Guest guest Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 You seem to be under the wrong impression that people will not be happy if you prepare unhealthy foods. Au contraire. When I have company or I'm supposed to bring something to a potluck, many people are thrilled when I bring out a huge bowl of already cut up watermelon chunks. I've heard many a party-goer say " Alright, something I can eat without gaining 10 pounds! " Ditto with large veggie platters with a couple of dips; everyone can eat or skip the dips as they like. For a full meal, Mexican cuisine is great. You can put out individual dishes of shredded lettuce and spinach, rice, beans, corn, tortillas, lean ground meat, salsas, cheese and guacamole. Everyone can pick and choose according to their own dietary restrictions. It's a bit trickier and requires more will-power when you're the guest, but you can practice damage control. Eat the largest portion of veggie dishes that etiquette will allow, and take the smallest portion of the naughty foods. Do what kids do--push stuff around your plate and hide some of it under a lettuce leaf. Naomi ****** > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 Oops, I meant to say " if you prepare HEALTHY foods. " Naomi ******* DRAGONMAMMA wrote: > > You seem to be under the wrong impression that people will not be happy > if you prepare unhealthy foods. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 How often do you have these week-long extravaganzas? If it's a couple of times a year, I wouldn't worry about it. Plan to enjoy yourself, pick and choose all your favorite indulgences, and get back on track the following week. If it's once a month, then you're going to have to make more of an effort to hurt everyone's feelings. Ha! Kidding. :-) You just have to have a little more resolve, make more healthy choices (prepare them yourself if you have to), and keep your portions of " bad " stuff small. It's easy to eat a reasonably clean meal or have a small portion at any restaurant any day of the week. Check the menu ahead of time online, make a plan, get a carry out box, skip the bread, split one dessert four ways, do more talking that eating, waste food. If you know you're going to eat out with friends three times in one week, you could plan to be reasonably good at one meal and make the other two free meals. Or be reasonably good at all three meals and still take a free day at the end of the week. There's always a way. A lot of people see the restaurant thing as a minefield - either I'm going to stay home and eat what's in my tupperware containers, or I'm going to go out and totally blow it. You can actually go out and have fun, order mainly protein and vegetables, have a couple bites of something decadent, and not do any damage to your waistline at all. It also helps to make friends who are health conscious. That way a nice meal out can mean big salads, good conversation, and a walk - not beer and nachos and cigarettes. You have to let go of the " food is love and honor " thing. Food is food, and anybody who loves you will honor your healthy choices... most of the time. Not saying they won't give you *some* grief. ;-) > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 When it comes to your waistline you need to be selfish. It's your body and you have to think of yourself first. Honor yourself. > > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2006 Report Share Posted September 8, 2006 I eat out regularly. As of recent with my tri-athlete friend a lot. We eat a lot of chicken Caesar's and a lot of salads with ahi on them. There is never any consequence from that. We do not have bread or dessert and we drink ice tea or water. Now, we are very particular about where we eat, we don't go to chains or anything like that and we're in a pretty upscale area so these sorts of restaurants are at our disposal, but we both put our foot down about Chinese Food, burger stands, places where we know we can't get what we need. It's your body, you get to choose. As far as being around buffets and such, I drink the bubbly Calistoga water instead of a cocktail because less calories and less chance for a manager (meaning me) to say something stupid. I don't go to the buffet until it's time for dinner and then I get usually the sliced beef, roasted potatos and a vegetable that is prepared without sauces. If it's not available, I don't put it on the plate and I only dish out what I'm supposed to have. When someone says " Eat, Eat " I say, " I'm good " . If they continue to fuss I repeat " I'm good " . They get it eventually. On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:00:31 -0000 " tjay1302000 " wrote: > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 Many thanks for the ideas that have come in so far. Skwigg asked how often I end up with week-long extravaganzas... I live near Disneyland and Legoland, so it's not unusual for the " party " to be here when folks want to take a week's vacation. Probably 5 times a year we get the week-long house guests. Our family gets away for a couple of trips per year usually visiting friends or relatives. Now that I see that written out, I am actually rather proud of the fact that I have held as firmly to my BFL and health commitments as I have over the years. Come to think of it, most of those friends and relatives have put on 30-50 pounds in that same 5 years. I don't want to sound like I am whining about the 10 pounds I gain over every summer. It's just that I know how much effort I put into getting it off. When I REALLY am tired of the tradeoff, I will get serious. I honestly do fine if it is just one meal out. I am even great at potlucks. But, when the gathering is 24/7, I feel stressed. I will continue to use healthier self-talk as a BIG part of my BFL plan during the next extravaganza. Thanks again, Ladies. M. > > How often do you have these week-long extravaganzas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 I've also found when entertaining I serve up a meal out of EFL that looks a bit gourmet! My guests are so thrilled and I have my normal portion while feeding them a bit extra - then they are so stuffed they don't realise 2 hours has gone by in good conversation etc and it's time for dessert (which again I make BFL authorised) Everyone always leaves satisfied and I have stuck to my eating plan. Jadey 0:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 9, 2006 Report Share Posted September 9, 2006 That's great but you really have to be careful with a chicken caeser. Most have more fat in them than a Big Mac! It's an evil salad that tastes and SEEMS so good! Jadey 0:-) Re: Socializing? I eat out regularly. As of recent with my tri-athlete friend a lot. We eat a lot of chicken Caesar's and a lot of salads with ahi on them. There is never any consequence from that. We do not have bread or dessert and we drink ice tea or water. Now, we are very particular about where we eat, we don't go to chains or anything like that and we're in a pretty upscale area so these sorts of restaurants are at our disposal, but we both put our foot down about Chinese Food, burger stands, places where we know we can't get what we need. It's your body, you