We have a party this weekend with "heavy hors d'ouevres and a keg of beer" listed. Eek! I know I'll be eating dinner beforehand but how do you get away with not snacking or cheating at the buffet table? It's not a big place so there's only so far I can go to get away from temptation.

I would suggest that you drink lots of water and choose the healthiest foods they are offering. If you eat a lil something off plan just make it a lil something and get right back at it the next meal or next day or do some extra cardio. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the party

Hi D flip, this is a challenge for everyone. Definitely don't go hungry. Even eat a meal before you go, sip a beverage, socialize, maybe offer to bring a dish or two so you can be sure there is something legal there for you. Good luck to you!

I read somewhere (maybe here?) to carry a water or OP beverage in your dominant hand the entire time. You're less likely to grab food with the hand you use less frequently. Just be careful not to switch hands unconciously. It worked for me yesterday at a work party. Good Luck.

Dawn! Great idea!

Welcome to the forum, D! Since you're in phase 1, keep that as your motivation to stay on plan. Eat your dinner before you leave and bring a legal snack if you have to, but you are at a critical stage in the Phase 1 process. If you cheat now, you're going to have to go back and start Phase 1 all over again to get the desired effect. You're halfway through Phase 1!!! Just a little more to go!!! You can do it!

I've found that people really don't care at all what you're eating. If anyone inquires, just tell them you already ate. Keep yourself accountable by telling your party-partner (husband?) that you're not going to eat or drink anything at the shindig.

Good luck!!! Have great conversations! You'll be so proud of yourself afterwards.

Kara

All of the above, plus ATTITUDE! That's what I did at first when going out...my attitude was that everyone else was killing themselves stuffing gross stuff in their faces that was clogging up their arteries etc. I would not take part in it because I want to live a long time. It's a mental trick, but you must feel "superior" in the choices you are making over the choices that everyone else is making. If you have the attitude that most of what you see on the table is pure poison, then it really helps. After a while, I promise that it will actually look revolting to you.

I went out with some girlfriends the other night to celebrate some birthdays. They all know that we eat our main meal early and that I had already eaten by 5 when we met. I told them I'd love to come to the restaurant, but would just come for coffee. A year ago what they were each eating would have looked great to me...fried seafood. Now it looked like a heart attack on a plate. I was honestly perfectly happy with my coffee, still had a blast laughing and gossiping...so now food is NOT the main reason for get togethers..it's way down on the list. It didn't bother them a bit that I didn't eat and when I do go out to eat with friends, they could care less that I'm eating something healthy and they are not.

femmecreole, I LOVE THAT! I secretly do that too, and it really does work. That, plus arming myself with a diet drink in one hand and my cell phone (or purse) in the other, keeps my hands from reaching for 'poison' to put in my mouth.

Another mind trick I use is to think about how much better my back (use any ache or pain you have from being heavy) will feel when I've lost another five, ten, x pounds. I know this from experience, so it's easy to convince myself to keep going.

Best of all, in January when all those party pigger-outers are dieting from all those goodies, we'll be thinner already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ca rrot:

Yep, Thin, it works...gotta love it.

Another trick is to tell yourself that the NEXT time these same people see you, they are going to be amazed at how good you look, and they will be right! Now, it seems like when I go out with friends, the first thing they say to me is how great I look and how much younger I look. I can wear cute clothes too! For instance the other night, I got compliments left and right at the table when I got there and a couple of comments of "I wish I could do that!" I told them it was easy and SB is great...then watched them eat junk.
All the while, I was feeling great...if I had eaten that junk I would have been sick as a dog when I got home.

Be the party photographer. It's hard to eat and snap pictures at the same time. This worked for me at last year's office Christmas Party. I had just seen the "Biggest Number Ever" on the scale that morning, and eating in public was the last thing I wanted to do.

Thank you all for your great suggestions! I did read them before the party but didn't have time to post...I ended up doing *okay* but I'm still happy that I stayed away from the spinach dip in bread bowl, etc. So thanks!

Great ideas!

I found that the best thing for me (besides eating before and/or bringing a legal snack with me) was to focus on things other than food that I find pleasant or motivating. I learned to focus on the pleasure of being with friends/family/meeting new people instead of on the pleasure of eating. That felt so healthy and good--to know that I was thinking in a healthier way.

Interestingly enough, I realized that all sorts of fun non-food-related things were going on that I had missed before because I was busy at the buffet. I think you can find a lot of them when you focus on other things.

Thinagain I just love what you said about January - That is anawesome way to look at it

Definitely eat before hand and carry a WOE friendly beverage
but also if somone says did you try the BBQ skewers/stuff mushrooms yadda yadda
"they were delicious thanks OMG I'm so stuffed!"
Cat love your coffee idea

Oh and if it's chips etc that your having trouble with (this is gross but it works for me at work) imagine how many dirty hands have been in the bowl
You won't want ANYTHING!

At stand up affairs, I have a pretty little clutch handbag in one hand and a legal drink in the other - soda and a slice of lime looks like gin and tonic. I also make it a point to circulate and try to talk to everyone. Another trick is to offer to pass things around for the hostess.

At dinner parties, I just hope it's a serve yourself affair where I can choose what to eat. If the meal is already plated, I just eat what I can and try to ignore the forbidden things like potatoes.

By the way, I don't get invited to many lie down affairs lately. I'll play that by ear if it happens!

Ruth you are just to funny