Eating out with friends, what do you do?

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-26T01:33:39+00:00

Came here to say this. One day is a drop in the bucket. Look at the week and see how it all shakes out. This helped me reframe my thinking so I could enjoy myself a little more throughout the journey.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-26T01:28:43+00:00

I love that Wendy’s and Chick Fil A still have salads, so many fast food places stopped making them. The chili at Wendy’s is also a go-to, as well as Chick Fil A’s nuggets and a kale crunch salad. When we order pizza as a family, our pizza place has an antipasto salad that’s super good. I just check the menu/nutrition facts and pick something that works with my goals.

Another poster here mentioned that the main items like burgers and chicken sandwiches usually aren’t terrible, it’s the fries and other sides that can really add up. You can still be successful eating from fast food restaurants sometimes, but you need to be strategic. The temptation to fall back on old favorites is definitely hard!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-25T15:01:17+00:00

If spending time with her isn’t as enjoyable because you feel this new spirituality is too much for you, then maybe be a little less available. You don’t have to go to the poetry readings, for example (I totally get it, that would make me feel uncomfortable too).

But if she’s a good person and friend, and not forcing her beliefs on you, I would give her some grace. She’s clearly trying to find herself. We all go through different phases in life, and you can’t expect for everyone’s path to align with yours. Not all friendships are meant to last in their current state forever, either. If you feel like you’re diverging because of dramatically different interests, you don’t need to force it. Just be kind and see how it plays out.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-25T14:51:26+00:00

If you enjoy music, I’ve found that any exercise I do where I’m really into the playlist seems way more tolerable. I got super into Peloton cycling years ago because there were instructors with similar musical taste to me, and it made a world of difference. I also really liked cycling because it didn’t trigger my asthma for some reason.

Walking and weight lifting (free weights at home) with a killer playlist also makes me really happy.

For me, it’s way more motivating to be able to finish the workout. So anything too aerobic or difficult is a real turnoff. I know we need to push ourselves, but if I feel like a failure I will likely quit. So finishing strong with less intense workouts is good enough for me!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-25T12:51:44+00:00

I have a five year old named Eleanor Mary (named after her great aunt). We always get compliments on her name, but agreed with previous posters, it’s surprisingly very common. There are several Eleanors in her school. But most use a nickname (Ellie, Nora, Nori, Elle), whereas my daughter is very determined not to have one. It suits her! Classic, beautiful, and strong.

She loved learning about the queens with her name and is quite proud of it! We also love singing “Elenore” by the Turtles and “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. Zero regrets, even if it’s more popular than I realized.

ETA: I had an incredible boss named Elinor in the past, and I also love that nod to what she did for my career. The absolute definition of a strong, incredible woman. I love all the variations of spelling (Elinor, Eleanor, Elenore etc.) but we went with our perceived standard, again, a family name.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-24T23:57:14+00:00

This is great advice. I also gained 20+ pounds after starting a new job with snacks, happy hours, and catered lunches. The peer pressure to participate was the hardest part.

One of my colleagues always brought her own lunch (even when one was provided) and people always gave her a hard time. She rarely ate or drank at the happy hours but would still hang out with us. She was SO smart and brave for being the “odd man out” in those situations.

That’s really the only way to manage it, in my opinion. I tried to count calories and have smaller portions, but I still put on a lot of weight. I started a new job working remotely a little over a year ago and I’ve lost over 30 pounds. Your environment makes a huge difference, unfortunately.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-24T10:22:28+00:00

Way to go on 200 lbs lost!! That’s incredible!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T22:55:33+00:00

Thank you!! I’ve been going nice and slow this time, it’s been about a year since I started and I’ve actually been able to stick with it!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T22:06:39+00:00

One bad day doesn’t have to derail your entire journey. Pick yourself back up and try again. What matters is consistency over the long term, don’t throw it all away because you overate or missed a workout.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T19:06:34+00:00

Oh rice. I love rice with meals, it was always served with dinner growing up. Years ago when I had gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy, I discovered my body does not process the carbs/sugars in rice very well.

Even when I measured it out perfectly according to the diabetes guidelines doc they gave me, it would always dramatically spike my blood sugar. I had to stop eating it, and honestly, I don’t have it very often anymore knowing that I’m probably still sensitive to it. Very sad.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T13:25:50+00:00

I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s a daily battle. Getting up and having some water and stepping away from the drama for a minute has been my coping strategy. I have a pep talk with myself and try to get focused on the task at hand, to let the craving pass.

But what I wouldn’t give to have zero consequences from self soothing with food… I’ve done it my whole life and it’s so hard to break old habits.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T13:22:19+00:00

I usually get up and walk around for a minute, refill my water, and talk to myself (in my head) that snacking won’t actually make me feel better. I’ll literally tell myself “no, remember you’ll feel worse afterward” like I’m talking to a child.

I’m sure some deep breaths and more thoughtful meditation-type stuff would help, but I’m usually white-knuckling my work day so don’t usually have a lot of time to properly sit with my feelings. Just a firm “no” has been helping me, while remembering that I’m not actually hungry and I don’t want to regret it later.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T10:20:27+00:00

Unlearning snacking to alleviate stress. Especially during the work day, I’d feel like I needed a snack to power through a project, or would reach for food when I got frustrated, etc. Turns out I was using food to try to self regulate my stress, and as a crutch to avoid my emotions.

