Gatherings, Food, Pressure to Eat (& Drink)

First of all, my Christmas.

Boxing + Yoga on the beach. Amazing experience!!! Completely covered in sand because I randomly decided that I wanted to roll in the sand :P My surgery scar turned red... WHY?!

I'm also very proud to say that I broke my skipping rope record on Christmas day! Probably it's because of the sand underneath my feet but I'm still happy :P

Had a rough night. So I baked clean Peanut Butter bars with 100% PB, banana, egg whites and oats. At midnight.

Look at how gooey it looks!!! :D

Also baked clean muffins with eggs, bananas, oats, walnuts, apple sauce.

Why all my final products turn out to be the same color is something that disturbs me...

Boxing day date with the girlfriends :) Also my post-workout dinner! Terribly puffy eyes from the rough day...

Got a super pretty gift from the Sketch-a-Tote ladyboss. *Lots of goodie foodies inside!!!* <3

Also went for a Christmas party at the gym that I'm starting work at. Had a great time meeting the members and staff there! I still feel like keeping the location a private matter :P

Secondly, my yoga teacher training.

It took me a lot of heartache to get those books. I'm glad that I persisted and made it anyway. Sounds like drama; but trust me, there WAS a lot of drama at home.

So enough about me. It's about you now.

Christmas is over. Do you feel bloated and heavy from the holiday feasting? Do people try to shove food and drinks down your throat during get-togethers?

You might find these tips and tricks useful. Test them out this coming New Year and Chinese New Year. Maintain your image of a polite human being yet choose what you put onto your plate, mouth and hips.

1. Decide on how much you're going to indulge before the event.

For example, you're going to a family dinner at your grandma's place and you're expecting a crazy spread of delicious food. How many servings are you going to take? How many times are you going to refill your plate? What types of food are you going to fill your plate with? How much beer are you going to drink? How many packets of soft drinks are you going to have?

2. Be flexible but firm with your decision.

Don't give in just because someone tries to feed you. But if you see a crazy dessert that is worth going for, eat, indulge, enjoy, portion control, & don't feel guilty :)

3. Have a healthy snack before gatherings and say the magic phrase, "I ate before I came."

You'll meet people who would rebut you by saying things like 
"What you eat!!! Come here already must eat!!!" 
"You so skinny, eat a bit more won't die one laaaaa" 
"Help to finish the food, DON'T WASTE!!!"

And all sorts of other weird comments. I'd rather you ditch the food rather than eat it and feel like it wasn't necessary.

Food-Shover: "Eh, come get some food to eat!"
You: "I came from another gathering and had some food there." *BIG SMILE*

Don't even let anyone play games with your mind with the cliche 
"BUT THE KIDS IN AFRICA ARE STARVING!!!"

If you think that the food on your table could magically make their way to the kids in Africa, please, by all means, eat them - you'd better eat all of them. 

If not, ditch the food that you don't need. I'm not saying that you must throw them away (unless they're fried and full of transfats/saturated fats). You can always pack them for another meal.

4. Hold some food/drink in your hands but eat them slowly.

When someone comes along, you can show them - hey! You're eating!! (but it's really just for show. HEH.)

The trick here is to use the same piece of food for an extended period of time. No point doing this if you're going to keep eating what's on your plate at a fast rate.

5. Procrastinate

instead of saying, "no, I'm not having any", just say that you'll have it later (with a big smile on your face, of course!). People usually accept that as an answer.

"Eat more! Have some more springrolls!"
"Ah. I still have my fruits. I'll have the springrolls later!" *SMILESSS!*

6. Focus on socializing :)

Keep talking to people. When they start trying to make you eat, change the topic to focus on them. People generally like to talk about themselves and feel important when someone asks about them.

"You eat so little!!! On diet uh?"
"No la! Eh, so how's life so far? Do you have a new year resolution?"

7. Be VERY, VERY kind to yourself <3

Exertion of will power requires lots of energy. So does socializing. Don't expect yourself to be 100% perfect at every gathering. Being too uptight and self-depriving would result in you going home feeling totally deprived and unhappy, which might open doors to bingeing and overeating later.

Always remind yourself that you have only ONE body and it deserves the best. It doesn't deserve to be deprived or starved, neither does it deserves to be force-fed or stuffed. Make every decision out of love for your mind and body. 

Most importantly, enjoy yourself;

Live for yourself, not under the pressure of others.

I hope this post helped you. Share it with someone who might need it :)