Well tomorrow, my house mate who is planning to open a restaurant. is making us a feast. ..she's so concious of my new eating habits(she cooks for me without any oil, when she can and only uses a tbsp if she can) that she told me to prepare this week by saving some 'extra room for the weekend' , i have managed to stick to my new way of life completely and am a little worried. Although she has gone through the menu with me and has even taken out some things cos she knows i mite not eat with them if it's not too healthy...she's such a sweetie.

Ok ..the only problem i have is that i have nooo self control ..she has designed quite healthy meals but i always end up eating way too big portions, ive been drinking 3 litres a day so my plan is to up this tomorrow and actually drink more before my meal and a LOT during and even more after, and eat s-l-o-w-l-y...any suggestions on self control?

I also feel terrible cos they always want me to eat more when im with them, and not be so picky.. I really dont wanna mess up but i also want to please them...they have been saying ive lost weight

Dr. Oz was talking about this the other day, he said, when faced with food you can over eat... such as different dishes or buffet style, eat one fisted... which means hold your glass of drink in one hand, and the plate in the other, then you eat slower, and can think about what is on your plate. Also, look at the dishes before you serve yourself, choose just a few of what you want, serve a small portion, and walk away from the table area... that way, you won't stand and pick... hope this helps a bit, have fun.. don't let food issues get in the way of enjoying yourself

SlimmingWorldChick - I've got two thoughts about this, really. If its a one off event and your friend has put in a huge amount of effort then I'd go with the flow and eat enough to be polite, even if its more than you're allowed on SW - then be good for the rest of the week.

BUT.... if your friends are wanting you to eat more and not be so picky ALL THE TIME then you have to think whether they've got your best interests at heart. After all its your health not theirs.

On a short term fix - if its a help yourself/buffer style meal then put a variety of foods on your place but only a spoonful of each and kind of spread them out a bit so the plate looks fuller than it is - fill in any gaps with salad/vegetables - then hold your fork and start talking, all the while waving your fork around. Make sure you eat a small forkful every now, especially when there's someone directly in front of you. It sounds daft but the combination of talking/waving the fork around/occasional small bite really does give the impression that you're eating a lot.

Thanks for the great advice i'm going to try both of these tonite ...i've also notice what you were saying SarahAnn all the skinny people i live with constantly talk when they are eating and eat real slow, i tried it for 1 week and lost about 5 pounds but my food was ALWAYS cold before i finished it and by the end of the week i never finished it after it got cold,but i never have time since university started again.....

It's only a small dinner for a few of us, but there is always lots of food which is even worse cos i feel compelled to eat as i dnt want to be rude...but my friend is soo considerate she's really trying to cook me something low in cals, she even made one tart for the others and a special one for me and i have got swimming this evening so i'm feeling a little better this morning, whateva i eat i'll just work it off but I'M NOT GOING TO OVEREAT JUST TO MAKE OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY(this is something i always USE TO do)....

I WANNA GET TO THE 160S

Well done - that is EXACTLY the right frame of mind.

Probably too late for any help but maybe have a cuppa soup half an hour before hand (or a very low calorie/low fat snack to take the edge off your appetite but so you can still eat a little.

I made it through the dinner ...she made me some special rice and vegetables with some chicken...mmmm i also learnt a new recipe by the time i got home all the treats were gone ...i am a bit worried though cos we did eat quite late after swimming classes around 10... and i've got weigh in tomorrow do u think this will make me up on the scales?I hope not...hopefully all is well for tomorrow..Thank for the support girls..

Glad it went well. HOpefully you will be ok on the scales. If not - it is just a 'blip'.

Sounds like you've got a nice friend there. Don't worry about the scales - you gotta have a life occasionally.