Staying Strong

Note: Thank you to all of you who have expressed concern over my health. We still don't know what's going on, but an MRI is scheduled for Sunday. Hopefully it will turn out to be nothing.


I don't know about the rest of you, but the weekend has always been one of the hardest times for me to stay strong with eating healthfully and exercising. Since I'm off of work, it feels like I should get a break from everything--and that includes my new lifestyle. But I know that would be terrible to do, so I let myself indulge a little--let's say, one slice of cheesecake for dessert when we eat out. One slice of cheesecake isn't too bad, I reason with myself. After all, if I don't treat myself sometimes, then I'll probably end up bingeing later down the road. One slice of cheesecake is appropriate and will satisfy me.

I've told myself this a lot in the past. :) Unfortunately, I tend to be an "all-or-nothing" person. When I have that one piece of cheesecake, a permission switch goes off in my head and I don't stop there. I might have two helpings of dinner that evening, and another (small!) dessert. I've worked out a lot this week--I deserve this. Also, one night of not exercising is okay. I need to rest my body.

Well, what turned out to be one small indulgence ends up with me totally falling off the wagon. Many times, this has resulted in one weekend turning into a week, then a month, then three months...okay, I think you get the picture. And that, my friends, is called yo-yo dieting.

So this weekend when you're tempted to turn off that permission switch and indulge yourself a little because 1) it is the weekend and 2) you were such a good girl/boy this week, remember to stay strong. I'm not saying that you can't indulge a little, because you should be able to every once in a while. But if you're the "all-or-nothing" personality like I am, watch yourself carefully. Get others around you to help keep you accountable. Remember to keep track of what you eat so you don't let things slide past you. And if possible, try to balance out your indulgences with something REALLY good (like eating a salad instead of that pasta).

I'm going to end with something I call Ashley's Berry Delight, a sweet, healthy little treat, but I also want to know--when you're tempted to go back to your old ways, what do you do to stay strong?

Ashley's Berry Delight (serves two, and much better for you than cheesecake!)
4 strawberries, cut into quarters
10 blackberries
8 raspberries
Handful of blueberries
1 whole graham cracker
Fat-free whipped cream
Hershey's lite chocolate syrup

In two dessert dishes, layer the fruit, half in one dish and half in the other, starting with the strawberries, then the blackberries, the raspberries, and finally the blueberries. Crumble half the graham cracker over each dish. Add a moderate serving of whipped cream, and top with just enough chocolate syrup to make you happy. Mix a little with your spoon, and enjoy!