Help! How to manage events?!?

[everlastingdiet]

Help!
I'm doing well on mj, second month in.
How do I manage the work Christmas meal? I absolutely don't want anyone to know about mj. I've not lost enough for people to have particularly noticed and don't want to discuss it.

I daren't drink alcohol on it in case it makes me feel unwell. I get quite anxious about potential side effects. I also avoid eating after 5 as it gives me terrible indigestion.
Meal and drinks booked 8pm, expectation that I will drink as always have done.

How do I negotiate this dinner and drinks do? I don't really want to go at all, it's really stressing me out.

Re drinking - there are loads of non/low alcohol options out there or you could just say you’re on antibiotics! 😁
Food wise - I assume you have menu options? Pick the lightest things you can. I have found I leave quite a lot when I have been at something like that but have also realised that people really aren’t paying as much attention to what everyone else eats as I have always thought!!!

Can you not just say you're on a diet? you are obviously losing weight so say you're calorie counting or something

Either say you’re sick and don’t go or

Can you say you are driving as you have something to do the next day so got to be up early?

pick at the starter, move it around your plate and say you don’t like it.

Eat the lean meat and veg on your main.

Give the pudding away as again, you don’t like it, you’re full, move it around the plate.

Don't use the antibiotics line. It's shorthand for being pregnant. Drive. Offer others lifts if you want.

Time your jab so that the meal falls towards the end of the week, when suppression is waning a little. Choose the lightest options on the menu and just push them around your plate. Have a coffee instead of pudding.

But overall, in the nicest possible way, remember that no-one is as interested in what you do or don't eat or drink as you are. No-one will actually notice.

Doesn't help you OP but I am not going to mine this year.
Arranged to go away at the same time.
I hate work xmas parties so wouldn't have been keen on going anyway even if I wasn't on MJ.
Not sure when you jab day is in relation to your do, but you could move it if that would make a difference and you are bothered.

If you can, drive, it's by a mile the easiest excuse.

Agreed on other people not really noticing what you eat. Say you're not too keen if they question it. Have a very light lunch.

If you really want to avoid it, decline. You've got a family event on that weekend, haven't you? Or maybe Auntie Zelda has a hospital appointment and you've promised to be her transport/babysit her child/you have to go stay with her to look after her.

I’ve had three nights out with work, I drank as normal. No issues, in fact it’s proven there is no issue drinking on mj. And for food, I struggled, wasn’t hungry and left a lot, but no one gave a shit.

You can always go and not drink and order something light. I don’t think you’ll raise eye brows if you say you’re on a diet really because people are getting more conscious of their health these days. Like before Mj, if a friend tells me this I won’t even think twice.
Also you can enjoy a night out without alcohol. There’s lots of non alcoholic drinks you can enjoy. Maybe because I don’t drink normally and I go out a lot, I enjoy myself without alcohol. I doubt if anyone will even notice what you’re eating or drinking, you’re only thinking of it because of MJ but I certainly don’t go out and look at my friends plates.

Far fewer people drink alcohol these days - unless your team is full of very heavy drinkers surely it won't be an issue?
Most work events I've been to in recent years, particularly since Covid, seem to be roughly 50/50 drinkers and non-drinkers, and nobody seems to notice or care what others are doing (well, only til the end of the night when non-drinkers become very popular for those wanting lifts home).
I don't drink but none of my work colleagues have ever commented on it or asked why. And people have certainly never commented on what I'm eating either.

I don't really drink alcohol anyway so would just order an alcohol free cider as I like those or one Southern Comfort and lemonade then switch to something non alcoholic and not too fizzy.

Food wise presumably it's a Christmas meal so you could ask for it without potatoes. If I get a burger I ask for it without the bun as I'm not a huge fan of them. I've been out and colleagues have ordered two starters instead of a main. I don't think you have anything to worry about people are more confident requesting more customised food. now.

My plan is …

Dry white spritzer and just top up constantly with water.
Leave the potatoes.
Skip the pudding and have tea/coffee instead.

This year I've been mostly able to avoid food related events and my team know I'm on a health kick so are accommodating me. I went to an event recently and didn't want to be singled out for not drinking so I had a slimline tonic and lime and just smiled when asked if I was enjoying my G+T! I think I'm more self-conscious about it than others, nobody is looking or caring about what I'm eating or drinking.

Will you be staying up later than normal? That might alleviate indigestion from eating later.
I don’t drink anymore, stopped over a year ago after always being the party girl. I was worried about what people would say/think. Mostly, nobody really gives a toss! Drink non alcoholic options or tonic with ice and lime - nobody knows what else is or isn’t there.

just pick at your food. Food at these things is often a bit disappointing anyway.

I have eaten at lots of work events. No one notices of you leave food on your plate - I have one glass of wine and it’s fine.

There’s no interaction with alcohol. You’ll be totally fine.

As for food, just have as much or as little as you want. I really find it hard to believe anyone notice or care.