More than 20 years later, I find it harder to resist sweet treats.  If it’s not an option at all, I won’t go out of my way to find dessert.  But I have a harder time saying ‘no’ when it IS put on the table!

After a great meal, especially a celebratory kind, its hard to fit in dessert.  The last two holidays have been Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  And what mom or dad doesn’t want a tasty treat on their special day?

I’d like to share with you our new favorite dessert.  It’s so easy and perhaps many of you have had this or something like it before, but I didn’t realize how WW friendly this was until I started calculating all the ingredients.  As you know, I like “easy” and this is no-brainer!

No baking required!

At your local store, buy either pre-sliced or frozen pound cake.  The pre-sliced ones I have bought (three times already) are typically 4 points per slice.  Then buy your favorite chocolate sauce.  I bought Marzetti which is only 1 point for TWO tablespoons!  Spread 1 TB of the chocolate sauce on the pound cake and then add your favorite berries; mine are strawberries and raspberries, drizzle another TB of chocolate sauce on top of the berries and then top with whipped cream.  Did you know that Original Reddi Whip and Fat Free Reddi Whip are both ZERO points?

A FIVE point dessert that is incredibly tasty and satisfying!  If you are counting calories, this dessert as I’ve presented it here is 348 calories.  The pound cake runs about 150 calories per slice, the 2 TB of Marzetti chocolate sauce is 110 calories, half a cup of strawberries (and I don’t think there’s actually a half cup on here at all) is 26 calories and raspberries are 32 calories (half cup).  The Reddi Whipped cream is 30 calories for 2 TB.  If you want to lighten the calorie count even more, you can only have 1 TB of chocolate sauce, which we have done before and it still works.  But I like that chocolate drizzle on all sides of my berries, don’t you?!

Only 5 WW Points Plus or 348 calories!

Cake, chocolate, berries, cream!  What’s not to like?!  A very easy dessert to make that doesn’t require the oven to be on in this sizzling heat and super easy to make when having guests over.  Enjoy the weekend!

It’s typical that the first months of losing weight are the easiest.  Your body is experiencing new and sometimes, radical changes and it’s much easier to get a favorable response on the scale.  Many people will lose 3 or more pounds on a program like Weight Watchers the first week because it’s such a jolt to their system!  I lost 3 pounds my first week on the program…and that was the LAST time I saw a loss like that for the rest of my weight loss journey.

At about Week 10, my body started to stall out.  I had gotten to that “set point.”  That place where if I didn’t try any more or any less, my body would probably just dwell in.  What really stunk is that I was trying really hard!  I was doing everything “right” and it was the same 1.8 pounds of loss and gain for almost a month!

Here are a few things to evaluate if you think you’ve stalled out and need to get over that hump:

1)  Review and evaluate your food log.  What?  No food log?  If you’re not writing down in some way, shape or form, what you are eating, you really should.  Weight Watchers is the “king” of this concept, but if you’re doing another program, keep your own food journal of calories or even just a list of the foods you’re eating daily.  Look for patterns of eating that have worked for you on weeks that you lost weight successfully and try to replicate that.  If you are already doing that and the weight is still sticking, look for things that could be shaken up a bit!  Try cutting out the sugary treat in the evening for a week and see what happens.  If you eat the same thing everyday for breakfast, mix it up.  Are you ending your day with too many carbohydrates and not enough protein and veggies?  Are you drinking enough water?  Any or all of these could be the culprit for not getting over the hump!  Our bodies acclimate to the patterns we give them, so step out of your box and try something new.

2)  Step it up!  Now that I’m moving more, I really should put on my pedometer and see what my daily steps look like.  Did you know we’re supposed to average 10,000 steps a day?!  Holy cow!  A few months back I thought I was doing well at 7,000 – and I walked a LOT that day.  What level of activity are you at right now?  My husband lost 35 pounds on Weight Watchers without ever stepping foot in a gym and I know others who have had similar results as well.  Unfortunately, most of us can’t avoid exercise forever to have continued results, and it’s not good for us anyway.  Exercise gives us so many health benefits that it should be a matter of when we start, not if.  This was where I had to shake things up to further my weight loss.  When I began, I was doing 2 day as week of Body Transformer, a high intensity interval training class.  This brought me incredibly far in many respects!  But once I hit that mid way point of my journey, I needed more.  Shortly after the new year, I bought my membership to Planet Fitness and started adding two more days of cardio machine work to my week.  I eventually added a third day of cardio and I now exercise 5 to 6 times a week.  So if your work out is no longer helping your weight loss, it might be time to increase your time or intensity, mix up the machines, or even try a new class!

