It’s All About Control

The reason social engagements may make you feel uncomfortable has to do with control; how much control you think you have over making “the right” choices so you won’t leave feeling stuffed and regretful of your actions. Some people get “nervous energy” and tend to ease the nerves with the comfort of food. So if you’re attending a wedding where you don’t know too many people, eating can give something for your mind and mouth to do rather than (gulp) chat with strangers.

Have a Plan, Have Control

The best way to convince yourself that you do have control of your food choices in social settings is to make a plan that builds confidence. Make sure your plan is realistic and achievable. For example, do not tell yourself to skip breakfast and eat a salad for lunch so you can “bank” your calories for food and drink. You’ll end up feeling tired, starved, and ready to eat the table.

Here are some realistic tips:

• Eat before you go. You don’t want to get really hungry early on at the party. Who knows when food will be served? I recommend having a healthy meal two hours before the occasion begins or a 200-calorie snack within an hour before the event. A healthy snack might be one cup of watermelon and one cup of fresh cut veggies with a glass of water. A healthy meal looks more like a cup of salad greens and three ounces of salmon with a tablespoon of dressing.

• If possible, delay eating. If you can eat “anytime” at the party consider delaying eating until you start to feel hungry. Skip the appetizer round of food and drinks and instead sip on some carbonated water with lemon. Make a pass at the food table and take a look at what looks good. Think about what you would enjoy eating that would also nourish you.

• Make one reasonable sized plate. When it’s time to eat, choose foods that come close to the foods on your eating plan. If there are fresh veggies or salad greens, be sure to grab some of those to balance out other high calorie foods. Enjoy every bite of what you choose. Try to make the meal last 30 minutes and stop when you are full.

• Choose between desserts and drinks. You probably don’t need me to tell you that desserts and alcohol are sources of empty calories. But it’s a party so you should be able to participate. By skipping appetizers and sticking to one plate, you do have a calorie budget to enjoy one or two drinks or a dessert, but try to keep from participating in both. You don’t want to offset all your positive efforts with this slip up.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Be Social Without Blowing Your Diet

The majority of first dates include food. Men buy food on dates to demonstrate that they can provide, and it gives us something to do with our nervous hands, a reason to pause and consider what you will say while your mouth is full, and something to look at to avoid eye contact. The majority of our social contacts include food in some form.  We share food to nurture one another; it is a way to say ‘I care about you, your comfort, and your health’. Also, as we mentioned, food is a powerful drug that can impact us physically and emotionally. The emotional aspects, seem to be Dr. Phil’s primary concern in how food may be misused. It’s when we start using food as a drug or a filler than it becomes a problem; that’s when our calories become empty.

According to Dr. Phil’s quiz Are You An Emotional Eater, I would venture that nearly all of us at least have “room for improvement”. Personally, I think there is a balance and you can still make smart choices without limiting yourself socially or completely ignoring your body’s cravings. Even chocolate has researched benefits on mood, but eating a tub of rocky road is not going to be helpful in the short term or the long term.

However, in general, we need to over-learn something new before we can find the workable balance. You have to create healthy habits before you can find exceptions. The problem that Dr. Phil is highlighting is when food is your main (or only) coping technique.

Rather than eating when sad, lonely, uncomfortable, or anxious, consider these tried and true coping skills:

Seek Support – find a friend or confidant and share your stressors or just find something to laugh about.

Journaling – even if no one else is available, you can always take a deeper look at your own thoughts, and maybe talk yourself into a new state of mind, by writing down what you are thinking and what is bothering you.

Exercise – Research has shown that nothing relieves stress more than physical exercise. When you exercise, your brain secretes several nuerochemicals, including serotonin, which may be the reason you are craving chocolate in the first place, endorphins, which have an opiate-like effect of pain-relief and mood elevation, dopamine, and norepinephine. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, and increased appetite have been linked to deficiencies of these neurochemicals.

Positive distraction – If you’re stressed, take a break and watch a movie or take a bath or do something else to take care of yourself or take your mind off of what is bothering you.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat