Losing Weight - 3 Steps to Mix Socializing with Dieting

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Article Title:

Losing Weight - 3 Steps to Mix Socializing with Dieting

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Article Description:

We are a social and habitual species, so it's natural that

we build up patterns of behavior related to socializing.

While many calorie-centered rituals have the potential to

thwart effective weight loss, socializing does not have to

be in conflict with healthy eating habits. Here are three

steps toward building positive weight management habits

while you enjoy time out with your friends.

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805 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2010-03-12 10:15:00

Written By: Larry Tobin

Copyright: 2010

Contact Email: mailto:larry.tobin@...

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Losing Weight - 3 Steps to Mix Socializing with Dieting

Copyright © 2010 Larry Tobin

Habit Changer

http://www.HabitChanger.com/

We are a social and habitual species, so it's natural that we

build up patterns of behavior related to socializing. We go out

with friends and have our little rituals, such as eating dinner

out, having a few drinks, or getting ice cream at the corner

shop.

While these calorie-centered rituals have the potential to thwart

effective weight loss, socializing does not have to be in

conflict with healthy eating habits. You just have to remember to

put things in perspective, and take advantage of the techniques

you've learned so far. Here are three steps toward building

positive weight management habits while you enjoy time out with

your friends.

Step 1 - Plan Ahead

The first step can be one of the trickiest, because we don't

always know when we're going to be going out. Some of our most

memorable experiences are when we impulsively decide to drive to

the next state for a concert or visit an old college roommate.

However, none of this means that you can't plan ahead, it just

means you have to do so a bit earlier. Whether you know when

you're next going out or not, sit down and come up with a plan

today.

Write out a list of the reasons you started a weight loss regime,

and the reasons you've stuck it out this long. This will help

remind you of what you've accomplished and what you're working

toward at the same time. With the goal back in mind, decide how

much you're going to eat. Are you going to stick to your usual

portions, or will you splurge just a little? It is ok to splurge

as long as it's a planned, one time event to be shared with your

friends, and not something you will give up your diet over.

Do you and your friends have a favorite restaurant or two? The

Internet is a marvelous tool to help you keep your goals in mind.

Instead of waiting until you're hungry and at the restaurant, go

online and see if they've posted their menu. Pick out what you

want in advance from one or two of your favorite places ahead of

time, while you can make the rational choice that best fits your

goals.

Step 2 - Use Your Habits

Once you're at the restaurant and the food is ordered and

brought to the table, you still have techniques you can use to

make good on your commitment to following your plan. Cut the food

with your non-dominant hand to slow yourself down, and remember

to put the fork down between bites. You'll get to enjoy the food

longer, have more opportunities to talk with your friends, and

work up to the feeling of being comfortably full.

If the food came in a larger portion than you expected, don't

panic. Simply put the portion that you intended to eat on one

side of your plate, and move the excess to the other side, and

eat as though nothing is wrong (because that's true!). Once you

finish eating, remember to have a nice cool glass of water and

wait twenty minutes to let yourself feel properly full. Politely

excuse yourself to get a breath of air outside if you need a

moment away from the food, and remember to ask your server for a

box so you can put the food aside where you don't need to look

at it.

Step 3 - Enjoy Yourself

Remember that the plan is not to make yourself feel miserable.

Instead we're building habits that make us feel empowered and

capable of controlling our diet for our own health and goals.

Part of those goals should be the right to be happy and to have

fun with our friends.

So the meal has come, you've eaten what you intended to and put

aside the extra. Congratulate yourself! You took a situation that

might have held you up before and made it work for you. Not only

did you stick to your plan and use the habits you've been

cultivating, you had a good time out with your friends, and

that's definitely worth the effort of a little extra planning.

After all, it's impractical to think we can simply avoid eating

out entirely. A bit of variety helps build good habits, because

then we don't get bored or frustrated that we've swapped one

boring routine for another one. Socializing helps us feel happy

and satisfied, and if we make that part of our goals instead of

trying to separate the two, we gain so much more satisfaction

from everything we've accomplished.

So eating out today doesn't mean we have to feel guilty or

somehow punish ourselves tomorrow. Everything we do is an

opportunity to build those healthy habits and take control of

ourselves so we can feel good and be healthy.

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Larry Tobin is the co-creator of

http://www.HabitChanger.com/ offering effective

and empowering solutions for losing weight.

Try our 42-day weight loss program at:

http://www.habitchanger.com/losingweight