Seems Like Every Weekend There is an Event Which Throws Me O

I know what you mean, I've had many events come up. Plan ahead. Last weekend when I went on 9 hour road trip, I took lots of protein bars, tuna packets, and my water bottle. At fast food places I would get chicken salads or side salads and add my own tuna. If I wanted snack I would have a bit of the protein bar. I drank lots of water and try to focus on my goals not what everyone else was doing. I always thought it would be weird eating something different than the group but nobody cared and I had a great weekend, even lost weight! I've learned there will always be events coming up and I'm tired of letting them get the best of me. You can do it because you are in charge!!

Can you eat before you go?

First of all I think you are very fortunate to have all of these opportunities...oh how i would love to spend so much time with friends & retreats & oh i would do anything for a vacation!!! Going out to dinner??? What is that? With a big family to provide for, lots of graduate studies, work & oh so much...and trying to deal with eating well on top of it all...it can be difficult in any situation...even when stuck at home for the most part.

Its all about limitation though. And MODERATION. Eating the stuff on the menu isnt as bad when you opt for the healthier deals & eat only half of it. Ask for a box right away & choose what you will eat right then. Eat a salad first. Or even just eat a small house salad & a cup of soup. Sure it is not as exciting as the rest of the stuff, but what is most important? Your health or going over board. My issue right now with staying at home is that we have had to file for bankruptcy, because my husband has no work & we literally cannot afford hardly any food right now let alone the things that are good for us. We have so many carbohydrates on the menu right now & canned goods, frozen...all the cheap stuff. nothing fresh.

i just realized today though, that i am finally eating small portioned meals on a regular basis & i have been fighting to do that for...forever. I would say a good 6 months to a year has been truly dedicated to it though...so it takes a lot of time & determinationt to finally establish these good habits...stick to it. I realized this week that even though I have not eaten the healthiest, because of the money situation...we have had things like spaghetti, hot dogs, hamburgers, lasagna...cheap meals...with not lots of the good stuff...but because i have stayed within calorie means here on my fitnesspal & eaten appropriate portions, I still managed to lose 5 pounds!!! I have not lost this much since a year and ahalf ago when i last really tried. so it can be done. it can! i have also made sure i have walked every day at least 20 minutes. more if time permitted & if i felt up to it. so you can do it.

yesterday i had been in a seminar all day & we had a little sack lunch provided. i ate the veggie wrap choice, chose water over soda & did not touch the cookie or chips. there was an apple, but i already had one earlier. then instead of sitting chatting, two of us took off walking the halls & stairs for 20 minutes. it was extremely difficult, let me tell you. i wanted that cookie so badly the rest of that day. i could not stop thinking about it. but that walk & chewing gum during the rest of the day helped to curb it. so last night when i ate an appropriate portion for dinner too...i did end up eating the cookie. what a huge reward that was.

it is diffucult. but just never give up. never. i have been struggling for years. i only have about 20-35 pounds to shed, which is actually not much, but a ton to me, but no matter what the weight...it is not an easy thing.

I've learned alot this first month. It's all bout making choices. I have learned that YES!! I can go out and eat at a restaurant. It's a lot easier if you know ahead of time where you are going so that you can do a little homework and plan ahead.

But if you just end up at a random eatery here's what I have learned!

1) Don't order any fried. Look for broiled entrees.

2) Ask the server if you can substitute. Most will accomodate. Then replace the white food on the menu ( potatoes, rice, etc. ) with another vegetable.

3) Have a glass of water in front of you to drink while waiting for your meal.

4) Stay away from the salads. The initial thought is that they should be good for you. But they are so smothered with things heavy in calories that many restaurant salad are loaded with 800+ calories.

Hope these ideas help you. The have helped me a bunch. Don't feel guilty about going out and enjoying yourself