Weekends hard?

How do you do when it comes to the weekend? Is it a little hard to stay focused? What is your food fettish? Are you a chocolate lover (like me)? Or, is do you crave salty snacks? Or, is it a need for ice-cream?

Well... let's see... what do you do to keep from snacking all night long, all weekend long? I'll attempt to give you a couple of ideas to help you through this weekend.

First, have something like an apple, a piece of fruit or some carrot sticks BEFORE you run to the store to buy your groceries. :) Then, when you go to the grocery store, try to look for natural foods (fruits, vegetables). If that doesn't sound good, then at least try to purchase snacks or sweets that are low fat or low sugar. I try to fill the cupboards with pretzels or low-fat wheat crackers for my kids. Sherbet is also a good alternative to ice-cream. I also try to buy things that seem good (but healthy) for my kids, yet not tempting for myself.

Then, go ahead and keep drinking your water! Get some flavored water if that will help you feel like you're treating yourself to something sweet.

Finally, if you really want to have something "off your list" of approved diet foods, then try to treat yourself with a bite or two of someone else's serving. That way they can eat the rest before you're tempted further.

Good luck! Have a great weekend... enjoy something healthy and watch a great movie!

Water... your best drink option!

Hi! I've been quite busy this week, but thought I better take a few minutes to post another weight loss tip.

Water... this is what you should be drinking each and every day... at least 8 glasses (64 ounces total). More is even better. Other drink options include coffee and tea, preferably warm tea. You should use a sugar substitute rather than sugar. The best sugar substitute available is Xylotol. Do not count your cups of coffee or tea as part of your 64 ounces of water.

Start first thing in the morning with 8 ounces of water. This will help fill your stomach. Then, throughout the day keep a cup of water with you to sip.

Although you may think it's okay to drink diet soda, it's really not good for you. It actually causes you to be more thirsty as well as causing you to crave foods, especially sugars.

So, if you're craving some pop, just take a sip of a friends and then go back to your water. If you're bored with plain old water, then try some flavored water or sparkling water. I began the switch from pop to flavored water. That's the only way I managed to make the switch. Then, after a few months, I got tired of the sweet flavor of the water and actually preferred plain, crisp, cool water.

Good luck... have a drink (of water) on me tonight!

Remember, weight loss is possible. You can do it. Stay focused and take baby steps!

How to Lose Weight Quickly

Losing weight is hard, but there are ways to lose weight quickly with a little focus. Try a few of the following ideas.

• Stop drinking pop/soft drinks - there are a lot of empty calories that you take in with each can of pop. Just dropping pop can help you lose up to 1 pound per week. Pop also tends to make you hungrier and really doesn't quench your thirst.
  
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day - keeping your body hydrated is essential. Water also helps fill up your stomach so the hunger pangs during those difficult times throughout the day become less intense.
  
• Stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed - as the evening progresses, your metabolism slows down. It is best to not snack into the night, even if it's on something healthy. Plan on when you are going to go to bed and then think back 3 hours. Do not eat anything past that magical time of the evening. If it's hard, just keep drinking more water.

So, begin your weight loss today using these tips for a quick start!