3)  Sleep or Stress?  Two things that can prevent weight loss and keep you off track are sleep deprivation and a high level of stress.  Assess if either of these areas are a trouble spot for you right now.  Hopefully both of these issues are temporary setbacks that you can overcome in a reasonable amount of time.  If not, you should definitely see your health care professional for help.

Even if you’re not at a stall or plateau, it’s always a good idea to challenge yourself by changing your food and your activity.  It can take a long time to drop the pounds and get to your final goal and you want to keep it interesting and fun along the way.  Have you hit a plateau before?  What have you done to get over that hump successfully?  Share your best ideas!

“Best Darn Food Ever” cookbook to help spice things up.  Prior to this recipe, my husband Josh had been making his own version of breading to put on our chicken breasts which actually is very similar to this recipe, but the spices in this give it extra flavor and boldness that make it stand out.

Since we’ve been building our pantry over the last month to experiment and bring you some reviews, we only needed a few things from the store to get started!  Here are all the ingredients you’ll need for this 7 point per serving chicken breast:

Low fat buttermilk

Black pepper

4 (7oz) skinless chicken breasts

Whole wheat Panko crumbs

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Paprika

Dried Sage

Dried Rosemary

You don’t need many ingredients for this simple and flavorful dish!

We really like this recipe!  Josh was surprised how little rosemary was needed to make the flavors come through.  The chicken was moist, even though we weren’t able to let it sit in the buttermilk for as long as the recipe indicates can be done.  In full disclosure, we did not use the whole wheat Panko crumbs.  We glanced over the recipe quickly while making our list and didn’t notice it called for whole wheat.  But if you’ve cooked with Panko crumbs before, you will know that they are very point friendly and I think the difference is negligible.

We paired our chicken with a medium corn on the cob (2 points without butter) and a half cup of a Summer Slaw I bought at Price Chopper (4 points). This was a recipe we will definitely try again.  Copyright prohibits me from posting the instructions and details, but I have heard many other people in my Weight Watchers room rave about the recipes in this book.  Do you have a favorite chicken recipe from Weight Watchers or another cook book that you could tell us about?  Or do you have another favorite dish that you have found a way to make more exciting or more healthy?  I’d love to hear about it!

I had been active in sports and exercise since elementary school, but always held on to about 20 extra pounds.  As far back as sixth grade, I would correlate the sound of my rumbling stomach as the only way to lose weight. The more my stomach growled, the more I would lose –or so I thought.  That was not the case. By ninth grade I was binge eating, but I wouldn’t purge. I didn’t know at the time that it was still categorized as Bulimia. I deliberately didn’t purge for two reasons; I hate throwing up and I really like my teeth.  Anyone who is a binge eater (and I don’t mean the mindless stuffing of the face on rare occasions) feels extreme shame and they keep it private. My binges would cause me to stay home from places because I was either too full or full of self -loathing.  Because I didn’t purge or take laxatives, I would have to lie on my side and wait out the pain. I would try and stop myself from finishing the last of something by putting it in the garbage can, and sometimes that would work, BUT if the garbage wasn’t too gross, I would sometimes take back out what I had put in the garbage and then eat it.

I’m sure you know the saying, “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me.” That couldn’t be more wrong. Names hurt worse than anything. There were small things said throughout my life that I internalized and really took to heart. I can honestly say that my parents never said anything to me about my size. I would just hear things around. When I was in junior high, my friends and I were coming up with fun nicknames for each other. When it was time for me to get my name, one girl said I should

Candice Allembert, creator of Body Transformer Fitness

be called Plumper.

Another time, I was 15 years old and I had gone on a family trip. We rented a cabin on the lake, and there were boys about my age. We hung out a bit and then later that day, I was sitting outside on the porch and I overheard them say that I was nice but kind of chunky.  For the rest of the trip, I pretended that I got sunburned and wore a t shirt over my bathing suit.

Five years later, at the age of 20,  I was watching a tv show on Binge eating and there was a checklist to see if you may have Bulimia and purging didn’t solely qualify you. I realized that I did have that problem and I wasn’t alone. I prayed for wisdom and help and God was faithful to deliver me from this bondage. It was an immediate knowing, but the process took time. I spent years studying health, nutrition, and exercise. When I would have a lapse in judgment and have a binge, I didn’t stay in my shame. I forgave myself because I knew God wasn’t condemning me but transforming me day by day. His children fall down but He will always help us back up.  He helps us trade our ashes for beauty and wear forgiveness like a crown.

My healthy eating habits had now been on track for several years, but due to falling down the stairs backwards and having 4 car accidents in 3 years, receiving severe whiplash in 3 of the accidents, I was in constant pain in my neck and lower back.  I was always going to the physical therapist and chiropractor. X-rays showed severe degeneration in my neck, and the normal neck curve was completely gone. It would take several minutes to get out of bed each day because my lower back had a deep pain.

I decided it was time to get my health back. I wasn’t going to put up with this pain. I left my teaching position of 14 years and created Body Transformer Fitness. This is specifically designed to help strengthen every muscle from shoulders to calves, and build your core. I was going to be my own guinea pig. Within weeks, my pain was lessening as my muscles gained strength in the right way.  Now, three years later, I truly am pain free.

Throughout my ordeal, my husband, who was also my high school sweetheart, saw me heavier then, and 60 pounds heavier with the pregnancy of my first son, and has never once said that I was anything but beautiful.  That is how our Creator sees us. You are beautiful.  You are treasured. You are sacred. You are His.

I realized something over the last few months since I reached my lifetime WW goal.  Even though I went from a size 16 to a 6, losing nearly 30 pounds and 2o inches off my entire body, I was still in the habit of not daring to look at myself in the mirror.

When I was overweight, I purposely avoided not only my bathroom mirror, but store window reflections and being photographed below my chest.  The latter two are easier to accomplish.  When a 4 X 3 large piece of glass hung above my bathroom sink, not seeing myself was a much harder feat.  But I managed to do it.

Everything I did in the bathroom I did away from the mirror.  I’d get out of the shower, dry off, sit on the lid of the toilet and dry my hair – away from the mirror.  When I brushed my teeth, I began the entire process with my head down and then while brushing turned away from the mirror.  To spit my toothpaste out, I get in front of the sink (never looking up of course!) and then turn away from the mirror to wipe my mouth on a hand towel.  But stand in front of the mirror, naked?  NEVER!

The few times I was bold enough to do that, it just made me more mad and frustrated.  I’d turn from side to side, realizing that the love handles were not disappearing with my meager efforts to suck it all in!  It made me crazy!  What was more disheartening was the wrinkles in the skin of my lower abdomen from all the times I’d lost and gained the same weight.

One day, shortly after I made goal, I was using our first floor half bathroom, where the toilet faces the mirror (Eeeks!).  When I finished washing my hands, I happened to look up and I realized that the face I expected to look back at me wasn’t there anymore!  It was like I saw a different person and did a double take!  I was so caught off guard.  So I looked at myself some more.  Then I stepped back so I could see most of me and did the same side to side turn I’d done before.  I had clothes on, but so what?  For the first time in a long time, I was not depressed, repulsed or frustrated.

I started to realize just how ingrained this habit of avoiding the mirror was because I would still catch myself turning away.  I would actually “forget” that I liked the way I looked!  It reminds me of the verse in the Bible from James 1:23 “For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”

I’ve made it a point now to dry my hair in front of the mirror, to dress in front of the mirror, to brush my hair or my teeth while looking full on at myself.  And sometimes I still have the bad habit of picking apart how I look.  I know.  Totally ridiculous when I consider how far I’ve come.  What is there to complain about now?

In this month’s Weight Watchers magazine, one of the “Storybook” success gals shared one of her mantras – “Progress, not perfection.” It’s true!  What is “perfect” anyway?  We’re all different and meant to be that way!  We should strive for progress each week in moving toward the body weight and image that makes each of us feel our very best; physically, mentally and emotionally.  What that actually translates to is, and should be, different for every person.

You may not like looking in the mirror right now, but I promise if you keep marching toward the goal, one day you too will be pleasantly surprised!  You will be the fairest of them all – even if it is only between your tiny bathroom walls!

