Maintaining a balance between a healthy lifestyle and a fun social life

Over the years, my biggest dietary challenge has been maintaining a fit body while still having fun. If I ate alone and went to bed early, I knew I’d be feeling skinny in the morning, but hand me my best friends, my fiancé or a Sunday breakfast and my limits would go out the window.
The sad truth is, it’s easier to lose/maintain weight if you avoid social events. The real challenge is when life gets in the way of your own “plans” and causes you to reassess your clean eating diet.
I know many women (including myself) who have turned down dinner plans or a night out with friends because of their diet. Salads and going to sleep early may get you that flat stomach, but what is the point of it if you can’t show it off?
How can you maintain your weight without skipping out on fun life experiences? Your best bet is to avoid sabotaging yourself. I’ve slowly learned how to balance diet through trial and error, and I would be lying if I said this wasn’t still somewhat of a weekly challenge for me.
Over time I have realised some helpful tips in achieving a balance of food and fun:

Eating Out

Don’t starve yourself until dinner when you have reservations at 8 pm. Plan your meals and choose wisely.
Start with a balanced breakfast and keep it clean and simple during the day and don't skimp on the snacks during the day. Healthy snacks will quicken up your metabolism.
When ordering at dinner, look out for the menu words, such as baked, broiled, grilled, sauteed, steamed and stir-fried. Avoid words like battered, basted, covered, creamy and smothered.

Going Out

Everyone likes a nice buzz, but no one likes a “beer belly”.
Above all, the first rule is to ALWAYS indulge in moderation. If I go out for a few drinks I always alternate the drinks with water. Order low calorie/low sugar choices such as dry white wines or light beers.
Vodka, gin and other light-coloured liquors contain less calories, but you’re more likely to lose your inhibitions, which could lead to binging on foods you normally wouldn’t eat later.
Sure, a pie at Cooly Pie Shop at 2 am sounds like a great idea, but it’s pretty likely you will feel awful the next morning.

On-The-Go

Staying busy is great for your overall well-being, but when you don’t plan ahead, it can lead to poor diet choices. This one is simple: PACK SNACKS!
So simple, yet for some reason many will find themselves ordering convenient choices like a chocolate chunk cookie from Starbucks or chocolate from the servo.
We all know what healthy snack choices are, but the key is to plan ahead and come armed with them. It makes a huge difference in your hunger levels and mood when you carry a healthy muesli bar or an apple instead of popping into a bakery for a pastry.

Relationships

When you’re single, it is more likely you will be able to stick to your healthy eating schedule.  You’re more likely to go to pilates after work instead of going home to prep for a carb-ridden dinner date. Throw another person in the mix and calories can start adding up inevitably.
Even though you are very happy with broiled organic salmon and sweet potatoes, your boyfriend’s steak and fries look so damn good. The answer? Take a bite of the steak and a chip and call it a day. Unfortunately, most women cannot “eat like men” and still stay in shape so it’s very important you keep up with your eating, exercise and healthy eating habits, regardless of what anyone around you is doing.

Acceptance

It sounds corny, but you know what? It’s so true. Be social, accept invitations, try new things and know your limits. Life can be so much sweeter when you’re just a little bit kinder to yourself.