Navigating Family Birthday PartiesNavigating Family Birthday Parties
As many of you know I have lost a lot of weight. The challenge is not only losing weight but then keeping it off once you have lost it. My ability to face the challenges gets easier with every success. I have accepted the fact that many foods, such as milk shakes, fries, and doughnuts, are not on my approved eating list anymore.
Sports teams always identify challenges and then plan strategies to help them win. They map them out and practice over and over to develop the skills they need to be winners. This is the same process I have followed to lose weight. Here are a few of the challenges and solutions that keep me in the losing game.
Family birthday parties
When my extended family gets together for a birthday party, there’s always cake and ice cream. Neither is on my food plan, so I’ll spoon fruit over no fat cottage cheese instead. Occasionally, if the ice cream is homemade or extra-special, I’ll have a spoonful. I have gotten to the point where I am just as satisfied with my cottage cheese and fruit as I would have been with cake and ice cream. In fact, my newest concoction is a cottage cheese “sundae.” I have whipped up some delectable ones using the fresh fruit I buy. My favorite is a sauce made from unsweetened raspberries. I put one-half cup of nonfat cottage cheese in a lidded plastic container that I can take with me. Then I pour one-half cup of the sauce on top and add one tablespoon of slivered or chopped almonds. The total calories are under 200, and I feel completely satisfied after eating it.
Group eating events
These include potluck dinners, office parties,and meetings where snacks are on hand. First, I try to find out in advance what will be served, and then I put an alternate plan in place. For a long time I belonged to an organization that served pizza at a monthly event. Every time I attended I packed a healthy dinner, usually a salmon sandwich, with fruit and vegetables on the side, in a small cooler. People would walk by and say, “I sure wish I had that for dinner.”
The temptation to stop for ice cream!
This used to be a favorite pastime of mine. I would drive by my local ice cream shop and it would seem to say, “Dian, I have a wonderful shake waiting for you.” I now make myself a banana shake in the evening using frozen banana and lite soy milk to take the place the high calorie ice cream shake.
Energy drop while running errands
While running errands, I used to whip into McDonald’s and pick up a cheeseburger for a dollar. Sometimes I even had more than one. No more. Now I pack a car snack kit with bottled water and several 150-calorie snacks. That way when I have an energy drop, I reach into my small cooler and grab a bag. My energy level is soon back to normal, without the guilt or the calories. I use Ziploc sandwich bags to store snacks, and I always pack snacks that are nonperishable. Taking snacks with me also keeps me from having an all-blowout-meal as soon as I get home. Remember, it’s not about dieting; it’s about changing the way you deal with food. Even small steps like these make a big difference.