When we realize that God never leaves us – EVER! – we finally have the model for which truly unconditional love is.  And as we know Jesus better, the one who gave everything for us, and model His love, we then can love not just ourselves, but others because we have Him as our perfect example of love.

What does this have to do with weight loss?  Everything.  When we are weighed down by our physical stature, we naturally shrink back from the world in various ways and begin to believe that either no one really does love us or can love us because of our weight.  Every time we try to lose the weight and fail, we feel disappointed in ourselves and believe that we’ve not only disappointed those around us, but that we’re a disappointment to God.

The reality is that while we may have disappointed ourselves or let others down, we are never a failure in God’s eyes.  Remember what His word says, that His mercies are new every day!  But how many times have we wrongly believed the lie in our heads…”I’ve messed up. How can God love me?  He only loves perfect people.  I’ve failed.  God can’t use my life” and so on.

You know what?  God loves you anyway.  I love today’s song, “You Love Me Anyway” from Sidewalk Prophets.  It reminds us that from the beginning of time we have rejected God with our words, our lives, our thoughts, our actions….just being the imperfect people that we are in this fallen world.  BUT, He loves us anyway.

Maybe your weight isn’t the only place you feel like you’ve failed yourself.  I know for me, there are many other areas in my past that I have been ashamed for God to see and know.

My favorite line of this song that resonates with me so much is, “Still you call me to walk, on the edge of this world.  To spread my dreams and fly!  But the future’s so far, my heart is so frail, I think I’d rather stay inside….”

Do you feel like that sometimes?  Sometimes our end goal seems so far away and we barely have enough strength for the next step.  Wouldn’t it just be easier if I hid inside and didn’t even try?  Then I wouldn’t have to be disappointed or feel pain?

That would be true and I know what its like to just sit and hide from my failures and mistakes, pretending they are not there.  But then we don’t get to taste victory!  We don’t get to walk into the fullness of what God has for us.  And God promises to deliver us from our strongholds – when we rely on Him.

If you haven’t truly realized just how much God loves you, don’t waste another minute not learning about it!  Get around other believers, open your bible, find a local church that you can be part of and start growing!  Just like you take baby steps with your weight loss, take baby steps with your faith.

There is nothing like the love of Jesus and our Heavenly Father!  He loves us overweight, underweight and everything in between.  But if your weight is where you struggle, I can promise you that He wants freedom for you.  When family, friends, co-workers and others dessert you, He is always there.  Whether you are in the valley or on the mountain top, He loves you anyway!  Listen to today’s song, think about your own “stuff” that you have believed God can’t love you because of, and see God in a whole new way today!

First, you may be wondering how to get your husband or wife to jump on this “weekly recipe” cooking adventure?  As you know, the deal Josh and I have is that he cooks, I shop and do dishes.  But more importantly, Josh was not really that excited about cooking Weight Watchers meals until I bought him this book for his birthday…

This book is available at Weight Watchers Meetings Rooms. It is not available on their website or in stores.

Now THIS is our kind of cookbook!  We were both brought up on comfort foods and who ever thought you could eat them AND have them fit into your plan?!  When he saw the recipes in this book with categories such as “crunchy”, “cheesy”, “savory” and “creamy,” I knew he was hooked!  I have seen a lot of Weight Watchers cookbooks over the years and this one has to be the most enticing and interesting one!

For our first recipe adventure, we decided to try the Hearty Turkey Chili from WW online.  This sounds like a winter idea though, right?  Well, it started with Josh really wanting to use his new cast iron skillet and thus trying the Cast Iron Skillet Corn Bread from this new cookbook.  And you can’t have cornbread without chili, right?  Well, I guess you can…but you know what I mean.  Seemingly out of season at first considering last week it was 75+ degrees all week, the weather turned and this past weekend has been nothing but rain, gray skies and temps in the 50′s – perfect for this hearty home cooked favorite!

This recipe is chock full of veggie goodness and the spices are killer, so if you’d like to open

All our spices and turkey meat were bought at Costco. Veggies and kidney beans were bought at Price Chopper.

up your sinuses, keep the recipe “as is” or if you want to tone it down a bit, go lighter on the chili powder.  I’m a bit of wimp when it comes to spices, so maybe you guys like it super spicy?!  In any case, here are some things for you to know about this recipe.  Total prep time is NOT 25 minutes.  The beans had to be soaked overnight, then cooked for an hour and a half.  Then the veggies have to be chopped which is usually my job, but I wasn’t around, so Josh thinks it definitely took longer.  Otherwise, this is not difficult, just time consuming.  But the outcome?  As stated, totally worth it!  From the minute I walked in the door, I could smell the spices and home cooked goodness!  We had a lot of beans left over and Josh does recommend that if you spend the time making this recipe, that you double or even triple the recipe to make this great dish worth your time and efforts with lots of leftovers!

