How to go out (or party in) without overindulging

In my last post, I promised I'd share some of my triggers for eating too much at (and after) parties and, more importantly, the solutions I've come up with for avoiding this kind of social splurging. Here they are! See if anything rings true for you: perhaps you can use my coping strategies, too.

Trigger 1: Post-party cleanup. Often, after I close my apartment door behind the last guest and survey my apartment, I realize that I have a dispiriting amount of cleanup to do -- dispiriting at midnight on a Saturday night, at any rate, when thoughts of a comfy duvet-covered bed dance in my head. When this realization hits, it seems only logical that I should put off the inevitable by eating some of the delicious leftovers. This is a perfect procrastination mechanism, easily accomplished while standing in the kitchen halfheartedly tidying, and it makes the clean-up seem more palatable. The only problem is, by this point, I don't need anything more to eat or drink.

Solution: My guests are some of the nicest people around. Most of the time, at least one person offers to help me do the dishes before heading home. So, the next time I'm asked if I'd like help cleaning up, I'm going to say yes! Trust me, there's much less temptation to help yourself to another two slices of cake or five servings of cheese if you have witnesses.:) And cleaning up is easier and nicer with company.

Trigger 2: Tiredness. Late at night, after I've just come in from an evening out, my body seems to think food is an important part of my bed-time routine. "You need to relax before you get ready for bed," a persuasive voice purrs in my ear. "Think how tired and unmotivated you feel, and what a nice diversion it will make to eat something tasty! Just one little snack and then you'll be ready to wind down." Suffice it to say that the persuasive voice often wins me over, and my "one little snack" has a tendency to morph into an apres-dinner dinner which I heartily regret the next morning.

Solution: I make it as easy as possible to go to bed. If this means leaving clothes hanging on chairs instead of in the closet or going to sleep without flossing, so be it. And I firmly tell that persuasive voice how much I'd rather dream than eat, especially since breakfast is just a sleep away.:)


Trigger 3: Hunger. Whether I'm throwing or going to a party, when I get that oh-am-I-ever-hungry
feeling before the bash gets underway, I tend to overindulge. Eating with abandon seems like a good idea at the time, and it's rather fun if parties are few and far between, but it's an absolute killer if it happens too often in a short time frame.

Solution: When I'm decently nourished from the get-go, I rarely splurge.  Thus, if I haven't eaten for a few hours and am heading out or getting ready for a dinner party at home, I often have a snack -- preferably one that contains a bit of protein, a bit of carbohydrate and a bit of fat. Some of my favourite and most reliable combos are:

• lightly salted, roasted soya nuts
• 1/2C to 1 C of plain  yogourt (any kind that's creamy and yummy) and a few nuts
• 1 C steamed green and wax beans and baby (seasoned with a dash of sweet rice vinegar), a slice or two of avocado and a boiled egg
• a slice of extra-firm tofu, half a piece of fruit and a few nuts

You'd be surprised at how effective the pre-party snack can be. It makes a real difference for me, and I bet it will for you, too.

Trigger 4: Alcohol. Celebration and alcohol go hand in hand. Trouble is, even a single mixed drink or one glass of wine makes it harder for me to keep to my eat-(and-drink)-carefully-at-parties resolution, and I hate to disappoint my friends and family by teetotaling the night away. So, what's a good-natured, wine-appreciating gal to do?

Solution: Whenever possible, I take my drink with food and, should my host prove especially hospitable and quick to refill my glass, I usually have a glass of water going at the same time. This is especially important because I haven't yet trained myself to sip my drink in a ladylike fashion. The double-fisting technique slows down my rate of (alcohol) imbibement and pretty well nixes the threat of regrets the next morning.