Even years after overcoming binge eating and food guilt, I still have to take caution with my eating habits in social situations. I find it much easier to consume too much food or eat just for the sake of eating in such occasions. Potlucks with their array of delicious food. Dinners out with friends. Parties with buffets of treats and goodies. To this day, I have to remind myself of a few things before partaking. I never feel guilty if I do eat more than needed, but its always nice to have a game plan and leave a night satisfied and comfortable. Wouldn’t you agree? So tonight, while at my friend’s rehearsal dinner (which is buffet style), I will incorporate the following practices that never fail me.

Scan first. Take a look at each plate served to you in a sit-down meal or assess the variety in a buffet before serving yourself. Eat only the things you most enjoy. In a buffet, I always pick out the top 5 things I want to eat and 2 to 3 of the most delicious looking desserts I want to sample. In a sit down meal I won’t finish each plate unless I love every bite. Plus, I always know I want dessert so I will try to eat less overall of the main meal.

Portion check. I plate up a smaller serving of each item I choose so I can get a taste of each, without ending up too full. Many times, a few bites satisfy my taste for that item and this way I can enjoy more of the things I enjoy. Also, feel free to add in the crudités or fruit at free will if you want to nibble extra.

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Take a moment to hunger check. Throughout the night it can be easy to mindlessly snack because you’re busy chatting or food sits right in front of you. Try to remember to pause and gauge your hunger as the night goes on. Realizing you are getting full could be enough to stop you from eating extra.

Keep drinking reasonable. Taking pleasure in a few cocktails is a fun part of social dining for many. Heck, I wish it was a part of my night tonight. 😉 It is easier to lose sight of how much you are eating when things get a little blurry if you know what I mean. Plus, drinks add up! Try to limit to 2 beverages enjoyed over the course of the night.

Think about tomorrow. Remembering a good workout planned the next day, or another social event where you will likely eat more, can help keep you motivated to keep things reasonable in the current moment.

Pop some gum. Seeing other people eating and drinking could just make your mouth crave some activity as well. Keep your mouth busy with some gum. Or sipping some water.

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Do something else. If a party includes dancing, go get your groove on. I doubt people are eating and dancing at the same time. Or if you see some friends talking further away from the dining area, move over and join their conversation.

Throw it away or push it away. Making a physical action to signify you are done eating can strengthen your resolve of being finished. Physically remove your dining dish as a signal to your mind you do not want more.

Don’t think you blew it. If you get to a point where you think you have eaten/drank more than you intended, do NOT immediately think you blew it and should just give in to whatever for the rest of the night! Tell yourself that you realize you are more than satisfied now and choose to continue your night happily. Choose to care for yourself by listening to your body and enjoying the rest of the time without drowning yourself in the chocolate fountain.

• What tips or tricks do you use when dining at social events?
• What situations are hardest for you to listen to your hunger cues?

Yet again, you all blow me away with your beautiful comments and belief in this process. I know daily reflections helped change my life and it excites me to see it doing positive things for each of us now. I wish I could respond in depth to each of you! I’m keeping tabs though and fully plan to use your comments in the future as I’m hopeful to feature the 30 days in new ways.

I also want to share another movement reaching out to uplift women. I stand behind it fully. The movement showcases women in a natural state along with their testaments to their beauty every day. Please check out Heather’s Faces of Beauty site! I’m featured on it today and would love for you to give it a look. Plus, you know you want to see how young I look without make-up. 😉

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Guess what I did today? I walked on a tightrope!

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Okay. Maybe I didn’t really, but it sure does feel like it. Keeping balance in life never gets easier! Every day I face a juggling act of keeping numerous things in balance.

Work & Play
I wear many different hats. In addition to my role as mother and wife, I do the following: I tutor Spanish. I lead an adult Bible study class as well as a small group during the week. I blog and freelance write. I spent great amounts of time yesterday keeping up with emails, comments, questions, etc related to the blog. I had to work on prep work for the class I lead. I had to brainstorm for my next article. I busted my tail (and my fingers on the keyboard) yesterday. While I loved every moment, especially the blog stuff, I knew I needed play too. So at 4:00 I unplugged and hit up the playground with my family.

I even channeled my inner kid and hopped on the swings. I do not want the day to come where swinging does not entertain me. It’s all about the simple things, after all.

Eating
I know from experience that trying to eat perfectly does me only harm. An all or nothing mentality will quickly lead me down a road of depression and binging. I’ve adapted to being okay with doing my best. That’s all I can do anyways and its pretty dang good. I treat my body well with wholesome foods, but refuse to feel guilty for splurges. Which is why one night I can eat kale chips and sloppy joes made with beans + veggies, then delight in a treat my husband brings home for me a couple days later.

Fitness
In my past, every day needed a workout. I drove myself into the ground with guilt if I wasn’t driving my body into the ground with obsessive time in the gym. Now, I adore taking at least one rest day per week and more if needed. I skipped the gym today to spend some time with our playgroup and replenish my energy after kickboxing, spinning, and lifting Mon-Wed.

Mental
My brain does not get many breaks. I have a hard time calming down my mind. I pride myself on my focus and determination to accomplish things. However, my mind needs to chill sometimes! So I take mental rest with my peaceful mornings of prayer…and the occasional night spent watching trash TV like The Bachelor Pad. Ha! How’s that for balance? Fall TV needs to come back to give me a mental break without the loss of integrity. 

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• What childhood activity do you still love doing?
• What Fall TV show are you most looking forward to returning? GLEE! And also The Biggest Loser since I love my Tuesday nights watching it with my sister. The show may annoy me at times, but the tradition of watching with my sister and the overall premise of regaining health make me happy.

***Have you posted about the 30 Days on your blog? Let me know so I can link back to you in tomorrow morning’s post. You can also place the button on your blog.

To do so…simply copy the code from below and paste in a text widget for your sidebar.

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