Congratulations! You set a goal to lose weight and you are working toward achieving it.  The feeling you’ll get when you reached your goal weight…PRICELESS.

Here are some priceless ways to help you stay on track to lose weight and keep it off. 

1. Make Water Your New Best Friend
Drinking enough water is essential to your health. Water should be your new best friend. Like a good best friend, water will always compliment you and allow you to get things out your system.  Drinking the proper amount of water daily will not only help you flush your system on a regular basis it will also help keep you hydrated during the day and assist with muscle recovery after strenuous workouts. Did I mention the glowing affect it can have on your skin?

 2. Portion Control
Portion control doesn’t mean deprivation. Instead maybe think to yourself, have some now… have some later. By putting the proper portion on your plate now and telling yourself if you want more you can have more later you will be in a much better position to make good portion control decisions. Plus, if you brought water, your new best friend along and had a glass before your meal, odds are you returning to get more food at a later time is less likely. 
At home:  Reduce the size of your plates to reduce the size of your portions and the size of your body.
Dining out.  Either have a share buddy or if you do not have a share buddy ask the person taking your order to wrap half the order before you begin eating. Save it for your next meal. 

3. Find Healthy Ways to Reward Yourself with a Treat
While losing weight and when you’ve lost your weight properly as you can do with the WeightLossVillage online weight loss program you learned that treating yourself in the process is a necessity; however, it’s what you treat yourself with that makes the difference on your journey to reaching and maintaining your ideal weight successfully.
Learn to modify your old treats. For instance, instead of downing a chocolate bar and having the guilt afterward, slice a banana and sprinkle a small handful of semi-dark chocolate over it. You will have the same satisfaction with health benefits and without the guilt.  Finding healthy treats that don’t feel like punishment will be a major key to your success.

4. Avoid Getting Bored with Your Menu
When being mindful of what you eat, losing weight and maintaining your weight it can be easy to get caught up in the monotony of meal planning. Using an online meal plan program such as WeightLossVillage.com with memberships starting at just $3.95/week can be helpful, quick and an easy way to plan a variety of meals.  

WeightLossVillage SAMPLE MENU  - 1300 Calorie Low Carb Italian Menu

Replace the temptation.   With an online meal plan membership you can plan your menus.   Have the needed ingredients on hand and you’ll be less likely to give into poor eating temptations.

Snacks:  Carry portion size healthy snacks with you to replace the urge to eat unhealthy, fattening snacks.

At the restaurant:   Know what you want to order and how you want it prepared.   Ask the person taking your order to customize your order in advance so the unwanted ingredients are out of site, out of mind. 

Summer is all about spending time with family and friends. Whether you are on vacation, on a picnic, or just having a weekend barbecue, you will come to temptation of eating desserts or going without. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean denying yourself things you like; it means making smart choices and maintaining portion control. Here are 6 ideas for summer desserts if you are looking to lose weight this summer.

1. Angel Food Cake

Strawberry shortcake is a popular summer treat. Consider replacing the shortcake with angel food cake to reduce calories and still enjoy this great dessert. Don’t forget to use light whipped cream and try other berries or fruits for a nice change. Blueberries, raspberries, peaches, and blackberries are good fruits to pair with this light and airy cake.

2. Sorbet and Frozen Yogurt

We all love ice cream, but many types have fat and sugar and are high in calories. If you are looking for something cool to eat as an alternative to ice cream, try sorbet or frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt, and now frozen Greek yogurt, come in many great flavors so you can feel like you are able to enjoy this great frozen treat without the guilt of extra calories.

3. Fruit Smoothies

They come in so many wonderful combinations that you can find a recipe that is made with fruits you enjoy. If you like milkshakes, smoothies can make a better alternative while still giving you the ability to have a tasty dessert. If you are buying your smoothies at dairy bars or fast food places, however, be careful. Some places add sugar instead of taking advantage of fruit’s natural sweetness, which can make the calorie count worse than a cheeseburger.   Download our FREE Simply Smoothies eBook.

4. Fruit Pops

Combining fruit and sugar-free gelatin is a good way to make a cold and delicious treat. Experiment with different taste combinations to find ones that may become family favorites.

5. Grilled Fruit

Putting fruit on the grill can be a great dessert alternative. You can add them to frozen yogurt, make a dessert pizza, or eat them with poultry or fish as part of a meal. Try grilling fruit at your next barbecue to find what ways you like to prepare this fantastic treat.

6. Frozen Bananas

Chocolate-covered frozen bananas are a popular summer treat and they are easy to make. You can add nuts or dip them in peanut butter and chocolate to make a nice, light lunch with extra protein. If you don’t like your banana on a stick, you can also make banana bites. Slice them, dip them, and place them on some wax paper before putting them in the freezer.

These are just a few summer desserts you can enjoy even when you want to lose weight. There are different ways you can experiment with many of these desserts to change the tastes and enjoyment. Have fun with dessert and summer by adding other calorie-cutting options.

When you are trying to lose weight, you may feel as though you can no longer take part in many of the summer barbecue you love. This isn’t true. You can still enjoy all of the great aspects of summer, including barbecues with your friends and family. You just need to make the right food choices. Here are barbecue suggestions for weight loss.

1. Portions Matter

Often the problem with weight loss isn’t what you eat; it is how much. If you control portion sizes, you will be able to enjoy all manners of your favorite summer foods, including grilled steak. If you have one burger or a single piece of chicken, for example, you will be able to have summer favorites such as potato salad or baked beans, within reason.

