I am down 2.2 pounds! This is pretty exciting since I weighed in three days early. I am taking a trip this week, and so I made it a point to get to a WW studio this morning. Finally, some traction! Fresh starts, can be especially challenging when it comes to long lasting routines, and sometimes you’ve just got to shake it up.

Preparing food and thinking ahead feels like control. I have decided I’m going just embrace that good feeling and make the most of it. Who knows why it took so long to get my rhythm back, the thing that matters is that I didn’t give up. As I read that last sentence back, I realize that sounds trite, but it’s the truth. It really would have been easy to keep sliding backwards. The horrible truth about that is each slide back makes it a little bit harder to get back on track.

So think about what you can do to help yourself. Here are some options:

1. Clean out your kitchen, and get rid of unhelpful foods.
2. Decorate your dining area with something you enjoy. Fresh flowers, new placemats, or glassware can make it so pleasant.
3. Burn some fragrant candles like apple, peppermint, or citrus that make you feel good.
4. Get some fun containers, use your fancy bowls and put healthy food choices where you will see them first.
5. Leave some “love notes” to yourself reminding you how everything you are doing is to reach your goals.
6. Try something new: fruit, vegetables, recipe, and eat mindfully really experiencing it. What did you like? What didn’t you like?
7. Write out the SmartPoints values on single servings.
8. Mix and match your snacks. Like have a cup of cherries with 1/3 cup of pistachios a nice sweet and salty snack for 3 sp.
9. Get a variety of seltzer water flavors squeeze some lemon, lime, pineapple or orange slices to make a colorful and refreshing drink to sip on during these warm summer months.
10. Wind down at the end of the day with a nice cup of soothing hot tea. It will take some time to drink and you can use that time to do something relaxing that you enjoy

Keep working on you. Don’t give up even if you’re having a rough time. If you’re on an upswing, help someone out by lending them some of your strength. Be good to yourself, and be good to others. You got this.