Last Sunday we went to my parent's house for a family dinner, the first social eating challenge of the holiday season. The four bears bounced around in the basement while the adults chatted in the kitchen with the appetizers: roasted kale, goat cheese with a splash of olive oil and shrimp.
My Mom loves serving appetizers and experimenting with new recipes. I love appetizers, but I find it is so easy to overeat on these bite-sized calorie-bombs that kills my appetite before dinner actually starts.
Going in, I knew I needed a plan. A plan specific to the occasion. I knew if I could get through appetizers I would be OK. So, I decided to bring my own appetizer, a simple salad.
The salad worked well; Mom wasn't offended that I brought a salad for an appetizer and I wasn't interested in the goat cheese and crackers. As a result, I enjoyed the dinner because I wasn't already full.
This Saturday we are going to an open house at a friend's house out in the country. The strategy for this occasion is to:
- eat dinner before the evening open house
- if I want to eat, focus on eating fruit and vegetables from the food table
- choose to eat up to two "hot" appetizers, eat mindfully, savor the taste
- choose to eat up to two baked goods, eat mindfully, savor the taste
- stay out of arms' reach from the food table
- visualize the evening; practice the above strategies
Despite my best efforts, the evening may not go as planned. If I eat more, well, I've eaten more. There is a lot of food around this time of year, so if I maintain a little longer, well, that is just how the cookie crumbles this time of year.
Please share with me your social eating strategies. What are your goals for December? Lose weight, maintain or to be a mindful eater?
Coming Soon: a post about processed food. What are your thoughts on processed food? Tell me what you think on facebook.
It's so important to have a plan before you get to these events and you followed yours perfectly. I love that!
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