TIP OF THE DAY - THURSDAY

LIGHTEN THE FOODS YOU ALREADY LOVE...
One of the easiest ways to cut back without feeling denied is to switch to lower-calorie versions of the foods you crave. A pizza tastes just as good with reduced-fat cheese. And when you garnish low-fat crackers or low-fat ice cream with your favorite toppers, who notices the missing calories?

The key is to look for lighter versions of any product that contains fat or sugar, says the WebMD Weight Loss Clinic's "Recipe Doctor" Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, author of Fry Light, Fry Right! She recommends shopping for light sour cream, mayonnaise, and salad dressings; less-sugar preserves; and unsweetened frozen fruit.

And lighten up by switching to diet soda or light beer, or by adding a spritz of seltzer to your wine. Hate low-cal drinks? Try mixing your favorite beverages with a splash of a low-cal option, then increase the ratio as your taste buds adjust.

This might seem like you are not dieting but if you think about it this is just more common sense.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLEANE :0)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JOLEANE,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.

HAVE A GREAT DAY...

TIP OF THE DAY- WEDNESDAY

THIS IS A LONG ONE BUT TAKE A LOOK AT IT...IT MAKES GOOD SENSE.

Remember to Reward Yourself
How to Pat Yourself on the Back
-- By Mike Kramer, SparkPeople Contributor

Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.

Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:

* Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
* Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
* Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy.
* A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
* Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
* Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
* Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.

REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY

* Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
* Create an actual plaque or trophy.
* Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
* Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
* Take a day off from any goal activities.
* Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
* Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
* See a movie.
* Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
* Go for a spa treatment or massage.
* Buy yourself a gift certificate.
* Take a limo ride.
* Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
* Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
* Watch your favorite TV show.
* Buy something for your hobby.
* Read a funny book.
* Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
* Find some time to be by yourself.
* Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
* Fly a kite.

VACATION/CAMPING

NEXT WEEK AT THIS TIME...I can't wait. Next week at this time we will either be loading up or on our way to go camping. Talk about relaxing. We are going to attempt to camp at "Coldwater Cove Campground". We are hoping that if we go early enough in the week all the 4th of July campers will be gone and we will have our pick of campsites. This is going to be much less stress than last year. We are going to do very little. Just let the kids play and really plan nothing special except to enjoy each other's company. I don't know any one's schedule but would like to invite who ever can get away to come on down for a day or just an afternoon. We will head home again Sunday after breakfast and cleanup. As I stated before. There is nothing planned, Calvin just asked what I wanted to do for my birthday and since even with the rain I had such a great time last summer I want to do it again. You have to take so much with you any time you go camping that you might as well stay. If it is warm enough I am hoping to get to lay out in the sun and read a good book. Why not...The sunshine makes everyone feel better. If you can't come down then just go and enjoy the sun in your own back yard.

TIP OF THE DAY - TUESDAY

GIVE INTO TEMPTATION...there's room for treats in a healthy lifestyle. Eat sensibly, budget your calories and control your portion, and there's no reason why you can't indulge in a treat from time to time.
OKAY...I LOVE THIS TIP...

TIP OF THE DAY - MONDAY

BUILD A BETTER BURGER...Nix the cheese to save 50 calories and 3 grams of fat or more. Swap beef for a veggie burger, use wheat buns not white and pile on the tasty, low-calorie toppings, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce and mustard.
Now that it is summer, there is nothing better than a burger. Remember if you use turkey it will also be low calorie and still taste great.

TIP OF THE DAY - SUNDAY

BE A KID AGAIN...Choose from the children's menu when eating out at a restaurant. They have a wide variety, you will eat less, and save money.
Another thought might be to choose from the senior menu. I can not choose from there and it is basically the same just smaller portions.