Trying to ‘blend in’ while on IP Phase 1
 

What do you do when you are on IP and trying to ‘blend in’ with others at parties/social events?

I am invited to a friend’s Christmas party this coming Saturday. I will have my IP dinner (i.e. shrimp and 2 cups veggies) before going to the party that night. I’m going to tell my friend that I am watching what I eat so that she will not feel insulted that I do not eat her food. However, I don’t want to be THAT person who does not drink or eat anything at the party. What should I do to at least try to blend in a little bit?

I was at a party last night, same situation. Drank water, when asked about the food said I had a late lunch and the food looks yummy. It was a mill about party so no one really noticed. I think a sit down dinner would be a different discussion or not go till after they eat.

It really depends on how close of friends they are if it is a seated dinner party. My close friends are fine with me scrutinizing the menu in advance or bringing what I need to bring. However, there are certainly instances where this is inappropriate.

I've been using the terminology, "medically supervised" eating plan when I have been politely refusing. It seems to hold more weight and is well accepted. I'm also careful to emphasize "temporary". Most people's curiosity is short-lived when they realize it is temporary. I'm less of an anomaly this way.

I made quite a stir at the party last nite with folks who haven't seen me in a few months. 45 lbs is a pretty big difference.

At a party or large gathering, I usually just say I had a big lunch/dinner (if anyone even asks) and carry a glass of sparkling water with lemon. I usually try to be ready to improvise if need be. For instance, today we were invited to brunch at a friend's. They know me well and understood that I'd be making my own omelet and providing my own ingredients. Well, I showed up with everything ready, and everyone else decided they would rather go out to brunch. Nothing on the menu at the restaurant really fit what I needed, so I asked them to just give me grilled Romaine with a couple ounces of chicken with little or no oil in grilling and no oil/vinegar/dressing on the salad. The waitress understood I was on a restricted diet and it worked perfectly. So many people these days have restricted diets due to food allergies or other issues (or are just picky), so no one blinks an eye.

I grew up in a household where you had to eat every morsel on your plate. It took me years to realize I'm under no obligation to eat something I don't want to just to make someone else happy. :)

I thought it would be a problem when I went to a party but it wasn't. As I looked around I found out I wasn't the only one not eating. Several of the skinny people nursed one glass of wine for the whole evening and never finished it. I figured out that going to parties will be different for me from now on. No one really cared whether I ate or not, I was the one who had been so focused on food before. A sit down dinner is another thing though

The 1st w/e I ws on IP, I went to a HUGE craft/food show. I bought a red pepper cheese cake and the woman asked me if I wanted a taste. I said, Oh no thank you, I am on Ideal Protein.
Here at work as Christmas approaches there are more and more goodies around. I stay away or say, not thank you.
It's so funny how other people are concerned with someone eats or drinks. GWIM??

Honestly, I don't try to blend in. I just go about my business, socialize, drink my water and leave it at that. If I know there will be food I can have, I eat what I can. If I know there won't or I'm not sure, I eat before I go and then just spend time with people. I've never really had anyone question me about it because we're too busy hanging out! I went to my 20th high school reunion the weekend of Thanksgiving, we were all much too busy talking and catching up to notice what anyone was eating or drinking.

We just went to our work Holiday party where they served Italian food.

We had salad and some peppers etc that were out for appetizers. Then we pulled out our snack bars and at those as dessert (they had giant cookies for dessert)

We drank only water but put a little crystal light in it, most thought we had pink wine! LOL

We had a few people ask us if we had eaten, we said yes what we could. If anyone questioned that (most know) we just said our diet didn't allow for some of the food.

We did plan on having some scrambled egg whites and egg before we went but ran out of time trying to get ready, we were surprised we weren't starving after!

That's awesome about the party! What fun! I bet you felt wonderful. I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve with my husband's extended family. They haven't seen me since July, and I hope to be down 40 lbs by then! :D

I have a friend who always tells me, "Don't stress about what other people think of you, cuz they're probably not thinking about you at all" lol

if the party is fun, no one will be watching you. I think we believe our small habits are more noticeable to others than they really are

I love that quote and I agree. I used to be very vain in the past thinking people always noticed me, what I wore, what I ate. Then when I first had to change my diet to go gluten free I made a big deal of what I could / couldn't eat. Truth is that people will show a mild passing interest if you say something to point out your dietary changes, but in reality most people won't even notice.

I was just talking about this very subject recently. I'm only 2 weeks into IP and people are wanting to go out for dinner to celebrate the holidays and then we have a mandatory lunch for work and its sit down catered. Hope they have salad with no dressing. I just don't like having to explain, especially to coworkers.