How to Deal with Diet Saboteurs from Friends and Family

Allowing individuals closest to you to unravel your weight-loss plan is not a good idea. This guidance will help you stay on track in any situation.

People you spend the most time with — your family, friends, and coworkers — are often the ones that put you in high-risk eating scenarios. This could be an unconscious attempt by a jealous friend or sibling to derail your weight-loss efforts, or it could be an inadvertent result of many people's lack of understanding of how tough it is to eat properly on a consistent, continuous basis. You must be able to manage unfavorable influences in your social circles in order to stay focused on your goals. Review these situations and devise a strategy for dealing with the next threat posed by a possible saboteur.

Scenario: Your spouse brings your favorite dessert home as a surprise.

Maintain your composure. Thank your partner for thinking of you, and then inform them that you are changing your eating habits and don't require any food rewards at this time. Request that the dessert be placed in an area where you will not be able to view it. Divide the treat into many parts if you can fit it into your meal plan. If this happens more than once, toss the food delights — and make sure your husband knows that non-edible gifts, such as flowers, are appropriate surprises for you.

Scenario: Friends expect you to continue the group's eating customs, such as beer and snacks after work, junk food when watching sports together, or frequent visits to your favorite ice cream shop.

Your response: Take the initiative in planning non-food activities like badminton or bocce ball. Invite your friends over to your house and serve them some of your favorite nutritious cuisine. As you lose weight, ask for their assistance and make it obvious that your desire to change your eating habits is not intended to be a criticism of them. Let them know how much you love their friendship and how much you value their support for your healthy lifestyle improvements.

Scenario: Your family will not eat the new, healthier foods you've prepared.

Your response: Take it slowly at first. Don't make drastic changes to the menu all at once. As you introduce new foods to your family, emphasize the importance of everyone taking better care of themselves. Healthy eating can enhance everyone's energy level and quality of life, not only those who are trying to lose weight. Tell your family that you're losing weight so you can be a healthier, happier person in part for them. Inviting them to propose some healthy meals or recipes to try is a great way to start.

Scenario: Your best buddy throws you a surprise birthday party complete with a dessert table.

Your answer: Express your gratitude for the kind gesture by expressing your surprise and delight. You're giving praise without taking a bite by remarking on the visual appeal of some of the dishes. Sip a glass of water slowly while holding a lemon slice. Then, before going to the food table, pick what you'll eat and how much you'll consume. Keep amounts small, eat slowly, and busy yourself with something else – chatting with friends, introducing strangers, or organizing picture shoots. Finally, congratulate yourself on successfully navigating a potentially dangerous scenario! Talk to your best buddy after the incident about methods to properly support you.