What should I do??

Hey CCer's

There is a nacho's pot luck at my job tomorrow...what should i do in regards with keeping within my daily calorie count and counting my calories?

Oh these damn office potlucks!!!!

Art

First, I would NOT recommend restricting yourself during the day, because then you will just be hungrier for the potluck.

I would try to bring something reasonably healthy.  Try making a taco salad, and avoid a lot of cheese and stay away from the tortilla chips entirely.

This is a healthy LIFEstyle - there are up days and down days as far as calories - don't stress about it too much.

If there are dips available use celery or lettuce instead of chips!!  Still gets the awesome flavor of the dip or salsa, but cuts out the tortilla chips!

Find some really fabulous and healthy recipe to bring.  I agree- don't restrict yourself beforehand...instead eat some fiber-rich foods before you go so that you're already somewhat full while you're there.  Get one plate so you can watch your portions and don't graze or keep going back for seconds. 

The celery/carrots/lettuce idea instead of chips is a great (delicious) idea but also remember that dips and condiments have a lot of fat and calories that build up fast.  Scoop out a fixed amount on your plate so you know exactly how much you are consuming.

Most importantly, if you do go overboard, its not the end of the world.  Just start anew the next day...your body will forgive you.

I've got a bunch of recipes for low-cal dips I need to try, but that is the main reason I'll avoid dips.  Salsa is fairly low in calories though!  The stuff I have is only 10 calories for two tablespoons.

Good Morning,

Thanks for the input ladies...Today is the day...ill let everyone know how it goes.

Have a wonderful day and weekend.

Art

Here is my journal entry of the outcome of the Nacho's Pot-Luck:

Today was another pot luck at the job. Nacho Cheese Pot-Luck and I brought the chips.

Surprisingly enough it went really well.

I stuck to the advice of my fellow CCer's and had my breakfast in the morning of oatmeal witih half of a small banana and tea. This made me deal with the potluck.

For the potluck I had the shredded lettuce, shome of the cubbed chicken, some of the ground beef, the pic de gallo, and a bit of the quacomole. As I entered my calories I noticed that I had more to spare so for the second go-round, so I even went back for seconds!! The second go around had extra lettuce, diced tomatoes, some ground beef (the chicken was gone), the pico de gallo and this time I tried my hand at one of the lightly fried corn tortillas with a dollop of nacho cheese. Al in all my calories for lunch was a lil over 250! I stayed away from the chips that was brought by me to the festivities.

While consuming the potluck fittles I was excitingly informing some co-workers about my decision to take back control of my health by changing my eating habits and this wonderful site. As they listed intently I was washing it all down with hot green tea.

My co-workers commended me on my efforts. Some of the female co-workers wanted to know how to log on and regain some control of their health and eating habits.

Its dinner time now and I consumed my snack with 800+ calories to spare.

I now know what to do when the next potluck comes along!!!

Bring on the holidays and its festivites....IM READY FOR YA!

I never participate in the potlucks. My coworkers are junk food junkies and I won't eat the junk they bring. Also where I work is BIRTHDAY CAKE CENTRAL. Many's the time I've sat there eating a piece of fruit while others eat cake. I'm not judging them at all, their bodies are their bodies. But I won't have my weight loss efforts derailed or delayed just to be sociable. There's also a girl there who has celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and I hate to watch others hard-time her, "oh just a little bit won't hurt". YES IT WILL! They don't know what they're asking.

Don't mess with my weight loss, man.

About celiac:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs /celiac/#what

http://www.celiac.org/cd-what.php