Don't be afraid to express yourself!

I recently was speaking with a friend of mine who has been a little wishy-washy with her vegetarianism over the past several years, due to the fact that she has been uncomfortable with the idea of "refusing" food that is served to her--whether it's something that a loved one or family member makes, or whether she's dining out with a group of people. So despite the fact that she definitely prefers not eating meat, she constantly finds herself in situtations where she is afraid to refuse meat dishes when they're placed before her. Now, her goal for the New Year is to be candid about her vegetarianism and not worry whether or not it offends or inconveniences anybody else. I know I've done the same thing as her in the past, as far as trying to be accommodating to others, but when it comes to your dieting needs, feel free to express what you want and what you need from others. After all, it's your body--and you're the only one who can give it what it needs. If you stick to your goal, you'll probably find there will be more people around willing to support you rather than force-feed you pork chops!