Yesterday my husband and I spent the afternoon with some neighbourhood friends who plied us with wine and platefuls of Christmas goodies. I overate because it was there. I'm coming to realize that my biggest trigger is simply having good food -- any good food -- right in my face. How much harder to resist temptation than to avoid it in the first place!

I've occasionally been able to follow through on the decision to eat nothing at all at a social function, but I've been less successful at moderating my intake at such events. Does anyone have any strategies to share in this regard?

Freelance

Ugh I know how you feel and the holidays are especially bad. I think for me it has to do with habit and when other people are eating or offering me food it's just that much to refuse. This Christmas I was able to pass up unhealthy treats and foods by reminding myself how many calories they contained and how long it would take me to burn them off. I tend to aks myself: what am I really saying no to? Heart, disease, diabetes, obesity or just a cookie? I know there will be other cookies in life so I try to concentrate on the number I hope to see on the scales at the end of the week and just say no.

My only strategy that works for myself is to stuff myself (with healthy food!) prior to seeing people socially anytime I can. I never believed it could or would work but it has! If I have a full belly when I show up to parties, dinners, etc., I am far less tempted to eat off my plan with empty calories and junk.

I also try, try, try to say no to alcohol as after 1 glass, I can't trust myself to not pick at foods that I don't even want or like very much (old habits are hard to break for me). If I stick to my seltzer water, I have much more control over what I eat. I also found that I like having my seltzer water in a fancy glass (whether a wine glass or other crystal, esp. if I am home) so I feel like I have a fancy drink just like everyone else. I know that sounds silly but so much of this is mental for me as well as physical.

I think this is the first Christmas ever in my life where the scale has shown a loss vs. a gain and the only thing I kept thinking about every time I was tempted this year was about the fancy dress I'm buying myself next year when I am hopefully at my goal. It worked!

For me, I think what mindset I have helps a lot. I have been trying to be a lot healthier recently, and I have been trying to apply this in certain situations and not eat too much rubbish, and it seems to help. Not sure if what I'm doing is mindful eating, but its probably something similar to it.

Have you tried anything like mindful eating before?

Elvis lover, I am exactly the same way about my "fizzy water". A nice glass and maybe a twist of lemon or lime makes it ever so sophisticated and motivating. Not a bit silly.

Keeping my mouth busy works for me. Gum, a hard candy to suck on, or a constant stream of a 0 calorie beverage helps me avoid something I may be tempted to go after.

Yep, I agree with the 0 calorie beverages - the fizzier the better. It doesn't always work, but more often then not.

For some time I tried to fill myself up with healthy foods before social gatherings, thinking it'd make me less tempted to overeat, but the end result was that I ended up eating even more: the tempting stuff anyway, *and* the healthy stuff before.

The key for me at such gatherings is to avoid 'boredom' at all times. Especially if it's a gathering involving a lot of people I don't know, and I run the risk of finding myself without anything to say to anyone... and it that case, I have to keep myself busy, and if not talking, what's left? Yep. Grazing. So now I do what I can to be 'busy'. Opening up more and talking more, first (I talk with my hands it helps when it comes to not using them to eat!). Help with the dishes. Help serving food. Touring the house. Whatever. Anything that won't be "sitting in front of the food". I always realize afterwards that what I missed wasn't the food itself, but "enjoying myself".

Of course, you can get away with that at some gatherings, but not at others. (And it doesn't work if you eat the food even though you're enjoying yourself, being very active in the conversation, and so on. ^^; )

Freelancemomma - I have the same problem. What's difficult is that we eat together as a way of socializing, and by not partaking it makes one feel left out.

Yes, it's true. I agree.

TOTALLY agree, have had major problems eating healthy while at my mom's . . . as Italians, food is love, food is family, food is everything . . .

My table is full of christmas goodies, everytime i walk past i try to remember my goal and tthat them goodies wont satisfie me no where near how i will feel when im at my goal weight!

I have this exact same problem. And even if I'm successful in avoiding temptation, I still have the anxiety over people actually noticing that I'm eating differently, and engaging me in a very public conversation about it. This is probably due to the numerous times I've started to lose weight and then gone off track.

If the host will allow (and it's not an impromptu gathering) sometimes you can bring something to share. Raw veggies and healthy dip, for example. If it's a small group, though, it can make you feel just as self-conscious to be digging into your own contribution over and over again. (See above re: anxiety).

Another idea is to have a beverage in your hand at all times; this works at gatherings where you're not seated at a table.

Finally, one way I avoid putting things in my mouth is asking myself how I'd track it later. I hate tracking and find it tedious; I know I'd be mad at myself and I'd consider all the previous time spent tracking to be time wasted if I had to add unhealthy things, or things I ate just because they were there!

Try thinking about it from a hunger perspective only.

For example, before you start eating, ask yourself if you are truly hungry. If you are, then eat. If you honestly feel full, then don't eat.

And save your calories for something that truly tastes good to you. This strategy seems to be working for me. If I decide to try something, and it doesn't taste as good as I hoped it would, I stop eating it. Even foods I really like, after a few spoonfuls, start to become boring to me. That is when I stop. I eat it until the flavor no longer satisfies me, and I eat only until I no longer feel the effects of hunger.

Finally, I have recently found that drinking lots of tea makes me feel very full. When you want to stop eating, drink your favorite low-calorie/no-calorie beverage and you will start to feel overly full quickly.