If I know I’m going out to dinner I make sure my lunch is pretty light. For more regular social events, I avoid the snacks and try to stick to 1-2 drinks and make them something on the lighter side (a hard seltzer, wine spritzer, sparkling water with vodka).

I make exceptions. You have to allow for normal life OP. Can you imagine being that person that goes to a function and doesn't eat because it's outside their feeding window.

In your case I would just IF on the days you know you'll be home. When you know you're going out just eat light that day and enjoy the night.

I skip breakfast not dinner. So it doesn’t interfere with social events. But on work trips with early morning meetings or if my body is F’ed because I’m in Europe and jet lagged I just make the exception and eat without worrying to much about the exception .

If you follow the diet, do you have to skip dinners out or drinks at parties bc it isn't in the window? Or do you move the window that day? Or do you just make exceptions?

I want to try it but I have a pretty active social life and usually have at least one dinner out per week and a couple of evening events or get-togethers with drinks/snacks.