Put Your Armor On

The Fourth of July weekend is here, which means that some of you will be traveling. I am praying for safe travels, my friends! Many of us will be getting together with family members and friends for cookouts, so it's time to carefully plan what you're going to be eating this weekend.

It's OK to bring your own meat to grill, if needed, along with a great tossed salad to share. As a matter of fact, it's more than OK! So many of us are afraid of hurting someone's feelings or offending them if we don't eat their food, but the reality is that most people are VERY understanding when we explain that we're trying to eat healthy. If you're comfortable telling people that you're losing weight, let them know that as delicious as their food looks (and it probably will . . . ), you are focused on getting to a healthy weight right now. If anything, they will be impressed by your resolve! :-)

This is a time to be selfish - just a bit, anyway! This is a time to focus on what YOU need to be doing for yourself, not worrying about whether or not great aunt Lucy will be offended if you don't eat her special dish :-). She loves you and she'll be fine, and you can assure her that you look forward to enjoying her wonderful cooking again when you're at your goal (and you will be able to do just that!).

Long weekends and holidays are difficult to navigate when you're on plan and the rest of the world is eating with abandon, but hang tough now and you'll be SO glad you did on Monday morning! It's time to put on your armor and pick up your sword. The key to getting through unscathed is planning, planning, planning. Write down ahead of time everything you plan to eat, because writing it down will help to cement in your mind what you're going to eat. Writing it down will also give you a visual reminder of your plan, and this can be helpful in moments of temptation. Spend a little time thinking about what you REALLY want, and write that down, too! Write a paragraph about what life will be like for you when you're at goal - be descriptive! This will help you focus on what you REALLY want and may be helpful to you if food temptations arise. Plan, then commit, and don't let anything (or anyone, including great aunt Lucy) get between you and your goal this weekend.

This holiday is about so much more than what's on our plate, so take some time to reflect on the wonderful freedom we have and the price that was paid to secure it. That's what I'm going to do :-).