Absolutely delicious and only 6 WW Points per cup!

Now, the Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread, from the “Best Darn Food Ever” Weight Watchers cookbook was a different story.  It was very easy and required little effort.  This recipe is prepared more like Southern style cornbread, with little sugar and very little flour, versus Northern Style which has a high ratio of flour to cornmeal in it.  Just call me a Northern girl then, because I did not care for this corn bread.  It was just OK.  There was not much flavor to it and even though cut in 12 pieces, is only 4 points per slice, I would rather just splurge the extra points on a box of Jiffy.  All in all, this was a delicious meal and we highly recommend the Hearty Turkey Chili from Weight Watchers.  Stay tuned for more delicious recipes and adventures from our kitchen!

Because our skillet was round, we cut the cornbread in 8 slices, making each slice 6 points for a total 12 point meal.

With that said, how did you all do this weekend?  Did you have a plan and stick with it?  Or were you the kings and queens of good intentions?  Regardless of what happened, its time to get back on track!  If you’re lamenting the bad choices you made this weekend, its time to shut down the pity party and get back to work!

Admittedly, I have no real reason for sharing this picture, other than I’m fascinated with new pictures of myself! If you are still losing weight, take pictures along the way! You will be completely amazed and its a great tool to look back on and remind yourself where you came from and where you are going!

Since I believe in full disclosure, and so you won’t foolishly think that I ate only Weight Watchers friendly foods all weekend, here’s the good, the bad and the slightly ugly of my weeekend:

*Note – my original plan was to use the 2-1 strategy I wrote about on Friday, choosing to stay on plan for 2 meals each day with 1 splurge meal each day.  As you will see, the best laid plans….

Friday:  Breakfast was easy peasy! For lunch, I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but I skipped my WW meeting and went to a BBQ for a friend of mine’s business…a Rib Cook-off, no less!  Facebook postings invited us to come, sample and vote for the winner.  Now, being in the real estate business as my full time profession, I often attend functions with food for not only professional, but personal reasons and I always try to make the most of each of these outings.  I had one sample of the two competing ribs, ate one more of my personal choice, and had very small side servings of a few salads and tortilla chips.  I think I could have done without the cupcake for dessert – oh well.   Did I count points?  Kinda, as best I could.  But did I go back for seconds and or heap mayonnaise laced side salads on my plate?  No!  And I was really proud of that because “old” me would have easily been picking at the spread like a starving vulture!  Oh – and the gentleman I was chatting with over rib tasting called me three hours later to say he would like to talk about buying some investment properties!  Friday night was one of those curve balls, when I put together a deal and needed a signature that evening and with trying to manage the timing and my husbands desire to eat at a reasonable hour, we ended up dining with my clients and penning the deal.  I chose the vegetable quesadilla and water.  This was a place I normally would have succumbed to appetizers or a burger that is so delicious and filling that I usually moan on my way to the car!  Again, not ideal, but I counted my points as best as I could for that and in the end was not terribly over my days allotment.

Saturday:  This was my splurge day for sure!  I started out great.  A healthy breakfast and every intention of eating a healthy lunch at home.  However, once at the local parade for 3 hours in the sun after working out that morning, I got hungry and succumbed to a burger and bun at noon time.  I could have saved myself 10 points if I had just waited until we got home!  And we even brought a backpack for other items!  Why didn’t we pack it with snacks?!  Ugh!  Sometimes I don’t have my head screwed on straight!  Saturday afternoon we were invited to a friends house for a BBQ.  Thankfully, these friends eat very well and they were more than intentional about having foods that were BBQ-fun and still healthy (organic even!) and put up with us bringing our scales and showing us the packages so we could calculate our points.  Where did I blow it?!  With that 10 point soft serve vanilla ice cream!!  Oy vey!  If I had skipped just ONE of my 10 point mistakes, the damage to the day would have been fairly minimal.

