Fridays are the worst for me

I do so well all week, staying right at or slightly over 1200 calories. And then Fridays come along. We eat really healthy at home every other night of the week. But Friday night is our night to go out with our friends and they always want to eat at the pub, and they have the most amazing cheeseburgers and onion rings. They never want to go anywhere that has healthy food. The guys are the worst - all four of them, my boyfriend included are in amazing shape and don't have to watch what they eat. But the girls aren't much better. They all talk about how they need to lose weight (two of them do not), but then they go eat just like the guys.

It's so frustrating to order something that I know is going to sabotage my diet. I'm not someone who can have that one free day a week - it has to be strict discipline or I'll fall off the wagon and into a pile of Nilla Cakesters.

What about just changing your mentality? I totally identify with the "off the wagon" mentality and then it's a slippery slope to not stop eating poorly.

-but-

if you acknowledge that Friday is your "free" night? Friday dinner is allowed, and by letting this be your rule, maybe you'd be more apt to stick to your healthy eating beginning Saturday again. You maybe should have a free-for-all Friday considering 1200 cals are the bare minimum women should intake. I bet if you allow yourself to enjoy yourself as a rule, rather than exception, of your diet, you'll be ready to be good again Saturday.

I would suggest making friday night a "free meal" as well.  Sometimes it helps me if I immediately cut my burger in half when I get it and work at just eating that half and take the other half home.   Especially if I get an adult beverage with the meal.  I usually ask for water with my meal as well.

You should be fine though.  One meal a week won't completely sabotage your efforts.  It may even help keep your body guessing since you are "good" all week.  It's all about your way of thinking.  You know you are doing this to be a healthier you and one meal won't change that.

1200 seems extremely low. As has been said that's the sedentary minimum for an adult female. Have you used CC's tools to work out your caloric needs? http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/calories-bur ned.php.

Don't be a 'Desert Island Dieter'.... the kind of person that thinks their weight  would be perfect if only they could steal away to a desert island with no onion-ring-eating friends, no 'amazing cheeseburgers' and the services of a personal chef to rustle up your exact calorie target each day in a series of thrilling meals.... 

Life ain't like that...

Successful and long-term weight-control means finding a way to be able to socialise normally & enjoy the occasional cheeseburger (which is healthy btw) without feeling you've 'sabotaged' anything.    It means finding that happy medium whereby you don't need to rely on 'strict discipline' 24/7 in order not to consume a pile of Nilla Cakesters .  I agree with lalabanana... 1200 cals sounds low.  Be careful that 'strict discipline' doesn't mean that you're trying to starve yourself thinner.  (Those extra low-cal days when the scales go up half a pound, for example)  Because if you are, all that will happen is that one day you'll hit your target and not only go find yourself knee-deep in cakesters but also  the cheeseburger and the onion rings by way of blessed relief.

Fridays are tough for me too, I think its because I'm so good all week that the rebellious side of me is just aching to get out.  So here it is Friday afternoon and I just had an Italian sub and a giant cupcake for lunch.  So what, so now it's out of my system and I can go back to being good.  No biggie, if you're "good" all the time somethings gonna give so why not give yourself a break before you wake up covered in food wrappers and you don't remember how you got there. 

why not give yourself a break before you wake up covered in food wrappers and you don't remember how you got there. 

Ok that is hilarious. and true

good adivce in the posts.  Basically you have to learn how to live life surrounded by temptation.  Look at models/actresses (ok not best real life comparison but heres my point..)  they are constantly surrounded by alcohol, free food, and parties and still have to maintain weight.  We live in America, food is plentiful and there are plenty of unhealthy choices to make every day. The key is to make your healthy lifestyle work wherever you are, and don't be sucked into peer pressure when other people make bad choices when you are out.  You can still go to the pub and eat your favs, just watch portions and look for healthier subs if you can.   Just know that you do as well as you can MOST of the time.  enjoy life :) 

Original Post by gi-jane:

Don't be a 'Desert Island Dieter'.... the kind of person that thinks their weight would be perfect if only they could steal away to a desert island with no onion-ring-eating friends, no 'amazing cheeseburgers' and the services of a personal chef to rustle up your exact calorie target each day in a series of thrilling meals....

Life ain't like that...

Successful and long-term weight-control means finding a way to be able to socialise normally & enjoy the occasional cheeseburger (which is healthy btw) without feeling you've 'sabotaged' anything. It means finding that happy medium whereby you don't need to rely on 'strict discipline' 24/7 in order not to consume a pile of Nilla Cakesters . I agree with lalabanana... 1200 cals sounds low. Be careful that 'strict discipline' doesn't mean that you're trying to starve yourself thinner. (Those extra low-cal days when the scales go up half a pound, for example) Because if you are, all that will happen is that one day you'll hit your target and not only go find yourself knee-deep in cakesters but also the cheeseburger and the onion rings by way of blessed relief.

I've done the calorie count calculator here several times and it always tells me that my target is 1200 a day.

I don't weigh 200 pounds. Even if I did the calorie calculator says I'd only need 1350.

I've struggled with my weight my entire life. Discipline, daily weigh ins and 1200 calories a day are what has worked for me. Different strokes for different folks.

1200 is hard for me, I tried it once just for a challenge (not for a lifestyle change just cause I thought maybe I was over doing it), I didn't last two days.  I was hungry all the time but I bumped it up to 1350 and now I'm golden.  I can understand why 1200 is the minimum, for me (ME just ME not everyone so no one jump on me) that extra 150 calories a day makes a world of difference. To the OP just take it one day at a time one choice at a time.  Nothing drastic needs to happen but lots of little changes make a HUGE difference.

Oh yeah and I have to give these Nilla Cakesters a whirl, I think I saw you mention them in another post too hahaha

Edit: I had an "oh yeah and this too" moment

I have traided Friday night Pizza Night for Friday Night yoga.  My husband takes my kids out for pizza while I go for a yoga class and a little me time.  If I start feeling like I would rather spend the time with them then I go out for pizza or we pick a place with healthier choices.  Let everyone in your group pick once a month.  When they pick a place that doesn't suit you find something else to do and tell them you will see them the following week or later that night for a drink and can skip the big chow down.  I have a hard time eating out, so keep it to two times a week.  I take my daughter out for lunch or breakfast once a week and then go out for dinner with my husband on the weekends.  I don't really like pizza so that was not a big trade off for me.  I thought my husband wouldn't like my Friday night yoga idea, but he loved it because then he didn't feel guilty about making me eat pizza.  Anyway, life is short, don't give up what you love just decide what things you really want and eat/ do those.