Surviving A Party With Your Weight Intact

Now, if we indulged once or twice a year this wouldn’t be an issue, but the truth is that we can have several events every single week that serve this type of food and very quickly our weight can feel the impact.

So before the party season hits full swing, here are the three essential secrets to surviving, without a 1000 extra calories on board.

1. Never, ever, arrive at a function hungry. Make it a priority to grab something filling, such as a protein snack, nut bar or cheese and crackers an hour or two before you head out to take the edge off your hunger so that you do not find yourself overeating. Another trick is to always order a soda or sparkling water when you first arrive. Not only will this help to control your alcohol intake, but you will eat less when you are hydrating and sipping on some water for the first 10-20 minutes.

2. Next, make a concerted effort to limit your portions. Just 3-5 canapes equates to as many calories as an entire meal and simply knowing this may be all you need to keep a tab on things. One option is to say ‘no’ to offerings every second time they do the rounds, another to stand well away from any food being served,  or to get into a habit of enjoying one or two canapes that you particularly like. The funny thing is that often we are eating snacks not because we love them or are particularly hungry, rather simply because they are offered to us.

3. Finally, but most importantly, remember that even though you have not officially had ‘dinner’, between the canapes and the alcohol, you probably have from a calorie perspective. For this reason, even if you are still hungry later in the evening resist the urge to stop in at the local Thai or fast-food pick-up and instead keep some low calorie soups on hand to fill your tummy with some real nutrition before you hit the sack.

Susie Burrell is one of Australia’s leading dietitians and the founder of her online weight loss program Shape Me. Susie is especially known for her practical, easy to understand approach to diet, nutrition and wellbeing.