This week may have come too soon in my new life for me.
I have both kids home this week on Spring Break. They want to go to the movies,Bowling,and Roller Skating. Now see all but the movies is active but the lunches are gonna kill me. I hate when the kids are home I always binge. WOn't be on much and will probably gain not lose. This is going to be so hard!
Yeah...too soon to have this week come up.(lol)

Hang in there and just take it one day or moment at a time......

You can do it....I know you can..........

Don't dread it! Just keep a bag or whole wheat crackers or carrot stix in the car. A few bottles of water too. Keep your healthy things around you so you are less likely to all off the wagon. In the movie theaters, I always put a few sugar free hard candies in my purse or some sugarless gum. keeeps me from leaning over an reaching in the popcorn bucket!

Penor, I know what you mean. Mine will be home the following week. I too am dreading it. Beyond belief. Mine are older, but nevertheles my routine, my wonderful, comforting, successful routine will be completely thrown out of whack. And of course we have a big food fest of a holiday as well that week. Soooo, not looking forward to it.

I think anytime my routine gets blown out of the water, it's a bit nerve-wracking. When I have a normal week, it's all pretty simple, but it's definitely more work to keep things on track when stuff changes - I can sympathize!

The key for me is planning, no matter what. As some have said, have snacks ready for the car. Keep handy foods in the refrigerator - things you can grab quickly that fit in with your eating that you can maybe eat while the kids have something else at the restaurant/snack bar/whatever? Or, eat your snacks in the car on the way so you aren't hungry when you arrive? It will take a bit of creativity, but it CAN be done!!

My strategy for dealing with days out is to pack my lunch in a cooler and bring it with me. For example, when we go to the zoo and everyone heads for the snack bar, I will bring my OP tuna salad, a tortilla to wrap it in, some baby carrots and a salad. I will bring a snack for later. Then I sneak in some raisins and extra baby carrots and offer them to 3yo DS when he has his chicken nuggets. Most of the time he doesn't touch the fries.

Bowling, movies, parks, roller skating are all places where you can bring your own OP lunch in and nobody is the wiser. Just remember to pack yourself a little OP treat so that you don't have to look longingly at the kids junk food.

Another thought - If the weather is nice enough, arrange for a picnic in the park at lunch for one or more days. The kids would like the break and you can still eat healthfully.

Good luck!

...and what if you *are* one of the kids going home? I'll be going home the first week of April, and I, too, am nervous. At school it's so easy to eat off the salad bar, and everything on the line has the calories posted. At home, I'm going to want to go to my favorite restaurants, eat my favorite foods, bake, etc.... it could be a disaster!

My plan as of right now is to exercise like a maniac while I'm home to make up for the walking I'll be missing out on. :S

If you are one of the kids going home, you will probably find that your family wants to give you all of your favorite bad things because they are showing you how much they love and miss you. You can talk with your family, maybe even before you leave school, about what you need to have in the house for your new lifestyle.

You will need to find other things to order at your favorite restaurants. Maybe indulge in the one thing that brings you there, and then get the rest of the meal as something healthy. As an example, there is a restaurant here that has the best spinach dip. Unlike any other restaurant. If I would go there, I would share the appetizer and then order a green salad and some grilled fish or chicken. If it's a pasta dish, try to eat half of it, and have a big salad.

But remember, this is a vacation. It's OK to have a few treats on vacation just as long as you do it in moderation, and then pick up your plan the day you get back.