5 Ways to Stay Social and Stay on Track
The need for being social is human nature.
Being social gives us cherished memories, new connections, and establishes stronger bonds. It's easy to understand that when a person has to stop being social, they feel depressed, experience less of a desire to live, become irritable, and aggressive. I think we all experienced our fair share of this during the lockdowns. One could say that being cast away from others is a reason for this behavior. What happens when your diet requires the same from you? You can't go anywhere because restaurants don't fit your macros, you can't drink alcohol on your diet, or can't do anything too active because your body is in a depleted state. WTF can you do? Not to worry. Coach Drake has your back. Over the years, I have found some activities that can keep you feeling like you still have a social life and keep you on track. Here is a list of activities that have personally worked for me when I was in the crossroads of balancing being shredded and being social.
1.) Go for coffee - If a friend or family member keeps mentioning how they never see you. Invite them out for coffee. As far as I know, coffee can be consumed on any type of diet. It can be done with a large group of people or it can be a small, cozy conversation. My wife and I have a Sunday ritual of going to Starbucks, drinking coffee, and enjoying a crisp summer/autumn day as the sun comes up. It's very simplistic and I love it. There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee on a peaceful morning. Try this one out. It fulfills your social needs in a big and small capacity. It allows you to go somewhere else besides your gym and house. It also spans across many cultures and is something almost anyone can do.
2.) Go for a walk - You met someone new of interest at the gym and get all the right signs that it is mutual. What do you do? Do you go off your diet for a new date? Not always. Sometimes blind dates and first dates can be nightmares. It's not always worth a night of dense food and alcohol on a person that turned out to be not who you thought. The solution is "the walk". It can be used in any instance, not just first dates. This is something nice to do with your husband, wife, family members, and friends. I prefer to walk with people one on one so we can get more of personal experience and establish a better connection. I never got the same therapeutic response from walking with a large group of people. It's also something nice to do right after you have coffee :) Whether you are rekindling a romance, catching up with a loved one, or meeting someone new, the walk is a great way to have stay social while respecting the boundaries of your diet.
3.) Pool - One activity that gets overshadowed that can be highly sociable is playing pool. This is an activity that allowed me to go out with a group of friends, get some laughs, and still not fall into the pressures of going off the plan. My friends and I were able to be loud and listen to music. They were having drinks while I drank Diet Coke. Pool is grossly underrated in the fitness community. It takes your mind off food, you get tons of steps in walking around a table for few hours, and it allows you to socialize.
4.) Nintendo Wii - I actually found out about this one because my little sister got the Nintendo Wii for her birthday. I was dieting for a competition at the time so my energy was on the lower side and I didn't feel like going to a crowded place, but I still wanted to do something that kept my mind busy. My sister was downstairs playing her Wii for the first time so we I decided to join her. It came with a series of sports games for free. You could do baseball, bowling, boxing, and a few others that I can't remember because I liked playing the bowling one so much. We started playing together and 90 minutes flew by. For those who don't know what Nintendo Wii is, it's a gaming console that allows your body to be interactive throughout the gaming process. (In order to bowl, you must swing the controller like a bowling ball in order to get the best response.) Sometimes when you are in the grips of a rough diet, you just want to find something to do for 2 hours so you can get to your next meal without thinking about it so much. Nintendo Wii offers an effective solution to that. It can be done with a group of friends or a group of online friends. It provides a nice version of light exercise and it allows you to think about something other than food for a few hours.
5.) Radiance and Beauty - Who says you have to eat and drink to relax? Taking care of yourself is the better option that will leave you feeling more fulfilled. This works for partners and friends. It can be going to barbershop with your boys, getting nails done with girlfriends, sitting in the sauna with your buds, or it can be going to get facials and massages with your wife. I remember going to a spa with my wife for a Christmas present that was given to us. We spent the whole day in different saunas, massage chairs, red laser therapy, etc. Afterwards, I felt much less mentally congested. It set me up the be the best version of myself and left me feeling empowered. Taking care of yourself helps reset your boundaries and makes you re-realize you are the most important thing in your life. When choosing between self care and being social - why not do both?
