Cheryl (time2lose) pretty much covered how I would respond to SCraver, so I won't address that.

I apologize in advance if I am off base here and I know that I very well may be.

I wonder, when we think (say) that we are going to *offend* someone by turning down alcohol (or birthday cake for that matter), are we really just looking for an excuse TO drink (or eat). Just a thought, like I said, I could be waaay off base.

And I personally would not say that I was on anti-biotics. That can lead to further discussion and then you'll have to explain why and it could get messy. Although I'd have no problem saying that "I don't know, I'm gonna pass for tonight, I'm not feeling 100%" or something like that.

The antibiotics excuse can get messy. I used it once on a friend who I just refuse to drink with any longer when she wouldn't stop pressuring me about drinking. She pushed it farther and I just said "I have a yeast infection. Do you really want to hear any more about it?". Which successfully ended the conversation ;) So just be prepared to have a back-up plan

HAHAHaha ducky, thats funny.

Really, when i don't want to drink, i still go out, i still socialize, i may have ONE drink. If i feel like it.. if i don't, i don't. I don't understand why its a big deal. If you are really that "paranoid" about your friend feeling down about you not drinking, just go to the bar and order a diet drink with a lime on the side with no alcohol. People think you are drinking, but your not.


also one thing i've noticed in this weight loss journey (as short as mine has been...) is alcohol = weight gain. NOT worth it in my mind anymore. But i think one drink would be ok, more than that for me anyway = weight gain.

you know for me quit drinking at all is so hard:o... because my husband likes to drink on saturdays so I always kept my bottle of water with me and I drink 2 or 3 shots of rum because has less calories than other drinks! Good Luck!:cool:

Some of you guys know I was pregnant earlier this year (I had a miscarriage). While I was pregnant, I went out on a business dinner with my boss and two out of town vendors. Everyone wanted to order wine, I didn't want to make a big deal out of it (and I wasn't quite ready to tell my boss I was expecting) so I just said I was feeling kind of headachy and ordered an iced tea.

It doesn't have to be a big deal.

I happen to know that I get really really stubborn and *****y when someone tries to force me to eat/drink something I have politely declined (this happens a LOT with birthday cake at work).

I am a sugar/refined carb addict. Eating them to excess, (as well as drinking heavily daily) is what got me to 333 pounds. Sugar is my drug of choice and I (and anyone else in this world) can live without it for their entire life. There are no essential nutrients in sugar (or white bleached flour) that you cannot find anywhere else....So yea, you can live without food...the kind that makes you fat. People just don't want to give it up. Because...well, they're addicted. :D

and think they can't live without it...

Till I finally realized I was barely living WITH it - I was digging my grave and though I was still alive (for the time being) my quality of life was horrendous.

I also just can't stand the thought of someone thinking that they HAVE to have something in order to please someone else. Sorry this is just wrong - IMO of course.