Out and about this weekend - how to eat healthily?

Not back to work until Tuesday which is great and well needed. Today I going to see a friend late afternoon. Will walk some of the way there and back - aim to get in 10,000 + today. Going to a pub and having a meal and probably sharing a bottle of wine. What is in my favour is it can't be a late one - got to be up early tomorrow. As for tomorrow, going to see my Dad. He is in a nursing home and spends majority of his time sat in a chair staring out of the window. Normally take him out somewhere for lunch. Predicted rainy weather - not sure where will go. If by the sea, he will want fish and chips - his favourite. Then staying with my friend, who is an amazing baker. Always makes amazing cakes and pastries. Sunday morning, I may go and see my Mum. She is in a care home and suffers from dementia. Despite me having a challenging relationship with my mother, I am the only one out of my siblings that regularly visits her. My husband doesn't come after my Mum made a racial comment towards him. I'm afraid that I will succumb to emotional eating once I'm back home on Sunday afternoon! I need to plan a healthy meal for Sunday evening that will turn the switch back on for Monday!

How does everyone else cope when 'away' for the weekend?

Lizzy

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi Lizzy,

I'm afraid I live a very boring life and rarely put myself in the position of being challenged. I'm a bit of a control freak and as long as I'm in control, everything's hunky dory I don't yet trust myself to relinquish that control, as I'm afraid that everything will go to pot - one day maybe

Well done you though for going out and looking for temptation, you must have a will of steel

I see you're going to be clocking up the K's too

[Hidden]

My 'plan' for being away last week was to try to be as good for as long as possible and then give up and submit to temptation ! I felt I'd been pretty good for 12 weeks, so I would allow myself a bit of leeway.

I did try to plan a bit in advance - we decided that we wouldn't have the 'hotel' breakfast everyday, so we took some porridge pots that we could eat using the kettle hot water in the room. We also had very light lunch on some days to save ourselves for having a bigger meal later.

Fish and chips - can you just eat the fish and leave the batter ?

Good luck - sounds like quite a challenging weekend, emotionally and eating wise !

[Hidden]

Stock up on soup for emotional eating. Difficult to eat too much soup. Good luck.

[Hidden]

I was going to suggest leave the batter on the fish n chips too. Also get loads of tasty fruit and veg on your way back so you've got healthy food around you when the potential emotional eating strikes. Also, try not to worry too much, as worrying can make you more likely to think too much about food. I find I'm more likely to make healthy choices these days out of instinct rather than through particularly trying. Maybe see this wknd as a test for your newly developed healthy eating habits, relax and enjoy

[Diana in reply to Hidden]

Leaving the batter seems tough, I think I'd be tempted not eat all the batter

[Diana]

I think you need to ask yourself, just because dad has fish and chips, I don't have to?

I tend to go for healthier food when I'm away and less of it.

Tell your baker friend that you really don't want too much, as kindly as you can.

I'm away myself fri to sat eve, seeing my brother over from Spain, will just eat wisely, after all I can't eat what I can these days, making wise choices.

He tends to over eat, and is stuck with weight, unlike me!

[Portlandprincess]

Lots of emotional stuff there! Chips always smell delish, but never as good as they suggest...have chips...eat slowly, when cold discard but have something you prepared earlier in your bag....you'll feel that your not being punished then.

[Hidden]

I must admit I have started carrying emergency supplies. Oatcakes and things that stop be being really hungry. I went on a day course the other day and took Tesco pot of soup with me to prevent me choosing the off diet options.

[Hidden]

Good luck Lizzy - that sounds like a very full-on weekend. My motivation is very strong when I've just got off the scales in the morning, so when I'm facing the lunch-out scenario I usually skip breakfast apart from tea / coffee (I know, I know - it's against all the guidance but frankly it works a treat for me). If the stomach rumbles get too deafening, then I tuck into my emergency banana (with me at all times!), so that I arrive at the lunch menu feeling smugly in control and then quickly select the least damaging thing on the menu.

My reasoning often goes thus:

Avoid sauces and chips.

Soup is mostly water so how bad can that be?

Jacket potatoes fill you up nicely if you can bear to choose the non-fatty fillings.

Things which come with a pile of freshly cooked veg / salad are promising.

Hope it all goes OK for you!

[Hidden]

Hello Everyone - thanks for your guidance and support. I really helped and I didn't succumb to emotional eating in the way I would normally do. In the end, we didn't have fish and chips or go to the cafe - my Dad refused to get out of the car!!!