2. Watch Condiments

Many condiments have empty calories and fat. Mayonnaise and ketchup are good examples of condiments you should avoid. Even light mayonnaise has calories and fat, and ketchup is high in sugar. Mustard, however, is a good alternative for those who are looking to lose weight. It is also a good pairing with burgers, sausage, and hot dogs.

3. Buns Are Optional

If you watch portions you can sometimes include a bun with your meal. However, you may want to use a light bun or one containing whole grains to make a healthier food choice. Alternatively, you may want to hold the bun in favor of other meal choices. Place a burger on a bed of lettuce, or top it with salsa and you have a delicious meal without the added carbs.

4. High-Calorie Sides

There are many side dishes that we enjoy eating during the summer, especially at a barbecue. These sides often have a high calorie count, however, and can hurt your weight loss goals. Even 1/3 cup of baked beans has 104 calories. If you don’t want to forgo these treats, eat them in moderation and reduce your protein (meat choice) to compensate. Or you may want to search for low-calorie alternatives for these dishes. For example, if you reduce some of the mayonnaise in potato salad and replace it with low-fat plain yogurt, you can cut the calorie count in half.

5. Turkey Burger

Turkey burger is a low-fat, low-calorie alternative to beef. And because burgers have such a prominent role in summer barbecues, eating turkey burgers can help you with your weight loss goals. If you find turkey too dry and difficult to work with, try mixing half ground beef and half ground turkey to make the burgers more palatable. They hold together better when on the grill.

If you feel like you are missing out on the fun aspects of life, you may lose your motivation and fail to meet your weight loss goals. These 5 barbecue tips for weight loss will help you take part in summer festivities without hurting your weight loss efforts.

Weight Loss Village can help support you on your path to a healthier, happier and slimmer you. For online meal plans to meet your weight loss goals become a member today. 

If you need help losing weight, organic foods can help. Many food ideas are fast and filling, so they can help you decrease portion size and calories. Here are some organic, healthy food ideas that are quick to prepare.

Smoothies

Smoothies are a great breakfast or afternoon treat. They are a combination of yogurt, ice, and fruit, and you can mix and match flavors according to preference or mood. If you add some organic peanut butter, smoothies can also provide you with protein and help you feel fuller longer. When you are creating smoothies, just be careful about calorie intake. Some fruits are high in calories and you may end up with a meal that isn’t as weight conscious as you’d intended. Bananas, mangoes, avocados, and papayas are examples of great-tasting fruits that are high in calories.

Salads

Salads for a lunch or dinner are another healthy organic meal that is quick to make. Depending on the ingredients you include, they are low in calories, but the vegetables are filling. If you add meat, seafood, or cheese to your salad, you have a complete meal that fulfills all of your food group requirements. When you are creating your salad, be mindful of the dressing you use. Salad dressings can add extra calories and fat, so you need to read the labels carefully.

Whole-Grain Pasta

Organic whole-grain pasta with sauce is another fast food idea that is healthy and organic. When you need help losing weight, you may think you have to avoid pasta because of the carbs. But whole-grain pasta is healthier and is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight. Add a salad and maybe some whole-grain rolls for a complete meal.

Avocado Burgers

A turkey and avocado burger is a satisfying meal that tastes great. Add a whole-grain roll, sweet potato fries, and a vegetable and this is a fantastic sit-down meal for the family that you can make quickly. Avocado is a filling food, but you do have to watch the calories so use them sparingly in recipes.

Soybean Tacos

Soybeans are filling, organic, and low in calories. Tacos are easy to prepare, and you can let people add their own toppings to make them fun. Soybean tacos don’t have to be a vegetarian meal. You can add regular hamburger or turkey burger to satisfy the meat lovers in your family.

When you stroll through your local health food store, you may see many different beans, vegetables, or fruits you may want to try. Don’t be afraid to experiment with some recipes of your own or ask the clerks at the store for ideas. They may be able to offer you more tips that can help you create healthy meals that are organic and quick to make.

The thought behind this old saying is that we should enjoy the biggest meal of the day in the morning since the food calories eaten early in the day are processed more efficiently than those eaten in the evening.
Benefit:  eating this way provides more energy for work or school and it also helps with weight loss.

WHAT AMERICANS SPENT ON CHOCOLATE CANDY IN 2011.

Source:  Candy Industy.com

Eating with your non-dominant hand doesn’t feel natural and will in turn have you eating less and less likely to eat mindlessly.  When was the last time you mindlessly consumed a bucket of popcorn (with or without the ‘butter’) at the movies.

NOTE:  A study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that those who typically ate popcorn at the movies consumed less when eating with their non-dominant hand.    Try it!

Too often weight loss efforts fail because ‘dieters’ have a limited understanding of how to eat and regulate their appetite and metabolism. To the contrary of popular thinking, eating less due to fasting, missing meals, semi starvation or rigorous dieting will actually slow down the metabolic rate (rate of which the body burns calories).  This may explain why dieting alone is not successful.  Losing weight can be achieved in 4 Simple Steps: 1. what you eat, 2. how you move 3. what you think and 4. developing healthy habits.   Learn how WeightLossVillage can help you achieve your weight loss goals. 

Secret 1: Control Your Portions
Secret 2: Eat Breakfast
Secret 3: Monitor What You Eat
Secret 4: Be Mindful of Why You Eat

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