Overweight friends and a busy social life

got2befitnow

Okay, this is the first time I've posted something, but I need a little advise/support here. I need to get healthy again, and have been doing pretty good sticking to my calorie intake and trying to get in exercise when I can (I'll admit - could do way better with this part). During the week, it's going okay. However, on the weekend, it seems that we have so many people who come by, or I go out with friends. This is where I really have a hard time sticking to my food plan. Plus, it doesn't help that 2 of my closest friends are obese. I know they want to see me succeed, but it's really hard getting together to just chat and maybe watch a movie, and they're making nachos while I've brought some fruit to munch on (or some other low-cal snack).

Also, quite often friends of ours will come by and spend the afternoon at our place. They always bring munchies such as chips, potato salad, ice cream and anything else that packs on the pounds. Again, I try to have baked veggie chips around so I can put out an alternate. I've been just trying to stay away from this, but it's pretty difficult.

Most of our friends know that I'm being more careful about what foods I'm eating, and all are very supportive. My one friend who is obese has started coming to the track with me, and she walks while I walk/jog.

How do you stick to your food plan when constantly surrounded by these temptations?

AmykinsCatfood

I have a similar problem. I have an overweight friend and I *suspect* there is some jealousy on her part (she tried to lose weight and then got discouraged when it didn't happen right away and quit) and I feel like she does things to try to sabotage my progress because she feels angry that she didn't get as far as I have.

Basically what it comes down to is what do you want more? The chips in the bowl or a healthy body to live your life in? Don't deny yourself everything, and keep other options available to you (like your baked chips.) The more you deny yourself something the more you crave it. To help me stick to my food plan I put everything in a head of time, even my snacks because then it's all there in front of me.. I look at it and I say "Oh, I've already got all my food planned for the day. No room for those chips." and go get one of my planned snacks instead. And if the problem is unannounced company, put out a veggie tray. Fill yourself on those instead of the chips or whatever.

fannyfrost

Your friends may be supportive, but by bringing junk food to your house in some ways they are sabotaging your diet. People don't mean to do it overtly, however, if you have obese friends subconsciously they want you to fail. If you succeed it makes them look bad. It is normal psychology. The key is to not be overly drastic in front of them. Instead of saying, I can't have that its not on my diet, try the approach of saying that you stopped eating high fat foods and now they upset your stomach if you have too much. I find this helps when someone says "oh just have that really fatty food", they tend to back off there.

I agree with the other tactics mentioned, have veggie platters available and fill up on those dipping in hummus or low fat dressing. Low fat pita chips are a good option.

Depending on the relationship with the people who drop by, you can say "hey why don't you bring fruit instead of ice cream" or something like that.

FYI, try baking apples slices with a touch of cinnamon. If you BBQ, a lot of fruit is awesome on the grill. Bananas are great with a touch of cinamon on the grill it and it really makes you feel less deprived.

Good luck.

And don't feel bad, my husband is supportive, then goes to the store and buys zeppolis offering me some, sigh.