I am back to calorie counting. I know this can work for me, but I also know that there are certain things that have been major down falls in the past, and I am trying to work them out this time.

One of them is eating away from home. When I am home, there are relatively good choices in front of me, I do ok with staying within my calorie range and recording what I eat.

Parties, eating out, and other events are my downfall. In the past, I have just not tracked my calories on those days, because it would be too hard to keep track of everything... but I know that if I am skipping several days a week of tracking, than this isn't going to work.

So, how do I make it work? I do ok with eating out, if I think about where we are going, and make a plan. Spontaneous things tend to catch me off guard. , and I don't do too well. And parties where everything is just sitting there get me every single time! I usually plan to come home and record what I ate, but honestly, I have no idea how much, or even what some of the stuff was that I ate.

I hope I can get this figured out, because this is a major thing that makes me fall off the wagon.

Before you go - eat lighter, but often during the day. Fill up on veggies and such before you go. Never attend on an empty stomach.
Strategies for the party:
1. Can you find out the menu ahead of time? Contact the host(ess) and determine what will be your best choice(s).
2. Start with a non-caloric drink and make the rounds. What options are there? What can you reasonably determine the calorie count of? What should you DEFINITELY avoid? Are there raw veggies, cheese and crackers, items which you have made before and know the calorie count of? Stick to familiar items and forego the rest.
3. Will a meal be served? If so - forget the appetizers all together - concentrate on your non-caloric drink and socialize instead.
4. Record everything you can remember when you get home. Even if you have to look things up later, get it on paper/computer so you don't forget.

Since I started losing weight in June I save going out to restaurants and eating out for my "free days" which I take every 2 weeks and eat anything I want and go back to normal the next day.

I know that a lot of people go to parties, special occasions and eat out more frequently than I do, etc. , so the solution: calorie cycling. Where you eat less one day, more the next; repeat. I've been doing this for 6 months now and I've lost nearly 60lbs. Down to 261-263lbs from 319lbs.

My calories:

Sun: 1800
Mon: 2000
Tue: 1400
Wed: 2800
Thu: 1200
Fri: 1500
Sat: 2100

Averaging 1829 calories in a 7 day period. What you eat at once meal or in one day doesn't matter nearly as much as what you eat over a week. It all balances out.

That's also why I don't pay much attention to my weight fluctuations on a day to day or week to week basis. I look at the month as a whole and I've always been 6 to 15lbs less than the previous 30 days when I look at the month. Some weeks I go up 3lbs or so, (like this week) but it always comes back down and then I drop another pound or 2.

I plan to stay on my calorie cycling and lifestyle for the rest of my life. I think that people should eat at or close to their target maintenance calories and eventually they will arrive there.

I also believe that calorie cycling mimics real life and allows room for REAL life things. For this to be a way of life, it HAS to be something that you can keep up with for the rest of your life. For the first time ever I am on a diet that I can keep up with; I love it!

Personally, I love trying new foods, so sticking with the familiar at a party would be disappointing to me. I think the key is to be HONEST with yourself. Maybe you forget what you want to forget, or maybe you eat too much to remember everything? So eat less, and eat mindfully, when you attend an event. If it's worth trying, it's worth enjoying and remembering.

This probably won't be the last party of your life, so there's no need to eat everything that's offered. Be selective. Even if I've never seen a food item before, I can see if it's creamy, cheesy, oily, or otherwise high fat and high calorie. Avoid these, or have a VERY SMALL taste.

And like the others said - don't use up calories on beverages, don't fill up on appies AND eat a full dinner.

Last thing - I don't enjoy feeling bloated and gross at parties. When I eat less, I feel better in my clothes, more attractive, and more social! Nice trade-off, right?

j3nn--Thanks for posting about calorie cycling! This is what I have been doing, but I did not realize there was a name for it. I go by Jillian Michael's book which helps me calculate what my calories for the week should be, based on my weight, activity level, exercise etc. and then I divide it out for each day of the week ahead...so days that I will be eating out or going to a party will have higher calorie limits then normal days. It really works, and is something that can be sustained forever!

I think in general, it's planning that helps. At home I do have more control and plan better, but I do plan for eating out too. Sometimes that means I plan to eat something first so I won't be hungry. Sometimes that means keeping aside extra calories. Sometimes that means finding a restaurant online and researching the food ahead of time. etc.

In order to keep myself accountable I try to keep a running tally of what I do eat. It also makes you not want to eat too much, because there's only so much you can remember!

And then, it does come down to choices. You probably can't eat and drink everything you would like. Make the choices that will be the most satisfying to you... and that may be different for each event!

For Christmas buffet appetizer type parties I think the key is deciding what you really want and then making healthy choices around that. Do you really want a glass of wine or would a cookie be more satisfying? If it's the cookie then have club soda with lime or plain water. For me it would be the wine, so I'd try to fill up on veggies and other lower cal items. Decide what is really important to have and then ignore the rest of the spread.

When we go out and I know where we are going I check online to see what the best option on the menu is. If we aren't going to a chain, I make the best choice I can and then look up something similar when we get home. For instance, our friends all the going to the local tavern which is basically a burger joint. I get a garden burger (no cheese, no mayo) and a side salad with dressing on the side. Or sometimes I get the soup and salad. Of course, we've gone there enough that I now the rest of the menu is heavy and fattening (think lots of meat and everything fried.)

When we travel I keep a calorie counting book with me and I keep and index card in my purse. I write down everything I eat on the index card and then calculate using the book. We don't always have internet when we travel.