Sunday:  After my 10 points mis-steps and Friday’s double whammy, I resolved that Sunday and Monday I would need to reign it back in.  Afterall, our big day was Saturday and we weren’t invited to any more parties, so there were no more reasons to go hog wild!  Sunday we ate normally and my one splurge item was the child sized popcorn at MIB III. FYI – while I had plenty of bonus points for this item, just so you know, a child sized popcorn at our local theater is just over 5 cups and buttered is 10 points!

Monday:  This was by far my best day.  The festivities were over and we took advantage of the day off together to do errands and enjoy some down time.  I knew I had to make up for that popcorn though, so I got my butt to the gym in the morning and instead of 45 minutes of cardio, I did 75 minutes, split between two different machines to keep it interesting.  At a high intensity, that earned me back my points that I spent on the popcorn the night before!

While I failed to make it a point in my Friday blog, the one key thing to remember is that when you are going to splurge, you must realize that you have to earn it.  When I was overweight, I’d get a little annoyed when I’d see skinny people eating and eating, seemingly  able to eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.  What I didn’t realize is that those people not only had exercise in their life as a habit, but when they over-ate, they were either putting in their time in advance or making up for it with extra work-outs.  You cannot stay fit and trim eating whatever you want all the time and not moving – its simple math!  Also, their commitment to regular exercise and the building of lean muscle ensured that they could eat more than me and their bodies would burn those calories more efficiently than mine – even at rest!

So, now you know that even for someone like me who has reached their weight loss goal, it is a continual effort to do the right thing, to make the right choice!  My maintenance plan has given me a little more flexibility than those of you still trying to lose weight, but the fact is that too many days like this past weekend and I could easily see all my hard work start to go out the window!  What did you learn from this weekend?  What could you have done better?  Most importantly, what are you proud of that you DID do right?  Focus on THAT and keep making those choices that make you feel GREAT!  I’d love it if those of you reading who are brave enough to share, would do so by commenting on the blog or through my FB page.  Imagine how boring this blog would be if I just told you all the “good” things I did?!  People want to know that others are facing the same things they are.  When you share your knowledge, you have the incredible ability to impact, encourage and inspire others!  Here’s to our health!

Here are some thoughts, tips and strategies for you to consider this weekend:

#1 – This will not be the last time you can eat “__________.” 

Fill in the blank with whatever you fancy; chips, cake, ice cream, hot dogs, potato salad…you get the point!  The point is that its highly doubtful you will never see these items at a BBQ again, so choose wisely and know that you don’t have to have seconds (or thirds!) of everything in sight!

#2 – Have a plan and ask a friend or spouse to hold you accountable.

Whatever your strategy is for staying in control, stick to it!  There have been times I have said to my husband, “I want you to tell me if you see me having too much ‘x’” and I’ve given him full permission to (albeit quietly) to call me out when he sees me going astray!  This is especially helpful if you are going to a party with a friend who has been very supportive of your weight loss goals or who is even doing it along with you.  The buddy system can be very powerful!  The key to using this strategy though is that you cannot get defensive if your buddy calls you out!  Remember, you asked them to help you!  On the other hand, I don’t recommend hanging too closely with someone at a party who you know will just constantly tempt you to eat more.  I realize that for some of you, this is inescapable, as it often comes in the form of family which you cannot get rid of!

If you are married, I hope your spouse is your biggest cheerleader! Even though I’m at my goal, my husband still has a few more pounds to lose. If your household is in this together, HELP each other, don’t TEMPT each other!

#3 – Don’t go to extremes.

Billy Joel sang a song about going to extremes, but I don’t recommend this!  It seems like we go into one of two modes:  Complete restriction and deprivation or complete throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air loss of control!  You know what I mean by this, right?  You will either sit there at every party miserable, watching everybody eat joyfully while you have nothing but carrots and celery and then you’ll raid the refrigerator on Monday night, OR you’ll blow it on Friday night at a party having drinks and decide ‘Well, I blew it already, I might as well keep going!” and then next week on the scale will be completely miserable and your self esteem will be in the toilet again!  Please, please, please, find moderation in your holiday weekend and make sure to balance your BBQ party with fresh veggies, fruits, meats (proteins) and yes, some carbs and dessert for good measure!

