Drinks evening in local - need ideas

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Meeting friends in local next week but don't want to go as I know it means the end of my diet again so please help tell me how you cope. I know they will want snacks or food to share and if I don't join in I will stand out. I'm planning to drive so can't share bottle but what drinks can I have? I know I will need at least two ideas as the evening wears on.

I can't get out of it and they are all skinny or slim so I will stand out again especially if I mention the need not to consume so many calories. Tempted to avoid eating for a few days but that's just useless!

Can you look at the menu in advance and decide what to have?
Drink diet coke or low cal tonic or fruit juice
Good luck

Diet coke with a dash of lime cordial in it

Fresh orange with soda

Bowl of soup if ordering meals

You can ask the chef to recommend the lowest calorie option. Also ask for things that come with chips NOT to come with chips etc. Chefs are normally quite obliging. And order soda and black or a low/zero cal drink.

When I'm "on plan" I just have soda water with a lime wedge, squint a bit and pretend it might be gin

I don't mention calories or dieting or anything, that's just what I'm drinking tonight!

Thanks for replies i was busy looking online but nothing apart from reviews saying how long food takes to arrive so maybe i cold eat early and use that as an excuse. Drinks will have to make a list onedaywhenigrowup if I splurt in my drink it will be because I've suddenly remembered what you said about squinting! Any other replies will be most welcome as i will try to think of all the helpful replies and not on the restrictions fpunny ones especially distracting!

I plan on keeping a small bottle of angostura bitters in my bag and ordering a tonic. None of the bars stock it now.

Or a watered down wine.

I think the lowest calorie drink would be diet coke/lemonade etc or water with a wedge of lemon/lime if not drinking alcohol, if you want to have a bit of alcohol a single vodka and diet coke is 55 calories if drinking alcohol the best thing is to have a spirit (not necessarily vodka) with slimline tonic/diet fizzy drink. If you can, look online at the menu or ring up and ask if they're not online, Im much more relaxed eating out when I've planned what to have. Restaurants/pubs are used to accommodating dieters so shouldn't have a problem asking for any sauces to be in a pot, or swapping chips for a baked potato or salad, for example

Brilliant idea to say you've eaten earlier already - but also remember, people really don't pay attention to what other people are eating/not eating.

You could have a diet coke, or cordial and soda, or diet lemonade if they have it.

Stay strong, don't get dragged into feeling like you have to have something just because other people are - and enjoy yourself! :)