TGIF, Friday July 3, 2009

YUP! Here it comes at us again! The dreaded tempt me July 4th holiday. Many of us plan BBQ's, beach outings, family picnics & more. And what is at those gatherings..... tempting food trying to derail us from all that weight we lost and/or drive us crazy!!!!

OK, first, let's just BREATH! Remember, if you plan ahead for any gathering, you will be fine.

If you decide you are just going to indulge in everything, plan for some extra workouts before & after the get together as well as maybe keeping active on that day. Take a walk before or after the main meal OR walk both before & after. Plan some outside fun games like frisbee, swimming, volleyball, softball or whatever floats your boat! Also, start the day with a healthy breakfast & eat smaller portions of healthy food before the main gathering. DON'T GO TO THE OUTING HUNGRY THOUGH! A recipe for disaster! AND remember, alcoholic drinks not only add on the calories & pounds BUT they make you less inhibited & more likely to eat more than you normally would otherwise. Once the holiday is over, get right back to your normal eating routine.

If you are like me, I plan for the thing/things I might want to indulge in & then eat healthy the rest of the day & gathering. If you are going somewhere, offer to bring food & then bring something you would like to eat. Maybe fresh fruit, fresh cut up veggies with salsa rather than a fattening dip, a nice salad with some lean protein on it. Whatever it is that keeps you satisfied & feeling good. I am one to always bring my own food no matter what just in case.. I know.... but that is me. I also bring my own treat because when I indulge, I want it to be worth my calories. I also keep my exercise program going & if I need to change up a day I normally work out to another, I do that too. Once the holiday is over, I get back to my routine right away. If I stray too far or too many days, it not only gets hard to get back into a healthy routine BUT my clothes start to fit snug & I feel like sh*t!!! As Zabo Koszewski said, "You don't need to worry about getting back into shape if you are always in shape."

From Diet Detective, here are some substitutions you can make OR maybe these will trigger a different substitution for you so that you don't go totally off base!!!

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING
5 oz. hamburger with bun: 547 calories, 39g fat, 21g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
5 oz. skinless grilled chicken breast without bun: 229 calories, 5g fat, 0g carbs

EVEN BETTER
2 (about 2.5 oz. each) Morningstar Farms Better 'n Burgers without buns: 200 calories, 4g fat, 12g carbs

SAVINGS:
347 calories, 35g fat, 9g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING:
1 Oscar Mayer XXL Deli Style Beef Frank with bun: 363 calories, 24g fat, 23g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
1 Healthy Choice Beef Frank with bun: 193 calories, 4.5g fat, and 29g carbs

EVEN BETTER
1 Ball Park Fat Free Smoked White Turkey Frank without bun: 40 calories, 0g fat, 5g carbs

SAVINGS
323 calories, 24g fat, 18g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING
1 cup traditional potato salad: 325 calories, 17g fat, 39g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
1 cup low-fat potato salad (made with low-fat mayo and mustard): 135 calories, 1g fat, 28.5g carbs

EVEN BETTER
1 medium baked potato: 100 calories, 0g fat, 25g carbs

SAVINGS
225 calories, 17g fat, 14g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING
1 cup traditional macaroni salad: 269 calories, 9g fat, 43g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
1 cup vegetable pasta salad (with light vinaigrette): 206 calories, 2g fat, 42g carbs

EVEN BETTER
1 cup cucumber and tomato salad (made with vinegar, no oil): 48 calories, 0g fat, 12g carbs

SAVINGS
221 calories, 9g fat, 31g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING
2 oz. potato chips: 300 calories, 20g fat, 30g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
2 oz. baked potato chips: 220 calories, 3g fat, 46g carbs

EVEN BETTER
1 sweet potato to make grilled sweet potato chips: 100 calories, 0g fat, 26g carbs
(To prepare: Thinly slice potatoes widthwise. Lightly spray with fat-free cooking spray. Place on grill. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until desired crispness. It's a good idea to microwave the potato beforehand to jumpstart the cooking.)

SAVINGS:
200 calories, 20g fat, 4g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN EATING
1/4 cup Kraft French Onion Dip (for chips or veggies): 120 calories, 9g fat, 6g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
1/4 cup Tribe of Two Sheiks Classic Hummus: 100 calories, 6g fat, 8g carbs

EVEN BETTER
1/4 cup Tostitos Salsa: 28 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs

SAVINGS
92 calories, 9g fat, 0g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING:
16 oz. Snapple Lemon Iced Tea: 200 calories, 0g fat, 50g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY:
16 oz. homemade unsweetened iced tea with fresh lemon and mint: 2 calories, 0g fat, 0.5g carbs

SAVINGS
198 calories, 0g fat, 49.5g carbs

WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING:
12 oz. pina colada: 626 calories, 7g fat, 82g carbs

INSTEAD, TRY
12 oz. Michelob: 156 calories, 0g fat, 13g carbs

EVEN BETTER
12 oz. Michelob Ultra: 95 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs

SAVINGS
531 calories, 7g fat, 79g carbs