Sorry, this might be long!

I'm relatively new to this site and I've had a very good first few weeks - down about 8 lbs. With that said, I will say that my old favorite foods have been haunting me this week. It hasn't been easy, but I have turned down a plethora of goodies in our staff lounge including reeses peanut butter cups, fudge, doughnuts, popcorn, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, AND MORE! Ridiculous!

I have stuck to my packed lunches instead of going out to eat habitually like I used to. My good friend who I haven't seen in months invited my husband and I over last night to order pizza and hang out, and I got them to go to Ruby Tuesday instead, where I could have the soup and salad bar. Yay, that's great. However, tonight there is a different kind of situation to resist. Social drinking.

Tonight there is a huge football party that we are invited to and I can't get out of it. As history has shown, this group of friends will be eating fried foods/pizza and drinking large quantities of alcohol tonight. This is the kind of group where everyone is drinking - if you don't, you're either made fun of or pregnant. I am prepared food wise - I am eating my dinner NOW, before we go. I am packing some snacks. But when it comes time to drink...and be pressured to drink. What do you say? Any ideas? I'm probably WAY more worried about this than I should be, but I want to be prepared.

I just make my own whiskey and water (or vodka on the rocks) at all the parties I go to.
Make one drink...When the drink is finished, go make another one for yourself, but just ice cubes and water the rest of the night. No one will know
but you.

If you drink beer from a can. Take the can with you to the restroom. Dump out the beer and fill the can with water.
Works all the time.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
~Author Unknown ~

To be honest, I would be extremely hacked off if anyone pressured me to drink. I mean, it is up to you what you consume and if you dont want to drink why the **** should you?! I would probably get really rude if people tried to force me once I said no. I woul say no in a nice way, I dunno, maybe say no thanks I dont want to drink tonight or I dont feel up to it or whatever, and if they pressured me further I would be more form and say Thanks but I said NO. And if they still went on I would probably leave Who wants to be around that?

Alternatively, I guess you could be the designated driver

Nothing has cut my weight loss more than cutting out all drinks and any kind of beverage besides water.

My advice is to say no. And if they make fun of you, well that's just not cool in my opinion but try bringing your own sports bottle. Let them think whatever they want is inside, but just put water in it!

I'm a bartender off and on, and when I serve drinks to people who don't drink but want to appear as though they are drinking with the crowd, I try to make something that LOOKS like an alcoholic beverage but isn't really. The most popular request is soda water or tonic water over ice with a lime wedge - looks just like a gin and tonic. Also, for people watching their calories they ask for a vodka diet coke (which I think is nasty, but to each his own!). After their first they just drink diet coke, just put a sip stick (one of those tiny stirring straws) in your drink and it'll look like it's alcoholic. Dumping the beer can/red cup out in the bathroom and refilling it with water is a great idea too as another poster suggested!

It's nothing to be ashamed of to just announce you're not drinking that night. Many prescription medications react adversely with alcohol so you can always say you can't drink for medical reasons too. No worries just going balls-out and saying "I'm not drinking tonight" either! It's really none of anyone's beezwax why you are or not. Hope this helps!

I agree it's kind of messed up that they would pressure you to drink. However, if you want to have a drink, don't let the fact that you're on a diet dictate that. Meaning, it's ok to have a drink every once in a while. If you have a bud light that's only like 100 calories or so (I forget how many and it obviously depends on the size). Just budget for it in your diet. That's what I do . I refuse to allow dieting to completely consume me. Everything in moderation!

Hope you have fun! (Maybe you can say you're being the designated driver?? If you all have to drive to get there I would hope this would be a valid and acceptable excuse).

Drive to the party. That way you can't have more than one or two!

Hi all. Thanks for the tips/suggestions. I did drive my husband there and was not planning to drink at all. Happy to say I stuck to that! I was probably just worried for nothing, but I really like some of your suggestions on how to appear like you're drinking, when you really aren't! Creative!

There were a few people who questioned my decision not to drink, but it was just mostly raised eyebrows because I typically join right in. Was a fun night and I felt fantastic this morning, unlike my husband! Haha!

Thanks everyone!