Come Dine With Me…..

As the festive time is fast approaching and you may be facing an avalanche of invitations to come along and eat, drink and be merry as it’s Christmas! Whilst the thought is ooh how lovely, for some it just conjures up a weight gain nightmare.

Stop for a minute…Would you cope better or worse if I was at your table? Who would feel more in control because I was there? It shouldn’t make any difference, I’m on my journey and you’re on yours’. It shouldn’t have any impact on your choices or decisions you should be doing this for YOU.

For some people, eating socially can be a tricky hurdle – whether it’s a meal out in a restaurant, at a friend’s or even a takeaway, life’s too short to not enjoy these occasions so knowing how you can stay in control is crucial

So what are some of the key challenges you face when eating socially that can leave you feeling out of control? Alcohol, bread, high caloried choices, Portions…”Don’t go out that often so feel I should be able to have just what I want” Pressure from others… etc….

These are common challenges that arise when eating out with others and Christmas seems to have an overload!!

Is it possible to eat out socially and still get a weight loss? Of course, it’s all about tactics and strategies! The most important aspect of choosing is that it’s for the right reasons – YOURS!

Imagine you have a Christmas meal coming up – you’re going out for a 3 course meal. Who will be there – perhaps a colleague who always encourages everyone to eat desserts, a friend who always likes to keep people’s glasses topped with wine.

I’m sure this sounds familiar.

The most important thing to remember is you have chosen to begin this journey, if you choose not to make wise choices that’s your decision. It’s often when we are coerced by other people, we feel undermined. If you DO choose to ‘have it all’ remember it’s just 1 meal out of your week there are 20 others, by remembering why you began your journey and how important it is to you, minimize the next few days of food, make low calorie, healthy choices and be more active and you will feel back in the driving seat and in control.

If you were faced with this situation, consider what you could or would do to stay in control. It could be catch – up over the remainder of the week, or basic choices in the days leading up to it.

Check out restaurant’s website (all have nutritional information on including calories) so you can preview the menu in advance and be prepared! Have a strategy and of course, consider the benefits…No shopping for it, No preparing it, No cooking it, No washing up, and definitely no leftovers to tempt!!!

Maybe decide to have Either a starter OR a dessert

Take time to explain to your ‘other half’ how important your weight loss is to you so that your wine glass DOESN’T get filled up too many times!

Drive – No – one will pressure you to drink and drive, and antibiotics always works when you don’t want to explain why you’re not having a tipple.

These tools and tactics can be used in other eating out situations such as coffee shops etc… What’s useful is planning ahead and at times when this isn’t possible being armed with tactics that allow you to remain in control in the moment.

This is your journey, you may decide to take time out over Christmas, let go of the reins and indulge. Be mindful of how you may feel going forward into a brand New Year, a New Year is a new start, but the aftereffects of Christmas do go with you!

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it

charles r. swindoll