Day 45: Shake It!

So there was a question posed to me that I wanted to address -

What really makes the difference to keep you on track?

I think there are really three things that make the difference for me.

1. Focus on FOOD - what you eat not only affects the way you feel, but your weight, which we all know we want to keep in check. Nothing will help you lose weight like your calorie intake being balanced.

2. Prep! Set yourself up for success for the next few days by making food and snacks in advance that you can just grab and go!

3. Give yourself a YES. Bring things to munch on that you can have, that also counter your cravings.

Here's another little tip, that really helps me.

Tip of the Day

Shake it! As opposed to adding salt or sugar to food, shake it up! Find salt and sugar-free "shakeables" to spice up your food. I LOVE fresh-ground black pepper (as my faithful readers know) as a substitute to salt. I also am constantly using cinnamon in my cooking and to shake some onto fresh, juicy apple slices or into my warm, gooey oatmeal. IF I do need to add a little sweetener, I use Truvia, since it is made from a plant, I figure in moderation it's OK to use a little. I LOVE Mrs. Dash! My favorite flavors are Lemon-pepper, Garlic-Herb, and Tomato-Basil. These are great to season meat or, well, just about anything! I also love Kernel Season's Popcorn Seasoning; flavors like nacho-cheddar or white cheddar are great to shake and sprinkle a little onto your fresh-steamed veggies. So shake it up!! Get creative! Use dried oregano or Italian herb seasoning on sandwiches instead of mayo or other calorie-heavy sauces.

I do get strange looks when I pull my pepper grinder or a cinnamon shaker out of my purse, but it WORKS!

What do you like to use to shake things up??

FOOD
Breakfast: apple-cinnamon oatmeal, 2 HBE and a grapefruit
Snack: I kinda skipped my mid-morning snack. I got busy doing stuff around the house and I just forgot. Bad juju!
Lunch: a veggie sandwich
Dinner: zucchini lasagna and mini sweet bell peppers
Snack: a baked apple


EXERCISE
I was cleaning the house today, and then went to a friends house to watch the Seahawks! I took a recovery day since yesterday's Insanity workout wore me into the ground!

Thanks for reading everyone! Keep the comments and suggestions coming!