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Friends and Food: 18 Ways to Connect Without Calories

May 08, 2019

 


 

Studies show that people with strong social networks live longer. Check out this cool infographic from WebMD to see how.

 

 

Getting together with a friend is one of life’s great pleasures.

 

But all too often, in this day and age, it comes with lots of extra calories. Our go-to get-togethers revolve around food—brunch, lunch, dinners.

 

They don’t have to. 

There are so many ways to connect that don’t involve food.

 

If you get into the habit of meeting friends around non-food activities, you can get all the benefits of feeling connected AND lose weight at the same time.

 

Just in case this idea seems intriguing but has you stumped, here’s a partial list of non-food ways to connect with friends:

 

  1. Phone calls (obvs)
  2. Walks (my favorite, especially in nature, but indoor malls or tracks work too)
  3. Museums
  4. Shopping (all kinds—from errands to flea markets)
  5. Nail care
  6. Exercise classes
  7. Book club
  8. Movies
  9. Plays
  10. Volunteering
  11. Church/Temple activities
  12. Music classes
  13. Dance classes
  14. Crafting
  15. Art classes
  16. Self-defense classes
  17. Babysitting grandkids
  18. Taking your kids to the zoo/park/etc.

 

Some of these have traditionally involved food (for example, many book clubs include dinners, etc.) but the point is, they don’t have to.

 

Each activity is enough on it’s own.

 

Recognizing that connection doesn’t need food is valuable and the first step toward change.

 

Feed yourself before you go (with a reasonable meal) and you can just enjoy the fun and the company. Your heart and mind get “filled” with the connection and interesting activity.

 

No need for heaps of extra calories and peer pressure to consume.

 

It can be hard to break a habit—if you always meet Sally for dinner, it might feel strange to do something else, but only for a short while. You’d be surprised by how quickly Sally becomes your craft-buddy instead of your hot-fudge-sundae-buddy.

 

Separating out food from fun friend activities will have positive benefits well beyond the saved calories. You might learn a thing or two, or develop a new hobby. And you’ll start to notice opportunities for non-food fun everywhere!

 

Which number on the list will you try first?