The Social Aspect

My WW Buddy Nichole (Hi Nichole) posted a question on our maintenance thread:

How do you define “fun” when it comes to holiday parties?  How do you balance fun outings with staying On-Program?

I answered: to me the fun part is the social part.  I love seeing my friends and family and I love having any reason to put on a party or throw a get-together.  I really enjoy being around people that make me happy.  I always get thanked for putting together a party and everybody has a good time.  I’m the social butterfly of the group. 

Part of being social for me is not only food but also alcohol.  I am a social drinker and I love having a social reason to have a drink…or two.  I know I can open a bottle of wine and have a glass any day of the week.  Since Kenyon doesn’t drink it takes me forever to go through a bottle of wine at home so that is all the more reason to wait and share a bottle when I am around my friends and family. 

The difficult part can be the balance between food and drink and not going overboard on one or both.  Heck, add dessert into the mix and it just complicates things even more.  Once I start drinking I can often become a bit careless with my food choices. 

If the social event is a “self service” event, I will always start with a small pour.  This way I feel like I am having more than one glass of wine but in reality I am just pouring smaller amounts.  I will also drink a lot of water with my meal and in between my alcoholic drinks.  This keeps me hydrated but also helps cut down the calories.

Since the social aspect is my favorite part, I always do my visiting farthest from the food.  It is common to show up at a party and have appetizers on the table.  Obviously this is where most people gather to chat.  I will pour my small glass of wine and sit in the living room or at the dining room table where I can still engage with the party-goers but not risk spoiling my dinner on appetizers. 

What goes with that last tip is also NOT showing up to a party hungry.  That is disastrous.  It can be frustrating when a party doesn’t start on time or the food isn’t ready to eat on time.  If I know ahead of time that will be the case I’ll really pre-plan that I have eaten before I arrived.

No matter what the outcome, I strive to have fun.  You only live once.  If I have eaten too much, drank too much, or just overindulges more than necessary…tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start. 

Point me to the salad bar!