Weekend Success

My intention for today’s blog entry was to totally rant and rave. For a myriad of reasons (mainly lots of negative self talk), I’m in a whiny, frustrated, impatient mood. And to add insult to injury, I’m HUNGRY! My role, however, is not to dump on y’all. Instead, I’m supposed to inspire, inform, and uplift, so here it goes.

Last weekend my girlfriend blew a whole week of good eating habits and exercising over making some bad mistakes while dining out. So I thought since the weekend is upon us I’d share some tips for staying on task over the weekend.

Plan ahead
Don't load up your kitchen with lots of tempting, high-calorie snacks. Keep fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grain crackers and your favorite cheese on-hand for nutritious snacking.

Don't skip breakfast
Start Saturday and Sunday mornings with a healthy breakfast with plenty of protein and fiber. Good choices include eggs, whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk, or whole-wheat toast with peanut butter.

Use a food diary every day
A great way to stay motivated to eat a healthy diet is to keep track of the foods you eat. Print out your own food diary, or use Calorie Count, a free online tool that can help you track your eating and activity (you can even look up food labels).

Give yourself a small treat or two during the week
Any diet that leaves you feeling deprived will ultimately fail. Enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate or one scoop of ice cream during the week.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
They are low in calories, and high in nutrients and fiber. Fiber is key -- it will keep you feeling full.

Eat less at restaurants
Going out for dinner? Most restaurants serve very large portions. Choose a soup and a salad, or a salad and an appetizer for your meal. If you order a large meal, take half of it home for a delicious lunch the next day.

Be careful with shopping trips
Eat a healthy lunch before you go to the mall. If you go hungry, you are much more likely to give in to the temptation of unhealthy foods at the food court.

Get some exercise each day
Go for a walk. Not only will you burn calories, the exercise will improve your mood and may distract you from your cravings.


Source: Shereen Jegtvig About.com

I hope these tips help you stay on track this weekend. Have a great, guilt-free weekend!