Middle Aged Mama

Blogging about my Midlife Adventures

The Dieter’s Dilemma

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At a recent high tea, I was confronted with a real dieter’s dilemma.

This …

Dieter's Dilemma - so much yummy food!

I rest my case!

Not that I’m “dieting” as such – rather, I’m trying to make better food choices and making a point of being more physically active, for greater health and wellbeing. (Any weight loss is purely a bonus!).

Then the high tea invitation arrived … and we all know what high teas are known for (apart from dressing up, dainty china and pretty decorations): the food.

It might consist of only bite-sized morsels, but don’t let that fool you. Typical high tea fare is laden with calories!

All dressed up for a high tea and a real dieter's dilemma

The Dieter’s Dilemma

One friend confessed that she deliberately hadn’t eaten all day so that she could partake, guilt free.

My strategy was a little different. I’d eaten a big lunch (of vegetables!) so that I would be pretty full before I even arrived, and that way wouldn’t go overboard with all the sweet and savoury treats.

Which got me to wondering: which strategy is likely to work better? Avoiding food beforehand, so you can enjoy all the tasty morsels – or filling your tummy with vegetables etc so you know you won’t be tempted?

What is your advice for this particular dieter’s dilemma?!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I think you need to do what works best for you but if you follow the rule where you are healthy 80% of the time, this would be your once a week 20% unhealthy one off.

    I have a friend that counts every calorie and then works out how long it will take exercising to eat every mouthful. I found her once doing sit ups in the bathroom of the restaurant we were at.

  2. My problem with this kind of thing is mindless eating. I will nibble and graze away as I’m chatting and not really pay attention to how much I’m eating – and nor am I paying attention to how delicious it all is so it;s kind of wasted anyway!

  3. I am watching what I eat too! Just over 3kg’s lost so far. It’s coming off VERY slow but at least it is going down. I was faced with a dieters dilemma on the weekend too. A family event for lunch. I ate a healthy but good sized brekky and morning tea before I went so that I was feeling full and less likely to over indulge when I got there. Luckily for me they had some healthy options available at the function and I pretty sure that I made some good food choices. I allowed myself one glass of wine and drank water the rest of the time 🙂

    • Congrats on the weight loss! Believe me I know just how hard it can be to budge. I swear my scales haven’t moved in 2 months despite my best efforts 🙁

  4. I think I will try your strategy of filling up on veggies before the next party/event I attend. Starving myself beforehand will just guarantee I overeat! I have also been known to frequently bring along a plate of low fat but still delicious nibblies for such occasions with friends and family.

    • That’s a great idea Ingrid! Any particular recipes/low fat treats you can recommend?

  5. Definitely think your strategy is better. Going anywhere starving hungry when you are trying to watch what you eat is a recipe for disaster. This way you can still enjoy a cakie and stop at one. Well, in theory anyway.. They look SO good. Beautiful photo of you and Miss 17 too, btw. LOVE your dresses. xo

    • LOL in theory … it was fun dressing up. Mine came from the op shop!

    • Thankfully (for my waistline) they only seem to happen in my life maybe a couple of times a year, though the rest of me wouldn’t mind if it was more often!

  9. They say you should eat smaller portions more often, so those things on the tray are just perfect! I would likely have gone with sammiches while there and one small sweet treat – likely one of those scones with jam and cream, and I would have taken the rest for later if that were an option. 🙂

    • I had a sammich, a quichey thing, a scone, a mini caramel tart and 2 chocolate dipped strawberries – because fruit is good, right?!

  10. The big plate of vegetables would work for me definitely. I don’t like cake so it wouldn’t matter anyway. Little sandwiches would be very tempting I’m afraid. The tiered display looks sensational and so do the mum and daughter 🙂

    • Thanks Pinky, it was all very tempting but I think my fave was the chocolate covered strawberries.

  11. Oh my! That’s a healthy-eater’s nightmare! But knowing me, I would have binged. I like your strategy of eating beforehand so you won’t pig out. When I did the 12WBT program, it was something she recommended before going out for dinners as well. Eat a little so you are not starving when you get there and therefore, you won’t binge.

    • I think I did okay … and somehow I wasn’t really interested in dinner that night so that probably helped even it out!

  12. Neither works for me. I eat because it’s there regardless! But I’m like you – trying to be healthy, not trying to lose weight or see any physical results. So as a once-off, go nuts! (Except YUCK to nuts.)

  13. Hmmm. Tough one. Seeing you’ve been so good, I’d say a little bit of naughtiness as a one-off would be fine. It would be rude not to partake really.

  14. You both look gorgeous. Love high tea and I haven’t given up sugar so I would be stuffing my face. But if I was on a diet I would have done the healthy veggie/salad to fill up on & treated myself to one cupcake or slice while at the high tea. Then when at home I would go for a walk or exercised the next day to make up for it. I believe in the 80/20 rule myself.

    • I did pretty well considering, and then I didn’t feel like dinner that night so that made up for any over-indulgence 🙂

  15. Oh I am SO the wrong person to ask… High teas are such a rare treat and my ULTIMATE DOWNFALL. A little sampler of EVERYTHING is truly the way to my heart through my stomach, via my eyeballs. Heaven!

  17. My theory is we have to enjoy life while we are here! It’s not like you go to high tea every day! Go for an hour walk a couple of times this week to make up for it and make healthy choices the rest of the week.

  18. My Mum had a high tea for her 50th in September and the food was glorious. I don’t have any advice, but I think that you can indulge every now and then.

  19. I actually find these things really easy to avoid. I don’t feel the need to eat them at all. I’m much more likely to pig out at home, than at a high tea.

  21. My suggestion for this dilemma is to do exactly as you did Janet. Eat veggies or other healthy choices before hand to fill you up so that you’ll be less tempted when you’re there. After that, thoroughly enjoy the tasty morsels that you do have, and the next day, be careful to choose the healthiest options that are available to make up after the fact. The strategy your friend chose normally backfires because it leaves you ravenously hungry and so less in control when the food is presented.