Tips for Pizza Night?

greenapples27

Hi all

FI and I are getting together with my family tonight, and we're eating pizza. Any tips on how to keep the calories under control without being a debbie downer? I was thinking about trying to eat salad before to fill me up a little and maybe limiting myself to two pieces?

I'd appreciate any tips on how to make a game plan for when you know you're going to be tempted! Thanks!

kaos16

I always eat salad first and get my pizza with a veggie topping......broc., mushrooms, anything you like.

climbingsingle

Eat a salad and drink water beforehand. Blot your pizza to get any excess grease off (who knows if this really works, but I do it anyway), and only have veggie toppings. 

Maggie0829

When I am watching what I am eating but decide to have pizza, I limit myself to two slices and zero bread sticks but rather a nice side salad.

And know that you don't have to explain yourself when you only eat two slices rather then half a pizza.

ETA:  Also if I know I am going to have something not so super healthy for dinner I tend to keep a closer watch on what I eat for breakfast and lunch.

greenapples27

Good tips! Thank you.

wanderwoman135

I also always try to stick with thin crust...that way it cuts down on the actual amount of bread that I'm consuming  

On a related rant, my FI is a bodybuilder and has a daily caloric intake that is currently FOUR TIMES as large as mine  

amuhl10

@wanderwoman135 Haha I feel your pain! All my FI does is eat for "them gains." Sometimes I'm not entirely sure how a human being can eat as much as he does

retro_belle24_23092757

What everyone else says. Load up on salad with light dressing, nothing cream based, and drink lots of water. I would also try to fit in some exercise before pizza night to help burn off some of the calories and you'll be less likely to overeat since you worked your butt off earlier. 

teddygirl9

This is pretty old, but a thin crust pepperoni pizza will generally have less calories (and more protein) than a regular crust veggie pizza. Plus, it's pizza. It's not ever going to be super healthy or recommended as a daily eat, so have a little bit but ENJOY it. I think that is a key to keeping calories under control long term. If you let yourself have some treats, you are less likely to go through restrict/binge cycles, which are very damaging. Don't go overboard, but don't beat yourself up for having something yummy once in a while

Iamnowmrsjms

Make a big salad first, take one slice of pizza and cut it up into pieces and put it on your salad.  This helps me feel satisfied.

thecuriousfig

This might sound strange, but I really think the more you stress about it beforehand (any meal), the likelier you are to overeat. So, know that you're going to have pizza, enjoy it, and then move on and eat a bit lighter your next few meals.

That said, try to make your own pizza! Or get a good quality pizza from a restaurant (not a fast food pizza chain). When you put in the effort up front, you'll enjoy it a lot more, and you'll know *exactly* what goes in it, so you can use whole wheat flour and load up with veggies! One of my favorite pizza techniques is on SideChef - it's called Skillet Pizza. Much healthier than you think!