People with birthdays need to stop inviting me to celebrate. Birthdays lead to sugary goodness and sugary goodness leads to fatty thighs. Definitely not the way to shed pounds for the Shape Up Showdown.

A couple weeks ago, I had dinner with some friends to celebrate a former co-worker's birthday. Her husband made a tasty blueberry pie. While I only had a tiny piece, I don't think it helped me reach any dietary goals.

Yesterday, I went to MacAlpine's Soda Fountain to celebrate my friend Kristin's birthday. Originally opened in 1928, MacAlpine's is the oldest soda fountain in the Southwest. They have phosphates, sundaes, egg creams, banana splits, malts and all the other ice creamy things someone trying to lose weight should avoid. I had a milkshake. A sweet, delicious, probably-not-calorie-free milkshake.

I can't do this anymore. It's too hard saying no. Either I need to take a stand or start friendship divorcing my friends.

So I am declaring the next 7 weeks birthday-free. There will be no more celebrations, no more temptation, no more sugary goodness. Birthdays can wait until after August 14.

Oh wait...my birthday is August 10.

Shoot.

:-(