Guest Post on Food, Fitness, Fashion: Hi! I’m Laura, and I write a little blog called prettylittlewords about my crazy life in Chicago and how I attempt to stay healthy while still having a kickass time.
(I also have a potty mouth. Ali, forgive me!)
I love food. And booze. To anyone who knows me, and even to many who do not, this may not come as a surprise.
(celebrating a new job!)
As a single gal in an incredibly fun city, I feel like my fondness for the finer things in life (in other words, spirits, ales, and greasy food) just adds another layer of fun to my social life. I can barely walk ten feet without running into a new or amazing-looking restaurant or bar to try, and dating provides a great way to eat and drink my way through Chicago.
I’m not just talking about Miller Lights and french fries here, either. Like Ali, I’m huge on craft beers and specialty microbrews, and rarely turn down an opportunity to sip an icy pint (or three) to kick back and relax. Additionally, just about every pub around here has their own version of gob-smackingly delicious mac & cheese that it’s hard not to want to sample each one.
It always makes me feel like a total badass when I order a Sazerac or an Old Fashioned on a date instead of some nasty, watered-down light beer. Yeah, random dude I met on OKCupid – I’m cultured and mysterious and fabulous. So what?
(see? I’m classy)
But as many of you other single ladies may know, dating and keeping an active social life can totally sabotage your healthy living goals. On any given Monday, my calendar will have five different workouts neatly penciled in throughout the week, accounting for a little fluctuation in work hours, but otherwise totally ironclad. But then – gasp! That hot investment banker you met last weekend texted and wants to grab a drink Wednesday night. Hmm…Zumba…or drink with hot investment banker? Zumba…investment banker…. I think we all know where this is going (hint: not Zumba).
Sidenote: Allie recently informed me that you should never accept a mid-week date – you are worth his freakin’ Saturday. Point noted.
You think that after skipping your workout, you’ll keep the drinks to a minimum and just nibble on some crudités at the bar. And obviously, you’ll get up super early tomorrow to hit the gym. Obviously.
But then – wow, you don’t remember him being this cute. Do you want another drink, he asks? You giggle – of course! And then those local crispy truffle artisan free-range Waygu seasonal mac & cheese sliders do start to sound (really tasty). Maybe you’ll just have one. Or two…
(source: Stratton Hall)
Okay. I’ll stop here – we’re not going to go into how the date ends because we all know you’re a very respectable girl and you smooch him at the door and leave it at that, right? 
But we’re not here to talk about your (or my) mac-and-cheese-and-whiskey-induced sluttiness. That is why you go to my blog, of course! (Kidding…sort of…)
We’re here to discuss how to navigate the dietary minefield that is dating. I know Cosmo and every other ladymag may cover this topic incessantly, but somehow I find their suggestions such as, “Just order Shirley Temples all night and no one will be the wiser! Tee hee!” and “Just run seventy-four miles every morning, and you won’t have to worry about hitting the gym after work anyway!” somewhat, er, difficult to picture myself doing with any regularity. That’s right – this is the regular girl’s guide.
One reason I keep turning back to Ali’s blog is that she never ceases to amaze me with her incredible commitment to fitness, despite having several jobs and a busy social life. I love how sometimes she will get up early to run, or simply stop at a friend’s house to change after work instead of going home to guarantee that she goes to Crossfit. She goes with whatever she feels like, but doesn’t let herself make excuses.
Many other bloggers will wake up at 5 every morning for a run or trip to the gym. Sadly, as much as I would like to, there is no way on God’s green earth that I would ever be able to do this. So, friends, here is what I do instead.
Tip #1: Schedule 2-3 non-negotiable exercise days in your week.
I know this may not sound like many, but if you don’t leave yourself any wiggle room (especially during the summer, when there is always something going on!), you are basically setting yourself up to fail.
If you have your set-in-stone workout days already mapped out ahead of time, you can schedule the rest of your week around them and still make sure you have time to do all the other fun things you’d like to do. Even better, see if you can combine fun + exercise days. For example, I like to schedule a post-work run with a friend of mine I don’t get to see very often. We get to catch up and gossip while still working up a sweat.
As a bonus, if Mr. Sexy Investment Banker calls to get together on a non-negotiable workout day, you can drive him nuts by telling him your week always fills up pretty fast, and he’ll just have to find another spot in your fabulously busy social life
Do the best you can to fill in the rest of your week with workouts and healthy physical activity, keeping in mind that just because they’re not set in stone doesn’t mean you should blow them off. This may not work as well if you crave structure in your routine, so plan accordingly if this is the case.
Tip #2: Do a little research and round up a mental checklist of drinks to order when you’re out that won’t totally bust your goals.
I hate to sound snarky, but it drives me crazy when magazines tell me to stick to one drink for the night. If I’m going to have a drink, I’m going to have at least two – otherwise, I might as well not drink at all!
