Alright, I need strategies. I have a very active social life that revolves heavily around food — dinner parties, work lunches, birthday celebrations, Sunday roasts at my mum's house. Since starting Wegovy 3 months ago I've been avoiding social eating because I'm terrified of:

1. Ordering a full meal and eating 3 bites (feels wasteful and draws attention)
2. Getting nauseous at the table from rich restaurant food
3. The inevitable "why aren't you eating?" interrogation
4. Having to explain the medication to people who will judge me

I turned down 4 dinner invitations this month and my friends are starting to notice. I don't want this medication to make me a hermit. How do you all handle social eating??

I eat out 3-4 times a week (it's basically my hobby) and I've figured out a system that works:

Restaurant strategies:

• Order an appetizer/starter as your main. Portions are smaller and nobody questions it — "I'm just in the mood for something light" is a perfectly normal thing to say
• Share dishes. Suggest tapas, family-style, or shared plates. You eat what you can and nobody tracks individual portions
• Take leftovers home. Not every restaurant does takeaway boxes but most will if asked. That £25 steak becomes two meals
• Eat the protein first. If you can only eat 1/3 of your plate, make sure it's the chicken/fish/steak, not the chips
• Avoid heavy cream/cheese/fried starters — these are nausea triggers for most GLP-1 users in restaurant portions

For the interrogation: You don't owe anyone an explanation. "I had a big lunch" or "my appetite has changed" or "I'm just not that hungry tonight" are complete sentences. If someone pushes, that's a THEM problem, not a you problem.

I haven't told a single person I'm on semaglutide (except my partner). When people comment on my weight loss or eating habits, I say "I'm working with a doctor on some health stuff" and change the subject. Nobody pushes past that because it sounds vaguely medical and people get uncomfortable 😂

You are NOT obligated to disclose your medication. It's your private medical business. Same as you wouldn't announce your blood pressure meds at dinner.

Counterpoint to Quinn — I tell everyone. EVERYONE. "I'm on Ozempic, it suppresses my appetite, I'm gonna eat what I can and take the rest home. Pass the bread? Oh wait I don't want bread anymore lol."

The openness has been incredibly freeing. Most people are curious and supportive. The few who are judgy... well, I don't need those people at my dinner table anyway. Life's too short to eat in secret and stress about what people think.

Both approaches are valid — do whatever protects your peace. ✌️

The appetizer-as-main strategy is brilliant. I never thought of that. And the sharing/tapas idea is great because I do love trying lots of different things, I just can't eat much of any one thing.

I think I'm more in your camp. I'm not ready to be an open book about it yet. The "working with my doctor" line is perfect.