You know those cheesy Public Service announcements about peer pressure you had to sit through in school? The same drills designed to keep you from being cool can now pay off during parties. Face it, our culture today makes food a reason to celebrate, not a source of fuel. But if you’re serious about making physical gains, then a long weekend should be a welcome time off work – not your diet. The harder you diet, the more it seems those around you will want to kill you with kindness. I don’t know how many times I’ve had someone try to cajole me into “just one little piece of Pizza” while I’ve been contest dieting. They don’t get it and they won’t get it, so it’s up to you to stay strong.

One crucial detail to remember is that one day of indulgence could very well derail the train of progress you’ve been working so hard to keep rolling . Oftentimes a welcome and sometimes needed cheat-day doesn’t come during a long, holiday weekend. You control your destiny and should schedule that day as a reward for weeks of strict diet. If you can schedule for a holiday then even better. You cannot, in fact, ruin months of training and diet with one day of bad behavior. Sometimes it can help to rev up your metabolism and restart the fat-burning machine.

Holiday Survival Tips:

1. When in doubt, abstain. If you think you just can’t stay disciplined on that July long weekend or Thanksgiving at Grandma’s – stay home. Don’t put yourself in the path of temptation. All that food will be there when you finish the competition. Last time I checked there wasn’t a shortage of the lips and buttholes that go into a foot long.
2. Focus on what you can eat, not what you can’t. Most friends and relatives, no matter how much they might joke, will respect your restraint. You’re not rubbing their faces in it, you’re making a choice for your body.
3. Find alternatives. Lean turkey is still a great source of protein, but do not trust your family’s cooking when it comes to side dishes. The potatoes are loaded with butter, the cranberries are pure sugar and the desserts are still desserts. Fill up on what you can eat and deflect the conversation back to others. No-Sugar Jello, pickles and salads have gotten me through many a diet pitfall.
4. If you’re going to drink – DON’T. Alcohol is the silent diet killer. Talk about empty calories. While even Vodka is a lower calorie alternative than beer– one little shot is still over 80 calories. Hardly worth sabotaging the chance at a title.