Hi,

Some good friends have invited us to a wine and cheese party tomorrow night. I have no trouble ignoring wine (I don't drink) but CHEESE is one of my all time favorites.

I know about eating dinner before I go, drinking water, eating raw vegetables....what I don't know is what to do when I'm standing there in front of a tray of cheese (besides moving away) with a toothpick in my hand...what can I say to myself to STOP! Our friends who are having the party both work in an upscale grocery store, and I know they'll be this huge array of cheese (drooling like Homer Simpson)....

Help!
Sherry

If I were you, I'd use this as my "treat of the week". I'd eat very lowfat all day so I could have a few cubes of cheese. The most important thing is to get your fiber in at dinner so you'll feel full longer, IMHO.

I agree. Save up and just know ahead of time that you're going to give yourself some room to splurge at dinner.

I feel for you, cheese is one of my absolute favorites too!!

Breath spray. Discreetly give yourself a squirt of breath spray here and there throughout the night. Nothing is grosser than cheese and breath spray.

Just take ONE PIECE Of each type of cheese - say that to yourself over and over again and then just do it! I know you can!

I felel for you, cheese is a killer for me! I think that everyone is right. Use it as a treat. Plan ahead and be prepared to slurge.

Have fun!

I love cheese, too. I would say plan to have a certain amount (save some calories) and then stop (I know, easier said than done). One thing my dietician always tells me to say when I've finished eating but I still want more is "this is enough". Of course, it doesn't always work I would also bring some sugar-free gum to chew on when you're done eating. Gives you something to do with your mouth and makes the cheese a tad less appealing

It's CHEESE, Grommet!

Chew gum.

Also, make sure you have something in your hand, like club soda or mineral water in your hand with ice (you can suck on ice in those difficult moments). If they have plates, get one! Put grapes on it (if your friends are real cheese people, they'll have grapes decorating the cheese plates). Now you have TWO hands full and no hand to use the toothpick!

Be prepared with some lines for people who want to sabotage you.

Get involved with conversation! Sometimes, I get so involved in willing myself not to eat, I'm silently chanting to myself and not talking to a soul. That just makes it harder! If the party is in multiple rooms, make sure to wander AWAY from the table.

Also, let the cheeses just melt in your mouth for as long as possible, take your time chewing, savor every morsel for as long as you can.

Jessica's right about the grapes. Mmmmm, grapes.

Run away from the cheese! Hopefully, it won't be a party where everyone's just sitting there. If possible, stay away from the food trays. People never notice that you're not eating if your not actually near the food. I try and give myself a little treat--eat something and talk to people while I'm eating so they see I've had something...then I move as far away as possible. No one is strong enough to resist that much temptation!