There is a saying, "Everybody's working for the weekend". This is no different when it comes to weight loss. I have met so many people that work so hard on their eating and exercise plan during the week only to undo all the good things they have achieved with poor choices on the weekend. Ask yourself this question: Are you living to eat or eating to live?

You CAN still enjoy your social activities without the dreadful fear that you will fall off the wagon. It goes back to planning and preparation. Major events like birthdays, engagements and weddings are announced well in advance. Put all of these planned events in your diary, that hopefully by now you are diligently using and plan to have this as your meal ‘off' for the week.

I am a big advocate that you don't need to sacrifice living when you are on a diet. Locking yourself in your house is not good for anyone. You need to be involved in fun activities with your family and friends. If you follow your eating plan for 95% of the time, a meal ‘off' (reward meal) has proven to be the thing that many of my clients say has kept them in check. It gives them something to strive towards however they need to be honest enough with themselves that if they have had a bad week the meal ‘off' is missed.

If you don't believe that you are ready to break from your eating plan there are a few other tips that I give my clients. If you are attending a party or function where you know you may indulge, make sure that you eat your planned meal just before you arrive. That way you will not arrive hungry and be tempted to eat all the unhealthy foods that in the past seem to have been calling your name.

Although I am an advocate of sharing your weight loss journey with the people in your life that will hold you accountable, it does not need to be your only topic of conversation. You are NOT YOUR DIET, you are you and especially at social gatherings you are setting yourself up for disappointment. There are people in this world that will want to see you fail and will start playing at your sub-conscious. "You don't need to be on a diet", "You can cheat today, I won't tell anyone". Then there is my favourite "Don't make me feel bad that I am going to eat all of this food with you just watching me."

Even though you have a strong ‘Big Why' you want to lose weight, enough of these little bullets fired your way can have a negative affect. Just remember that you and only you are in control of your destiny and you choose what you put in your mouth.

Alcohol is a major contributing factor in the inability for many people to lose weight. Most alcohol is full of carbohydrates and calories. You don't need to stop drinking; you can still enjoy a drink only once a week as long as you don't over indulge in a heavy meal when doing so.

It is your choice how you will handle your social life when you are trying to lose weight. There are so many other strategies that might work for you. I am just sharing those from years of coaching have had successful and sustainable weight loss for my clients.

One of my favourite quotes is "It takes planning to come up with a great plan". Get organised for success and remember, change doesn't happen by chance, it happens by choice.

Natasa Denman: The Ultimate Weight Loss Coach www.ultimateweightloss.com.au email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Special offer to emPOWER readers: I am offering an e-book version of my new ‘The 7 Ultimate Secrets To Weight Loss' book for a limited time at $2.00. You'll get simple, easy tips and strategies that you can implement into your life straight away www.ultimateweightloss.com.au/book_order_form.php