Don't yell at me, but the worst reason I've ever heard for drinking is "because it looks classy." If that's your reason, get water in a wine glass and add some Mio or Crystal Lite. Or just drink the water. Save yourself hundreds of calories per outing. And learn to just say no.

Lin

I dunno, I go out to eat and drink socially several times per week and manage to not gain weight. The trick for me is knowing ahead of time so I can plan to eat less beforehand - so I can actually "afford" a meal out or a couple drinks (only a couple!). I guess since I'm "maintaining" or whatever that might make a difference, but I never stopped going out when I was losing, either.

Of course, self-control is an important skill etc and you don't need alcohol to live, but karaoke night with diet Coke is pretty weak sometimes.

RAGE! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME NOT TO DRINK BECAUSE IT LOOKS CLASSY! LOUD VOICES! ANGER ANGER ANGER!

Lol, I'm totally kidding. I know my reasoning is silly. It's really not so much because it looks classy (well, some of it is, lol) but it's a lot better for you than beer/liquor/smirnoff ice-y type beverages, and sometimes I want to have an alcoholic beverage that's just that: a nice alcoholic beverage.

Mimsy - I am a wine LOVER and I have to say, it's not a lot better for you than the other beverages...A vodka soda would, calorie wise, be MUCH smarter. I drink wine b/c I love it - otherwise, I'd stick to a healthier alcoholic beverage.

I'm lucky in a sense b/c I am for the most part ok w/ food/restaurants/etc. If I overeat b/c of an outing, etc. I take the calories from the next day or add an additional workout etc. maybe you can work the occasional extra dinner/snack that into your week, rather than day's worth of calories...

I understand what you are talking about so well though b/c that's how I feel about smoking. I quit smoking just under 5 months ago [which was about 8 months into my diet]. For awhile, I wasn't drinking etc. b/c of the triggers and I really didn't want to fail but eventually I realized that it's a choice you have to make. A lot of my friends smoke & I am around that a lot [the same way you are with food] and it's tempting but I know that I will be healthier, and overall, much happier if I refrain. Every day that I do, I add a check in the calendar and I remind myself of all the wonderful things that have happened since I quit smoking [i.e. gearing up to run my first half marathon]. I suggest you bring a reminder of your current accomplishments since working on your health to remember what is important.

Oh I can relate to smoking, too, haha. That's a whole different ball game. Fortunately I'm not as bad as I used to be, but I can't not smoke if there's a cigarette in front of me. I can turn down food easier than I can a cigarette. I quit buying packs in an effort to make it easier, but I have a smoker for a mother and a brother and most of my closest friends are smokers, all of my exes have been smokers -- my whole life is surrounded by smokers. That's the next step once I get the weight off, getting off cigarettes completely.

If it makes any difference, I find both smoking and drinking in social settings looks LESS classy than someone who is comfortable without any obvious props. Self confidence and social ease are the classiest thing you can have, and calorie free, too

Hahaha, if I'm in a bar, I'm having a beer and a cigarette, lol. Different drinks for different settings -- if I want alcohol at a restaurant, I'd rather have wine or a cocktail and no cigarette. It's kind of like how you wouldn't wear jeans and a t-shirt to a wedding; certain things are just more appropriate for certain situations.

No offense, but I fail to understand why you keep asking for all this advice about various things when you continuously tend to laugh off much of what is said while simultaneously justifying the [self-admittedly] poor choices you already make.

For what it's worth, I eat out several times a week and attend family functions so I deal with temptation and social pressure constantly. You just have to figure out where you want to draw the line and stick to it. You want alcohol? Go ahead, but know when to stop. You want that greasy appetizer? Go ahead and order it, but plan for the calories. Feel yourself slipping? Stop and reassess your priorities. The fact that you're saying you can't not have something just because it's front of you (regardless that you're only speaking cigarettes) is cause for alarm in other areas of your life and health. And before anyone can say I don't understand, I used to be a smoker/drinker so I've been there too.

Nm, not worth mentioning. Carry on.

I think this is the part of my life where I'm glad I'm a boring, early bird, introvert. Eating late at night and drinking in general doesn't appeal to me in the slightest (neither does staying out late!).

That said, you CAN still go out and have fun with your friends—you just have to figure out a way to fit it into your plan. Or you can find friends who more align with your lifestyle; it's something you really have to decide.

I have friends who like to go out and drink, etc. and I do hang out with them. Luckily they're awesome and if I object to a restaurant or decide not to eat then they're cool with that. At this point they also don't see it weird that I don't drink (I never have in all the years they've known me). Talk to your friends, you might be surprised at how supportive they are.

I do like hanging out with my fellow introverts though, I admit. We go to a place we can walk around and avoid crowded areas and then we eat at my usual dinner time at a relatively healthy place. Then we usually hang out at one of our houses and play video games, watch movies, and mess around on our laptops—my idea of a fun night, tbh. I find myself hanging out with them more than the other group of friends just because their lifestyles better align with mine.


Exactly. I eat out quite a bit and I ate out even more when I was losing, actually. I like having the burger, fries, greasy things, etc., but I portion it out and don't eat it all or I plan for it in the day's calories.

I've been viewing eating out as more of a social experience rather than an eating one though. Thinking of it as a way to spend more time with friends and loved ones has helped me with my eating too.

Just like tomorrow I'm going to a buffet with my family. I used to skip these things due to the fear that I would go overboard, but now that I see it as a way to spend time with my family I plan ahead and know when to reign myself in. I did this a few months ago, so I'm hoping for a repeat

I'm not trying to laugh you guys off; that wasn't my intent at all. Most of the time if I throw in "Lols" and "hahas", I'm laughing at myself. I don't mean for y'all to feel like I'm directing it at you guys.

Y'all are really helpful and I have read and I take everything y'all say into consideration, and honestly, what every single one of you has said is true. Really, I probably already knew it anyway -- sometimes you just need to let off steam and let everyone else remind you why you're here and why you're doing what you're doing. Unfortunately for y'all, I'm stubborn and argumentative by nature, so I really do apologize when that side of me comes out. A lot of times I just feel like I'm having a conversation; I'm not trying to defend myself or anything or make y'all feel bad either. Sometimes I'm also trying to figure out how to have my cake and eat it too -- and the reality is life doesn't always work that way. And this was a bad week, diet-wise, and unfortunately y'all get the steam from it.

I'm sorry for annoying anyone. =/