CFDubbs Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Hey everyone, I'm on Day 5, and feel AMAZEBALLS. No carb flu, no headache, lots of clarity and tons of energy. I'm feeling a bit anxious about this weekend, however. I'm going to NYC on Saturday--my sister is throwing a party on Saturday night, and then we have a wedding on Sunday. How can I get through these two events while staying on plan? I have always been something of a party animal, but I already have tactics for not drinking alcohol, and don't feel nervous about slipping in that regard (though the pressure from my friends will be on). I'm most nervous about the wedding--what if there is nothing I can eat? It's not really the kind of event where I can roll out my can of tuna or eat macadamia nuts out of my purse. I'm also loathe to talk about Whole30, so I want to avoid situations where I have to explain what I'm doing. Not that I don't think it's amazing, but I prefer not to be scrutinized about what I'm eating or not eating, especially at a big social event where that's not really the important thing (the bride is!). Any tactics for flying under-the-radar-Paleo would be much appreciated. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris74 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 As someone who stopped drinking 5 years ago, though it goes along with everything else, in general no one really cares what you're eating/drinking. There's the people with drinking problems whose misery wants the company but really in actuality no one cares. I busied myself with thinking up ways to say I don't drink and in the end it didn't matter one bit to anyone. So I would suggest just doing it the way you would/want to do it. Concerning what if there's nothing to eat, there's two options right, there is or there isn't. If there is, then that's what you eat. If there isn't then you either eat a lot of veggies and bring something or eat a lot of veggies and not bring something. I'd wager there's probably enough there that you could eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris74 Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 how did it go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFDubbs Posted August 19, 2013 Author Share Posted August 19, 2013 It went well! Thanks for the advice. Overall this weekend I ate more Larabars and nuts than I ordinarily do, and probably more in general, but there was plenty for me to eat at the wedding: chicken, steak, veggies, tomato salad. No alcohol, no dessert! A triumph. While I probably ate something non-compliant inadvertently (something in the steak marinade?), I'm not nit-picking. The point is to change the way you live your life, right? I can't remember the last time I navigated a wedding sans booze, and turns out it's not hard at all. I went out with friends the night before and also had no desire to drink. You were right. No one noticed! They all assume you are drinking too. Amazing. Drinking a virgin Bloody Mary helps. Also waking up feeling bright and chipper on a Sunday morning is PRICELESS. One annoying thing: I made a point of asking my boyfriend NOT to announce to people that I wasn't drinking, because I wanted to see if anyone would notice and didn't want to make a big deal about it. Guess who made a huge announcement that I was STONE SOBER. Embarrassing. Grr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrayS Posted August 19, 2013 Share Posted August 19, 2013 This is an interesting topic (navigating social situations where you would typically drink, and perception versus reality) and CF, it's nice to see that your weekend went so well! I've done two Whole30s over the past year and contemplating a third, and this has been something I have a hard time with. My thought process has gone something like this: I too have historically been something of a party animal and many of my friends still are, therefore if I am not drinking it absolutely will not go unnoticed, and the fact that my drink of choice is usually red wine shared from a bottle, does not help in flying under the radar. Also, I am 32 and have been married a year and as my friends and siblings are actively populating the next generation already, if/when they know I am not drinking the default assumption is that I'm pregnant, even if I say I'm not, because as many women do, the women I know often "hide" it for the first few months. I know that whenever one of my friends is suspected the behind-your-back chatter is relentless, and I hate the thought of being the target of this. Come to think of it, this is primarily why I haven't done another Whole30 recently. But now I am thinking this may be more in my head than anywhere else, and even if it isn't, where are my priorities? Am I really continuing to have my wine to ward off the pregnancy talk? How lame is that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris74 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 It went well! Thanks for the advice. Overall this weekend I ate more Larabars and nuts than I ordinarily do, and probably more in general, but there was plenty for me to eat at the wedding: chicken, steak, veggies, tomato salad. No alcohol, no dessert! A triumph. While I probably ate something non-compliant inadvertently (something in the steak marinade?), I'm not nit-picking. The point is to change the way you live your life, right? I can't remember the last time I navigated a wedding sans booze, and turns out it's not hard at all. I went out with friends the night before and also had no desire to drink. You were right. No one noticed! They all assume you are drinking too. Amazing. Drinking a virgin Bloody Mary helps. Also waking up feeling bright and chipper on a Sunday morning is PRICELESS. One annoying thing: I made a point of asking my boyfriend NOT to announce to people that I wasn't drinking, because I wanted to see if anyone would notice and didn't want to make a big deal about it. Guess who made a huge announcement that I was STONE SOBER. Embarrassing. Grr. I always get a club soda with a lime. Sometimes people want to shift the spotlight from their drinking situation to other peoples' drinking/non-drinking situation................................................ Anyway, good job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris74 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 As a person with vast experience with the high's and lo's of drinking, I can say that there's two types of friends/family when it comes to drinking. One doesn't care one way or the other because they never viewed alcohol consumption as something of high importance to begin with. And the other group views it as very important. But that's a selfish view because they're concerned that their alcohol consumption doesn't seem out of line with the group or with you. The girlfriend who's overly concerned with why your not filling from the communal wine bottle has a deep concern that her drinking will appear over the top unless everyone else is joining in. I've been on both sides of it and that's really the way that it is. I find a great deal of peace amid those situations, it's easy to feel "better than thou" when you're fully in the moment, capable and have your wits in check while other people are sliding into a stupor.... enjoy that better than thou feeling ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFDubbs Posted August 20, 2013 Author Share Posted August 20, 2013 As a person with vast experience with the high's and lo's of drinking, I can say that there's two types of friends/family when it comes to drinking. One doesn't care one way or the other because they never viewed alcohol consumption as something of high importance to begin with. And the other group views it as very important. But that's a selfish view because they're concerned that their alcohol consumption doesn't seem out of line with the group or with you. The girlfriend who's overly concerned with why your not filling from the communal wine bottle has a deep concern that her drinking will appear over the top unless everyone else is joining in. I've been on both sides of it and that's really the way that it is. I find a great deal of peace amid those situations, it's easy to feel "better than thou" when you're fully in the moment, capable and have your wits in check while other people are sliding into a stupor.... enjoy that better than thou feeling ;-) Chris, you hit the nail on the head re: why people care about whether you're drinking or not. I don't want my choices to make anyone feel judged or uncomfortable, but I suppose if they do, that's their own issue. I too have been on both sides of it (though I was of the "Whoop, more wine for me then!" camp). I have to say, on Sunday morning when the boyfriend was bleary-eyed, exhausted, and hung over, I had a distinct "better than thou" feeling! Mostly I don't feel superior, though, just SO thankful that instead of feeling hung over, I feel energetic and clear headed and... happy. I love to party, I really do, but I have a great time with my friends even when I'm not drinking, and I wonder why on earth I insisted on poisoning myself in the name of fun. TrayS--you can do it! I bet if you do another Whole30 no one will notice as much as you think they will. People just gossip cause they're bored, and as gossip goes, "maybe she's preggers!" isn't so bad! I know what you mean, though. My girlfriends and I LOVE to sit around and drink wine, and the only reason my not drinking has gone unnoticed thus far is cause I've been at big parties. It will be MUCH more difficult to forego the wine when it's just the four of us at someone's apartment. Eeesh. But I shall prevail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CortneyT Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Did you visit any good restaurants in NYC that were "easy" on W30? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delaine Ross Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Nice work! I'm a fan of the fake vodka sodas to avoid people asking questions. I act just as silly without the vodka. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aventurine Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Just a note to anyone visiting NYC...check out Hu Kitchen: http://hukitchen.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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