"Anybody got any good holiday party survival strategies short of standing around with a glass of water and my tupperware of mixed nuts?"
So today's question. How do I survive holiday parties without looking like a crazy person? What you guys/gals got?
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Today was pretty rough for me. I had a Cafe Mocha at noon...
ReplyDeleteThen 930 had some beef with mixed veggies. Busy day. Chose sleep this morning over eat.
More unintentional intermittent fasting.
If it's a dinner at someone's house, I try to bring something for everyone to eat that will fill me up and keep me happy, like a robust salad, which can almost function as an entree.
ReplyDeleteIf it's drinks/appetizers/munchies (any location), I now make certain that I have a good meal beforehand and then I will just have a drink and a couple small munchies. I used to go to these muchie events/cocktail parties expecting to make a dinner out of appetizers/snacks and found there is usually not enough filling food (leaving me hungry) or too much food that is terribly unhealthy, so eat beforehand.
If it is a holiday event at a restaurant, I just try to pace. Pick at the appetizers, have some of soup/salad but remember to save room for the entree. If the dessert is big, I mainly try to eat some reasonable portion of it and not eat all of it! If possible, find out what is being served in advance, so you know to what to load up on and what to hold back on throughout the meal.
It also helps me to "size-up" the food at these events and when there is free food at work. Is that brownie really awesome, or is it just another Duncan Hines brownie mix? I almost play a game in trying to find the food that I will actually say is "worth the calories" versus food that is merely conveniently sitting there and free.
For holidays and time that we have meals with family, I try to eat right before, that's the only thing that gets me by. If i'm hungry, I'm weak. I have a hard time saying "I should not eat that!"
ReplyDeleteI also try to eat right before. I've also noticed if I drink water or chew gum throughout the night I tend to pick at food less.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately my work tends to throw all kinds of sweets at its employees during the month of December. This may sound bad, however it works!:) I immediately throw it in the trash. Out of site, out of mind :)
This also works with leftovers and food at home. Randy hates me for this, but if there is icecream in the fridge, I have no self-control. Thus, I throw it in the trash as a way to keep myself from eating it.
Agreed on the garbage can solution. It's going to waste anyway, even if you eat it, so throw it out (or feed it to the kids, it's all they eat anyway). As for holiday parties, tell everyone you're a violent drunk and they won't let you near the bar.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that might impact your career prospects, but that's not within the scope of this blog.
---beery
Excellent suggestions. I can resist the food, mostly. Alcohol is harder.
ReplyDeleteDay 8 - poor planning and rushed morning meant no breakfast; I wasn't super hungry but I know I needed to have eaten something.
8:30am (post-wod) coffee
12:15pm banana, mixed nuts
1:45pm fried chicken breast (pulled the skin off), big salad with tomatoes & cukes
4:30pm orange, nuts, coffee
7:45pm grilled pork chop
Rudy I juist read up on your recent eating habits. Gross. Gaining weight doesn't even sound fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for ruining cheats for me.
It's unfair how much easier it is to gain weight than to lose weight. 6 lbs in 2 days?!? I am happy to lose 2 lbs in a week.
Alison, great tip on the gum. A. Craven, my only tip on the drinks is to try and pick the drinks that are the least damaging - both in terms of calories/serving and also the ones that you can most readily stop after just one or two. Another tip I have heard is to drink a glass of water after each drink. (I think this is to prevent dehydration, but I think it would work for this, too.)
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