How To Stay On Track At Special Events

Choosing to start a weight loss program, whether it’s to lose your baby weight or initiate a healthier lifestyle, is a big step to take. Usually you’ve thought about it for a little while (or maybe a long while), weighed up the pro’s and con’s and discussed your options with friends and loved ones, before making a decision to commit.
Finding the right time to start losing weight or making healthy changes goes hand in hand with choosing to start a weight loss program but is often a little trickier to master. When we finally decide to commit to changing our lifestyle, it’s often with a flush of inspiration and motivation, excitement to make the necessary changes that are needed for a happier, healthier life.
We then often decide on a ‘start point’ for the changes. The beginning of the week/month/new year are all popular options. After deciding on our start date, we then look at our calendar and realise that we have a whole bunch of events in the upcoming weeks that might throw a bit of a spanner in the works. We are now confused.
Do we start with our plan on the date we decided, or do we wait? By starting straight away and not waiting to get events that are going to challenge us out of the way, are we setting ourselves up to fail? Conversely, by waiting for a couple of days/weeks/months, are we putting off the commitment needed to make positive changes?
It can be a hard path to navigate! I had this exact scenario play out about a month ago, after deciding to make some healthy changes to my lifestyle. I was overseas at the time and was faced with a dilemma; do I bite the bullet and start while I’m away or do I wait? What about the 24 hour plane flight home? I was also faced with a very busy January which included my sons first birthday and birthday party, a close friends birthday and a weekend wedding. Decisions, decisions!
The good news is that there are ways of navigating the special events in your life so that you are able to kick start your weight loss and healthy eating when you want to start (and feel motivated and inspired) and still enjoy the best that life has to offer. We are always going to have BBQ’s, parties, birthdays and weddings to attend, regardless of whether we are losing weight or not, so learning how to handle these kind of situations early on is a great way of setting you up for success in the future.

Staying on track at special events

• Consider canapés/entrees/dips and chips carefully – What you eat while at a special event is the most significant factor in keeping your weight loss on track. Filling up on high calorie, salty or sweet snacks before the main event is going to tip your calorie count out for the day. Avoid fried or heavily salted or marinated foods and stick to things like fresh seafood, veggie sticks and dips like hummous.
• Choose your main – The event you’re at will influence the kind of food you’re served and the choice you have in what you eat. If you’re at a BBQ or party with some kind of serve yourself buffet, choose lean meats and pile your plate high with green salad. Sides like BBQ corn are also a good option. A wedding is a little more difficult as it will often be alternate service. You can speak to the bride and groom prior to the event and ask for one particular option (fish is always a safe choice) or if you’re attending with a partner, swap dishes once they’ve been served.
• Beware liquid calories – Events where alcohol is free flowing can be a dangerous affair when trying to lose weight. Alcohol is full of empty calories, with some drinks worse for the waistline than others. Sticking to white wine or clear spirits (with sugar free mixers) is your best bet, as is alternating your drinks; one alcoholic, one soft/water. A white wine spritzer, made with white wine and mineral water or (sugar free) lemonade, is also a good option.
• Dessert do’s and dont’s – One of the best parts of a party is the dessert. While it’s also one of the most calorie laden dishes on the table, it can be hard to resist. If you’ve managed well leading up to the final course, indulging in some cake isn’t the end of the world, and will stop you fantasising (and possibly blowing your diet at a later date). Just stick to a small slice and fill the rest of your plate with fresh fruit if it’s on offer. That way you can enjoy your sweet treat, while offsetting it with some nutritious fibre.