Oh what a delightful weekend we had!
Lot's of sun, lot's of family, delicious food and so much fun.
We had our family reunion, which included lot's of pool time and water ball with the
cousins, sleepovers at my sister's house, and a day at the beach before heading home.

Tonight I am winding down from the business of the weekend, nursing my sunburn and preparing for the week ahead. The cupboards are empty, so meal planning is a necessary chore. I haven't had a free weekend to try the Once-a-Month cooking, so I'm on my own this week.

When our family gets together, we tend to eat a lot comfort food, which is not adding up nicely on my figure! I suppose it's time to focus on healthier living now that I'm home.
When I want to drop a few pounds there are a few things that have worked for me over the years to help me get back on track.

I track my calories on mydailyplate.com, and instead of focusing on what I have to cut out, I incorporate as many healthy options as I can to my diet.

~I drink "Green Juice" 3x a day (Thanks to my in-laws, I've become an avid juicer. I make a vegetable tonic that my husband affectionately calls "pond water")

~I have oatmeal for breakfast, sweetened with honey or dried fruit, or egg whites scrambled with salsa on whole wheat toast.

~I switch out my daily latte for a cafe misto, which is drip coffee with a tiny amount of steamed milk, rather than a tiny amount of espresso with a ton of milk. I also drink H2O, and green tea all day long to fight hunger.

~Salads for lunch packed with lean meats, eggs, olives and light dressing, served with half a sandwich, or soup and crackers.

~For dinner I do grilled lean meats or tofu, steamed veggies, and fruit for dessert, since I always crave something sweet after dinner.

~For snacks I have almonds, dried fruit, yogurt, edamame, or a little package of peanut butter crackers.

~After dinner, I drink tea and eat stove-popped popcorn.

~I generally try to eat less and move more, which means a walk with my husband or a pilates video at home (Doctor just cleared me for light exercise. Yay!)

I am not perfect, and have been known to slip up, especially if offered a piece of chocolate! But usually this plan keeps me pretty satisfied. I also journal a lot, so it helps to write down how I am feeling with each new day.

Eating disorders are unfortunately rampant in my family, so I always make an effort to focus more on how I feel instead of how much I weigh on a scale. Which is hard! We are so critical of ourselves. That is something I am always working hard to overcome.

What works for you in terms of healthy living? Do you have any tips or tricks that have proven useful for you in this battle we all fight to stay healthy?

I would love some ideas!