Social Studies.(beauty make-overs)

Byline: Cara Litke

Eat, drink, and be merry is great in theory, except the more you eat and drink, the less merry you'll feel about your weight. Kathleen McNary, Heather Allison, and Deidre Sully have come too far to let their good habits slide, so they've had to adjust their diets to incorporate socializinga step that's crucial to weight-loss success. "Dieting is a lifestyle change, so you need to find a way to enjoy yourself while you're doing it," says diet expert Steven Gullo. "Otherwise, it will start to feel like a prison sentence." Here, the women explain their methods for merriment.

Kathleen McNary, School administrator

OLD STYLE: "My friends and I were constantly out at gatherings or restaurants. I loved pizza and French fries, and I didn't feel bad about ordering them. At parties, the food was always the best part. It was hard for me to stay healthy because I went out more nights than I stayed in. Plus, being part of a group is always more difficult because you're around so many people ordering and enjoying food."

NEW STRATEGY: "I see my friends just as much as I did before, and it's not really hard to be healthy when I'm with them. Instead of pizza, we're more than happy with sushi and brown rice or salads and veggie burgers. Now when I go to parties, I try to focus on the people, not the food, and I stand as far away from it as possible. I also always have a glass of seltzer in my handit helps me stay full. The one downside is that I can't stay out as late anymore if I have to get up early to meet Chris, my trainer, in the morning. Sometimes I make evening appointments with him instead."

STATS ***** AGE 25 HEIGHT 5'5"

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