#4 -  Use the 2-1 method

As a person on Weight Watchers with the flexibility of those extra bonus points and moderation built into my eating plan, I personally use this method not only on holiday weekends, but just about every weekend!  But, whether you count calories or points, the concept is still the same.  This can be used all weekend long or just for one day, as I’ll explain to you.  Maybe you decide that Sunday is your big party day because you have a special event that you really want to let loose at?!  Then stick to your plan Saturday and Monday and kick back on that one day.  Or, if you want to spread your holiday enjoyment over the long weekend a little more, eat two solid “on-plan” meals each day and have ONE splurge meal each day over the weekend.  Truth be told, Sunday through Thursday I typically do a good job of sticking to my plan with lots of consistency.  Because my husband and I are very social and like to go out, I usually save my splurges for Friday and Saturday and its only one meal “off plan” on those days.  Again, if you are going to do this, you MUST stay true to the concept, otherwise, it will not be a happy day for you when the weekend is over!

#5 – Bring something to share!

The best way to ensure that your friends or family will have something on hand that you can eat and feel good about is to bring your own healthy dish to share!  Between Weight Watchers, Hungry Girl and Skinny Taste, there are tons of things you can make to share that will not only keep you on track, but will probably surprise a lot of people with just how good (and good for you) they are.

#6 – Remember who we are honoring.

We hope to release Josh’s first book, “American Psalms” in June 2012. For now, please visit him on his blog or his Facebook Page.

Finally, remember the reason for this holiday.  It’s not about food, BBQ’s, picnics or even parades, though I’m sure we’ll see many of those.  It’s about the people we’re honoring in those parades – the remembrances of men and women who answered the call of duty and sacrificially gave of themselves so that we can enjoy freedom.  As we honor them, and the freedom they gave us, let us also remember to honor God with our bodies and the “sacrifices” we will make to ensure that we stay healthy and well-abled to take advantage of those freedoms!  Pray for the families of those that serve us, both past and present.  I would encourage you to check out my husband’s blog www.americanpsalms.com for special prayer lists for this holiday weekend.

You will do great, I know it!  Do you have any other special tips or strategies for handling this holiday weekend and the summer to come?  I’d love to hear them, so please share with our readers!  Have a safe and blessed Memorial Day weekend!

But, when was the last time you had a period of time when everything just fit together perfectly?  When God just seemed to be smiling down on everything you put your hands to!?  When you placed all your trust in His purposes and were able to leave worries behind and take everything in stride?

That has been the my life for the past few weeks, and overall, I have to say the last few months.  It’s been a long time coming, that’s for sure.  And I know I will never stop going through the peak and valleys of life.  But, lately, I am experience true daily joy and gratefulness for the blessings that God is giving us, but also the peace of His presence which is way more important than the blessings.

So, right now, not only am I experiencing the joy of having clothes that fit right, but feeling that my life fits right.  Like I said though, this has been a process and it didn’t start happening until I changed my attitude and stopped comparing (hmm, where have we heard that lately?), complaining, and trying to figure out what in the world God was going to do next in my life.  Instead, I started to get out there and just move forward!  I met my WW goal, I started this blog and conversing with wonderful people like you about this journey.  I found other places to serve with my gifts and started investing in ministry and others personally….and wouldn’t you know?  The focus slowly came off of myself and onto serving God and finding out what I could do with my life that would please Him.  My professional life has improved and I’m enjoying my ministry and work in a whole new way.

I hope many of you are experiencing this “awakening” of sorts as you shed the pounds, get fit, and eat healthy.  I definitely credit my new and improved lifestyle to my enhanced mood and outlook.  But what if you’re not?  I understand because I’ve been there.  Sometimes nothing seems to go right.  Tough co-workers or clients.  Unexpected car repairs.  A bad week on the scale.  Sidelined from your workout by injury or illness.

I’ve found that praising God, even when things are not going my way, has been the most powerful thing I could do to ultimately have peace and change my outlook on my circumstances.  Sometimes we can’t pray away the bad things that happen, but we can choose joy and trust in the Lord when they come.

So today, I want to give you a song that will get you on the right track!  If you are still frowning when this song is over,…well, Hmph!…play it again until you ARE smiling!  When we start our day praising, looking for good things to happen, expecting our God to protect us, and looking for hope, the battle is half won!  Make a choice today.  Is it going to be a “Good Morning?”