Staying on a diet is hard when you eat with others

One of the hardest things about staying on a diet is eating out or eating with others who aren't on the same diet. You feel a bit weird ordering something not  on the menu or asking for substitutions. Whenever I order a hamburger without the bun, I cringe even though I like it, because it sounds weird. If you've felt like this before, try reading Steve Pavlina's thoughts:

One of the major challenges with dietary change is that the direction of improvement takes you far away from average because the average diet is pure crap. This creates a risk of disconnecting from other people as you continue to grow in order to avoid succumbing to social drag.

Here’s how I look at this situation. If I eat a crappy diet in front of other people, I’m subtly encouraging them to do the same. That does a real disservice to people who share a meal with me. I don’t want to be the kind of person who lowers the standards of everyone I eat with (or who reinforces pre-existing low standards).

If I put myself in the position of eating a healthy diet when I’m with other people, then I subtly influence them to improve their own eating habits as well. I don’t need to discuss what I’m eating to have this effect — I know from experience that it happens automatically. Try it for yourself by sharing a meal with someone whose diet is much healthier than yours, and see if you don’t feel slightly more motivated to make some improvements. We’re all subtly influenced by the people we connect with.

Eating with someone who makes strange comments about my food isn’t a big deal to me. The more important issue is whether I’m serving as a positive example to others.

When you order something strange, think about it as setting a good example. A good example for your kids, your friends and your family. Not self-righteous, just a good example.