Good day lovely people!
I am still here, still committed, still moving forward.
Life has been so difficult lately, so overwhelming and I have a lot of tough decisions I need to make. I am still here though. Still on my weight loss/ healthy lifestyle/ becoming fit journey!
My topic this week, thanks to Debbie Quick (check out her beauty youtube channel and blog, cosmetics counsel, you won't regret it!) is how to make healthier choices when out for an event or family outing. This weekend, for example I had a surprise party to go to for Rob's cousin at a restaurant, and the next day was Debbie's birthday and we went out to celebrate.
Being at a party or a restaurant with all your favourite foods paraded in front of you when you're trying to overcome an addiction can honestly be compared to dragging a drunk to a bar, putting whisky in front of him/her and telling that person not to drink it. Unfortunately, it's impossible to avoid going out with friends or family and expecting to not have to deal with temptations. Not if you want to have a life, anyway.
Here is what I have found helpful for me this past weekend. At the surprise party, there was a delicious, prepaid meal already planned and tons of desserts to choose from. How could you not dig in, am I right? I have gone the past two weeks without a cheat meal and had planned to go another week, however, things change. For me, I feel it's best not to place unrealistic expectations on myself. They always set me up for failure. I set little goals for myself, but when I feel something needs to be adjusted to meet my overall needs, I allow it without putting myself down. With that said, I thought Saturday was a perfect time to indulge. I enjoyed a drink, ate the delicious meal prepared and even enjoyed a few treats. It was marvelous haha.
However, if you're someone who frequently finds yourself at restaurants, going out with friends and spend most of your days around temptations, you'll need a strategy.
The next day, we went to a buffet and I felt the itch, yet again. I decided what was best for me is to go straight to the salad bar first. I filled most of my plate with salad and veggies with little room for anything else. I then proceeded to add a little rice with veggies, and then added a very small portion of what I really wanted. I put one BBQ chicken tender on my plate and a few strips of bacon to garnish my salad. I enjoyed two lunch sized plates of food and used that method both times. I also always opt for water as opposed to pop or juice. Bam. I enjoyed a very small portion of what I wanted, enough to take the edge off and still managed to walk away without shame and a belly full of salad.
Obviously when you go to most restaurants, there's a menu filled with options to choose from. I don't know about you, but I am far more likely to indulge in the cheaper, yummier looking burger and fries, than I am to pay more for a salad that I don't really want. I don't know what it is about ordering salad at a restaurant for me, but it also makes the outing less exciting haha. Pretty bad when you find food to be a key ingredient in how excited you are to go out for an evening. What I have found most helpful is, again, only going out when I know I'm due for a cheat meal. However, that isn't possible all the time. Some weeks are more eventful than others. I have found that choosing a restaurant that you know has a lot more healthy, delicious options makes things easier. I also suggest making sure you are not starving before you go out. You're far more likely to choose something that makes your mouth water (and add inches to your waist) than you are to pick a healthier option. It helps to eat a banana or drink two large glasses of water before you leave.
In terms of going out, ultimately it comes down to how much you're willing to put into your health. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Obviously some weeks are better than others, but I encourage you to try a few of these tricks and see if they work for you. If you have any tricks of your own, I'd love to hear them! Leave them in the comments below.
I hope you all have a wonderful week and you'll be hearing back from me soon with a few at home workout videos.
Stay strong, live long.
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