Weight Loss Tips: Strategies for "The Big Game" Parties

Sunday evening is a night of parties across the country for "The Big Game." You know the football games I am talking about. You know the one with the name everyone knows but can't print for fear of copyright infringement? Yes, that's the one.

For those of us trying to follow a more healthy lifestyle (notice I didn't not say "diet"), Sunday night can be a minefield of poor food choices. Tables splayed with the likes of hot wings, nachos, chips and dips, brownies, and the like can be a real temptation for those of us who like to eat. For this reason we need a game plan to wade through the treacherous waters of "The Big Game" parties.

On Monday night, I attended a Weight Watchers meeting in Snellville, Georgia. Our leader, Sabrina, had our group brainstorm some ideas to get us through "The Big Game" party successfully and in control of our eating and choices. Here are some of the strategies that we came up with:

Eat Before You Go to the Party

This was one of the first suggestions to come up. One lady said that in this situation, it helped her to eat a light and healthy meal, such as vegetable soup, before going to a party with lots of temptations. That way, she was able to arrive with a full stomach and not be lured so easily over to the snacks table.

Bring Your Own Food

A surefire way to know that there is going to be something "safe" to eat at the party is to bring something yourself. Your host will appreciate it as well. Some suggestions for things to bring that are on the healthy side are fruit trays, veggie trays, hummus with baked pita chips, or a low calorie dessert. Why stop at bringing just one item? Bring two to give you a better chance of success at the party.

Don't Hang Out Around the Food Table

Out of sight out of mind is definitely true when it comes to food. If you linger around the buffet staring at that delicious looking pan of gooey, sinful brownies, chances are pretty good that you'll end up eating one, or two, or three. Instead of loitering around the food table, find a place away from the food to park yourself. If there's no tempting food by the TV, you could actually watch the game! What a concept!

Avoid the Food Folks

You know the people, the ones who love food and adore talking about it and how good everything tastes? I know because I am one of them, although I am trying to change this. If there's a friend of yours there that is going to convince you to take a bigger piece of cake, or two more wings, it may be a good idea to avoid this person. If that seems too rude, tell your foodie friend that you are trying to watch what you are eating and that you would appreciate him or her helping you make some better food choices at the food table.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Plan ahead in your mind how many drinks you are going to allow yourself to have, and then stick to it. If you are allowing yourself three drinks, make sure to drink a big glass of ice water in between the alcoholic drinks. This will not only fill you up, but it will slow down your consumption as well. Alcohol affects our judgment, and this is definitely true in the case of food. We tend to eat more when we are drinking alcoholic beverages because we loosen up and throw caution to the wind. If you want to insure that you are successful with your choices at the party, keep a tally on how much you are drinking.

Don't Deprive Yourself

If you are dying for one of those chocolate chip cookies, but decide not to take one, you may end up visiting your fridge and the ice cream tub an hour after you've gotten home from the party to satisfy your craving. Have the cookie, but only one, and then move on. It is a party after all, and you should allow yourself to have some fun!

Exercise That Day

Building some sort of activity into your day before the party is a good idea. In addition to burning calories, it may make you think twice before taking an extra chicken wing when you realize how many minutes on the treadmill that wing costs.

Research

Before the party, do a little research to find out how many calories standard party fare runs. This way, you will be armed with knowledge to make the right choices. Going in with a good idea of what is safe and what is off limits can only help you.

Eat Light Earlier That Day

If you want to make sure that you will be able to eat the things that you want at the party, plan on eating super light and healthy earlier in the day. Include lots of vegetables and high fiber foods that are low in fat and calories. That way, it will free up your night to be able to indulge in some of the things you know you want.

Keep Track of What You Eat

I am on the Weight Watchers plan, and writing down everything you consume is a key to losing weight. This is true for anyone, not just those on Weight Watchers. The accountability of writing down your food intake makes you aware of just how much food you are putting into your body. Generally, we eat much more than we realize. Writing it down in a food journal is a good reality check.

With these strategies in mind, "The Big Game" party should be a breeze! I know that I will be following these pointers, and hopefully will have a weight loss on my next Monday night meeting.