In America, being social and eating go hand in hand

American social engagements seem always to consist of two main components: talking about yourself in between mouthfuls of food or drink. The first aspect I obviously have no problem with. I do, after all, rush to this blog several days per week to spew forth my thoughts and goings-ons, fully believing you're all so extremely eager to hear all about it.

The latter aspect I'm having trouble with.

As spring has set in, I'm finding myself going to a lot more events. There have been family holidays, parties and other nights out with friends, and all seem to revolve around consumption of food and alcohol. I haven't been handling these situations very well. I go with the intention of just drinking water, or maybe having one glass of wine and sipping on it the whole night. But, at a certain point, I decide to just write the night off.

Do you know what I mean by that, fellow dieters? It's as if you all of a sudden throw your hands up and say, "Well, it's a party, I'll be extra good tomorrow." And then you stuff a cupcake in your mouth.

It's weird because, what difference does it make to anyone else at these gatherings if I put something in my mouth or not? Would anyone notice if I didn't eat or drink anything? Would I seem anti-social? I think, save for any events where my mom is included, I doubt anyone would care. Yet, there doesn't seem much point to go, in my own mind, if I'm not going to join everyone else in having a good time, and in our culture, that seems to include lots of calories.

So, I'm hoping for your thoughts on this. What do you do when you have a social event to attend where there will be lots of food and drinks? What do you tell yourself? Any mental tactics? My biggest problem is self-control in these situations, so any advice would be great. I'd hate to sit home all summer because I don't trust myself to go anywhere. Help!