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Balancing a weight loss phase and being social with friends and family can seem like a hassle.
We know if we’re going to hang out, there’s most likely going to be food and drinks involved.
This can be tricky if your calorie deficit doesn’t have room for what everyone else eats, and you don’t want to feel like the odd one out.
Or you fear you may get tempted and overeat, erasing your previous weight loss efforts.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to hang out with your favorite people and still stay on track with your weight loss goals?
I’ve been there (still am…sometimes), and I understand because I’m often in and out of this situation.
I’ve had to balance my social life to support my weight loss efforts with some tips, and although they aren’t perfect, they work.
Based on some research and my personal experience, I’m giving you some basic and unique tips for balancing your social life and your weight loss goals.
Tips for Balancing Your Social Life and Your Weight Loss Goals
Before we get into it, you need to know that no one is perfect.
Unless you’re a bodybuilder in your final weeks of cutting before a bodybuilding competition, some extra calories on a night out won’t be catastrophic. (keyword: “some extra”). That being said, let’s dive in:
1. “Save” calories for social gatherings
Most people agree with this tip because it works. However, saving calories does not equal *not eating anything all day till your night out*.
Everything requires balance, and starving isn’t practical or healthy for most. Here’s how I suggest you do it:
If you have a gathering at, let’s say, 7pm on a Friday night and it’s Monday, you could save around 250 calories daily from Monday until Thursday and have an extra 1000 calories to eat that night.
You could also wake up Friday morning, intermittently fast till 12 p.m., and have some oats (oats digest slowly and are pretty filling), then have a low-calorie but filling meal shortly before the gathering.
Doing it this way instead of completely starving yourself all day ensures that you don’t show up for the hangout (redeyed, lol) and eat everything in sight.
Check out: 4 Things Women Get Wrong About Getting Toned (Fix Them!)
2. Exercise to compensate for extra calories
You can’t go wrong with exercise! You can either use it proactively or reactively. What do I mean?
You could exercise within the week or even on the day before the hangout to make way for some extra calories.
You could also exercise after the hangout if you end up consuming more calories than you would’ve wanted to.
Exercise doesn’t have to be dreadful; you can do it in fun ways:
- You could make it part of the hangout: go swimming, tennis, bowling, kayaking—the list is endless.
- Take a solo bicycle ride.
- Build some muscle and burn calories by lifting some weights after eating.
This tip helps me a lot when I’m in the weight loss phase.
Exercising before going out makes me feel better and will also make you feel less guilty when eating out; in fact, you feel like you deserve it.
But one last note: unless you exercise like a *mad man or woman*, you won’t burn enough calories to justify a full box of pizza.
Related: How to Make Exercise a Habit in 2 Minutes
3. Check the menu online and decide what food you’re getting beforehand
Knowing what you’re going to eat in a restaurant beforehand is a lifesaver because it saves your weight loss efforts and your conscience.
Most restaurants have their menus online.
Picking out your meal(s) before getting there reduces your chances of being overwhelmed with all the tasty meal choices.
This may help stop you from picking foods that may eradicate your weight loss efforts for the whole week.
It also saves you from peer pressure if you’re the type of person who sticks to their decisions.
4. Journal your calories
This is a hit-or-miss. Some people swear by noting and tracking calories, and others see it as excessive (I’m part of the former).
Knowing that you will have to write down the things you eat, and their calorie value makes you more conscious when eating.
This holds you accountable, resulting in less eating. Check out my article on how to track calories if you’re interested.
5. Have a low-calorie or/and Fiber rich mini-meal shortly before the hangout
Having a meal before going out to eat sounds counter-intuitive; however, having a low-calorie, high-fiber meal right before going out to eat can reduce your appetite and cravings.
This helps you make fewer rash decisions when picking meals and may also help you eat less restaurant food.
I’d usually have a fruit bowl or some yogurt (they’re both filling) before heading out when I’m dieting. This helps me stay level-headed, and I trust it will for you too.
6. Swap drinks for just good old water (or a very low-calorie drink)
You’d be surprised how many calories you can reduce by just cutting out drinks. Most people can start losing weight if all they do is cut out drinks.
Those calories really add up, and when you’re on a tight deficit, swapping drinks for a low-calorie drink or just water goes a long way.
You can then transfer those calories to eating actual food.
7. Eat slow, Engage more
When we eat fast, we don’t give our brains enough time to process or give us fullness signals on time.
There’s a hormone called leptin. This hormone is what gives us the feeling of satiety; it’s what triggers the “enough feeling.”
If you start eating slower, your brain actually releases this leptin hormone sooner than it would if you ate fast.
Start eating slower and being in the moment with the people you hang out with. It’ll help you connect better with your friends and family and reduce overeating.
8. Make the group aware of your weight loss goals
If the people you’re hanging out with aren’t aware of the new YOU you’re trying to be or your goals, it will come as a shock to them.
They may either clown you (when did this dude start ordering SALADS?!), pressure you to eat the same thing the group always gets, or both.
To avoid this dilemma, tell them in advance about your weight loss goals and tell them you won’t be ordering the usual
9. Be okay with prioritizing your weight loss goals (for sometime)
Achieving your fitness goals comes with sacrifice, and part of that sacrifice is accepting the fact that you will have to limit how often you dine out, with or without friends.
There are too many hidden calories.
Restaurants add lots of fat, salt, and sugar to their food to make it delicious.
So, if you want to lose weight and get out of the diet phase, prioritize your weight-loss goals for some time.
