Many have talked about saying no at parties so I thought I could tell about my experience.
For 10 years I lived with rules about my eating. I didn´t eat any sugar, not even sugarfree cake or candlylike things and no alcohol. I made this my priority andI kept my weight normal theese years. As you can imagen I had to say no cuite a lot. Here are some insights:
1) Sometimes the host had made sugarfree stuff or alcoholfree drink with sugar for me but I wouldn´t eat/drink it. I figured that what I wanted to express with eating was my appreceation and that I could do that by really telling them I did appreciate it sooo sooo much and I saw their effort and I still didnt eat. If they got sad about that, that was their business. I cant stuff my face to make people happy. Acctrually others happiness is not my job anyway.
2) I also made this rules very strict because If I ate one I could easily eat another.... and then you know I ate the whole thing. So that´s why I didnt even start to eat just a little bit to make someone happy I tasted it a bit. A no was a no, it was more easy that way. Kinda like a alcoholic. Noone would ever dream of trying to get a sober alcoholic to drink just one glass. That would be plain evil. I think this is just the same.
3) When I got over the "pooor, poor me that can´t eat sugar" attitude all of this got so much esier. People didnt notise that I drank mineralwater at a party because I didt mind. I was and looked toatally happy about my choise and so nobody would argu I was sad about missing out or think that I was depriving myself, I wasn´t. I was happy. They didnt pity me because I didnt pity me.
4) Some people think fun is in the food and I had to show them I could have fun without access food.
5) I had my food with me sometimes to be sure that I got someting I could eat and if not I´d see to it that I wasnt hungry. Very important. Planning is key to success!
Of all the above the hardest thing was getting myself on the right track with this mindset. because it was mostrly my selfpity and loss of joy in food that was the battle, but others made it more hard sometines pointing out they felt sorry for me. That was not helping by the way ;-)
Nowadays I do eat sugar and finding my balans more and more in another way. That´s a choise too. It´s hard in it´s own way. But I atill carry the mental attitude with me that I am free to choose in my life and I´m not responsible for others feelings. (picture is from dinner today after a 73 km bikeride in the mountains, I´m still loosing :-))
Hopfully that can free you up to go to parties and enjoying without stepping over your own buandaries, and if you do, remember that it was you who are responsible, dont make others responsible for YOUR choises!
Take care and happy partying!