Friends make you eat!!!! AHHHHH!!!

Oh help. I've been so good all week. SEriously. But then yesterday I felt sick (feverish and throat issues) and my friend wanted to take me out to keep the fever at bay. So while out and about I decided--I'm sick I can eat whatever! So...

1 big bowl of soup (pork, carrots, cabbage, potatoes)--should have stopped there but didn't:

1 ice cream sandwich

1 whole bag of beef jerky

Handroll sushi

2 scoops of green tea icecream

two handfulls of grapes

1 miso soup

1 chocolate chip cookie

--from 4pm to 12am (i was out with a friend)
And finally at 12midnight I had a DELICIOUS slice of Pizza (philly cheesesteak)....

And now its the day after and I'm like CRAP!!! I find this is a serious problem for me: going out with friends inevitably lends to eating out of habit--they eat, i eat. We went to the mall, to dinner, and then two movies. Movies over--midnight snack? PIZZA. SO it was really gluttonous...

What to do? I love hanging with friends but what to do? Advice?

dont let them order pizza :-P
keep healthy snacks handy, so when they want food court food or other stuff, whip out the nuts/veggies/whatever and snack away while they eat other stuff! order wisely at restaurants...i know THATS hard...i rarely do...i think if im paying extra for it (over groceries) im gonna eat what i like...therefore i just dont go out that often...


my bf eats fast food just about on a daily basis...recently hes been in the ben and jerrys in the evenings, while I get a semi-tasty skinny cow and a bottle of water...blah to him...its hard but thats where a little self control comes in...your friends ARENT forcefeeding you...if youre anything like me, im just incredibly jealous of him not caring what he eats...

...so I understand :D 

I think you need to honest with yourself here.

Your friends didn't make you eat...

SATAN did.

Kidding aside, try taking a bottle of water along with you when you're with your friends.  When your friends are eating... just drink some water.  Sounds a bit silly, but it has worked for me.

And watch out for Satan too... he makes a fine pizza.

Gotta have a plan. Try shopping instead of eating. Or maybe even a nice long walk. If you must center your activities around food with your buds then make the best choice possible and get over it.  One day does not a failure make.

When my friend and I go out, we have a rule that we only get salads...(at least while we're dieting)...

We get these really awesome caesar salads with chicken that are sooo good...

If I go out with my friends that are less inclined to eat correctly, I just make sure it's not as often...treating yourself every once in awhile can be refreshing...

Another trick is either drinking water (yeah 'wain!) before or eating a lot of fruit (green apples fill me up) BEFORE you go to the restaurant, that way if you get something less healthy than a salad, you eat a smaller portion because youre not ravenous when you get there...

=) BTW, after a "binge" try drinking lots of water...it'll clean you out and make you feel less bloated (at least it helps me)...

Yes yes, you guys are right. no one "made" me eat persay. I am my own worst enemy...boo...

bad thing is i'm sick and feel in no mood for exersizing...

PS: ceasar chicken salad is NOT the best option while going out.   I love them too, but the dressing and crutons are SO high in fat.  You might as well eat the pizza... or a cheeseburger for that matter.  Sorry! :)

A couple of questions

first, how does going out keep a fever at bay?  What you do if you have a fever is go to bed and drink plenty of fluids.

second, what do they do to "make" you eat?  Do they hold you down and force it down your throat?  A good friend would have made you some chicken soup.

I'm not trying to put you down or make you feel bad - just the opposite.  I'd love to see you take your power back and take charge of your own health.

Get well soon!

If you get the regular caesar salad, I agree...

I get a side Caesar salad and it's actually not as bad for you (I get mine without croutons or chicken)...and eating it is actually definitely not as bad as eating a pizza...but then again, it's my splurge...Its actually only around 300-370 calories...

If you eat out or are at the mall, most places have something healthy, even Mcdonald's! You could get a Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (160 cal) or a salad without chicken and dressing on the side, fruit cups, things like that.

Aim for restaurants like subway. It has a ton of healthy, lower cal choices, but still has the philly cheese steak and meatball subs to win over your friends. Everyone's happy!

If you are sick you shouldn't be going out at all.  Get in bed and stay there, rest, sleep, eat healthy, whatever will agree with you.  That soup sounded great.  I know we all want to keep going, even if we are sick but sometimes you'll only get worse.  If you want the company of your friends then have them come over and watch a movie.  They can bring you chicken soup and enjoy it with you.

Ok, enough mom talk.  When I go out with friends I either decide that I'm going to go a little overboard or I make sure we find a place where I can make a healthy choice.  The I practice mindful self control.  I ask myself, will I feel ok later about putting this cookie in my mouth now?  What I have found is that when I choose not to put that cookie in my mouth, my friends follow and say, you're right, we don't need it!  

Good luck and feel better! 

Thanks for the replies--and the wishes for better health! After about a four day hiatus from the Gym i'm going to do the running challange! (Lookup Learn How To Run in Forums) And pump some iron, I feel so gross not being active for so many days!!

Also, I do think it's hard in general to keep within your limits and going out to eat no matter what--

So: Don't go out to eat? Ask friends to go to healthier places? (What are ya'lls thoughts on SUSHI??)

At this point, with my money running low, I think I'm going to opt for the former... but anyway, when you do go out to eat, what are good places to eat healthy? (Besides Subway...)

I really see where you're coming from. I used to meet my friend at Chilli's every Friday...then i looked up the nutritional info on the web and got scared off. After cancelling a couple of times she asked me what was up and i explained (slightly sheepishly). After laughing at me she pointed out we didn't have to go to Chilli's. What I do now is tailor-make my meal. I used to work in a restaurant and so know it's perfectly acceptable to say "i don't want this...can i have this instead etc. etc."

Another neat trick I came upon by accident. I quit smoking about six weeks ago (yay me) and to counter the oral fixation i carried around bags of carrot sticks with me. I thought my friends would laugh at me but they all ended up stealing some. Now everyone's used to me always having some kind of vegetable on me.

Am i the only one that gets slightly bashful about the fact i'm trying to lose weight?