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!

Seeing as it's a work/networking/social thing, what I would do is have a light salad for lunch then go for a small portion of the chicken, fries and coleslaw and after a reasonable time, make my excuses and leave a little earlier.

I would write off any excess calories for that day - it's only one meal.

This! I wouldn’t want or need dinner after a BBQ at 4.30.

I like to stay slim. I achieve that by eating carnivore, and eating every other day, so I fast a lot. However, if I go out then I eat and drink mostly what I want. I also if Im reallly craving a take out I will have it. That means that about 90% of my diet is carnivore and Im usually fasting a couple of times a week. That keeps my BMI at about 21/22 which I like. And it gives me heaps of energy and has healed some ailments. Works for me.

So if I were you I would eat whatever I wanted - OR if i had done something else social that week, I would just eat as much meat as I wanted. But i would defo go if I wanted to - I wouldn't let food stop me.

I’d skip the “barbecue” if all they are offering is burgers and chicken. Where I live that’s not a barbecue. Not even worth lighting the charcoal for. Where’s the brisket? Steaks?

C. Because life happens and we can't be 100% 100% of the time. It's one meal out of 21 in a week. Or 90 in a month. Whatever you're doing to lose weight needs to be sustainable for it to get successful long term.

Looking at my calorie intake as a daily average over the week has really changed my mindset. I was over yesterday and Monday, but I'm.under today. The average of those 3 days falls within my daily calorie goal.

Agree - this is a shit spread.

The trade off for face time work things is a decent bar and/or food. So this is lose-lose.

Go. Eat some food, whatever looks good. Stop when you're full. Move on with your life and relax for fuck's sake.

You're nurturing an obsession with food and setting yourself up for a lifetime of eating problems. Don't go there.

Same.

Idt personally go and then have a lighter day tomorrow

Go, eat whatever you want, don’t you even dare to feel guilty about something! And then get back on the track the next day. Forget restricting yourself or over exercising, you don’t need to punish yourself for something, it’s a damn food!

Sincerely, from someone who has lost 32lbs so far.

I’d literally go and try to enjoy myself and wouldn’t even think twice about the food, if it looked yummy, I’d eat it ! I just don’t stuff myself , I know when I start to feel full so just stop.

If there's no blowback for not going to the BBQ, I wouldn't go. My personal goals are way way more important to me than an after hours work do

If I had to go, I'd have one piece of chicken and some green salad and water

Nothing else. Its the only way if you're serious about weight loss imo

I lost 3 stone last year while still going to BBQs, meals out etc. Just balanced it out overall.

I would eat whatever I wanted to, and then probably skip dinner.

However, you are getting a bit obsessive here - one day off dieting is going to make no difference at all.

Edited to say I don't believe in "dieting" anyway. If I want to lose weight I still eat the same food, just less of it.

If I were dieting, I’d be obsessive about it. Food can be like an addiction and generally someone trying to give up drugs or smoking or booze wouldn’t “have a night off” and get back on the wagon the next day

Food is nothing at all like drugs, smoking, or booze - in spite of what MNers would have you believe.

Some of us are sensible and know that being obsessive about eating is not healthy. Dieting itself is not healthy.

Well whatever works for you, everyone is different. I managed to lose 3 stone while having ‘nights off’ and getting back on the wagon the next day, so different approaches work for different people.

Speak for yourself and/or go on to the concurrent thread about “AIBU to love food” (or similar) and its discussions about food noise/why mounjaro etc is so popular.

Absolutely and I applaud you, and it’s why I said “I” and “can be”

ETA: not meant in a snarky tone at all! Realised my own phrasing/syntax could be ambiguous

I think if it's causing you problems then I'd go to the gym as usual and then go to my boyfriend's. Or your boyfriend's!

It will help you feel more in control than if you go to the BBQ.

Enjoy the BBQ! I'd just have what I fancied, then cook something made from wholefoods when I get home if I'm still hungry. Doesn't need to be a big deal.

If that's really all that's on offer I'd skip it because I don't eat beef or chicken, and if they haven't bothered to provide alternatives I wouldn't feel any guilt about not going.

And store bought coleslaw is almost always disgusting IMO.

It would depend on how good a cook my partner was. If I ate at the bbq I wouldn’t be able to eat later on. If partner was cooking a healthier and tastier option I’d just have a couple of drinks then slope off.

Go but don’t eat the burger bun or any chips. Just have the plain burger and a very small portion of coleslaw or salad. To be honest the food sounds horrible so if I were you I wouldn’t want to go.

Exactly. Eating something more "indulgent" every so often is not going to have a real impact.

I can't believe people are suggesting things like making up for it afterwards with extra exercise.

Enjoy the bbq!