Oh my! I had a terrible week of munchies! Every cookie, every piece of chocolate, popped right into my mouth. I even drank a regular coke and I normally don't drink soda diet or otherwise. Not only did I feel bloated, but my energy level went way down. By 6:30 in the evening, I plopped down on the sofa and didn't want to get up. Then it occurred to me! When my diet is off, so is my metabolism and I feel sluggish. A couple of days of sensible eating and drinking and I was able to get back on track. Much better to eat 6 small meals and drink plenty of water. Keep the diet as clean as possible with lean meats and lots of fresh vegetables and whole grains. Sometimes we feel the need to splurge, but we can't let that be an excuse everyday - that one piece of cake or cookie or ice cream or (insert whatever high fat, high carb, empty calorie vice is yours) everyday will pack on the pounds and drain our energy. Resist tempation with a couple of easy tricks - if you feel the urge to pick, drink some water instead - sometimes thirst is misinterpreted as hunger. Eat small frequent meals which help to keep you more satisfied and decreased the chance that you are going to gorge yourself at your next meal. Add more protein to your diet by including lean meats/fish, eggs, low fat milk products, beans, nuts etc. - protein makes you feel more full and digests more slowly so you feel satisfied longer. Add fiber to your diet with whole grains and fruits and vegetables - these are good carbs, burn more slowly and the fiber keeps you feeling full. And don't forget to bump up your metabolism with some exercise. It becomes a vicious cycle very quickly - you don't eat right so you feel tired and so you don't exercise. And you figure that you've totally blown it this week, so what the heck, wait till next week to get started eating right or exercising. Wrong Answer! No Excuses! Get started today, get back on track as quickly as possible. Make healthy food choices and remember, any exercise is better than no exercise!  Gotta go now, time for lunch - chicken, broccoli and brown rice....yummy in my tummy (and if I keep eating clean and healthy, it will be a flat tummy too!)

Good Luck in your efforts! Beth