A while back I asked for your help in making sure I cover all the topics you want to hear about on teamRIPPED. Y’all had some great input! Thank you, and if you still want to give me some suggestions, click here. I am now going to start working through some of these great questions!
Preparing for Difficult Diet Situations
JR asked “Did you ever dread dinner parties, eating out at lunch with friends, bbq’s and kids birthday parties? I’m 3 weeks into a dialed nutrition plan and I always stress out about these events thinking it’s going to break my diet or having to explain myself to ppl. How did you approach this?”
What a great question to start off with!
First off, YES it was hard at first thinking about sticking to my plan and going out to a party or to a holiday get-together. Your family and friends know you from your OLD you. They know your old habits, so it is pretty common that when you go and change something as big as how you eat and view nutrition, that some feathers will be ruffled. This is how I approached it and continue to approach it.
#1 Focus and remain focused on YOUR NUTRITION GOALS!
This is a big one. Ultimately it is you that will make this happen or not. It’s your choice to stick to your plan and it is your choice to make compromises. As much as it may seem to impact other people, it really doesn’t. So be confident and committed to what you set out to do. Own it! These are YOUR GOALS!
#2 Changing Things, Changes Things
Deep huh?! LOL I have written about this in the past, but it should be mentioned again, you are changing your personal history and what your norms are. This can make people uncomfortable and people probably will question you. So know that this is coming.
Knowing this, we can prepare. Have you wrestled with your WHY like I posted about yesterday? When you know deep down WHY this change is so important to you, you can explain that to other people without getting defensive. We can’t control how they take it, but we can be clear and positive about the choices we are making.
If you are married, you may have already experienced some tension with your changes. Hopefully your spouse is supportive, but if not we can still go a long way by lovingly sharing WHY we need to eat this new way and why it is so important to us.
#3 Make a Plan
So once you mentally prepare for the questions, peer pressure, etc it’s time to make a plan. This gives you real power! Plan out how you are going to eat at the event. If you can bring something you know the macros to, perfect. Load up on lots of veggies and water. And don’t overlook planning in some little “treats.”
***Now I’m not saying treats like you are a dog LOL but plan in some food you might typically not enjoy. Work in small portions and still hit your macros. If you do that, there is no guilt in having some sweets or treats.***
Here’s how I do it:
- Track all my protein for the day first, get that in and keep it lean protein.
- Partition my carbs and fats where I want them most.
- Keep carbs and fats light in the start of the day if you want to work in some of food you’ll have at the party.
- STICK TO YOUR PLAN and FEEL PROUD!
It’s really that easy! Now working through the pressure of family and friends will be work. Again, stay positive and try to convey your WHY. Hopefully, your family and friends will respect what you are doing and why it is important to you!
IF NOT, I respect what you are doing! WAY TO GO!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
