Surrounded by Pastries: A Nightmare or Challenge?

When I became unemployed, I had a very large void in my life. I realized what I missed the most about my job was the socialization. At first, I filled the void with food, which was a very bad idea. After I appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, I realized that one of the things I needed to was to become more social. 

Now, I meet once a week with friends to knit. Sounds like a great idea, right? It is a great idea, except for the fact that we meet at a neighborhood bistro. They have amazing pastries. I am being social, but now I am being exposed to food. Ugh!  

My knitting friends are relatively thin and enjoy the pastries. I went online and looked up the nutrition on all of the items offered in this bistro and they were either filled with tons of sodium or sugar. I wanted to keep meeting my friends and I didn’t feel I should suggest that we meet someplace else, so I came to a different solution. I eat my breakfast at home and always pack a snack in my knitting bag in case I get hungry. I usually order a decaf coffee and while they are enjoying their pastries, I am sipping my coffee. 

Last week, one of my friends offered me half of her absolutely appetizing pastry as she said it was too much for her to eat. I suggested she have it wrapped up and take it home. She kept on insisting that I enjoy the remaining pastry and I told her that I was full. Honestly, I was full because I had eaten a nice breakfast before we met. I also told her that I am diabetic and I needed to control my intake of sugar. She respected my response and we kept on chatting while I kept on sipping my coffee.  

Below are a few suggestions if you are surrounded by pastries.

• Plan, Plan, Plan. You know what time you are meeting your friend, so be prepared. 
• Eat a healthy breakfast or lunch. If I am meeting my friends, I always make sure I eat a healthy breakfast. My favorite is an egg white omelet with or without veggies and whole grain bread (on Sundays, I add 3 slices of turkey bacon as a treat!).
• Always have a snack in your bag.  I usually carry an apple or a low-calorie, low-sugar protein bar. One of my favorite snacks is 1/2 cup of cereal, 1/4 cup almonds and dried fruit. You will always find my favorite snack in a plastic bag stashed in my car for an emergency.
• Be honest. If your friend offers you something you don’t want to eat, let him/her know that you don’t want to eat it. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to tell him/her that you would prefer to eat the snack that you brought with you.   

If you are surrounded by the pastry monster, don't panic. If you plan ahead, you will be fine. I hope you have found this advice as helpful as I have!

Please keep me posted on your journey at Riare43a@aol.com.