Me and a bunch of my college friends, many of whom I haven't seen in a long time because after college we spread all over the state, are going on a week of vacation together...and I'm SUPER excited. BUT...I'm already getting heat about my diet and it's still 6 weeks away. But I know I won't be off the diey by then. I told them I completely plan on staying on plan and they weren't happy. I tried not to even mention my diet but it was brought up several times so I had to tell them I wanted to stay on plan. One friend was completely supportive, but not the others.

"so does this mean we can't go out to eat at all?" Well yeah, we can, I'm not going to let my diet get in the way of fun...but I'll join you for one meal, and the rest I'll just enjoy a cup of tea and ya'll can eat...

I think the first half of vacation will be fine, it's going to be just the girls, we're going on a shopping trip to Chicago, it won't be any problem to just bring a few to-go meals along, and have my lean and green when we do go to a restaurant.

But the guys are going to join us on Thursday-Sunday, and we're planning on going to tailgate and then baseball game (and LOTS of booze, they are all very much looking forward to that, and NOT happy that I won't be joining them because apparently, I'm a fun drunk...and I'm afraid I will cave, if the booze is there, and they are all drinking, I'm not sure I can do it!) I told them I'd be the DD, but one of the guys is always DD because of his meds...so I can't even use that excuse.

Then we're going to be in a hotel for 2 nights, eat out all meals, and do waterparks...which I can't bring food in. They all insist can just go off plan for those few days...it won't kill me. But I know if I give in, I will go overboard. Maybe I'll have to give up Medifast for 3 days and just try not to go overboard.

I'm already in heat with my friend (who is normally supportive) because I want to stay on plan for state fair. But it's what we do...we buy everything and split it all, we just eat our way through state fair, deep fried PBJ after deep fried butter after deep fried beer. She's pissed that I want to stay on plan, because apparently, you can't mess with tradition. But I can't go off plan for every big event! By State fair theres a chance I'll be in the maintenance phase, but I doubt it, I should be close though. I won't want to go overboard when I'm so close to goal!!

Just venting I guess, because we did a google hangout last night to discuss vacation and got in a argument about my stubbornness and crazy dieting. I LOVE all my friends, they are extremely supportive and I undertstand why they are upset, I think they feel like I'm dampening the vacation...and maybe I am...I don't want to do that

Live and learn but if you hadn't said anything, I doubt anyone would've noticed.

When I was still in college, one of my best friends and roommates gained some weight and then went on a big diet. Of course I was supportive of her efforts...but I sure did get tired of hearing about them I know she was talking herself up and reminding herself of why she was staying focused, but it just never stopped and it sucked a lot of the fun out of everything we were doing. I'm not saying you're doing that, but there's every chance they're worried that's what it's going to come down to.

I have found that, "No thanks" works pretty well. "I don't think my stomach can handle that" when it comes to heavy drinking and "I already ate/am saving myself for..." when it comes to excessive junk I don't want.

My friends are mostly pretty fit people. If they take a weekend trip together and they give up running, the gym, and counting every carb for three days they do not need me making (accidentally) guilt-inducing or fun-killing commentary.

Once they get that you're just doing your own thing and it has no impact on them at all, they will lighten up and forget about it. I have to really watch myself on stuff like this because I use the Gross Out Method to keep myself off of things like buffets and fair food - you don't know who has been touching it, who sneezed on it, if they really washed their hands, etc. NO ONE wants to hear my inner dialogue at a pot luck

It sounds like you're getting pretty stressed out. I'm sorry to hear that. I definitely know vacations can be really hard on a diet.

I agree kind of with TheSecondHalf's post in that you probably don't need to bring it up or talk about it anymore. Your friends will likely forget you're on a diet, or they won't care, and will offer or try to force food/drink on you. I think, "No thanks," should cover it. If they press, just say "I don't feel like it right now, but thanks." If they keep at it, that's rude and you're in your rights to tell them to knock it off.

One thing that ALWAYS throws me off on vacation is if I get too stressed about what I'll eat or what others will think of what I eat. Things to keep in mind are that most people probably won't notice if you don't make it a big deal, and that those who do notice aren't living in your body and don't know jack $*!&, so it really isn't up to them (in other words, ignore it).

My advice would be to stick to your plan, relax, and have a great time being social and going out with your friends. It might disrupt the mood a bit if you're not partaking in eat/drink (which might be why they're cranky), but it helps if you are social as usual and maybe even offer to be the designated driver so they can drink what they like.

Don't let them guilt you or force you or bully you into giving in. Staying on your diet is your decision. It doesn't hurt them at all. But relax, have a good time, and then hopefully your friends will calm down and do the same.

Good luck! And I hope you have an awesome vacation! It sounds like a blast.

I'm on a mini vacation this weekend, and have just a couple of pieces of advice for you:

1. You CAN bring your MF foods into the water park. I just took my 200+ 8th graders on a field trip to the water park on Friday. As security was searching my bag and confiscating my MF meals I informed him that I'm diabetic and control my blood sugar through diet rather than drugs, and nothing they sell in their park is low enough on the glycemic index for me to eat without spiking my blood sugar. If you make it a medical issue, they can't take your food. FYI - I'm not really a diabetic, but being overweight isn't a medical condition as far as most people are concerned, so yes, I lied.

2. I have on a couple of occasions drank while on Medifast. One or two vodka tonics shouldn't kick you out of Ketosis (at least it didn't me). Don't drink if you don't feel like it, but if you do, choose vodka tonic - lowest carbs, least likely to push you out of Ketosis.

3. Also, I hadn't drank in 2+ months, and I've lost 30 pounds since I drank last, so 2 vodka tonics pretty much did me in anyway...

4. If you're worried about it, take your scale. I forgot mine and I've been anxious about it all weekend.

5. Remember that the purpose of vacation is to HAVE FUN, not to EAT. I keep having to remind myself that there are joys in life that do not include food.

6. Lastly, it is your choice to go off plan, not your friends'. If you want to take a break from plan because you're on vacation, then do it. I'm going to disneyland with my mom in December and I already know I will go off plan then. There are too many foods I love at disneyland that I never eat anywhere else. I might gain 10+ pounds in the 3 days I'm there, but I've got 6 months to get used to the idea, and when I get home I'll get right back on plan.

Thanks ladies. Honestly, I wouldn't have brought it up, but someone else did so I had to answer. But I'm just not going to mention it anymore. And by that time I'm hoping I'll be close enough to my goal that I probably will cheat (but not overboard!), at least some of the days. An extra week or two on MF will be worth a few days of taking it easy. Memorial day taught me that I can cheat in moderation and be OK. I had a strawberry shortcake on Sunday and I've lost a pound since then.

I don't even know why I'm stressing about it now, but I plan on having fun as my first priority. Good thing to keep in mind about the vodka tonic, I'll definitely be bringing that along!! And until then, forget about it