Enjoying Life While on a Diet

How to Stay Healthy When Going Out

Staying healthy while going out with friends, partners, or dates might sound complex, but sticking to your goals and feeling comfortable is possible. Staying fit doesn’t mean sacrificing time spent with loved ones or denying yourself a fun time!

You’ve worked hard, and it’s time to reward yourself healthily and mindfully. I get it! You want to socialize while maintaining the progress you have made thus far with your new life changes. Yes, it truly is possible. You are in charge of your body, the food you eat, the people you surround yourself with, and the environment.

Feeling empowered about your goals makes it easier to overcome previous habits. These new thoughts and behaviors are the new you, so feel good about them.

The first step towards maintaining and building on these new wellness goals is remembering the why. You set these intentions because you want to look and feel better and be the best version of yourself. Please write down your why and make it a habit to look at it and study it daily to remind yourself how far you’ve come.

Check in with yourself before each engagement. Ask yourself how you feel about the activity and what choices you can make that will help you stick to your goal.

For example, going out to dinner at the last minute: yes, be social, but remember that you're in control. Before ordering, check in and remind yourself that you can make healthier choices while still having a good time.

Another situation that occurs in life is family celebrations. These events can lead to previous behaviors, so take control and bring food that meets your health needs. Decide what might be the healthier option to choose. Are there more nutritious foods there that you can eat? If so, politely decline the food you don’t want to eat and opt for the healthier options instead. If not, consider having a small amount of the food offered, but don’t overdo it. Remember, depriving yourself of food or community is not the answer! And remember, you are in control!

Another great way to stay healthy while going out is to choose activities that don’t involve former behaviors.

An example of this could be choosing to have coffee and go for a walk instead of brunch. Find a hobby you both like, or try a new one!

Remember, life is full of choices, so remember your why.

Here are some great affirmations to repeat when you feel like you have difficulty sticking to your goals: “I'm doing this for myself.”