What is it about the weekend...

... that makes otherwise intelligent people (no one WE know of course) take COMPLETE leave of their senses and self-control?

I love a day off as much as the next guy (especially in summer), but if I have committed to this here program, honey, I am NOT gonna blow my whole week's effort cuz there's some darn party or other.

At the suggestion of Dollydingle (bless ya, hon), I've created this here Weight Watchin' Weekend Whiner Guide. It's basically got 3 parts: my usual blah blah that I seem to post on the boards every Friday; The Weekend Challenge, a guide for staying On Program; and a sample Getaway Weekend menu in Excel or as a pdf with alcohol included, points calculated and shopping list prepared.

To read the pdf, you'll need Acrobat Reader

And so help me, if I hear on single person whinging away about not being able to stay on program for the weekend, I am just going to stop coming to the boards on Mondays and Tuesdays (cuz whiners are seldom satisfied with a single day of boohooing).

Stellamama goes BLAH BLAH BLAH

about staying OP

This is me next summer ... just you wait!--->

Here's a few general tips on staying with the program on weekends:

• Just because there is food doesn't mean you have to eat it.
• Plan ahead and anticipate challenges to the program that you might encounter.
• Try this: when offered more of anything, say "No, thank you." Radical!
• If you have insistent relations or friends, work out your line of defence in advance: "I'm in training with NASA"; "I've had enough"; "You're such a fabulous cook"; "So where are you going for vacation"; "That reminds me of a story I read on the internet." -- say anything, but don't say "Okay" --- you have a spine, don't you?
• The only person who can sabotage you is ... you! Don't blame other people for your own lack of will.
• If you are going to a restaurant with the gang and all the orders are huge, go ahead and order what you want, but as soon as it arrives set aside half of what's on the plate (I call it The Great Divide). As soon as you have had your *reasonable* portion, catch a waiter's eye to remove your plate. If anyone comments, say "It was so filling, I can't have another bite."
• You can eat anything you want -- in moderation!!
• A party or special occasion is no excuse to shrug off the program -- do you wanna lose weight or not? Some people say, "But a birthday is just once a year." Well, yours is. Then there is Biff's and Tammy's and Granddad's and Fido's, then there are the weddings, bar mitzvahs, BBQ's, showers, retirement parties, full moons, tractor pulls, hair washings --- no end of excuses for shuffling it off. Well. Shuffle off or don't. It's your butt not mine.