That's Fit

Being on a 9-5 schedule is what I think played the biggest role in my slow weight gain over the years. I'm not the best at planning ahead and bringing my own lunch, so I relied on food court fare, and having office candy at hand much of the time was too much temptation for me. But I've changed the way I think about food over the last few weeks, and it's worked well for me -- so far. I now don't make it the focal point of my day, so it's easier to avoid temptation. But now that I'm spending my days outside the home again, the temptation of being in a social environment is putting a bit of a dent in my healthy eating.

Let me explain: Almost every day since I've started my training course, someone has brought in chocolates or donuts to share, and there have also been a few birthdays complete with--you guessed it--cake.

That's not all--when we call it a day on Friday afternoon, there are always a few invites to head to the pub for drinks. And when my best girlfriends made a plan to head for Chinese food last weekend, I felt I couldn't say no because I was craving some time with them. All in all, it's enough to put a bit of a damper on my best efforts to eat healthy. Out of the three total pounds I've lost over the past two weeks, I've gained one back. Not good.

But here's the thing: There will always be friends and co-workers lurking around every corner with a slice of cake or a glass of wine. The problem isn't them--it's me. I need to find a balance, or else find new friends who have the same goals as me. My friends and I are joined by a love of food and drink. It's what we do--we go for drinks and fancy dinners. I'd love to say that we're a group who goes hiking and does yoga when we're together but we're not--we're eaters. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's something I have to be aware of.

So it seems have to set some ground rules for social events. One, I have to limit my drinking to one glass of wine per day. Two, I have to make smart choices at restaurants--nothing deep-fried and I need to go easy on the cheese. Three? I should only be eating out twice a week--max. And four, I have to refuse sugar-laden treats. At least for the time being.

I'm curious--how do you balance a social life and a healthy lifestyle?