Probably PMSy related, or perimenopausy... these days I can't tell'm apart...

I've been eating the bad foods this week. Captain D's fish & chips... ice cream cake... popcorn (whole bag... ) and donuts & pizza.

I have a friend visiting me for the next 5 days, and she eats sooooo much. She's VERY obese, and is constantly trying this diet or that diet. I'm always willing to support her in her endeavors but I know the next 5 days are gonna be sheer **** for me, because I'm gonna wanna eat-eat-eat-eat-eat.

To top it off... I have only exercised twice this week, and I know that while my friend is here, I won't go to the gym.

HELP ME I'M SLIPPING...

Do you have before pictures? Keep them handy.

Does your friend put food into your mouth? No. You are accountable. Plan to write down everything you eat while your friend is in town. Sometimes, just knowing I have to write it down keeps me from eating it. You want to lose weight, you want to be healthy. Visualize something you want (smaller sized pants, walking on the beach in a slim sundress) and keep that in your mind when you are faced with something you really DO NOT want to eat. Pick restaurants where you KNOW there are healthy options, do not go to restaurants where you guys "always share the cheese fries." Clean all the junkfood out of your house right now and only buy healthy things. Make sure you have fruit and stuff for healthy sandwiches and good breakfast choices.

Pick one meal where you will order whatever you want. Stick to that one free meal.

If you can't exercise, be sure you take your friend on a few touristy walks. Walk around downtown, go shopping and walk around the mall.

You can do it. A 5 day free-for-all on top of your previous week is just going to set you back. You've come too far to slip back into poor eating habits. Are you making a change that will last for something, or is this something you can't stick to? Practice sticking to it, this is a rehearsal for maintenance. Life is always going to be temptations and donuts and birthday cake at work for co-workers you barely know and your mom's home made macaroni and cheese and friends wanting to go out for ice cream. You just can't give in all the time, you have to stay accountable.

I completely understand having friends with bad eating habits. I have yet to find a good solution to that one.

You could ...

• go to the gym quick before she gets here
• ask her to join you on evening walks (great way to talk and catch up)
• commit to eating one large/restaurant meal per day, and have the other two be healthier options at home
• talk quite a bit about your weight loss efforts and plans, see if it can change the dynamic a bit
• plan to eat nothing but leafy greens and grapefruit for the week after she leaves

Ha, no!

Hi Beach Patrol,

You and I have the same weight goals...and I also had a bad week..Did really good then yesterday went to a pot luck and couldnt resist having some chicken that was too salty, some rice (probably 2 cups) and 3 bites of cheesecake....I weight in the morning and I had gone up 2 LBS. Now I am afraid of going to the diet center and weighing in..they will know I cheated and they give me a hard time. I cant seem to get past 171.00

Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to break this?

Thanks

I really need help in getting past this stage...I feel like anyday I will lose control and go back into my old habits...Today I decided I was going to just eat very light..well I've 2 protein bars and 1 protein drink and its only 11:30am.

I don't know. I think eating healthy, you get to eat more. I usually eat 3 meals and then 3 snacks a day. I usually have fruit for a snack or a cup of low calorie soup.
As far as exercise, ask your friend to come to the gym with you. Most gyms will give you a coupon to bring a friend. Also, I love walking. I agree, take your friend on a walk with you.
I also agree, your friend can't make you eat what you don't want. Resolve on some things before she comes, like eating a healthy breakfast and lunch and then splurg a little at dinner.
Anyway, all that's going to happen if you cheat all week she is here is feel bad about yourself. If you want to change, you have to change even on days when you don't want to stick to the diet.
Good luck to you!

This may help you out, it may not. Last night a friend of mine asked me out to dinner. Well, I had already eaten and was full, but I still wanted to hang out with her. So to not eat anything more (because I knew I would have) I drank some water before I left and only ordered a small rum and coke. I had a few carrots that were on her plate, but that was it. So maybe try to keep the water handy. And if she sees that your eating well, perhpas that will inspire her to eat well.

Just a thought. Good luck and have fun with your friend.

For 20 miserable years I followed a vicious cycle - restrict/binge/restrict/binge. 2 processed protein bars and a protein drink is not a healthy, sustainable way of eating. Please consider eating some real food that will satisfy your body and break the cycle of restrict/binge/restrict.

When I decide to eat light for a day, I usually have: oatmeal with dried fruit, cottage cheese for a snack, a big spinach salad with grilled chicken, a serving of trailmix and a piece of low fat string cheese for a snack, cut up veggies for a second snack and my favorite all time "healthiest meal EVAH" grilled salmon, baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli. It's about 1400 of the healthiest calories I can treat my body to.

Thanks everyone - it IS hard, especially during "that time" of month... but sometimes I'm very very good, while other times, I just say **** it & pig out. Oink. I know it is a big but I swear sometimes I just feel like giving up completely! The fight to lose the weight, the fight to maintain it once I've lost it... the regaining, which makes me feel like a total failure It's just good to know that I can come here and get support... and offer some of my own when someone else is in need.

I had a bad week, too, and it's not that TOM. I just dove in to a pint of Haagen Dazs last Sunday (ate 2/3 of the container, a personal most for me), then actually planned to have KFC on Monday.... was more or less okay for most other meals, but snacked a bit too much. Yesterday had a small but greasy (I love them greasy) eggroll with my vegetarian stirfry, then blew it again with a chocolate bar and more Haagen Dazs (only one portion this time, though). And mooched three potato chips off someone...

And couldn't walk due to knee problems... well, I still managed to lose a half-pound, but I really need to get back to being good.

Beach Patrol, you said you support your friend in her dieting endeavors, so surely she'll support you in yours? Seems like you ought to at least discuss it with her.

Perhaps you can convince her to eat what you're eating for the week? If you go out, taste some of hers but keep your meals reasonable. Maybe allow yourself a side of something you like, but control the rest. You can enjoy her and your time together, but without totally blowing your diet. I like the suggestions of being good for a few meals a day and spluging on one.

Alta, it sounds like you're trying hard. I can't fathom living on the protein bars and drinks. Can you add some fruit and veggies so you fill up a bit before you decide to cheat?

Beach Patrol -- I think you've done great losing 20 lbs. I wish I could get that much off....It has taken me 7 weeks to lose 11 lbs. Now I have to think about losing another 18 lbs. by August 15th which is my goal date.

I found this site FitDay which is really good...You write down your foods for the day and it calculates your calories for you and you can even journal. Spent lots of time on that site today.

SIENA I am trying very hard...I can drink protein drinks and bars and then one low caloric meal a day...but I cant do it at all...Having too many social events the last week and I broke the diet each day...Today I went to a graduation party and stuck to protein (chicken) and vegetables..stayed aways from carbs completely.

If one of you can help..I get kind of lost on this site...I dont know how to create my own thread and sometimes I cant even find my own replies.

Can someone tell me how to do this? I've just this site a couple of days ago and I cant really understand it...Its a great site and what I have read is very encouraging.

Thanks

To start your own thread, select the desired forum and click the New Thread button. It is right above the forum links, top left of your screen (right across from the Number of Pages link on the right - see the attached screenshot). You can use the search function to find all posts you have made (Click Search, click Advanced Search, enter your User Name, click Search Now).

Ahh honey, it's been that kinda week for me too. I was only able to exercise Friday, then TOM came late last night and I spent the whole day in bed with cramps. When I finally woke up, I consumed two bags of buttery popcorn and like 7 slices of pizza. I hate TOM.