Socialising and dieting

[GodolphianArabian]

So I have spent the past 15 years battling my weight, anxiety and terrible skin problems.

Last summer I did the blood sugar diet lost 17 pounds, skin cleared and anxiety went. I then started having treats and before I knew it was back to where I started. In January of this year I decided to cut out all refined sugar, bread, pasta and potatoes. I now eat a mainly plant based diet with cheese, eggs and a bit of meat. Same thing has happened, losing weight, skin has cleared and anxiety gone again. I'm even sleeping really well.

I know I have to stick at it. But it makes socialising really hard, I am only drinking water (previously was a diet coke addict). Going to the pub is therefore not ideal. I've been invited out for afternoon tea. But I'll literally just be able to drink tea. I've a meal out soon at a burger bar which doesn't even have a side salad on their menu so I'll be having a burger with no bun.

So what do I do, just never socialise again? I'm terrified that one slip will be enough for me to slide back into my old ways. I can't go back, I feel so much better now.

Any advice?

Well done on your weight loss and on finally getting to grips with your problems. One meal doesn't make you fat. It's O.K as it's just occasional isn't it? You could be extra careful the day before and the day after these events - just join in but skip things like dessert. No need to miss out completely just look at the bigger picture by building the treat into your overall food consumption for that week?

Sounds like you have an issue whereby an occasional treat isn't enough. One treat leads to another which leads to another.

Within the context of a healthy diet, the occassional treat meal like afternoon tea or a burger should not be a problem. But occasional should mean exactly that - a one-off and not very often.

You should be able to have a treat meal and off-set the extra calories over the week. Maybe on the day you have afternoon tea, you skip dinner completely and have a very light breakfast, for example. Or in the week you have the burger treat, you drop your daily calorie allowance by a couple of hundred per day for the other 6 days of the week.

FATEdestiny that's it exactly I'm scared if I let myself have a treat I'll keep doing it and before I know it will be back to square one again.

It's almost easier to say I don't eat sugar and never have it. Rather than say I just have it occasionally.

I know that the occasional treat won't affect my weight loss I'm just not sure I can stick to occasional.

It's a balancing act isn't it? I think it's worth remembering that we are here for a good time, not a long time, and we need to make the most of life. Sitting at home never doing anything but being thin -it's not really worth it, is it?

The lightest/smallest I've been was 8st 6, but I was barely eating 1000 cals and exercising for 2 hours 3 or 4 times a week. Every few weeks I'd have a crazy binge, usually after having a few drinks!!

I'm around 9st 4 now, trying to get to 9, but I'll stop there. I eat much more now, and I'm in control when I do go out so I don't feel the need to overdo it and binge.

None of this may apply to you, but I would think one you are not socialising, then it's about more than eating really.