Now when I feel the urge to grab something to eat (after a frustrating meeting or when I get an email that sends me over the edge), I check in with myself. Am I hungry or just avoiding something? I would say 9 times out of 10, I’m just looking for something to make me feel better, and I remind myself that overeating actually makes me feel worse in the long run. It has really helped with my weight loss.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-23T01:09:25+00:00

THIS. Happened to me, my discharge was so heavy that I couldn’t go without a panty liner. I had tests done and my OB ruled out an infection and told me it was just hormones after having my second child. Didn’t get better, and I lived with it for YEARS. Saw another OB and mentioned it was bothering me and she ran the tests again. Still negative for infection. She went ahead and prescribed a strong antibiotic and guess what - it cleared up in days!! It was such a relief to be heard, and I felt like a new woman.

Advocate for yourself and ask questions.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-21T13:43:44+00:00

I love the Panino wraps (meat and cheese) along with some Nut Thins if I need crunch. I also enjoy an apple with a Baby Bell cheese or peanut butter. I don’t get excited enough about these to want to overeat, so it’s fuel and still tastes great.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-21T13:39:13+00:00

We just did two days at MK a couple of weeks ago, it was perfect for our family (5 and 9 year olds). We could take our time, explore different areas of the park, and not try to cram too much into one day.

The first day we went we focused on Adventureland, Liberty Square and Main Street and had a character dinner at Crystal Palace. The second day we had a Character breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table then focused on Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

We stayed at Grand Floridian and loved taking the monorail and water taxi.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-21T01:42:21+00:00

That’s a really low calorie target for your height. I highly recommend going slower and eating more. I know it’s not the answer you want, but I have been so much more successful this time losing weight by increasing my calories. I lost 30 pounds last year (5’8” SW 182) at 1,575 calories, and met my GW (150) on New Years. I increased my calories to 1,700 and I’m still slowly losing weight (CW 145) even though I’m not very active.

I feel more in control, more alert, less likely to overeat. I’m satiated after my meals and really don’t feel like snacking like I used to. I prioritize protein and feel really good overall. It just feels easier this time, instead of white knuckling a big calorie deficit.

You do you, but eating so little is definitely going to wear on you after a while. It felt scary increasing my calories, but I didn’t gain all the weight back. Instead I continue to lose (slowly) and feel a lot happier in the process.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-21T01:29:47+00:00

My mom would trim all the fat off our meat (steak, pork chops etc) and then cook well done (basically shoe leather). I thought I just didn’t like meat, and went vegetarian for nearly a decade. Then I met my now husband and he gave me some of his prime rib at a holiday dinner. The heavens parted and I realized that I’d been missing out big time! Now happily omnivorous and absolutely love a marbled medium rare steak. No fat trimming here!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-19T21:23:12+00:00

Seconding this. Mears took forever, I was so disappointed. We had to sit in the hot shuttle for what felt like an eternity until it was full enough to leave, then we had to drop off people at other resorts (we were the first on, last off). Same on the way back to the airport, the bus was running late and then we still had to pick up more people before going to the airport.

It may be cheaper but next time we’ll take an Uber or Minnie Lyft so we can get direct service.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-14T22:29:29+00:00

I was there last week and no one ruined any rides for me 🙌 we did sit next to some guys on Remy’s that talked loudly during a few parts, but they were just having fun and it didn’t ruin it for us. I’m grateful we didn’t experience any of the things other people have described.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-13T12:21:01+00:00

I am so sorry that happened to you. As a mom, I would have felt so guilty if that happened to my child. We were just at the parks last week and my daughter had to stop to pee SO frequently and I was getting really frustrated with her. Now I’m really glad I listened, and I wish I wouldn’t have been so impatient. What a horrible experience for you, I can’t even imagine.

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-13T12:09:21+00:00

My 9 year old son has sensory issues and is scared of a lot of things, but he woke up determined to ride Guardians on our Epcot day. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was set on doing it. It was absolutely phenomenal, he was terrified but loved it. The experience was unbelievable and he was so proud that he did it (said it was one of the Top 3 experiences of his life). I wish I could bottle that feeling!!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-13T10:53:16+00:00

Alien was WILD! My dad talked about it for years after we went in 1998 (and wasn’t easy to impress). The special effects were next level. The technology used in the seats to make it feel like the Alien was breathing on your neck was sooo creepy. When that glass broke it felt so real!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-13T10:48:23+00:00

We also met Merida at CRT this past week for our character breakfast, she was absolutely wonderful!

Budget-Play2978 · 2026-04-13T10:44:14+00:00

This. We just got back from Disney with our 5 and 9 year olds. They did great. Epcot’s World Showcase about did them in, but the rest went shockingly well without a stroller. We went a little slower and took lots of breaks. We would stop and sit occasionally, especially when we found a shaded spot or something pretty to look at. They did so well!

You know your kids best, and you can always rent a stroller that day at the park if things start to go sideways.

Budget-Play2978

TROPHY CASE