Be Social, Eat Well, Lose Weight

Posted: May 30 in Weight loss by Dr. Lazarus

Sometimes social support can guide you through the roughest moments of a medical weight loss program. When you are ready to give up and give in to the couch and that bag of potato chips, your closest friends can encourage you to keep moving forward and give you the positive energy to push towards your goals.

And sometimes it doesn’t work out quite that way.

Your friends mean well. They really, really do. But that chocolate cake your friend made for your book club meeting, or the BBQ your co-workers invited you to this weekend, those aren’t exactly going to help your diet plan.

The problem is that once you enter those social situations, turning down the overflow of desserts and freshly prepared foods is difficult. Sure, your friend knows you are trying to lose weight, but they might not see the harm in you trying just a bite. You, on the other hand, know the harm that comes with breaking from your medical weight loss plan. You don’t want to do it, but you don’t want to become a social recluse for the next several months either.

Managing weight loss and your social life: Can it be done?

Of course it is possible, but you are going to need to learn to stand strong in your dietary goals, develop strategies to avoid temptation in the face of luring sweets and manage to politely say no when your friends and family members don’t want to hear it.

Here are a few tips for losing weight, socially:

• Eat before you go. Try changing your dinner plans to “after” dinner plans and make a point to eat your own food before going out. If offered food, assure your friend you’ve already eaten.
• Start drinking water. When everyone is eating and drinking it can be hard to resist the temptation yourself. Simply having a drink in your hand can help you avoid turning to the buffet table or bar. Fill a wine glass with a bit of water and sip on it casually as you grow absorbed in conversation.
• Change the location. If meeting at someone’s house often turns into a baking session, then switch it up. Ask to meet for a cup of tea or for a walk at a park. Adding a bit of activity to your social situations can help you get more exercise without having more calories.

Developing healthy social habits like these will help you long after your medical weight loss program ends, as it will then be up to you to maintain the weight you’ve lost.