I went to a pot luck today and I manage to stay within my calorie limit. Of course it is very hard to say how many calories I really had due to the home made foods. But the meats were name brands so those were easy to calculate.
I brought Caesar salad with light dressing for the folks that are watching their diets (regular Caesar for the ones that weren't) and fruit salad to the pot luck so I could have something to eat.
When making my plate I was choosy about the things I got. I was especially choosy of the things I knew were going to be high in calories, I only got just enough of it to have a bite or two. I even went back for seconds on a couple of things and I was completely fine with it. Like I said I had to estimate so I added an extra 300 calories for the "just in case it had more calories than I thought" calories.
So basically I loaded up on the salad I brought and was picky about the other stuff, and I had fruit for dessert while everyone else had brownies, pie and cake.
The thing that was different this time that was not different all the other times at the pot luck (or even buffets) is I felt no pressure. I didn't look at the spread of food like it was overwhelming and scary. I also didn't go in there starving and ready to eat everything in sight.
It pays to have a plan of action. My plan today was to eat very light for breakfast and lunch so I could eat some of the goodies for dinner that I wouldn't ordinarily get to have. It was so nice to eat something and not feel guilty about it. Although I still feel some guilt but I think that it is ingrained in me from all the years of not being able to have this and that. But I kept reminding myself that it was OK.
I also exercised more today than I usually would to burn any extra calories that might sabotage this thing for me.
All I can say is I had a great day and My day was not spent worrying about food and what I was going to eat at my next meal. But instead I could focus on the important things, like fishing with my daughter and her little friend. Talking to people I have not seen in a while. Playing with our little puppy and watching other people as well as myself and my family have a wonderful time.
Pot Lucks and Being Good
great job! Planning makes a world of difference. I also try to take along something I know the calories for to make sure I have something healthy to eat, but then I'll try little bites of other things that look interesting (and healthy). Usually the desserts are at a different table for our church potlucks so I don't have to even look and be tempted, but last time, they sabotaged me and put trays of the desserts on the dinner tables-aaaaack! I just sat at the opposite end and fortunately, now I get full so quickly, I didn't even want any of their "treats"! 
