I know the summer is almost over, but my calendar is still jam packed with cookouts and parties, almost every weekend. Then before we know it we will be heading into the dreaded holiday season.

What are your tips or suggestions to avoid overeating at these get-togethers? I'm not so great at it, so I'm really curious to see the responses. I never know if I should eat first, but when I do then I feel like I overdo it because I want to eat when I get to the party and see all the yummy food there.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Help!!!

I think it's important for everyone to do what works best for them, but you already knew that!

What I do is I offer to bring a dish. That way, I know there will be something that I like and isn't going to kill my plan. I also keep a protein bar in my purse or in the car. That way, if I see that there are no friendly items, I leave the area and have my bar and try to stay focused on my plan. Finally, not to sound like a party pooper, but I stay away from alcohol and soda and just stick with water. Alcohol leads me to bad decisions and soda makes me hungrier for some reason.

To be honest, I can go to a party and be great, but when I come home, I want to binge like crazy due to the deprivation factor. To counteract that, I try to prepare for an outing by saving some calories and then, I eat really clean for the rest of the week, if possible.

I do something similar to luckymommy. I eat light during the day and save calories for the party/cookout so I can eat some of the better foods that are there. I also drink water instead of any other drink. Everyone knows I don't drink alcohol but now they know I don't do soft drinks either. I don't like diet drinks so I just stick with water and ice cubes. Lots of people do that anyway, whether they're on a diet or not. You can also bring something along to share with everyone--salad, veggie/fruit tray, etc. Also, if it's a cookout, bring something like chicken or fish or a lean cut of meat/hamburger to grill.

As a side note, this past year I cut out some of the junky stuff I normally would serve at a party. One of my guests asked me where the chips were and I told her she wouldn't find any but there was loads of fruit and vegetables to eat besides a very bountiful tableful of food. She was a bit surprised but didn't complain and neither did anyone else.

I walk around a lot. Very few people will notice whether I have eaten or not. Carrying a baby and a glass of ice water busy's up your hands too.
Pitch you plate after you've eaten one serving. Without a plate, I'm far less likely to take too many of something.

Ditto on the saving calories for the week! I also make sure I get an extra hard workout in (if possible) before I go, so I have that for solace..and I just know what I should definitely stay away from, what I can have sparingly, and what I can be a little more liberal. I may do without the bun for a burger or a dog (I'm not a carb watcher, but I'd rather have the 200 calories of something else that's around) and I drink a lot of water or other unsweetened beverage.

The thing that I try and remember is that I still have the live, and these "parties" are special occasions and since I'm disciplined 99% of the time, I've got some wiggle room. And, in the back of my mind, I'm constantly reminding myself of just why I don't need this or I don't need that, and how GREAT it will feel when I get to goal:-)

Don't sit down and try to have a calorie-free beverage in your hand at all times. That makes it really hard to eat (it's hard to hold food and a beverage at the same time, while standing).

Talk to people. Make it a goal to talk to as many people for as long as possible. Be super friendly (isn't the main point of a party to socialize anyway). It's hard to talk and eat at the same time.

Start with the right attitude. I find that if my attitude when I arrive at the party is that I'm not going to go overboard and am only going to make healthy choices and eat a small amount of food, I do much better than if I start with the idea that it's a free for all.

Eat veggies and fruits, if they are available. Offer to bring a veggie tray to make sure one will be available. I pretty allow myself unlimited plain (no dip) veggies and fruit at parties. It gives me something to much on but does a lot less damage than the chips, cheese, and baked goods.

If you are eating a meal at the party, invoke the one carb rule. You can have only have one carb with your meal. So you can have a hamburger in a bun or you can have a hamburger without a bun and pasta salad, but you can't have both the hamburger bun and the pasta salad.