How do you handle being in situations when you have no food selection. My son had an award banquet last night. It was catered with only one selection of food. I didn't want to take my meal with me as that would embarrass my son. I hate to get a plate of food and just pick at it and then throw it away as that is wasteful.

How do you handle being in situations where you are "stuck" with the food put before you.

I'm doing very low carb so I've just had to learn to be a pushy broad about it. In most restaurants and pre-prepared meal or party situations, I simply can't eat what everyone else is having and I refuse to go off-plan just because staying on-plan is inconvenient. I know some folks can do portion control or count calories to balance it out; I can't. So I just suck it up and bring food with me. Honestly it's never become an issue...I think it's more us being embarrassed than anyone really thinking anything of it. You're living a healthier lifestyle ~ be proud!

Use you may eat the food so you aren't being wasteful, but in the long run it will still be waistful. Sorry, my health and body are more important to me. Depending on what it was, I'd eat what I could and waste the rest or I'd eat before I go and not take a meal - food allergies are a good excuse.

Well, I'd change how I viewed the food and how I felt about being wasteful. You weren't given a choice on the menu. And the plate was brought to you, so that choice was taken out of your hands as well. But you had the choice about eating it or not. If you chose to eat a little or a lot, that's all you're responsible for, to yourself only.

You are not responsible in any way, to anyone, for what is done with it when the plate is taken away. That's entirely someone else's responsibility. Just enjoy your time with your son, in the moment.

Georgia

I try to be very picky about what I eat. If they have good choices then I load my plate with those good choices. If not then I just pick through it and end up throwing away a plate of food. I'd rather throw it away than have it hanging about on my hips, which is where it would eventually end up.

I agree with all of the above. And my view on waste? Waste the food or waste another meal/day you could have been on plan and true to yourself. Not a real difficult choice, is it?

If it's a buffet, I'm not ashamed to just select very little.

I'm going to dinner with the army next week (woohoo) and I think it's silver service at the table - choice of eat or not eat. I'm happy to say no to veggies if they're swimming in butter, I don't eat the roll on the sideplate, I'm happy not to eat dessert and to drink water. It can all be done with a smile and without drawing attention to oneself by moping about it! (Sorry, didn't mean to imply that anyone here did mope loudly about it but boy, do I have a friend that does!\0

I eat before I go. No need to eat or waste food I don't want.

Oh, yes; A month from now I am attending an anniversary party where the restaurant's sit-down dinner choice will likely be meat lasagna or vegetarian lasagna.

I'll just eat a couple modest inches of it. It's inevitable that the plate (more than my daily calories) will be huge and thus it will still look like I ate none of it -- but this makes it easier in a way. I'm not going to make a worthy dent, so why bother? Also inevitably, there is at least one in-law who will make a big deal about whether or not I like it, etc. I'll surely end up sweetly conceding that I must still be getting over that mysterious thing I had the week before ...

Sad that I'll lie to excuse 'only' eating say, 2 servings of heavily-sauced/cheese'd pasta. But it's just easier and any resulting fuss is better
(and more short-lived) than diet-related fuss.

Depends on the situation. I was with family after a funeral service this weekend, and the food ordered was pizza and wings. I ate moderate amounts of pizza and wings...at that point, the calories were less important than the group bonding experience honoring the relative who'd passed away. Likewise, my company does it's annual party, always, at an Italian restaurant, and the food is always the same - chicken parm, fettucini alfredo, and fried mozzarella play big roles. Bringing my own food would be damaging career-wise, so I load up on the healthier choices (tons of salad, green beans, veggies from the crudite) and take small amounts of one of the higher-cal entrees.

At events that aren't so emotionally or strategically loaded, I either eat only the healthy options on the plate and get something healthy on my own later, or eat before the event.

Well, honestly I've not yet managed how to work with these so I'm just posting my support and understanding.
I hate when I'm in a situation that requires me to eat what I am given and not follow my diet, I get told things like 'hey, it's just one day!'. Yes, it's just one day, but I don't want to cheat it, if I wanted it'd be ok, but I don't want it!! Anyways, the only solution I have found is picking just what I want, I know it's a waste of food, but it's not good for me, then I don't eat it. Otherwise, if I can skip the event I just do it, but my social life didn't improve at all.

Honestly, I usually just go with it and try to do the best I can. I eat my veggies first, protein second (if it's a piece of meat... if it's mixed in a pasta it's harder), and then a few bites of the starch whether it be potato or pasta or bread.

It is possible to eat beforehand and then just pick at the food, especially if it's something you don't want or isn't very good. Don't feel bad for throwing away food! It's better than having it attach itself to your tummy/thighs/hips...

Also, with restaurants, the people you are dining with will not rest until they see you walk away with the food in a box. So readily agree, and then just throw it away or give it to a homeless person if you're in then city!

I realize I sound like a big coward. But I just do what I gotta do for my plan. It's never worth getting into it with relatives, who will never agree.

For that matter -- anyone else find that telling others you are eating healthily (or ugh, on a 'diet') is just disaster? I have not done that this time. My mom noticed at Christmas, and so I've acknowledged it to her in later conversations. But other than that, people knowing that I'm being "healthy" just means that they'll loudly expect to see me chow down 5-7+ servings of high caloric restaurant salad or Aunt Jean's broccoli casserole -- and be insulted when I don't. Why subject myself to opinions and expectations I strongly disagree with when I can quietly eat just one slice of Pizza Hut thin crust veggie pizza without anyone noticing, and stay On Plan. And the plan is what I care about ...

I would have to eat before I went and sit there without the food...if it's delivered to your table offer it to someone else

It's going to turn into to waste if you eat it or not & why work yourself more to over come something you ate just for the sake of not throwing it away?

Eat a sensible portion of the foods, concentrating on the healthier, more weight-loss-friendly items, and let the rest go. This is not the time to clean your plate over some idea of not being "wasteful."

It really does help to learn that you do not have to eat something just because someone put it on a plate and set it in front of you.

Jay