The FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to start in just 2 days time, and with the England Lionesses going for glory (again) – there is no doubt there will be a host of celebrations to come.
This means more of us will have more social events on – yippee to an active social life! However, if you’re on a journey to improving your health – whether that be from stopping smoking, reducing your alcohol intake or losing weight, this can be a quite nerve-wracking time where you may find old temptations beginning to creep up. The good news is, you don’t have to lose your social life when you’re on a health journey, and we’re here to tell you how.
Trying to lose weight, but you still want to join in on the celebrations?
In previous years, you may shun all social events when trying to lose weight because you find there’s too many ‘temptations’ around that cause you to go off track. Well, there’s just a few simple tweaks that you can make when you’re out celebrating that can help you to reach your health goals:
- Opt for lower-calorie alcoholic drinks
Alcohol has always been a big part of World Cup celebrations, and if you don’t want to give that up – you don’t have to. Skip out on sugar-laden cocktails, and opt for drinks like a vodka soda or vodka Diet Coke. If you’re a wine fan, then you’re in luck as a 150ml serving of white wine contains just 123 calories.
- Be calorie-smart
Food labels can be extremely helpful when you’re trying to make healthier choice, particularly serving sizes to ensure you’re not mindlessly overeating. Being calorie-smart also allows you to enjoy all of your favourite foods in moderation – so, if pizzas have been ordered for your World Cup viewing feast, choose a pizza that has more vegetable toppings than meat or cheese, have a few slices (rather than a whole pizza!), and then balance it out with a big salad on the side to sneak in some extra veggies and nutrients.
Going smoke-free in social situations?
Whether you’re celebrating from the comfort of your own home, or going out to a nearby pub – you may be surrounded by smokers and find that being in certain social situations can be a trigger for you. Navigating your social life whilst remaining smoke-free can be difficult, but our top tips can make it a little easier:
- Tell your friends
Make it clear to your friends that you are no longer smoking so they don’t offer you cigarettes and try to encourage you to join them. You can also ask your non-smoker friends to keep you away from social smoking situations.
- Distract yourself
Keep yourself busy and entertained with other things while you’re socialising. If you’re at home, make yourself busy by topping up drinks and nibbles so your mind doesn’t wander elsewhere.
- Have a plan
Before heading out, have an idea of what to do when cravings strike. Have you asked your friends to step in and distract you? Do you have quit aids on hand and do you know how to use them?
Want to reduce your alcohol intake or go alcohol-free, but still enjoy yourself and celebrate?
Whether you drink to have a good time, or use it for that liquid courage before a social event – you don’t have to overdo it every time you go out. Enjoying the celebrations whilst being alcohol-free or just having a drink or two is very much possible with our simple tips:
- Limit the number of drinks you’ll have
Before you go out, have a clear number in your head of the amount alcoholic drinks you will allow yourself to have. When setting this number, it’s important to remember how many alcohol units Alcohol units – NHS (www.nhs.uk) you should have weekly.
- Go for smaller drinks
As well as limiting the number of drinks you’ll have, try going for smaller sizes like bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine rather than a large.
- Opt for alcohol-free alternatives
Many places now offer a diverse range of alcohol-free alternatives and mocktails that you can try. These replacements can be a great help if you feel like the ‘odd one out’ for not drinking on a night out.