How to celebrate and still stay on track

If you love to socialize no matter the season, from summer cookout to holiday parties and everything in between, you know that some of the most celebratory foods, from avocado- and sour cream-based dips, to birthday cake can seriously make a dent in your SmartPoints® Budget—and that’s not even counting the beer, wine, and hard booze. But staying on track doesn’t mean you need to insult your host by passing up her cheese plate or saying no to her prize-winning strawberry cheesecake. With careful planning and a little bit of discipline, you can keep your SmartPoints in check without sacrificing any celebrations. Here's how:

One of the simplest ways to monitor how much you’re eating is to consolidate your food for the evening onto one small side plate.

“Fill half your plate with vegetables, 1/4 with a lean protein such as chicken or fish—not fried, breaded or soaked in oil or a marinade—and 1/4 with ‘your choice’ as long as it stays within your SmartPoints Budget for the day. If you go back for seconds, choose mostly vegetables and a serving of protein,” says Jaimie Sherry, MS, RD, CDE, CDN, a nutritionist at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

According to WeightWatchers® nutritionist and recipes editor Leslie Fink, MS, RD, “Anything that comes in a dip or chip basket is dangerous territory,” since it's very easy to dip and munch without thinking about how much food you're eating overall.

Don't try to keep track of how many times you reach for yet another guacamole covered tortilla chip or handful of nuts. Instead, take single items on a plate and look for more friendlier alternatives like sushi, grilled chicken skewers, or stuffed mushrooms.

Instead of having a handful of pigs-in-a-blanket, get out on the dance floor and practice your best Dancing With the Stars moves for some added activity. Or, how about just chatting with the guy from college you never see. By keeping your mouth and hands occupied with things that don’t involve food or booze, you’ll end up consuming less of both.

Another red flag is the open bar, offering a bounty of sugary cocktails and creamy frozen drinks, not to mention hearty beers. But if you get looped into drinking a few rounds, stick to bottled, light beer or a glass of red or white wine or sangria.

As Fink suggests, “Think of ways to add flavor but not calories to your favorite drinks, like an extra splash of hot sauce in a bloody Mary, a twist of lemon or lime in your vodka, or Diet Coke with your rum.”

Sherry also recommends the following:

Don’t go hungry.
People often skip meals or eat less before a big night out. But you're more likely to consume more than normal if you haven't eaten all day.

Exercise the day of the party.
Feel good about yourself, burn extra calories, and remind yourself that you're making positive choices.

Determine ahead of time at least two ways of turning your attention away from food.
If you're going to have an alcoholic beverage, enjoy it at the end of your meal. Don’t let your glass of wine determine how much you're going to eat.

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