My Father in Law is Getting Married!

It's Today!

at 5pm. My Dad-in-Law is getting Married!

He's spent this last year alone after my mother-in-Law passed away from dementia. It's been a lonely year for him and I am so happy that he found someone to enjoy his life with. After 15 years of caretaking, I think he deserves this. He is one of the best old men I know! I am so happy to see him happy. 

And his finace' soon-to-be-wife is a sweetheart also. She too was a caretaker and lost her sweetheart right around the same time. It's fun for me to see them both so happy and giddy and giggly. Just like people who are engaged and dreaming of the future should be! Age here is not a factor. Happiness is.

So one would wonder WHY this is on my blog about my health struggles and my journey to get healthy, eat healthy, and live healthy...

IT'S A WEDDING FOLKS!

There is unlimited food and cake. . .while I am trying to be healthy. . . I'm pretty sure that there is a little bottle somewhere that has liquid calories that they add special to wedding food. That's the only way to explain wedding poundage. . . yeah. You know what I'm talking about! 

I'm like....

And I learned a long time ago in this family- that this is the way to get the pickin's....

So you see my dilemma here!!! There is a buffet, with people that LOVE buffet's, and a cake at the end. A homemade cake might I add...

...except I just realized that I'm Gluten Intolerant...

...So I guess I don't have to worry about the cake now. pooh...

When we are faced with challenges in life, we are also faced with choices in how we are going to handle those challenges. We can choose to just "wing it" - I've had a lifetime of that. Or we can choose to "Plan ahead". I don't care what diet you are on, or if you even are on one. I don't care if you are underweight, or morbidly obese. The choices are the same. 

I said before, Getting Healthy is a mind game. 

are you in or are you out?

If you chose to be in, then REMEMBER WHY you made that choice in the first place! (it is a good idea to write your "WHY" down and post it somewhere you can see it to remind you of your goals.)

Here are some tips that I have learned over the years to help you get past challenges like this:

• EAT before you go!

• Take a treat, or food that you can eat, with you!

• Use my health as an excuse if you want! I'm gluten Intolerant so I can't eat that! (wink, wink)

• If you want to eat something not on "plan", drink a full glass of water first and wait for 10 minutes.

• Move more to cover those extra calories. Dance like no one is watching. They might be filming, but they are definitely not watching. If they are, ignore them and enjoy yourself! Be the life of the party instead of the wallflower! As a former wallflower, trust me on this!

• Realize that social situations are just that. Social. Not a food trough. It's tough because we use social situations as reasons to eat instead of socialize! TALK to People! and get your nose out of your phone! Enjoy the celebration!

• Take a smaller dish, and leave the outside rim clear. Only fill up the inside, and use 1/2 the space for steamed or fresh veggies, 1/4 for carbs and 1/4 for protein. and LOTS of water! 

• Alchohol has a lot of empty calories. So does Soda. Even diet soda can be detrimental to your health! (Look at this study!)

• Use H.A.L.T. which means: Are you HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY or TIRED? If you are Hungry, then eat. If you aren't but are one of the others, then deal with that emotion or need. DON'T EAT YOUR FEELINGS!

•  Be Happy with who you are! If you eat a piece of cake, eat a small piece of cake! The first bite tastes just like the last bite, except you don't feel as crappy. So just eat a bite and then throw the rest away, or smoosh your napkin in it or pour a drink over it to make it inedible. (dont' put milk on chocolate cake... that makes it MORE edible AND you have cake AND chocolate milk at the end... I mean a bird told me that...) 

• And last but not least, If you screw up, Forgive yourself and move forward. This is probably the hardest one to do, and the easiest to make a habit of. the key words in this advice is FORGIVE AND MOVE FORWARD. You're not a pig, so don't wallow. move.

My plans for tonight? I am saving my Shakeology to drink as we drive to the wedding. It will fill me up and give me the energy I need to CHOOSE to stay on Plan, and to keep on my road to healthy! 

Wish me luck!

IF you would like to join me on my journey and have questions about Beach Body or Shakeology, I'd love to chat with you. Just leave me a comment with your email. You can also reach me on facebook.

Today's Shakeology Recipe:

in Blender add:

8-12 oz cold water

1 scoop Chocolate or Vanilla Shakeology

Purple container mixed berries (frozen make a thicker shake)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

scoop of ice

Blend on high until mixed. Drink to your health Friends!