Summertime...Loving Berries Is Easy

I love being able to have fresh fruit in the summer. My mom's favorites were peaches, nectarines, and cherries. I do like all of those, but what I love the most are strawberries and blueberries. I just picked up some fresh berries yesterday, and they are on sale right now because everyone is making their red, white, and blue 4th of July desserts with them.

I prefer mine with either some Cool Whip on top or mixed into Greek yogurt. Of course they are also great on my cereal, but on the days I'm not indulging in a decadent treat (everything in moderation!) this takes care of my sweet craving. I get plenty of vitamins and other nutrients from the berries, plus it's a lighter dessert...so I don't have to wait as long to go swimming or play tennis after I eat them. The more time to enjoy summer activities, the better!

Remember to take advantage of the season's fresh fruits and vegetables, especially when they're on sale. Berries freeze well too, so you can use them later in smoothies and other desserts. Also take advantage of the beautiful weather to enjoy your favorite sports and activities. Don't let summer pass you by...enjoy every moment you can and love life!

Motivational Monday...Bouncing Back

As you know, last week's weigh-in was rough, due to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who had the same post-holiday experience, or were too afraid to get on the scale after all of the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. I used to be one of those who just wouldn't even bother to weigh myself during the holidays, which usually resulted in seeing a few extra pounds register on the scale come New Year's Day.

This morning, I got on the scale and discovered I lost 2.2 pounds...meaning that the 2 pounds I had gained over Thanksgiving are gone, along with just a bit more! This puts me at 193.8. I definitely attacked my workouts this past week, and ate much better. Back to my Greek yogurt, fruits & veggies, and lots of water. Also...back to discovering that girl inside of me that is just begging to come out!

This week, my motivational people are the entire Season 8 cast of The Biggest Loser...tomorrow night is the finale, so tune in to see what everyone has accomplished, and let them inspire you to go for your dreams and goals!

My advice for this holiday season is...don't avoid the scale. If you weigh yourself and discover a gain, you can do something about it right now. If you wait until January 1st, the gain may have snowballed into something bigger...or you may find on Christmas Day that the dress, skirt, or pants you planned to wear do not fit and you wind up scrambling for something else to wear. Don't let that happen to you...take care of business now!!!

Stay Full Tips

I want to share some of the ways I keep myself from getting overly hungry, so I don't grab the wrong foods just because I'm starving or have a craving. This has always been a challenge for me, so I'm happy to find these things to keep me feeling full and satisfied.

My number one tip is drinking water. It's amazing just how much water does for the body. Drinking at least eight glasses of water daily not only suppresses the appetite, but it helps metabolize the fat that is stored in your body. It keeps your kidneys functioning properly...otherwise the liver has to help do the job of the kidneys. If that happens, the liver can't do its own job, which is to turn the fat stored in your body into energy. Since I've been diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, this is even more important. My doctor said to drink plenty of water, eliminate some of the fat from my diet, and stay away from acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) and use ibuprofen if I need something for a headache or other pain. I did have a couple of days where I drank too much diet soda earlier in the week, and my body sure felt the difference! I haven't had a soda since!

My next assistant in the fight against fat is eating plenty of produce. We need the vitamins and fiber that are in fruits and veggies, to keep us full and keep our bodies working properly. Green grapes really help when I'm craving something sweet...and now that I've tried them frozen, they are a great summer treat! It's also a good thing to eat a colorful variety of produce, because then you ingest more of the various vitamins your body needs.

Finally, I've already mentioned how much I love Greek yogurt, especially with fruit and plain ground cinnamon. I've also discovered something else...adding high fiber cereal to the yogurt is delicious and quite filling. Plus, it's a great way to use up the cereal "crumbs" at the bottom of the box!

I hope these tips help you as well, and feel free to share anything else that helps you. We are all in this together, and I want all of us to succeed!

I Tried It...And Loved It!

I've heard from a few of my friends how great this stuff is, but I'd been putting off even the thought of trying it. It's a little more expensive than what I normally buy, so with our tight budget I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the extra dough. (I just had to say dough, didn't I...I have to stop thinking about those refined carbs!)

I went to my grocery store, and once I stocked up on my produce I headed right for the organic section. There it was...Fage, which is Greek yogurt without all of the chemicals in regular yogurt that our bodies don't need. It was even on sale! Granted, it was still more expensive than other yogurts, but the sale price gave me an extra push to go ahead and try it. I bought two. I also bought organic Starbucks coffee, which was not any more expensive than their other coffees. I am currently drinking the last couple cups of the coffee I already had at home, so I will let you know tomorrow how the new coffee tastes. (And yes Jillian...I will be done with my caffeine before noon!)

After my son's baseball practice we came home and I got out a carton of Fage. I took a taste, and it was a shock at first. No sugar or artificial sweeteners, so it was definitely not a sweet flavor. It was good though, and very thick and rich. I sliced up some strawberries and added them to the Fage, along with some cinnamon for flavoring. (No sugar, just straight cinnamon out of the jar.) It was so delicious and extremely filling!

The way I see it, Fage is worth the extra cost, because after I ate the other yogurts I was always still starving, even if I paired it with a piece of fruit. This way I will not need to add more to my snack and it will save money in the long run. Besides, it will cut down on my sugar consumption and help eliminate the artificial sweeteners from my diet that have been making me feel so crappy. I can't wait to try some of the other ideas my friends have come up with for their Fage snacks! If you eat Fage and have any ideas, I would be grateful if you would share them here with me.

I ate really well yesterday and got my exercise in...so happy I've rekindled my love affair with my step. No more playing cards on it; I've got to treat my baby right! Let's all keep positive no matter what life throws at us. God made us all, and He has given us the strength to do everything we need to do. Keep the faith...I know I am!