Grrrrrrr......

jester13

Keep falling off the diet. Hate my mind when it's not strong enough to say no. Or when everyone is eating pizza and you can't say no and then keep eating. What's more important having the body of your dreams and hard work? Eating and drinking with friends?

jtegirl

I think you need a good balance. I believe in having cheat meals on weekends, because without them, it would be really hard to eat this strict and not go nuts.

rankinsect

jester13 wrote: »

Keep falling off the diet. Hate my mind when it's not strong enough to say no. Or when everyone is eating pizza and you can't say no and then keep eating. What's more important having the body of your dreams and hard work? Eating and drinking with friends?

For me? Eating and drinking with friends definitely is more important than the 'body of my dreams'. My real goal is the healthiest body I can have with a lifestyle I can enjoy, and part of enjoying life includes pizza with friends. I might not have the absolutely ideal body that I would like, but I can certainly be fit enough to enjoy life and not have my body's condition drag me down.

That said, my TDEE is pretty high, so it's not like I can't make pizza with friends fit into my calorie goals. In fact pizza with friends was my Saturday, and it fit within my goals for the day.

SueInAz

Rather than cheat meals I prefer to "save" calories for the weekend and I still log what I'm eating. For one, I dislike the idea of "cheating". Who am I cheating? And why would I want to denote a normal eating pattern with a term that makes it sound as if I'm doing something wrong? Two, I've seen people blow their weekly deficit, and then some, on a cheat meal or day. I'd rather still be accountable to myself and my plan.

OP, whether the body of your dreams or eating and drinking with friends is more important to you is something you need to figure out. I've personally chosen something in between. I neither want to sacrifice hanging with my friends or have to put in the hours at the gym to have a superstar body. Of course, I don't need a superstar body, either. I'll settle for happily in my healthy weight range which I can easily maintain with a sensible diet and an hour of exercise each day.

You need to figure out what you really want, too, but I certainly hope that hanging out with your friends is part of that. If you really want a body that requires a rigid diet and hours at the gym each day you're going to have to make the sacrifices that go along with that. If you want to be able to hang with your friends and still look pretty good, figure out the right mix of calories and exercise for it and then plan your week around it. Otherwise, you're going to have a difficult time maintaining your goal weight let alone getting there in the first place. If you want a piece of pizza with friends, make room for it in your plan, but be reasonable. 500 calories of pizza is one thing, eating a large three meat pan pizza by yourself is completely another.

queenliz99

I like eating and drinking with my friends! I make my calories fit for the week. Life's too short not to have a little fun.

aliem

Why not have it all! One (or two) slice of pizza and a glass of wine shouldn't kill anyone! Also, when eating with friends, just try to make better choices at the restaurant. When it comes to drinking, I try to stick with a gin (or whatever your preferred spirit is) and soda with extra lime and try to limit the number I have. As long as it's not everyday, you can make up for it by adding an extra workout or two.

I like to plan out my meals for the week, but I always know that going out to lunch/dinner might happen or I might leave work so late that I need to pick up a burger on my way home. I just try to make better choices when I do so. I find that my friends don't care what I am eating or drinking as long as I am there and socializing!

thenananator

What everyone else said! I would just add that I ALWAYS weigh myself before I go out socially just to reaffirm for myself that it has taken me over 6 months to get where I am and it is precious ground I have gained in those months. The ground becomes quick sand if I let it.....

Alluminati

Another vote for eating and drinking with friends. In the big picture of life they are a small but important fraction and I want to enjoy that time with them.