PREPARE FOR SUMMER FUN

This week, we consider the joys of summer: longer days, more sunshine, vacations, long weekends, holidays, graduations, weddings, birthdays....trips to the ice cream store, barbeques with the neighbors... The list goes on.  We want to make the most of what we have, however, as people creating a healthy lifestyle, this takes some planning.

How can we plan and be "fun and spontaneous" at the same time?  First we might consider our goals for summer.  What looks like a specific, doable goal for weight loss, maintenance, behavior change, activity increase?  If you've never lost 20 pounds in your life, is it realistic to think that a 20 pound weight loss during the summer with all of the aforementioned activities is a doable goal?  Maybe and then again maybe not.  We want to set ourselves up for the winning challenge, but we want to travel on a path to meeting that challenge.  A path we can chart and stick to.

One great way to stay focused and mindful about eating and drinking when away from home is by asking yourself whether the reason for the gathering is a real celebration (wedding, graduation) or is it just a meal out on the run, unplanned with no special occasion attached.  The reason for the eating does matter.  We often splurge a bit on celebrations.  Not a license to overdo it, but to use extra points indulge in cocktails or dessert, yes.  If, however, you don't care about the celebration (your l0th grad party), then maybe you can hold yourself tight to your daily points target and skip the extras?  If you are eating out just because you can't eat at home (road trip, unplanned stop, after soccer game), then consider this an occasion to stick with your regularly scheduled points values for that meal.  No drinks or extras.  Finding which restaurants, grocery stores (all) have healthy options on the run, ahead of time, is crucial to this plan working out.

Of course, the mystery detour off of our charted path is likely.  The unexpected does occur.  In those situations, we do our very best to practice intentional eating, choose the better option, take half home, drink a lot of water...  Better is a behavioral change.  And, in those situations, it will be enough.

I know how good all of these thoughts are when we are at home, and then in the thick of the moment, hunger, fatigue, stress, we don't follow through.  Let's all challenge ourselves this week to actually follow through.  Fight off the difficulty of the situation and rise up to the challenge.  Face it straightaway.  Discover, in that difficult moment, just how strong you are; how strong you can be; how much you can do to make your healthy lifestyle a happy one.

I am going to be busy this weekend with planting, riding bikes, taking walks (my coworker challenged me with fitbit steps) and sticking to my points strictly.  What will you do to make your healthy, happy lifestyle your very own?