How To Avoid Becoming A Social Pariah

Unfortunately, the first phase of the Brentwood Diet can put a dent in your social life. The ninth commandment of the Brentwood Diet states: when going out, eat first. Heed it and you'll go a long way. Here are some more strategies you might consider to help you stick to the Brentwood Diet and avoid becoming a buzz kill.

BARS:

Mineral water, unsweetened iced-tea, black coffee. Needless to say, you will not be the life of the party.

RESTAURANTS:

Yes, you can order a salad with chicken chunks and oil and vinegar on the side. Grilled white fish and chicken breasts are a safe bet, too. But, most things on the menu come with salt. You'll need to consult with your food servers and have them check with the chefs to find if everything complies with the Brentwood Diet. Fortunately, for those living in the LA area, many restaurants are used to special orders. They don't upset us. Or at least, not too much. They can irritate your dining companions, though.

SOMEONE'S HOME:

This is much trickier than eating out. First, let your friends or family know that you have special needs. Your hosts may be happy to meet them. Of course your hosts can hear low-carb diet, whip you up something from the South Beach Diet Cookbook and be disappointed when you don't eat it. So, please be clear on things.

Offer to bring your own food. Your hosts may be OK and even relieved if you do. But, ASK first. Toting your own turkey meatballs might offend someone who's shopped and cooked something off-diet for you. And if you do bring your own food, don't just bring it for yourself: make enough to share. FYI: even non-Brentwood Dieters must deal with this. A friend's little boy is allergic to everything and she goes through this every time her son gets an invitation to a birthday party or play date.

Avoid talking about the Brentwood Diet at length. It's boring. Shortly after we went on the diet, a friend went on it, too. We went over to his house for a Super Bowl party. His wife not only added Brentwood-Diet-compliant food to the mix, she also made up signs for the buffet table forbidding guests to talk about the diet. Zealous converts to the Brentwood Diet, we'd also become pains in the ass.

FILL UP ON VEGETABLES:

Load your plate with them at every opportunity.

PHASE 2:

Remember the 90% on / 10 % off rule for Phase 2? Eating out and traveling are when it really comes into play. But, when you eat out and go off-diet, keep things in perspective. You might choose to have a beer, but forgo the Buffalo chicken wings dipped in blue cheese dressing.