Advice on temptations and starting the journey

lambs379

Hi everyone! We just set the date and getting married October 5, 2013 - I'm looking to lose 40-50 pounds and I've started to eat more healthy and going to the gym more often. I'm hoping that I can gradually do this now without crash-dieting a few months before.

I'm looking for some advice - what worked/is working best for you?? 

My main issue is that I LOVE food and my fiance and I are very social. Every week and weekend there is some kind of bridal shower, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, weddings, engagement parties, not to mention football Sunday drinking and regular going out with friends. All involves heavy drinking and delicious food - which I have a problem saying no to. I could just not go to these events so there's no temptation, but I would be missing out. Does anyone else have these problems?

yumo29

Hey!  We are date twins! LOL

I'm looking to do the same thing.  40-50 pounds by our wedding.  Maybe we can motivate each other?

Clio073

For me, it was the small decisions of which was I more willing to give up. I now carry the waterbottle around with me everywhere because the empty calories in drinks just wasn't cutting it. I still get to enjoy the smaller poritions of sweets. Also, small, easy substitues for me. With chocolate began to switching to only dark chocolate, the chocolate that included protein like luna bars, the to fruits. Also, with going to water began with drinking the sodas, switched to water with flavoring, and then to just water. Slowly increasing the workout also helped. Even if I could only get myself to do 15 minutes in the beginning I went in. Then I increased it. It was about making it a habit for me.

entropicbeauty

I used to heavily drink every weekend because my DH and I are really into being social with our friends and we would host a game night every week where people drank heavily...honestly, since I started really analyzing my calorie intake with myfitnesspal.com, I haven't really WANTED to drink. Just thinking of all the empty useless calories wasted on something that doesn't even taste very good to me and makes me feel not awesome the next day is a pretty good deterrant.

I still drink on occassion, I've found when I try to completely cut something out that is when I run into craving problems that ruin me - but I've learned moderation. I've also discovered that I still am capable of having fun with my friends and don't have to drink to do it. That was a big step.

mlsullivan06

I have the same problems, the FI and I are very social and many activities we do revolve around food and wine/beer. I di d ww one time and loved it, because you could still eat and drink, but it was all about what you wanted to use your points on. Also, if you work out you can get activity points, so I would workout during the week and use those points on the weekend. Good Luck!

lambs379

@yumo - That's great! Yes, I would love to be motivation partners. I'll PM you now. 

Everyone else - Thanks for the tips and advice! I think you all have the same idea, everything in moderation and I need to realize that's going to help me lose the weight. I just signed up for My Fitness Pal and I'm thinking this might help me with portion control and seeing where I "waste" calories. 

It's also nice to know I'm not alone  

LeahMoniz

Ohhhhhhh Weight watchers comes in such handy with this! You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your points range, which all can be found out online. Even the points to every food and drink immaginable is online!! So useful, and once you get into the hang of it, its quite easy! A lot of things are free like veggies and fruits, if you know you're going out for a big dinner save your points for that and eat some "free foods" : ) Good luck!