and then diving into a bowl full of heaven knows what. So you should be patting yourself on the back for being aware nad making choices. You showed yourself you are FINE in social situations where food is involved! Good job!!! 

Thanks everyone ... Its getting easier to make better choices.  

I'm so glad you asked this, as it's been one of my biggest challenges. Here's how I've battled it. First, I like to share with my friends that I've made a lifestyle change and ask them for their support. This may mean choosing somewhere different to go at times, like a Souplantation or somewhere with more seafood or low calorie entrees to choose from. Next, at your Italian restaurant, you can usually find a Chicken Caesar salad. Because these are tossed in dressing, the calorie count is between 400-700 calories, max. You won't mess up too badly with this choice, and you might even be able to take half home and eat the rest in a few hours before it gets too soggy. Finally, you said it yourself: you're a social person. You're there to socialize and the food is really just an excuse to get together. I'm a lot like you! So I think about how quickly the food is eaten and forgotten and how those calories would have been wasted if I had indulged in something bad. The idea is to get together with friends and enjoy their company; the food is the excuse; the food is ancillary. I get something to do the job, but not for the event to be ABOUT. The event is about the fun and the friendship. When I keep my focus on that, the food carries less importance. And when I follow step One, my friends are on my side and rooting for me. I hope that my experiences can help you with your commitment. I'm proud of you that you have made this choice and stuck with it, even when it's challenging. Keep up the great work! 

You're fine! It can still be your favorite restaurant. You can still eat everything on the menu. Just remember to keep track of what you eat and make up for it. I LOVE food and I love to cook and my family is always asking me to cook their favorites. Most of what I love to eat is not healthy so the rule is, "Everything in moderation." Where I fall down is when I stop tracking what I eat and what I burn. I stopped keeping score and gained a bunch of weight as a result. FatSecret is great for keeping score. If I pay attention (as you are), I do well. If I have the bacon cheeseburger and a couple pints of good beer, they go on the score sheet. I know I have to either cut back on what I eat the rest of the week or exercise enough to 'balance the books'. (Usually both...)  

Thanks for the kind words Mrsmole ... I am sure alot of us struggle with this issue. When I plan a meal with friends its much easier to choice a better restuarant that has better choices. Part of my problem is that I live in a tiny little town that has about as many pizza shops as it does streets. A couple of little diners but we really dont have any decent restaurants. Most of my friends are very aware that I have made this choice and are supportive. My best friend actually just had gastric bypass surgery last month, we actually hung out one day and sipped on protein smoothies while watching a chick flick movie... She was still on her liquid based post surgical diet and was worried that she couldnt hang with friends and handle them eating. I would be the last one to want to hinder her efforts , so we made smoothies and it was fun. The choices are getting easier all the time ... I used to be the first one to sabotage my own efforts by using social times as an excuse to mess up. Now I have an even stronger voice in my head reminding me that I want this , I want health , more than I want that one bad meal ( that will end up spinning out of control) . This time I am going to achieve my goal , no matter how long it takes. 

You'll find over time that you've got friends that totally support you and help you to make good choices, and friends with whom you just have to do the best you can. Enjoy all of your friends, just make sure you do the best you can with what you've got, and make sure you write it down! 

Thanks postman ... I love to cook too ... I love cooking for my family and friends. I grew up in a big italian family where food was love. the more the better. And none of it healthy. The weekend arrives and I dont know what to do if I cant cook a big meal , its just what I do. Lately, I have just been cooking different. I am enjoying learning to cook new and healthier things. I am learning that I actually really like some things that I never thought I would eat. Last weekend I was craving fish ( and I usually dont even eat fish ) ... I made broiled cod , it was healthy and my whole family loved it. I do agree with you that there will be days that I will just need to eat that one thing I love and compensate for it with exercise and eating less other times. But learning to make healthier choices for the long run is my goal. 

Ooooh I am not sure how on easrth to handle an impromptu invite out!! Dining out can be relatively easy though....the secret to it is PLANNING! I research the menu online before (most places put calories on there now) so I can get to the restaurant and not have to look at the menu and be tempted by delicious creamy treats!.  

I agree the out of the blue invites and no preplanning is hard. Pre planning is always the best route! Wednesday was my mom's birthday and I took her to her favorite place (Red Lobster), I knew if I didn't preplan the old me would kick in and I would be ordering the alfado and buttery stuff! So I looked everything and decided what I wanted before hand!  

I think you made excellent choices at the restaurant. I'm a pasta freak so facing what you did would be my worst nightmare right now. Three cheers for you!! 

You did really well. I can't say no to a pasta, so I would have gone for a pasta but would have made sure the sauce was healthy - no cream, probably a basic Napoletana, or something with veg. And then headed out for a good walk or workout in the morning, and started the day fresh. Yesterday was yesterday.  

The only problem with the concept of cheat days or one overindulgence is that if you were looking to remain in ketosis this will punt you right out of it - and it will become more difficult to slip back into it. For some this means going right back to a restrictive induction. I can say this from experience when I was doing strict Atkins. I agree with the posts about preplanning - if possible I always peruse the menu before I get there, I feel a lot more confident when I have a plan that will help keep me within my boundaries. You can almost never go wrong with a chicken caesar salad, which most Italian places will carry - unless the dressing is loaded with sugar. Another option that works even better for me is an antipasto plate. Higher in calories but will fill you up, you can pick at it for a long time and the carb count is low. Pizza is my Achilles heel, if I'm out with the kids sometimes I will get a slice, take a fork and just work oh the cheese and sauce. It's not the same but it has the pizza taste. Preplanning will help immensely, so will offering choices of destination if you get that opportunity. Ruby Tuesday's as a chain offers a great selection of sides if you're eating low carb. Fortunately most restaurants have something you can do that's pretty "standard," shrimp cocktail, scallops with bacon, salads, even french onion soup. I think you did a great job. Be social, choose smart, don't kick yourself too much if you don't. Keep up the good work. :) 

So what. Get right back on track and think nothing of it. I allow myself two pieces of my favorite pizza at least once a month. I'm losing slowly, but down 15 since July and keeping it off.