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!

Eat an apple and have a big glass of water before you go then eat something you like and really enjoy it. Will probably not need to eat dinner.

All with the caveat I am generally slim, but have got to the top of normal BMI so I’m successfully losing weight (for the first time in my life) to get back to the middle of the band… and I don’t want to be the typical “I ate lettuce leaf yesterday and that’ll do
me for the week” competitive mumsnet undereater… BUT

Wouldn’t a BBQ served at 4:30 be your dinner?

I would eat sensibly and with moderation at the barbecue, eg filling up on chicken and no slaw - and then that would do me for the evening. It’ll be 5pm before you’re eating which is on the early side, but not unmanageably so.

I would be very happy someone was buying me what sounds like a delicious dinner and I’d eat it and enjoy it. It’s made me hungry to think about it. With what my working day is like I very rarely get to eat or take a break and eating like this is a treat to be savoured. If it was my normal working day I’d usually not have managed a minute for a sip of water or a loo break by 4.30 never mind a meal, so I’d fall on it and eat every bit. Because I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to eat anything else that day I’d also then have another dinner probably around 9.30 but not too heavy to disrupt my sleep later.

Today the first time I managed to eat was a quick snack at 3.45pm and then had dinner when I got home at about 8pm so it’s not what I’d call an unusual scenario for me.

The idea of someone giving me food at work, a place to eat it, hot food! Something I don’t have to cook or pay for???. Great. Load me up. (I’m not dieting but am a normal/slim weight)

If the BBQ is following a meeting which ends at 4:30pm. I'd assume I'd be eating around 5ish and that'd be my main meal/dinner. I'd have a burger (chicken not beef for my own preference) and some slaw if it wasn't too mayonnaise-heavy (again, my own preference, not a massive fan of claggy coleslaw). It wouldn't occur to me to eat again afterwards. As others say, weight loss is about good overall habits and making better choices, one meal outside of your plan isn't going to wreck it and there are ways you can eat sensibly /
moderately but still take part.

Have a binge and enjoy it, who cares if half a pound goes on. Go to the gym twice next week to make up for it

Personally I’d go, but just have salad. No one will be watching what you eat at a BBQ (it’s not like a formal meal where everyone is served). And I’d leave early to go the gym, too. If pushed, you can even say, I don’t want to eat too much as I’ve going to a spin class later.

Like others have said, I would go and have chicken and salad but I’d sack the gym for the day

This. I’d go and just enjoy the BBQ then get back to my diet the next day.

I’d go and eat chicken and salad. You can’t avoid doing normal stuff because that is unsustainable and why people put weight back on after dieting.

Cup of herbal tea and tyvita at least tou won't be hungrey.

c) If you enjoy a BBQ then just have a day off the diet?

I'm slim (8st11, 5ft4) and have recently purposefully lost a few pounds (at 41 it's taken an actual lifetime, and actual blood sweat and tears!)

But I have to say I wouldn't give this too much thought. I'd go to the bbq - I'd never skip something social for the sake of my figure. I'd eat a burger and a sausage and some coleslaw (but probably not the buns) and then just carry on as normal.

Your calorie intake can balance over a week, not just a day, so I'd make that up elsewhere by having a lighter day at some point.

I've continued to have a slap up Indian takeaway or fish n chips or a roast once a week, and a piece of cheesecake, whilst still losing weight (extremely slowly!)

I'd never turn down free food, lol. It's just one meal, go enjoy, live your life.

I don’t even understand why you would consider having dinner after having a meal at 4:30/ 5pm.

This is an interesting thing in terms of weight. People’s norms really influence them.
Having a bbq at 5pm would be dinner surely? The idea that you would have to forgo something by not having dinner later is so strange to me.

It’s perfectly easy to have a balanced portion controlled meal at a bbq.

Skipping a bbq to go to the gym is so disordered to me.

I would have a small breakfast and then go to the BBQ and make sensible choices wg maybe the chick n and coleslaw but swerve the bread. No booze. One day is fine.

Yes, I missed that - I’d have yoghurt/fruit for lunch (ie something light) and then eat the healthy options at the BBQ and consider that ‘dinner’. Ie I’d eat as normal but just be eating my evening meal a little earlier than usual?

I think the ‘diet’/‘how do slim people do it’ is that they (we, since I lost 6.5 stone and have kept it off) don’t see ‘BBQ’ and think ‘Binge’. It’s just a meal. Choose a piece of protein, some salad, serve yourself your normal portion size, and don’t go back for seconds.