#46 Party Games

What to do when there’s no veggie tray.

Here’s a scenario to ponder: You’re at a party as your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s sidekick and he/she goes off to talk to his/her friends, leaving you smiling nervously at a bunch of people you don’t know. What is the natural thing to do? Check out the food table. Grab a drink. Take sips of your drink. Munch on chips. Search for the veggie tray. Find no such tray. Eat more chips.

This scenario was brought to mind thanks to a training client of mine who recently shared that she was at a party as her husband’s sidekick, was left by herself, found herself alone at the food table with no veggie tray in sight, and didn’t know what to do but munch on chips.

She felt guilty, but didn’t know what else to do with herself. I suggested maybe more sipping (within reason), less crunching? She said something smart: But then I sip until I’m unable to reason with myself about the over-crunching. Oh! The hand-wringing bind!

What would you do to keep yourself straight?

I imagined myself in the situation and then made another suggestion: What if you broke the ice with the others at the party by talking about the very dilemma you’re experiencing? I would bet a pretty penny you would find others standing there battling their own weight battles and fighting the same demons.

Now, 20 minutes later, the significant other will return to find his companion giggling with new acquaintances, maybe even new workout partners, and—sigh—you will have survived the latest awkward social situation without compromising your healthyish diet to the point of no return.

Take that, seemingly unresolvable conundrum!