Keep It FIT Friday’s

It’s the end of the work week and all you want to do is go out to your favorite bar, grab drinks with friends, enjoy some food, and unwind. I am all for de-stressing at the end of a long week, but for many people this often leads to binge drinking and over-eating of unhealthy bar food. This then carries over to the next morning where you have to skip your workout to nurse a nasty hangover. Not to worry, you can still go out and unwind with friends at the end of the week and not worry about undoing your entire week of clean eating and exercise. Just stay focused and follow these easy steps.

Make sure you eat enough during the day, to avoid over-eating the wrong things later

I see this all the time; women who know they are going to be consuming high-calorie alcoholic drinks that night try and even it out by starving themselves the entire day. Then, after they have a few drinks in them, they are not only starving, but their willpower goes out the window and they end up binge eating on french fries or fried hot wings at the bar. You can avoid this by making sure you eat a good breakfast and lunch and several healthy snacks throughout the day. Then, you will be more likely to pick something healthier off the menu when you are out later that night.

Choose lower-calorie drinks and alternate with glasses of water

My best suggestion would be to limit the number of alcoholic drinks you consume to 1 or 2. If you drink slowly you can make these 2 drinks last and still enjoy your time with friends. If this isn’t doable for you, try and choose lower calorie, less sugary beverages. Choose a glass of dry white wine or light beer instead of sugary margarita or daiquiri. In addition, alternate each alcoholic beverage you consume with a full glass of water. This will keep you from over-consuming alcohol and keep you hydrated to reduce any potential hangover you may have in the morning.

Decide what you are going to eat for dinner before your get to the bar or restaurant

A lot of times when we make spur of the moment decisions under the influence of alcohol they may not be the best or healthiest choices. I would look at the menu before you get there and choose a healthier option that will be filling enough to satisfy you for the entire night. Also, stay away from the appetizers, especially those that are fried. Mindless snacking is common when we are out with friends, chatting and drinking, but this mindless behavior can lead to a lot of excess calories and fat.

Focus on the friends, NOT the food

I do not want you to think that you cannot go out, relax, and enjoy yourself after a long week of hard work when you are on a healthy eating and exercise plan. On the contrary, I want you to go out and do these things, but don’t make it about the food, make it about the friends and the time you are spending together. In our culture, social gatherings are so focused on food, so this may seem difficult, but just know that it is possible go out and have fun with friends without drinking or eating unhealthy.