get to choose. As far as being around buffets and such, I drink the bubbly Calistoga water instead of a cocktail because less calories and less chance for a manager (meaning me) to say something stupid. I don't go to the buffet until it's time for dinner and then I get usually the sliced beef, roasted potatos and a vegetable that is prepared without sauces. If it's not available, I don't put it on the plate and I only dish out what I'm supposed to have. When someone says " Eat, Eat " I say, " I'm good " . If they continue to fuss I repeat " I'm good " . They get it eventually. On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:00:31 -0000 " tjay1302000 " wrote: > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.2/442 - Release Date: 8/09/2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 These things aren't too hard if everyone knows in advance that you are going to workout no matter what. During my last trip for a family get together, I brought my running shoes, a yoga mat AND xertubing. It wasn't the same as having weights at the gym, but I was able to do resistance training and didn't feel like I skipped anything. I woke up early and went for runs every day. I met friends and got together to talk while on long, brisk walks. As far as having visitors, I invite them to come along! Everyone knows I go to the gym at 6 - 6:30am. The guests we have usually sleep later than that, so I have coffee ready and some breakfast options out. If they're still asleep when I get back, I make a hot breakfast for everyone. When I go out to eat, I make sure I choose the healthiest items I can and leave some to bring home for another meal (usually portions are huge). I never feel like I'm insulting anyone by not eating lots of unhealthy stuff when I have to eat over someone's house. If there are absolutely no healthy choices, I take minutely small servings of the junk to be polite...but usually there are a couple of healthy items. You'll be fine - pretty soon everyone around you will know that you mean business and not pressure you to screw up your committment to BFL. Glynis > > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 If we get off of our beaten path, that¹s true and then we just ask them to take it easy on the dressing. A chicken Caesar at a golf course requires the dressing ordered on the side, while Brad Ogden¹s place gets it just right. One place has this ahi salad that we¹ll drive for if we¹re even close to the place. They bring the dressing on the side, and truth be told, we could share a portion of the dressing and still have left overs. It¹s a Hawaiian style yogurt based and we both love it. Unfortunately my buddy got this weird bacterial infection in her stomach and hasn¹t been able to play for about a month. She had to take four different antibiotics at once to kill it and then she was down sick for two weeks. I eat a salad and she eats a bowl of rice. She got pissed off last week and decided to work out even though she felt like crap and discovered that after a light weight workout she felt better, so hopefully our dining adventures will be back on track soon. > That's great but you really have to be careful with a chicken caeser. Most > have more fat in them than a Big Mac! It's an evil salad that tastes and SEEMS > so good! > > Jadey 0:-) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 10, 2006 Report Share Posted September 10, 2006 Hi Theresa, it's GREAT that you're surrounded by so many people who love you. Just be honest with your loved one's and explain things to them, the same way you have here. Those who genuinely care, will understand and support you. Since gaining weight and dealing with other issues, I don't do much socializing. However, I'm hoping that will change, and I plan to take my own advice as well. Let us know how things turn out. tikie > > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I see a common theme here - whether you are the person visiting or the person being visited. No one, neither the visitor or the visited wants to have only a selection of poor choices of high fat/carb foods! So when you are hosting, serve " good for you foods " , when you are the visitor, TAKE good for you foods to share with your host. There seems to be a lot of people saying the same thing, eating out can be so bad for my diet, etc. but no one is making the leap during entertaining to suggest a healthier restaurant or prepare something different! We - myself included - shouldn't use entertaining as an excuse. >>> drval@... 9/8/2006 3:46 pm >>> I eat out regularly. As of recent with my tri-athlete friend a lot. We eat a lot of chicken Caesar's and a lot of salads with ahi on them. There is never any consequence from that. We do not have bread or dessert and we drink ice tea or water. Now, we are very particular about where we eat, we don't go to chains or anything like that and we're in a pretty upscale area so these sorts of restaurants are at our disposal, but we both put our foot down about Chinese Food, burger stands, places where we know we can't get what we need. It's your body, you get to choose. As far as being around buffets and such, I drink the bubbly Calistoga water instead of a cocktail because less calories and less chance for a manager (meaning me) to say something stupid. I don't go to the buffet until it's time for dinner and then I get usually the sliced beef, roasted potatos and a vegetable that is prepared without sauces. If it's not available, I don't put it on the plate and I only dish out what I'm supposed to have. When someone says " Eat, Eat " I say, " I'm good " . If they continue to fuss I repeat " I'm good " . They get it eventually. On Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:00:31 -0000 " tjay1302000 " wrote: > Hi All, > Would some of you chime in and explain the details of how you; > 1) Dine out with friends more than one day a week > 2) Maintain while at a week-long family reunion > 3) Hold steady while entertaining house guests for a week > etc. etc. > These have thrown me WAY off in the past and I need to make better > plans for the future. > What I am proud of is that I do very well if I am having " normal " days > with my husband and kids. > However, I go into; > 1) " I will please/honor you by preparing huge amounts of sweet or > fatty foods, and savor the beverages. " or... > 2) " I will please/honor you by eating huge amounts of the sweet or > fatty foods and savor the beverages you have prepared for me. " > > I keep feeling like I am hurting peoples' feelings by holding firm to > my BFL self promises... > I am so used to loving people with food and accepting their love by > accepting their food gifts. > I can only say, " Thank you, wow, that looks great, but I have already > eaten. " for just so long...then I cave in > > Oh, if anyone understands and can give me a few hints I would > appreciate it. > The good news is I am back on track...I just don't want to live in > fear of the next big LONG gathering of family or friends. > > Thanks for listening. > M. > > Congratulations to Amy on her wonderful progress at 9 weeks. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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