No More Diets

I am dreading the birthday party this weekend I am to attend. Do you have any tips to help me stick to my diet?

Birthday parties are not meant to be a threat. If you eat too much it’s not the end of the world.

Do the best you can - no doubt you’ll not be perfect. None of us are.

If it helps, see the party as an experiment with control and have fun with that. Make a game of it. Give yourself points every time you negotiate a tricky area (but only if that feels like a fun thing to do) You know the kind of thing (Had a mineral water instead of another buck’s fizz. (1 point) Asked for a small piece of cake. (1 point) Stopped eating when I’d had enough (1 point) Said “No” twice to Auntie Jessie insisting I had seconds (20 points)

Try visualizing how you want to act at the party before you go and make sure you’re not too hungry when you get there. Focus on the conversation rather than on the food - and try a little of the food you love to mark the occasion without going overboard.

Fat does not happen at a party in my experience - after all you have to eat 3500 calories too much to make so much as a pound of fat. Fat (or slim) happens with the food you eat day after day after day.

Enjoy the party and try and show yourself that the presence or absence of food (or the amount you eat of what is available) is not a factor in having a good time.