For some people, eating with family happens once or twice a year at holidays. For others, it's a nightly event. For some people it involves children; for others, the in-laws. While some of us are lucky enough to get familial support for our weight-loss efforts, others feel as if they're in the presence of a hostile tribunal. In fact, one of the most difficult areas for many people when they begin the Shape Up program is taking a hard and honest look at the support (or lack of support) coming from their immediate and extended family.

Eating with family comes in a variety of flavors, such as "home-for-the-holidays- dinner," "going-out-with-the-in-laws"
and "I-have-to-cook-for-six-people-and- they-think-this-healthy-stuff-tastes-like- rabbit-food." If you're thinking these flavors don't sound like nearly as much fun as Baskin-Robbins', you're onto something.

Since eating with family can mean so many things, it's hard to come up with one surefire strategy that will work for everyone in all situations. There is, however, one technique that will make a difference no matter what the particulars of the situation:

Rehearsal.

Your problem situations may involve the Thanksgiving table and relatives you haven't seen all year, or the nightly specter of children complaining about the vegetables and a husband wanting to know why you're not eating the macaroni and cheese. By rehearsing these situations in your mind before they happen, you can actually practice making positive reactions.