The simple answer to this question is yes. It’s all about knowing the hacks.
Trust me when I say, I know more about this than anyone. Being born into a big Greek family where every event involves and revolves around food, having experienced times where you get the persuasive auntie trying to force feed you, where you get the relatives that make the remarks about why I’m not feeling hungry enough for dessert yet, or where you get the looks of disapproval and are told you have offended the host because they have gone through all this effort for you not to accept a second plate of food. I will not lie to you that it is hard to socialise and eat without getting any remarks from people. But as I say, it’s all about the hacks.
HACK NUMBER 1:
Never cancel an event because you are worried you will go off track or put on loads of weight. If you currently do this, stop it now, because it is NOT HEALTHY. Obviously, there have been occasions when I have attended family gatherings when I have been a couple of weeks out from a show and I haven’t been able to indulge in the same food as everyone else. BUT, I have never cancelled and I still eat (my own prep food) with everyone else. Remember why you are there; to socialise around loved ones, NOT to compete in a food competition.
HACK NUMBER 2:
Never go to an event hungry. The more ravenous you are, the more likely you will overindulge and eat everything in sight. Instead, have a protein bar or a protein shake before you go and on arrival, start off with drinking sugar free fizzy drinks or a nice coffee. Having more fluids will keep you going before the meal and fill you up.
HACK NUMBER 3
Save yourself room. With flexible dieting, you can still enjoy an off meal. I like to save myself around 1000cals throughout the day so I can eat the majority of my calories in the evening. I would say Nando’s is probably the best option nutrition wise as it is easy to track – the correct macros are all on My Fitness Pal but a lot of places now have the calories on the menu. Saving yourself 1000cals is most realistic. Even if you think you are just consuming chicken, rice and salad when you have Greek or Turkish, there are the hidden calories that you cannot see used to cook the food in eg the oils, sauces and high sodium levels.
HACK NUMBER 4
Choose food wisely. Make the right choices when it comes to your food. I am not saying to avoid everything your host is offering or that there are right or wrong foods to eat. At the end of the day you should always eat what you like (as long as it doesn’t hinder your goal too much), but think carefully about whether you would rather save room for a nice dessert or indulge in an extra plate of food AND a dessert. Don’t be afraid to say no if you don’t want something (even if they ask multiple times like they do in my family!)
HACK NUMBER 5
Eat what is on your plate and don’t turn it into a binge or an overeating session where you feel incredibly sick or bloated. The key to this HACK is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. When you start feeling full, stop. Again, coming from a family where it is unheard of to leave food on your plate, instead, say you’ll take it home in a Tupperware!
HACK NUMBER 6
Volumise your meal with veg - I can guarantee it will make you feel fuller. For example, even when I have a takeaway or go out to eat, I will ALWAYS order a side of greens. When I’m tempted to have a second helping of food at someone’s house, I will add a second portion of veg as opposed to a whole other plateful! Bulking out your plate with high fibre veg will definitely keep you satiated!
YOUR TAKEAWAY (Pardon the pun):
In summary, these aren’t rules you must follow about eating and socialising. For those of you that know me personally, I love food just as much as the next person. These are just little tricks I have learnt over the years. Practising these things overtime has finally led me to a place where I no longer eat until I feel really sick like I used to or binge. I guess you could say my HACK NUMBER 7, is even if this does happen, don’t beat yourself up about it, even when the scales creep up the next day. Feeling guilt is not healthy and your weight increasing the next day is most likely water retention and high sodium levels, not fat. It happened, you enjoyed it. The key is not to allow one social event of ‘going off your diet’ turn into days of overeating. Everything in moderation, that’s what I say – it’s all about the LIFESTYLE HABITS.
Comments