How Can I Eat Better and Still Maintain a Social Life?

The question: I have a work lunch this week, a friend’s birthday party this weekend…there’s always something. How do I keep my social life from wrecking my healthy-eating goals?

The expert: Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D., an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson

The answer: Your Google calendar is always going to come with an excuse (albeit generally a lame one) to push back healthy eating. So stop penciling it in and just go for it, says Pritchett. Otherwise, healthy eating will never happen.

From the get-go, make your healthy goals known to your friends, family, and colleagues. “It makes you more accountable,” she says. Plus, if your social circle knows you’re making an effort to eat healthy, they’re more likely to do the same, which will make reaching your goals that much easier. Call it positive peer pressure; research shows people tend to mirror each other’s eating habits.

But since that can also go the other way—having a friend who packs on pounds makes you 57 percent more likely to do so yourself, per University of California at San Diego research—it doesn’t hurt to implement some healthy social strategies, too.

MORE: Are Your Friends a Fat Influence?

First, before you head to any activity where there’ll be food, have a snack. While eating before you eat might sound counterintuitive, a healthy, filling snack like nuts can keep your stomach from hitting empty—and keep you from emptying the bread bowl the second it arrives, says Pritchett. Plus, when you’re not starving, you’re more likely to pick a good-for-you dish.

MORE: 4 Ways Your Social Network Can Help You Slim Down

When you go into a social situation where food abounds, ditch the all-or-nothing mentality. “Expecting yourself to go to a birthday party and not have any cake is setting yourself up for failure,” says Pritchett. Instead, tell yourself ahead of time what your limit is, be it one plate or one bite. If you approach the snack table without a hard limit in your head, it’s easy to get into a just-one-more mindset.

In the end, whatever your social calendar looks like, remember that health isn’t about eating right under ideal conditions. It’s about making good-for-you food part of your life—and that includes your social life.

MORE: 5 Ways to Prevent Relationship Weight Gain

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