planning ahead... advice needed please.

Hi all,

as you may or may not know, I have successfully restarted CD, and am having my 3rd weigh in tomorrow (hoorah!!!).

I am trying to get to goal or as close as possible for a holiday with my Hubby on Sept 5th, and this is really important to me. But... on May 14th I leave for 8 days in Switzerland with work. This means spending all day/and evening with a newish group of work colleagues and I am struggling to find a non cringe-worthy way to stay on plan.

Drink is not an issue- I am not a big drinker so would not be tempted by this. Is it possible to eat atkins style for the week and lose some weight? has anyone done this successfully??? or do I risk alienating myself from the group, by opting out of meals and maybe trying to explain CD to the trip organiser???

I am really stuck. If I could eat very minimally and still take my packs that would be my preferred option but I DO NOT WANT TO GAIN!!!!! and really need to lose to get to my goal...

I understand your plight exactly - I have been there myself a couple of years ago with a business trip to France (Grenoble). All I can tell you is what I did, but you may not want to do what I did. Bottom line, I took my packs with me and stuck 100%, but it was tough. During the day was fine. Unfortunately I never managed to make it to breakfast on time because I had things to sort out. I just has a pack and a coffee in my room, and then met up in reception. At lunchtime I always had things that I had to deal with and I would "grab somthing quickly a bit later". The worst were the evenings, where they would always want to go out for a meal, and with those it would be that "I do not eat heavily in the evenings as it gives me indigestion causing chronic heartburn and keeps me awake .... and you wouldn't want to know me when I do not get my sleep".

There are ways if you feel you need to hide what you are doing. However, my take is you just be up-front with it all and say this is what I am doing. I will go out with you (if you feel comfortable being around food that it - do not torture yourself), but I will only eat my packs and drink water. If they have a problem with that, then that is their problem not yours and it is something that they have to deal with. If they alienate you just because you have opted to get to a healthy weight, then they have serious problems I think.

Stick to your guns - you know what you want.

I get the impression you're not english, right???

Can you not use the tetra paks and bars/mooses? Perhaps if need be move to the 810 plan for a week??

Hmm t'is a little dilemma but I'm sure there is a way! x

Thanks so much for your response Steve!!! its amazing you stuck to it- I am thinking about trying to do the same. Its definitely the social aspect that seems the hardest, but you have proved it can be done!!

Penny- I am English!!!! I do have tetras etc but thanks!!