How to Stay on Your Diet on Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is supposed to be a beloved holiday, a day when we celebrate love, in all its forms. From a young child shyly giving a Valentine candy heart to her first grade "true love" to an elderly man kissing his wife as he hands her the traditional box of chocolates, it's a very special day.

When you're dieting, though, February 14 can feel like one tempting chocolate trap! Everywhere you look, there's candy: grocery store aisles are filled with chocolate-covered peanuts, pralines, and creams; flower stores overflow with roses interwoven with chocolate "flowers," and even the local ice cream parlor has a special "sweets to the sweets" ice cream sundae.

And what are you supposed to say when a work friend hands you a Valentine's Day card and a candy heart...or your beloved kisses you and gives you a box of assorted Valentine chocolates....or the entire office joins together in the lunchroom to share enormous slices of a heart-shaped ice cream cake?

Be prepared, with this action plan for diet victory on Valentine's Day:

1. Have your own diet-friendly sweets ready at home on Valentine's Day. Make it chocolate. Sugar-free chocolate ice cream, individually packaged sugar-free chocolate pudding, sugar-free hot chocolate: stock up at home with treats you can enjoy without guilt on your diet. That way, if the office holiday giver (there's always one!) insists that "everyone take home a slice of Valentine's Day cake), you can truthfully say, "Gee, thanks, but my fridge and freezer are absolutely already stuffed full of chocolate!"

2. Take it with you. If you're stressed about work or a Valentine's Day luncheon with friends or colleagues, take Valentine's Day cards with you -- and Valentine's sugar-free treats as well. Many candy manufacturers have wised up to the fact that so many of us are on special food plans or diets, and they now make sugar-free, low-calorie chocolate treats. Take advantage of these for yourself, and bring extras to offer others. You may be pleasantly surprised just how many grateful thanks you receive (and you might even acquire some "diet buddies" as a bonus!).

3. Be honest, both with yourself and loved ones. If a loved one offers you a box of Valentine's candy, thank them...and be honest with yourself. If accepting it, taking it home, and telling yourself you can "have it after the diet ends" means you're going to give in when you're feeling low one day and eat the entire box in an hour, play it safe! For example, you may want to put it in your car rather than the house so you can place it in the office lunch room. Out of sight, out of mind often is true! If the giver is someone who you know well, be honest. Say that you're currently dieting, you appreciate the gift, and want to share it with others. That way, you'll wake up on February 15 experiencing "heart-felt" gratitude for having stayed on your diet!