If you're slim or succesfully dieting, what would YOU do in this situation

[Sundaycoffee]

Im trying to diet and really struggle with food in social situations.
Tomorrow at work we have an All hands full team meeting tomorrow which finishes at 4.30pm followed by a big BBQ after. On the menu there will be chicken or beef burger, fries, coleslaw.
Part of me is thinking do I A) just sack off the BBQ completely to avoid temptation and head to the gym instead. (This is my usual Wednesday night routine).
B) Go, but don't eat and wait until dinner, potentially too much temptation though to see this through!! or C) Eat some/all of what is offered and skip dinner later on but inevitably go over my calories for the day.
Just interested to see what others would do really!

To successfully diet you have to make the diet work in your everyday life. I struggle with this too. I think you should go and have chicken with salad and corn on the cob or a small amount of coleslaw. If you plan it then it’s easier to stay in control. Maybe no alcohol or just a small glass in case it affects your willpower.

Yep, this would be the same for me.

If I ate at the BBQ I wouldn’t want to eat again. I’d be totally fine with watching my partner eat. I’d probably just have a small glass of wine while he did so.

It's one day. It doesn't matter. Do whatever. Life is short.

I think the all or nothing approach can lead to weight gain! I am fairly slim but enjoy food. I have to make healthy and thoughtful choices but I don’t deny myself. What I would do is decide what would be more pleasurable- dinner at home with my partner or BBQ with my colleagues. I would happily enjoy the BBQ food but I wouldn’t then have a problem with my DH cooking at eating at home without me. Would you actually eat two dinners?

C - the BBQ would be an early dinner, not something to have as well as dinner! Depending on the time I ate and how much I ate (I might not feel that hungry at 5 as we usually have dinner at 7), I might have a snack around 9pm such as a slice of toast or a piece of fruit.

Just eat what you want but treat it as your dinner - suggest DP eats before you arrive and then go for a nice sunny walk together ?

I’d go, eat and that would be my dinner.

Well I'm vegetarian but if there was a veggie burger option I'd eat it plus fries. Dont really like coleslaw. If not I'd just eat extra fries hah.

I've always been slim/healthy weight. I'd eat normally up until that point although I'd be mindful of not having like tons of snacks/massive lunch or whatever before it. But that's more so I have space to enjoy it not because of any concerns over my weight/calories.

DH is dieting successfully. He would possibly have a very small amount of fries like a handful. And also vegetarian so that's it unless there was a veggie burger option, which he'd have if there was.

Just go the BBQ and treat it as your dinner. Have a light fruit/salad snack or light soup with your partner.

Slim enough

id try and have a burger in a bun without fries but I wouldn’t worry for one day

I think a naturally slim person would have a different mindset. Your post is all about the food available, what you should or shouldn’t eat. That isn’t a sustainable way to eat for the long term
Do you actually WANT to attend? Irrespective of food dilemmas- it’s not clear from your post

If yes, go and eat if it looks good/you want to. If not, swerve it.
Don’t make the choice based on a diet

But surely if you’ve eaten you’ll be full and watching him eat won’t be a problem?

could you make your own chicken salad and subtlety decant it onto your plate?

I might be slim but I find it very hard to not eat when someone else is !

I think you have to learn that there will be bad days and you just have to accept that - and try to not go crazy - which is easiest if you don’t deprive yourself and don’t eat too late

Totally agree that someone naturally slim would not be thinking like this at all. I personally would not be giving it any headspace beyond its not a very inclusive menu as it does’t cater for non meat eaters. Assuming it did, the BBQ would be be eaten instead of my dinner and I would be advising my husband he will need to cater for himself.

OP treat the BBQ as your dinner and skip the coleslaw unless you want to go over your calorie allowance for the day.

I would go, do C, why would you need dinner if it's 4.30? Have a nice amount, enjoy it, eat a little bit less (not a lot less, just a little) the next few days.

Yes, basically this. I'd enjoy it, and not give it any more thought

C- I'd eat to a comfortable level and prioritise the meat and edit down the carbs again.

I might need a light supper/ small portion later on as that's early for a main meal.

Life does involve going over your body's requirements, especially in sociable seasons/ holidays. "Naturally slim" people shrug it off. It hasn't ruined anything. I'm currently on a long, slow campaign to lose a few unnecessary lbs before they turn into a bigger issue. It's slow because life has curveballs and distractions; I enjoy them for what they are then move on.

Thinking about this, I don't think there's any point asking people with no food issues what they'd do. You don't and can't think like that. So you need to work out your own way. But you need to think, what's a response that will serve me well in the future, and let me live a nice sociable life, but be happy with my diet? Only you can find this answer.

I can no longer eat out as i have a bowel problem which is very unpredictable. Suspected BAM. Am currently a full time carer so not working but when i do go back to work my potential employer would have to suck up my no if this kind of thing was on the cards.

I always look at the veggie options in similar situations. Is there one?

I would go and eat chicken/burger and coleslaw and treat that as my dinner.

Depending what time you get away and how much you are enjoying the social occasion you can then go to the gym.

Just go and enjoy an early evening BBQ as the weather is meant to be good!

I'd go, if you say you enjoy it and you want to go then go. If you dont really enjoy it then dont go

What do you mean 'if you're slim'?

I lost 50kg. I would just have the burger and drop bit of calories there and there in days around. Flexible weekly total cal amount worked best for me.

I’d have a decent protein breakfast and no lunch.

I’d go to the BBQ and have either the beef or the chicken burger whichever I liked the look of more and the coleslaw. I wouldn’t have any chips on my plate if given the choice. If they come anyway I’d douse them immediately with a large amount of mustard so that they were inedible to avoid being tempted.

I’d have one glass of wine and then sparkling water if not driving. If I was driving I’d stick with the sparkling water. That might even leave a few calories left over to have a small snack with the boyfriend a few hours later if I was hungry by then and fancied it. But I wouldn’t have another full meal with him.

Nothing wrong with what's on offer, and you can go a little over your calories for one day, its not going to totally ruin everything. Just start again the next day.