August is my birthday month (yes, I celebrate the entire month) and I refuse to be “on a diet.” I can be “on maintenance,” but I don’t want to have to worry about losing weight during the traditional celebratory period. So, that means I have to shed at least 5 lbs. in the next 3 weeks. My original goal was 30 lbs. Somewhere along the way I got a little cocky and decided I should go for 35, but 30 is much more realistic, and I decided to be happy if I reach it. What a great birthday present it will be to myself. Wish me luck!

Jalapeño Turkey Club Panini

2 pieces whole wheat bread

1 ½ slices fat-free Swiss cheese

8 slices shaved turkey

1 T chopped tomato

1 slice turkey bacon, cooked and chopped

5 slices pickled jalapeño peppers

2 sprays olive oil cooking spray

Assemble as a sandwich, with the cheese forming the first layer on each slice of bread. Spray the outward-facing sides of both pieces of bread with the olive oil spray and either cook in a panini maker or sear on both sides in a frying pan. Yum!

Because my diet is really a balanced, healthy eating plan, rather than a drastic elimination of food groups, my maintenance naturally included many of the same principles that I have followed from the beginning of my weight-loss program. The biggest difference was that I had less planning, less control, and less exercise. There was more eating out and more social eating and drinking. However, I still tried to eat my usual portion size, and I chose well balanced meals with whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veggies. At the end of the 3 weeks, I weighed in at break-even, without ever having fluctuated more than 2 pounds. It is good to have an idea of what life will be like when I reach my goal—which, by the way, I have revised (increased) to 35 pounds lost by August 1st. I’m now ready for Phase 2!

First, choosing the right restaurant is important. For one event, we switched our choice of restaurant from the one we originally planned to go to—the one w/ super gourmet buttery food—to another great option, one w/ lots of fresh seafood. I have gotten into the habit of ordering my fish blackened so I have lots of flavor, and I request no oil or butter. Second, I planned what I was going to eat and how much before I got to any of the restaurants for any of the events, and this planning included any appetizers. Appetizers can be very dangerous, and most times I just skip them now. However, when I do order one, I’ll usually just order another appetizer for my entrée or choose something else that is on the small side. And I never feel bad for not finishing—I am pretty good about guessing my portion size and I try to stick to it even when eating out.

Next weekend may be trickier—a weekend in the desert for the wedding of one of my best friends!

It may be obvious to everyone else, but I’ve figured out that having diet-friendly snack choices readily available to me makes a huge difference. Otherwise, I wind up eating 2 or 3 snacks searching for something satisfying. So, I have a few “go to” snacks always on hand, like string cheese & fruit, healthy spreads & Wasa crackers, and bean dips w/ brown rice chips. And in case I’m hungry between meals or between official snack times, I have some raw “free” veggies washed and cut up (“free” are those veggies that you can eat as much as you like of because they’re incredibly low in calories). Also, I’m lucky to work where we always have some low-fat peanut butter cookies if I need something sweet. But even more than cookies, my favorite “go to” is yogurt & granola. It’s great as an official snack or for when I haven’t planned a meal, because I can eat it any time of day w/ or w/o fresh berries.

So, my hunger is under control, and I’m 1/3 of the way to my goal—and now only 4 pounds to half-way there!