To not go to work Christmas dinner

[nodinners]

I paid nearly £50 a few months ago.

However I am now on a diet and doing well with it. Would it be unreasonable to apologise and give a reason why I can’t go?

Diets don't work, especially those unhealthy meal replacement type.

Oh god don’t go. Is there anyone duller than a dieter at a Christmas dinner?

Meal replacement diets sure as hell don’t work.

I object to using the word ‘diet’ as in ‘I am on a diet’, in that context. Just eat healthily.

YABU. Live your life and enjoy it.

Presumably you are not supposed to replace all three meals? Or even if you are, just replace the other two, don’t have dessert and bob’s your uncle.

Do you plan to not eat Christmas dinner on Christmas Day?

Just go and don’t eat very much. It’s fine.

Tbh I’d enjoy my life more if I wasn’t overweight

All that advice. Is all well and good ladies ..but what if you have 10 stone to loose? Eating well ,not dieting just won't cut it.

lt used to make me laugh back in the day when l (was daft enough to) went to slimming clubs. Just before Christmas they'd be saying "For your Christmas lunch, have lean meat, loads of veggies, one (!) roast potato, no extras, thin gravy, etc"!!!
lt's not one meal or one day that does the damage. lt's what you're having the other 364 days of the year.
lf you've paid for it, and that's the only thing putting you off (other than hating your colleagues, for example) l'd go. Some lean protein and veggies won't sabotage you. lt's good proper food.

What’s the menu? If it’s a Christmas dinner you could eat the turkey and veg, ignore the potatoes. Soup for starter would be ok or if they do melon and skip dessert. One off plan meal won’t hurt just be back on plan the next day.

Are you a food addict/have binge eating disorder? If so, make an excuse and don't go. I understand your struggle.

Nobody would tell an alcoholic "Oh yeah just go to the pub with all your work mates and have a coke FFS you fun sponge"

I've done the meal replacement shakes, when you've a lot of weight to lose it feels good to get the first couple of stone off quickly then up the exercise & join a slimming class or something.
For your meal it's fine, just have bit of turkey & load up on veg.
Good luck with the weight loss.

Healthy, balanced eating that you can sustain for a lifetime does. Not meal replacement

^^This, in spades.

You can have a low carb meal without throwing off a meal replacement diet. Just eat meat and veg.

YANBU - put yourself first.

£50? For a work Christmas meal? You must really like your colleagues!

One Christmas do won’t destroy your diet but depriving yourself will. What are you going to do on Christmas Day - not eat then either?

Just don’t eat any bread that might come out and don’t have the pudding.

What is your meal replacement diet, OP? I need to lose 2 stone.

Trying to be socialble polarbear!

Cambridge weight plan

Totally your choice. If you're in the zone then it's understandable.

As this thread has shown though, best not tell people the real reason.

1 stone or 10 stone, you need to change the way you eat for life in a way that you can sustain. Drastic weight loss also doesn’t work. Most people end up putting it back on. Or get in a cycle of yo-yo dieting which is harmful.

How much is one luxury meal going to wreck your diet?

Nodinners, I did LL and it didn't help me confront and change the reason I was fat in the first place. I'm doing the fitness guy programme now, eat normal food now, can socialise, actually enjoy exercise and no longer have the binge urges or need to eat unhealthy food as it's helped me unpick why I overate. I've lost nearly 20cm off my waist in less than 5 months x