Attend Parties While Dieting and Survive with Gusto!!

Parties have always been torturous for me when I'm dieting.  I love salty snacks, especially the kind that you'll find at most parties.  I'm ready to party when I see popcorn, chips, crackers, and cheese all festively laid out on a table it ready to be devoured.  I have my plate in hand and excited to have a little bit of everything.  Fortunately, I already know this about myself and I can make decisions that will help me avoid these slippery situations.  What if you're the one throwing the party?!  You want your guests to be able to indulge (afterall they are not dieting) and at the same time you have to expose yourself to lots of temptation.  Well, I got a nice sample of that last night.

A good friend and I threw a Zumba Samba party. While assisting with set up, I was asked to empty the bag of tortilla chips into a bowl.  Harmless, right? Well, chips are like my favorite salty snack food.  As I poured the chips into the bowl, I could smell the aroma of toasted corn and salt.  Suddenly all my senses were on alert and my nose was working overtime.  Oh my God, it smelled so good!  That very smell not only made me really want to put a chip in my mouth, but also reminded me of the sense of comfort I had when I ate chips.  Fortunately, I get to walk away.  Which I did only to get slammed in the face with a Costco cake.  I'm more of a pie eater than cake, but in general I don't really have much of a sweet tooth.  However, I rarely turn down cake at parties especially if it's from Costco.  I mean isn't it rude to the host if you don't eat their cake?  I'm so kidding.  Remember that the host is too busy hosting and doesn't care whether you have cake or not.  I had to give myself permission to pass on the cake.  I was not hungry for it and I did not need it.  Plus, it's just not part of my diet right now.  Although there was still much help to be needed setting up the refreshments table, I found a different way to be useful and started setting up other things.  A change in scenary and a new distraction helped save me. 

I did have a good plan set up before going to the party which I truly also believe helped me make it through. 

• I drank a chocolate protein shake before I left my house.  Not only did this make sure that I would not be hungry at the party, but I also got to have something chocolately and sweet.  It felt like a treat and so I didn't need any of the treats at the party. 
• I asked to have a veggie tray.  When we did have a break and I got a little craving to snack, I had a few sugar snap peas.  I like crunchy things and so again that felt like a treat. 
• I planned to have a nice dinner when I got home.  I enjoyed steak, veggies, and salad much more than I would have those chips.  I knew I had this to look forward to and so that was another incentive for me not to cheat. 
• I got social and stayed busy.  I focused on outfits.  What should I change into next that will add to the experience of the party (it was a Zumba party)?  As opposed to focusing on how many more chips were left in the bowl (which is what I would normally do). I took pictures, talked to people, and made new friends.  I think this focus on people rather than food really empowered me to have a great time. 
• When in doubt, pack your own food.  I brought some protein powder in case I got hungry.  

Now that the night is over, I feel successful.  I stuck to my diet and had a great time at the party.  Reflecting back, I am amused by all the rationales that crossed my mind earlier when I was around the party food.  It's okay to eat these corn chips because:

• "They have flax seeds and so that makes them healthy, right?"
• "Aren't corn chips better for you than potato chips?  So they're healthy, right?"
• "I've taught 3 classes today and about to dance for another 2 hours.  What's a few chips?" (I hardly ever eat a few chips, but I can eat a whole bag. Although I can burn enough calories for a few chips, trying to burn up the calories from a whole bag would leave me strapped to a treadmil.  Not a place I want to be)

My friends call me the Queen of Justification.  I have to admit that it's true.  I have an angel on one shoulder telling me to eat sugar snap peas and then a Joker sneaking in whispers of justification for those salty chips.  As I sit here writing out these justifications, they all sound so silly.  I totally know that they are not true.  I'm glad I didn't react right away by listening to that Joker.  Now I can reflect on just how silly my justifications were and therefore hopefully recognize when I'm justifying again in the future.    

Going to a party when dieting requires mental and physical preparation.  Luckily, there are plenty of distractions.  Afterall, it is a party?!  I had a blast last night without any chips or cake in my belly.  Instead, I walked away with my new friends, wonderful memories, and stronger will power.