Worried about overeating at gatherings? Just learn some methods to actively handle them, take measures to master them, and you won't have to be afraid of gatherings anymore.
Before the gathering: Fill up on low-calorie food
Before the gathering, drink more water or some low-fat milk, sugar-free soy milk, and eat some healthy, low-calorie foods like tomatoes and cucumbers to fill your stomach halfway. The purpose of this is to let these foods fill your stomach, increase satiety, and prevent unintentionally overeating high-calorie food during the gathering. If you eat something first and replenish glycogen in advance, you can actively control your diet during the gathering and truly use your head when you eat.
During the gathering: Pick vegetarian and low-meat dishes
If you have the right to order, try to choose dishes with low-calorie cooking methods like cold-dressed, steamed, boiled, or stewed. If someone else is ordering, it's recommended to look at the menu to see if there are suitable options for you. If there are, eat those; if not, choose low-calorie dishes. For example, vegetarian dishes, fruits, chicken, duck, beef, mutton, or fish and seafood cooked with low-calorie methods. Please note that chicken and duck must be skinless. Don't eat pork or some minced meat dishes. For oily dishes, it's recommended to rinse them with water to remove the oil. If there's a "Five-Grain Abundance" dish, that's best; eat some taro, sweet potato, or corn, but eat fewer peanuts because they are nuts and high in fat. If there isn't a "Five-Grain Abundance" dish, refer to your meal plan and eat a small bowl of rice.
Since you've already eaten before the gathering, you should reduce your food intake accordingly during the meal. Stop eating when you are 70% full. When eating, pick vegetarian dishes, taking only one or two pieces at a time, and serve yourself small portions frequently; keep your mouth busy and keep eating. Put large bones with little meat, or fish heads and tails, in your own bowl, eat a little, and then set them aside. Put all the shells from shellfish in your own bowl and eat only a little of the meat.
Be very careful of the main courses and soups served towards the end of the gathering, otherwise, all your previous efforts will be wasted. The main courses are usually fancy fried rice, fried noodles, big pancakes, buns, dumplings, or desserts. Be selective with these. Soups in restaurants are often oily, so drink less soup.
After the gathering: A smart light fast
After the gathering, weigh yourself that same evening and see if your weight has increased compared to the average of the past three days. If it hasn't, it means you controlled your eating very successfully. If your weight has shot up, exercise immediately. Also, do a light fast the next day. On the day of the light fast, refer to the gathering menu and think about which types of food you ate too much of, and eat less of the corresponding type the next day. For example, if you ate too much meat, eat less meat; if you ate too many staple foods, eat less of them; if you ate too much fruit, eat less fruit. Stick with this light fasting method until your weight returns to what it was before the gathering, then continue with your normal diet and exercise.