Sitting down to have a bite to eat with friends and family is a common occurrence for most of us. Eating is a social experience, and many of our days are filled with fun, food and people -- but they're also filled with carbohydrate-laden dinners, sugary cookies, cakes and pies, and lots of fat. Are your food-centered hangouts causing you to pack on the pounds? Research shows that when you dine with another person, you consume 35% more than you would alone.
You can change your lifestyle to include activities that don't revolve around food or you can identify those friends that influence your bad diet habits and take the necessary steps to prevent peer pressure weight gain.
Food Friend: The Comfort Queen
You just lost your job. You broke up with your boyfriend. No matter what the crisis, your best pal can see you through -- usually over a pint of mocha fudge ice cream or a package of chocolate chip cookies. "Guys have drinking buddies when they're depressed; women have eating buddies," says Daniel Stettner, PhD, director of psychology at UniSource Health Center in Troy, Michigan. "Unfortunately, what should be a supportive relationship turns into a situation where both women enable each other to eat -- and eat and eat."
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Step away from the table: Instead of self-medicating with food, do some cardio. Thirty-minute aerobic workouts three to five times weekly for three months reduce mild to moderate symptoms by nearly half, finds a study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Sign up for a Spinning class or start training for a 5K, and invite your friend to join you. In addition, stop the graze-and-gripe fests. If you need to spill, do it over the phone or when the two of you are on a power walk.
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Food Friend: The Party Girl
Your phone rings at 5 p.m. after a crazy day at the office. It's one of your buds, suggesting you both blow off steam by meeting at your favorite watering hole. Three margaritas, a heaping plate of nachos, and an order of chicken wings later, you head home feeling ill.
"Overdrinking and overeating are common ways to cope when you're under stress," says Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a psychologist in New York City. Alcohol also loosens inhibitions, which means that you and your friend are much more likely to start diving into the chip bowl.
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Step away from the table: Limit time with your partying pal to Friday nights only. If you go to a bar, pick one with few or no appetizers so you're not tempted to overeat, Abramson suggests. When you arrive, order a glass of wine and a glass of water and hold the alcohol in your non-dominant hand, says Jackie Keller, RD, a nutritionist in Los Angeles. "Most people drink less with this technique."
Food Friend: The Pig-Out Partner
Why would someone who normally nibbles on healthy fare like grilled salmon and vegetables suddenly start putting away food like a couch potato? "When you see a friend chowing down on something fattening, it may give you permission to let go," says Martin Binks, PhD, director of psychiatry and behavioral health and research at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University. "The guilt is gone, and it's suddenly easy to justify the hot fudge sundae even when you haven't planned to indulge."
Step away from the table: Visit with your pal between meals. "Schedule activities, such as...
... going for a walk, that will keep you so busy you won't have time to think about food," says Abramson. Or suggest that the two of you sign up for a gym membership, so that all your get-togethers revolve around doing something healthy.
Food Friend: The Temptress
Whether it's a pal who's always cooking every time you visit or a friend who likes to surprise you with a batch of homemade brownies or cookies, it's hard not to eat something that looks and smells fantastic and is right in front of you. There's nothing wrong with a friend occasionally bringing you a treat, of course. But if it becomes a pattern, that's a problem. A buddy who constantly offers you food may be envious of your weight-loss efforts. Subconsciously, she might want you to fail -- especially if she needs to lose pounds herself.
Step away from the table: Be open and honest with your pal: Tell her you're trying to watch what you eat. She should get the message. However, if you find yourself having to explain this to her more than three times, question how good a friend she really is and whether she has her own eating issues or is trying to sabotage your diet. If you still want to save the relationship, find a way to keep your get-togethers food-free: Visit a museum, for instance. If she shows up toting a bag of goodies anyway, it's time to steer clear of her.
Food Friend: The Restaurant Junkie
Step away from the table: Arrive at the restaurant hungry but not famished; snack on a mix of carbs and protein, like a piece of string cheese and an apple, an hour before to take the edge off. Order what looks appealing, but try to stick to an appetizer and a salad and just one drink, preferably wine, which usually packs less than half the calories of a margarita or a martini. Eat slowly and savor your food, stopping as soon as you start to feel full. (Take the rest home with you for another meal.) If you'd rather have an entree, choose grilled meat or fish, and ask for an extra serving of vegetables instead of a potato or rice. For dessert, order one or two sweets for the table to share.
Finally, help both your waistline and your wallet by making expensive restaurant meals an occasional indulgence. Instead, offer to host a monthly supper club. Ask guests to bring a healthy dish of their choice so you can enjoy each other's company without calorie overload.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Weight Loss center for more articles.
