THE SOCIAL DILEMMA: HOW TO STAY IN SHAPE IF GO OUT A LOT
I hear this excuse a lot when I talk to people who struggle to get in shape or keep off the weight they’ve just lost ‘I can make healthy choices so long I am home, but then when I am at the office or when I go out on weekends with my friends, that’s when I END UP ruinING all my body goals’.
As a response, I tell people: ‘I’ve been eating out 3-4 days/ week for the last few years and even more often since I moved to Dubai. Nobody will force you to eat something that is high in calories or unhealthy, it all comes to your choice.’ I have so many social events that I attend that serve alcohol, desserts, or other temptations. I am happy to skip dessert and stick to water.
These are the most common social situations when you can encounter times when you need to work on your choices.
I will include my best advice for each of them.
1.If you’re eating out with friends or you’re having a business lunch/dinner, choose the healthiest option on the menu. Go for a salad instead of pasta, choose orange juice or water instead of a cocktail. Make the ‘healthy choice’ your signature. Maybe in the beginning people may raise an eyebrow, but eventually, you might even influence them to make healthy choices as well.
I remember when I worked in Australia a few years ago and had lunch with my colleagues they allowed me to choose the place where we can eat and we all ended up in a quirky salad bar that was only 10 minutes away from the office. And the food that the restaurant served was so good that some of the people became regular customers after their first visit which I initiated.
2.If you’re working in an office and everybody is snacking cookies and other caloric bombs bring your own healthy snacks such as fruits or nuts and do not fall into the temptation. Just so that you understand the danger of snacking in the office: if you would eat only one cookie/day (let’s say the cookie is 350 calories, but one cookie can be up to 550 calories) for 5 days a week, in a month, you will end up eating an approximate total of 7700 calories, which is basically one kg added to your weight. In one year…you do the math.
3.If you’re going to A PARTY and they have all sorts of snacks, such as chips or cake or beer, just don’t eat the snacks. Nobody will put the food into your mouth. You can have fun and enjoy the time with your friends without eating. Be the one who brings something healthy to the party. Bring a fruits basket instead of bringing a bottle of wine.
4.If you’re inviting friends or family members for dinner cook healthy foods for them and make an effort to make the meal delicious. They will definitely appreciate your effort and you’ll show them that healthy food can also be delicious.
5.The most challenging one is when it comes to special events such as a wedding where they serve a lot of food and most of the time you have no choice at all when it comes to the menu. In this case, my advice is to just make sure you keep in mind ‘portion control’. You don’t have to eat it all and you don’t have to eat everything you get. Yes, it is challenging, but I survived a lot of weddings and you can do it as well!