I had been stressing over my annual summer barbeque for weeks, worrying about the dilemma of serving delicious food yet not having to ditch the diet I’ve been doing so well at sticking to.  I talked with my trusted Salt Lake City catering company who was going to be helping me out with a good portion of the food and they were able to give me some great ideas of foods that I could serve that were not only healthy, but delicious.  So, if you’re planning on throwing a party this summer and need some good healthy food ideas, the following are 10 healthy ideas to make your evening one your guests will remember.

1. Bruschetta with tomato and basil
2. Chilled avocado zucchini soup shots
3. Grilled vegetables
4. Stuffed mushrooms
5. Lettuce wraps (chicken, crab, mushroom)
6. Red pepper humus w/ freshly baked pita chips
7. Grilled chicken salad w/ strawberries, red onion, walnuts and bleu cheese
8. Grilled chicken with fresh mango salsa
9. Fresh fruit kabobs
10. Frozen yogurt and parfaits

And if that’s not enough, you can always try your best to find diet pills that work and help offset some of your hunger.

As of June 21^st summer is officially here and a swimsuit is my preferred piece of clothing.  I feel like some days I go straight from my pajamas, to my swimsuit, and then back to my pajamas. Although the hype of the spring crash diet has passed, it’s still important to stay on top of your health.  With backyard barbeques and fun filled vacations, here are a few quick tips to make sure you stay in shape and keep that killer summer bod.

1. Drink lots of water! It’s easy to get dehydrated in such hot weather, so drink up.  Water also helps curb your appetite so you won’t find yourself snacking throughout day.
2. If you get hungry snack on watermelon, grapes, honeydew- anything that has high water content.  This will satisfy your craving and fill you up.
3. Exercise.  Just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean you can’t get outside and do something.  Take a Zantrex energy pill and go for an early morning jog or swim, one of my favorite things to do!
4. Eat smaller portions.  When you go on vacation or get invited to a barbeque, make sure you don’t let your portions sizes get out of control.  Eat before you go if you don’t think you’ll be able to maintain your self control. 

Just by making a few changes to daily lifestyle you’ll be able to keep your sizzling summer body and make the transition into summer without a second thought.

As you may have learned from a previous post, I have (finally) begun my aggressive weight loss campaign (a.k.a struggle to shed some pounds). So far, my biggest battle has been resisting the temptation to eat all my favorite (unhealthy) foods while eating out…from juicy hamburgers to decadent deserts.  I can (and usually do) make anything remotely healthy unhealthy by making it “tastier”. For example, a mixed greens salad with tomatoes, carrots, and peppers is good for you, right? Until I saturate it with fatty and calorie-laden but oh so good dressing. So I have been trying to make an effort to cut calories and eat healthier food items.

My husband and I are throwing a fancy party for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. The party is a full-scale celebration complete with a live band, florist, and a caterer (much to my dismay). I knew if we hired a caterer, my diet would be completely shot to hell. Not so! Our amazing Utah catering company actually offered a variety of low-fat, healthy dishes for weight conscious guests. I had the opportunity to taste-test all the dishes prior to the party and was completely blown away by the amazing taste and flavors of each dish. How could something so healthy taste so good?

The point of my post is that you will find more and more food businesses are providing healthier alternatives. In fact, the other night we went to Applebee’s and I was pleasantly surprised to find they had an entire Weight Watchers menu. Whether you are hiring a caterer for an event or simply going out to eat, ask if they offer low-fat or diet conscious dishes - many times they will be able to give you the calorie count of each dish. It’s just one more way to help you cut calories. Happy eating (out)!

Okay, so I guess that’s not exactly probable.  But my husband and I went to a Denver, Colorado haunted house and I swear I jumped, leapt, and shook so much I must have lost nearly five pounds!

Halloween is a tough for me because while it is my absolutely favorite holiday (I have the craziest costumes you’ve ever seen), it does mark the beginning of my annual (dreaded) holiday weight gain.  This year, I’ve vowed to change.  You can too with these small and simple tips!

• Cut back on the candy!  Not only will all that candy will rot your teeth (remember hearing that as a kid?), it packs tons of unnecessary sugar and calories.  You should also implement healthy eating with your kids, so make sure your monitor their daily candy intake during the days following Halloween.
• Hosting a party?  Try serving yummy healthy treats rather than the traditional candy and sweets, such as apples and caramel, popcorn, pretzels, veggie trays and so on.
• Roast pumpkin seeds!  Instead of throwing away all those seeds when you are carving pumpkins, find a tasty recipe to roast the seeds.  They make a good snack to munch on to help you curb hunger.
• Serve pie, frozen yogurt, or sorbet rather than cake and cupcakes.  Use natural fruit juices or apple cider to get into the holiday spirit.  Avoid drinks saturated with sugar. 

I know this is a common one, but one thing that really helps me lose weight is to drink water everytime time I feel hungry between normal meals. Not only does this fill my stomach, but it also helps me get my 8 cups per day. I feel like I often eat just because I’m bored, or because there’s food in front of me. Obviously this is not good.

But when I fill myself with (zero-calorie!) water, I can usually make it to the next meal.  Give it a shot…see if it works for you.

My mom recently dragged everyone together to have family portraits taken.   Thankfully, my parents use the same Utah photographer I used for my wedding so I had full confidence that she would make me look absolutely fabulous (thank goodness for photoshop!).

Well, she did make me look flawless (and gorgeous) but I couldn’t help but notice the few extra pounds I had packed on during since the wedding (no way to hide that, right?).  I suppose everyone is their own worse critic, but I felt really bad about it.  So I decided now was as good of time as any to start using the gym pass I purchased several months ago (and had yet to use) and start eating healthier.

Well, that was only about a month and a half ago, but already I can start to see and more importantly feel the results.  It’s definitely a long road but shedding even two pounds has made me feel great! 

When you are trying to lose a small amount of weight, the most healthy way to do so is plain ol’ exercise and healthy eating!  Yeah, I know it sucks.  Too bad there’s not a magic pill that would get rid of all that darn weight with in one dose.  While I would encourage the use of a weight loss supplement, I would do persuade you to use it in conjunction with exercise and a prudent diet.  

JFL Mag would love to hear about your weight loss experiences, trials, and triumphs!  Let us know what works for you and what doesn’t.  Any tips, tricks, or advice is always welcomed.