I don’t drink just to get drunk by any means (as you can see from the above pictures, that phase happened in college), but who doesn’t enjoy getting a little buzzed after a busy workweek? Occasionally I will stick to just one drink if it is very strong, but I hate setting such a strict limit when sometimes, well, I want to knock a few beers back!
Personally, I really enjoy old-school cocktails because not only are they usually delicious and fancy-sounding, but they’re also strong. While daiquiris might be mighty tasty, I’m much more likely to wind up with an empty glass before I even see an appetizer than I am with an Old Fashioned.
On the other hand, a chilled 4 oz glass of champagne will run you about 90 calories and is another great option. I like to ask the bartender to throw a few oranges or whatever fruit he has on hand in the bottom and add a splash of seltzer. It tastes delicious, looks lovely, and gives you a nice buzz without weighing your stomach down.
If you know a small list of drinks to stick to ahead of time, you won’t be kicking yourself the next day for all those frozen margaritas, 200-calorie beers and white Russians you had the night before.
Tip #3: Order that club soda after all.
I hate to sound like a hypocrite, but in a sense, those annoying ladymags have a point. While some may disagree, I think club soda is delicious with a bunch of ice and a few limes. There are many evenings where I simply haven’t felt like drinking, but didn’t want to look like a party pooper while my handsome date sipped frosty beers all night.
That’s when I’ll order a big, icy club soda. Often the bartender won’t even charge you for it – a bonus for stingy ladies like myself – and is usually happy to add a garnish or two to make it look pretty. Not only will it taste great (truly! Try it if you don’t believe me), but you’ll stay hydrated and feel fantastic the next morning.
If you still want to drink booze, but perhaps take it easy, try that silly alternating-between-club-soda-and-alcohol thing, and combine it with Tip #2. Voila! Easy peasy.
Tip #4: No matter what you do, stay away from the mac & cheese.
I may be partial to this rule because I’m lactose intolerant, so there is nothing less sexy than running to the restroom while clutching your bloated stomach on a date.
This tip is often tricky because ordering food at the bar is usually suggested after several drinks when your judgment may be…impaired, or your guy will simply order something without even asking. If it’s not the mac & cheese, it might be the buffalo wings or the fries. Either way, it’s a guaranteed calorie bomb.
Now don’t get me wrong here – as I stated at the beginning, I love food. I love fries, buffalo wings and mac & cheese. But save these items for another night when you can focus on enjoying these tasty dishes, not when you eat them just because a megafox ordered them and plopped them in front of you.
I’m not suggesting being that girl that just orders a salad on a date. But I will regularly fix myself something healthy but satisfying before joining someone out for drinks, like a natural peanut butter and whole grain bread sandwich, or a bunch of veggies with a heaping glob of hummus.
This is smart because it’s not always clear if you will be having dinner on a date, but when the time comes, you can either suggest ordering something (slightly) healthier, politely decline the greasy dish, or take a small bite and rave together about how bacon only belongs in mac & cheese. That’s it – a small taste, all you’ll need, and all you’ll want if you’ve already eaten anyway.
Tip #5: Accept that you’re not perfect, and that life is meant to be lived – not avoided in favor of trips to the gym. But still use your head.
Sometimes, especially in the summer, I’ll go an entire week without even thinking about the gym. This isn’t to say I don’t get exercise – I get plenty of walking in, and make sure to get myself moving somehow most of the time.
But it’s really important to make sure you enjoy yourself instead of obsessing over every calorie or missed work out. One of Ali’s posts that really spoke to me was when she was debating whether to go out with Adam’s sister who was in town or to do a scheduled workout instead. Despite the fact that she had already committed to the work out, she ultimately decided to go out and have a good time – and after the fact, she was so glad that she did.
Ten years from now, you’re going to remember all the fun nights out you had, not that one really, really sweaty interval work out on the elliptical. If you’re truly committed, there is always a way to work balance into your life with a little bit of planning and some hard work. Ali still made sure to exercise later that week, but she didn’t compromise her social life for a night alone at the gym.
That being said, this isn’t license to abandon your healthy living goals. If you’re having a great time on your date, enjoy yourself and don’t beat yourself up for ordering that second or third beer. But make sure to cut yourself off an hour or two before the night ends so you can get home safely and make wise decisions (wink, wink!)
But if you’re not having a good time, maybe you don’t need that second beer. Sure, social lubrication may be the backbone of the dating scene, and it’s perfectly fine to rely on that first drink to get you through some seriously awkward conversation. But if you find yourself salivating over the thought of your pajamas and that book on the nightstand instead of the guy across the table with you, it’s time to politely end the conversation, split the bill, and head home. I’ve often caught myself downing too many drinks due to being stuck on a bad date, and there really is no up side to this situation – a hangover, a larger bill and a creepy hug goodbye from your too-drunk date could have been avoided.
