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Have a Star Spangled (and low calorie) 4th of July

 

red white and blue


I was talking to some friends the other day about what July 4th plans they had this year. The conversation went something like this: Sleep in, buy doughnuts for the family instead of cooking, enjoy the day off, have a cookout with hamburgers, hotdogs, and potato salad, mow the lawn, go to the fair and have foot-long corn dogs, see fireworks, and buy lots of ice cream for the post-fireworks gathering.

 

Being an astute observer of human behavior, I noticed a theme: The day was centered on food. And pretty high-calorie food at that.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating with food (it’s high on my list anyway). The key here is to find ways to celebrate with food without having a weight-gain day. Let's take a look at how to make that happen.

Start the Day Off Right with Red, White or Blue Shakes 


The Main Course


Dessert


Exercise Your Right to Move Your Body

Remember that becoming more active burns calories, helps you lose more weight and is key to managing your weight long-term. As a bonus, exercise improves your health.

Start the day with a walk, stroll to the community fireworks, walk the dog, go to the gym. It all counts! For more ideas, look here: http://www.hmrdiet.com/Succeed/HMR_Strategies/Get_More_Active

Getting support, sharing ideas, and hearing from others can be critical, especially during holidays. We have a very active, supportive online community that does just that. If you are looking to make a public commitment to an eating/recipe plan, have ideas or recipes to share, or would like ideas from others about challenging situations, please join us and others committed to managing their weight over the holiday here.


 
 

by KeithVanGasken on 07/02/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, HMR, Recipes, in the box, planning, strategies, holidays

About the Author

Keith Van Gasken

Keith Van Gasken began obesity treatment in a clinic setting in 1982, and has been with HMR since 1992. Roles have included health educator & mentor, as well as program and product development, with a special affinity for product & recipe development. He has maintained a 100-lb. weight loss since 1982.

Comments (1) Post a comment
Thanks Keith. This might sound terrible, but i intentionally did not invite anyone over for the 4th of July because I wanted to have an In the Box meal. Our family enjoyed the holiday with melon, corn on the cob, and HMR Chicken with BBQ sauce. I removed the chicken and topped it with a pineapple ring and wrapped the whole thing in foil and baked in the oven. The rice and beans were served separately. I thought about making a parfait with berries, 70+ vanilla pudding and Cool Whip, but we were too full for dessert!
by SandiBraithwaite on 07/06/2012