It seems like every week there is some "event" (birthday, work thing, whatever) that means everyone gets together for dinner. I allow myself 1 cheat meal per week, and that is my date night that I spend with my boyfriend. How do you guys handle the pressure of attending these random lunches and dinners that crop up all the time?

Yes I know I could go and watch them eat while I sip my water, but frankly that doesn't sound like much fun to me. And yes, I could order a salad or something, but I hate the fact that I have NO idea how many calories I'm consuming, even if I make a somewhat sensible food choice. I would still be cheating on my diet, even if I ordered the healthiest thing on the menu.

What do you guys do?

Up front, I'm sad to say, as you begin to transform yourself, I found it best to cut myself off from the world. After I'd gotten up some steam, and had made some noticeable changes, it was easier.

Your friends, if they're worth a damn, will choose restaurants where you can eat within your diet even if they wish to wallow in all the junk they can cram in. Most restaurants will make custom order dishes for you - it's really easy to order a piece of lemon-grilled chicken and some veges... or egg whites and a few slices of bacon... or other healthy meal... just about anywhere you go. Shoot for a reasonable approximation of what you'd eat whether or not you were at a restaurant and you know how many calories you're getting. If the portions are too big, and they often are, take half home - and the bonus there is you have an instant meal you don't have to cook for yourself - pop it in the microwave and eat.

You will stand out every time you go out to eat because everything you order is specially cooked. Get used to it. And there will always be pressure from friends, co-workers, and other people in your life to return to your old ways, even if for one meal. But one meal turns into two, two into three... the "snowballing" effect keeps going, and you fall off the proverbial wagon. It takes a great deal of intestinal fortitude to stand up to friends and ask that they accomodate you just a little by choosing restaurants where you all can eat as you'd like to.

-R

I'm thick skinned. That's how I personally do it.

You can't let your diet dictate how you live your life. Focus on balance. If you're making healthy food choices then you shouldn't have to worry about the calories you're consuming. And you should never feel pressured by other people to eat "bad" things. I know, you'll get comments..."What, are you on a diet?" ...but you've got to remind yourself that they're simply a result of other people's insecurities; they can't manage themselves so they feel more comfortable degrading the efforts of others.

Just balance, and don't go down the path where you feel you need to keep track of everything you eat. Consistently sensible food choices will lead to results. You just have to convince yourself of it.

I work in a kitcken and i KNOW how hard is to stick to a diet. im sorrunded by food all day but is quite hard to make the right choices All my colleges eat a lot in one go and not really healthy choices either, i eat 2 o 3 times during the eight hours shift and quite clean, they keep telling me that so many food cant be good, but i know the truth they are the ones eating far too much so i try to enjoy it and be strong.
So thats the way, keep focus and enjoy it.

I did like previously mentioned, and became a hermit during the beginning. Nowadays, I decide what to do based on the situation. Alot of times, I will burn a cheat meal, and attend. Some times, I go, but eat a tiny amount, keeping it within my calorie range. I do this by ordering a steak, plain, or chicken breast, and asking how many ounces it is. I am also pretty good at eyeballing it now. So this food will go into my spreadsheet like everything else. Sometimes I eat beforehand to help me curb my appetite, and keep control. Other times I take food with me, in the form of an entire meal in my small travel cooler, or a snack.

Any of these things should work for you. For me the hermit thing helped me during the learing process, but now that I know what I am doing, I can handle regular eating again (in moderation). As someone else in this thread said already, living your life and enjoying your friends is the most important thing. Balance is the key, you can maintain your healthy eating while enjoying food with your friends. It is all a matter of moderation and control.