Description:  Do you equate hanging out with your friends with eating out? On weekends do you find yourself going to restaurants to see your friends?  Maybe you are just going to the movies with them, and you find you still must grab something to eat with them. Or you are off to the outlet mall, where you find yourself still grabbing a snack from the pretzel or yogurt shop. Or maybe you are at their house to watch the game and they ordered a pizza. Or even you worked out with them in the evening and now you need to grab something to eat for dinner so you can continue your conversation. Whatever the reason, our society has increased using food for our social interactions. As a result, waistlines are increasing, and the pounds are piling up. Come check out ways to break this habit and begin having healthy social interactions with your friends that do not revolve around food. 

Presenter Bio: Stacie Ellis, Ph.D., RDN, LD, is the Registered Dietitian at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she provides nutrition consultations and education for the students and staff on campus. Stacie served as a consulting dietitian for Wellness Concepts, Health Fairs Direct, In House Physicians, Vita Five, Just Train (a celebrity personal trainer), and Texas Health and Texas General Hospitals. She has been interviewed with Women’s Health Magazine, The Oak Cliff Documentary, and Texas Metro News. Stacie recently graduated with her Doctorate in Nutrition with a minor in Kinesiology at Texas Woman's University. Her dissertation involved comparing a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet to a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet on performance in dancers. Stacie also completed the Certificate of Training in Adult Weight Management Program on June 4-6, 2015.