Occasional lapses are normal. Don’t let it make you lose sight of your overall goals and the progress you have made. Try to learn from your lapse to help with future weight loss.
It might be useful to keep a food and mood diary. This can help you to stay aware of what you are doing, and deal with any problems like comfort eating, this might help you feel more in control.
Plot your progress; you might want to do this by weighing yourself (no more than once a week), reviewing your food diary or seeing what goals you have achieved at the end of each week. Once a month you could check your BMI or waist circumference. A BMI calculator can help with this.
Decide on a plan of action for eating out and parties and stick to it, so that you can enjoy your night out. For example, when eating out decide to have two courses instead of three or share a pudding that you would normally eat yourself.
Lifestyle changes are difficult. When you achieve a goal reward your success with something you value (e.g.magazine, enjoy a soak in the bath, CD, trip to the cinema).
Keep in touch with your supporters i.e. get a friend to attend fitness class with or perhaps a walk together.
Remember there is no quick fix to weight loss. People who successfully lose weight and keep it off stay realistic and develop the skills to make their new eating and activity habits an enjoyable way of life.