Hi everyone!

I recently began a new job that is somewhat glamorous and involves meeting clients/colleagues/businesspeople for dinner/drinks. I see other women that I work with ordering the same thing as me, and two or three drinks, yet they remain super thin. Every time I do this (and it's always in the evening around 8 PM), I wake up weighing more the next morning even though I workout every day. My weight has stalled/increased for a month now, regardless of my normal, vigorous exercise. How do these people do it? Eat out and drink socially 4 or 5 times a week for but not gain weight from it?

Can anyone can share their best tips as to how to enjoy yourself socially while maintaining a good weight loss regimen?

Thanks!

Do you calorie count? At your height and weight going over by just 100-200 cals can slow or stop weight loss. When I *was* at your weight (pre baby) I needed to have an intense exercise to help continue losing, and I still lost very slow. Try increasing your workouts, time or intensity. Or try something new, like if you run, then do some swimming.

I would factor in the extra cals of drinks and food into your daily calories if you count.

Let you first drink be something like a gin and tonic with a lime. After that order sparkling water with a lime, it looks like you are drinking but you aren't.

If you know ahead of time the restaurant take a quick look at the menu and, at least in California, sometimes there is a light menu that you can ask for. Even better you can look at it online before hand and not even ask for the menu (that way the conversation of diet doesn't become a topic) and just order.

You may not know what they eat (or don't eat) during the rest of the day.

They're ordering what you are, but do they eat the same amount? They may taste or push food around but not consume it all.

Also, what is their age and height compared with you? Even then, though, the thing is, they aren't you, and you may have different caloric needs than they do.

This may be one of those unfair things in life where you can't do exactly what other people do & expect the same results.

Yup, you don't know what they do before and after those dinners. Or even during. As Saef suggested, next time there's a dinner, observe your colleagues carefully. I've seen many people order appetizers, entrees and desserts, but only eat half (if that) of each course.

F.

I'd say don't worry one tiny bit about the other women; no matter what they do, it doesn't affect your weight loss. Just focus on what you need to do to be successful - if it's cutting the alcohol and nursing a drink along, or whatever, don't compare yourself - even if they eat exactly the same food you do all day long, they might have more muscle, their metabolisms are different, or who knows what - you never can compare and not be frustrated.

Good luck in your new job!

When I go out and drinks are involved I order a plain tonic with a twist n nobody knows or even cares that I am not drinking alcohol.

Agreed. When I am in social situations, if I decide to drink I will nurse one alcoholic drink and then have water the rest of the time. Alcohol is one thing that will bloat me and cause me to hold on to weight, so I learned how to work around it!

Almost every woman weighs more the next day after restaurant food and drinks. It's sodium and calories. Working out has nothing to do with it.

If I recall you tend to eat/exercise in extremes. The reason these women probably can eat the same and be 'super thin' is because they don't go on extremes. They probably eat less in the day expecting to go out at night, whether they realize it or not.

I think it's important to evaluate whether or not you are in a place to partake 'socially' 4-5x per week. I would not be. I would not be able to eat at restaurants like that 4-5x a week and keep the weight off. A job is a job, and I just might consider not eating or drinking at all at these functions or have a water.