In the real world of fat loss dieting and healthful eating endeavors people are faced with instances (often social) where accurate tracking isn't viable nor should it be insisted upon, and/or they have limited control over their intake of food.

These are the instances where eating routine, habits, and schedule are out of whack whether it be for a party, event, holiday, wedding, etc. Rather than thinking these important contributors to total health need to be avoided, approaching and executing them well is the solution.

So here are my top 9 tips to avoid 'going backward' with your fat loss, or weight maintenance goals whilst still getting the most out of the occasion.

1. PLAN AHEAD, EAT A LITTLE LESS CARBS AND FATS THE DAY OF - on the day of an event/occasion involving food or Calories, reducing your intake of carbs and/or fats in the prior meals is not a bad idea to free up some extra room for the occurrence of higher Calorie intakes.

2. NAIL PROTEIN & PLANTS FIRST & FOREMOST. - consider the food order of importance, nail the things of most importance and the greatest positive influence on the suppression of the drive to eat. Ensure sufficiency of protein and plants before you reach for carb, fat dense foods.

3. FILL UP ON FIBRE - closely tying into point 2 but with the addition of wholegrains alongside fruit and vegetable matter. When in doubt just fill up on higher fiber plant matter. Even if you eat a lot of food, if 'food' means plant matter, you'll unlikely end up eating a lot of Calories.

4. FILL UP ON WATER & DIET DRINKS - Fill the stomach, stretch it out, drive down the urge to consume excessive amounts of food thereafter. Drink something prior to ordering, eating and/or if food is everywhere grab water or a diet soda.

5. DON'T USE LIQUIDS FOR CALORIES- Liquids do help fill you up, but in comparison to solid foods their effect on fullness is limited. So if you're going to consume Calories aim to make it from solids. If it's about alcoholic beverages, go for the lower Calorie options like vodka soda, or vodka diet coke.

6. SLOW DOWN YOUR THINKING AROUND FOOD. - slow down your thought process, ask logical questions, give yourself time, and think before you mindlessly grab food and shove it in your gob. If the food or more of it won't make your time better, and you don't really want to, then why eat it, if you need something in your hand, to eat, grab a diet coke.

7. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING - Chew your food, eat slowly, encourage slower eating via smaller or less efficient utensils, have a chat during the meal all in a bed to let your hunger satisfaction catch up before you reach for more.

8. ALCOHOL = MINIMUM ENJOYABLE DOSE MINDSET WITH NO NEED TO TRACK IT. - There is a point where more drinks, won't yield much of a return on the enjoyment of the occasion, this is the point where you become that 'drunk idiot'. Estimate that point and understand going beyond it probably isn't worth it. IMO tracking alcohol and trading off carbs and/or fats to fit in drinks is overkill for most people. Simply freeing some additional Calories by consuming slightly fewer carbs and fats in the meals prior and exercising a logical moderation, or 'minimum enjoyable dose' limit of standard drinks works just fine without creating distractions from social occasions.

9. LOOK TO SAVE CALORIES WITHOUT EATING LESS FOOD - Consider the presence of lower fiber, Calorie-dense fat and/or carb-dense food, ingredients, cooking oils, dressings, sauces, and condiments. Reduce, moderate or even eliminate where possible. A low-fat approach is probably the easiest way to make this happen. Then refer to point number 2 and 3.

At FNC we understand social occasions involving Calories are part of a totally healthy human. Ask us for more practical ways you work towards your goals with your social and total health in mind.

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