No matter where you live - this has been an unpleasant winter. The only bright spot at this time of year is Valentine’s Day with its cheery colors and sweet messages of love.
Oh, no Valentine’s Day! That means large heart-shaped boxes of chocolates (yum, caramels!); checkout counters displaying marshmallow treats (only 50 cents each); bakeries showing cakes with thick red and pink frosting; M&Ms in red and white; and those melt-in-your mouth little chocolate hearts wrapped in red and silver foil... STOP!
What is a dieter to do?! Especially a dieter who has a sweetheart or friends who are apt to present a two pound box of chocolates or bags of those yummy chocolate hearts wrapped in foil (okay my favorite!).
What’s sad to observe is the rapid drop off rate. By January 15th, many of the newcomers aren’t there anymore and by the end of the month, even more have dropped out. Of course a few stay on and join us regulars, but the majority of enthusiastic exercisers have simply gone away; having packed their gym clothes for “maybe later.” 
The answer is fairly simple: Your desire to lose needs to be more important than a plate of scallops or fettuccini alfredo. Sadly, it’s amazing how a goal to fit in a smaller size outfit can go out the window when faced with a plate of sugar cookies. 
Two years ago I went to an Italian Christmas Eve dinner (but not the traditional seven course fish dinner; rather 12 courses!). The event started at 4:00 and went to 11:00 PM. It was an amazing array of food; the hostesses had cooked for weeks ahead. The 14 guests ate and ate and ate. The 15th guest (me!) did not eat one thing.
It’s tough to be on a diet, see others enjoying (even relishing) their high calorie food, and not get a sense of “poor me.” Get over it! Look at it this way – “poor you” has been overeating for years; that’s why you’re on a diet. 
You have a family that respects your diet effort, but is not willing to join you. Here are a few more survival tips on how to feed them, but not feel you’re cheating yourself.
