Helpful

How to Stay Accountable to Your New Year’s Resolutions in Five Easy Steps

January 8, 2019

Only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions according to Forbes. Why is this? Why is it so hard for us to hold ourselves accountable?

Well, Today I have 5 things that can help you keep your resolutions alive all year long.

Only Choose 3 Things to Focus on

Most people choose too many things to focus on for resolutions. They may want to lose weight, save money, pay off a credit card, shop less, cook at home more, so on and so on. The problem is, there are too many goals. When you try to do too many things well, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and fail. So choose three things. The three most important things to you that you want to achieve over the next year. This way, you can stay focused on only three resolutions. When we narrow our focus, we are more likely to succeed.

Start Slow and Build

Be REALISTIC with how you start. For example, if you want to start going to a gym and you have not currently had a gym routine, do not set a goal of working out five times per week. Chances are, you will go the first day/week, get really sore or pull something and eventually throw in the towel because it’s too much on your body. If a huge issue comes up at work and you miss two days, you may throw in the towel because you haven’t been able to keep your word to yourself to go five days per week. Your best bet is to start with 2 or 3 days per week. After a month, if it has been doable, increase by one day and try that for a few weeks. Build up to the ultimate goal of five times per week.

Same goes for saving money. If you haven’t ever been a saver, don’t delegate $200 per paycheck to a savings account if you know you will probably be transferring that same money back to your checking account shortly after. Try starting with $5 per paycheck. This way, it builds the habit of saving. After about a month, increase to $10, then $20, and so on and so forth.

Remember, if these are New Year’s resolutions, these are most likely areas you struggle with for improvement. So setting goals too high will set you up for failure. If you are realistic with your goals, they are easier to achieve and grow. This keeps us motivated and excited to keep going since we have now seen we can be successful.

Set Reminders to Stay Accountable

Make. A. Plan. It’s that simple. If this is something you really want, fill up that Google calendar for the next 6 months with “check-ins”. If you want to cook more at home twice per week, put those two days in your calendar for the next 6 months. That way you will have reminders popping up and you’ll plan for these days. If you want to put $5 in your savings every paycheck, put that reminder in on every payday Friday. This way, when you’re in a lull which we all hit when we are striving for a long term goal, you’ll have that reminder and that kick to put you back on track.

When You Mess Up, Get Back on Track Immediately

If you mess up on Wednesday and have a cheat meal, DO NOT wait until Monday to “start over”! Focus on that next meal. Make a plan. Use your cheat meal as a motivator to do better. Don’t allow one meal to ruin the success you’ve had thus far!

Same with saving. If you went shopping during a week you said you wouldn’t, don’t dwell on it. It happened! Now it’s time to make a plan! What can you do in your week to save money? Cancel a night out? Sell a pair of shoes you haven’t worn in a year?

Make it a PRIORITY

Your three goals have to be something you really want. They have to be a priority. If you see challenges getting in the way, address those challenges. Find support. I recently had a baby and I wanted to get back to my pre-baby weight. It was a priority for me. My husband and I worked out a schedule for me to get back in the gym. I made sure we had groceries in the house to accommodate my goal. We definitely ran into challenges. When I couldn’t make it to the gym because something came up, we planned for it to happen the next day. If we had an unhealthy dinner, I planned out meals for the next day to be sure I stayed on my routine. These resolutions have to be important to you. They must stay a top priority. Success does not come easy, or no one would know failure.

I do believe this is the way to join the successful 8%. This article will help you find a way to stay focused, feel less guilty if you fall off track, start small, and be successful reaching your goals! We all have the desire for change and the drive for success. It’s just having the right tools to teach us how to get there!

How to Plan a Week’s Worth of Dinners in Just Five Minutes!

January 22, 2017

If you work full-time just like me, you know that the work week is crazy. There is no time to make a pit-stop at the grocery store and grab food to cook. And by some chance, say you do make that stop… is what you’re getting healthy?

With all of the New Year’s resolutions still going strong, we want something ready and waiting, but also healthy. Just a little bit of planning can give you that!

So I’m going to show you how I plan a week’s worth of dinners in just five minutes.

Here is my upcoming work week menu.

I always start with the meat (or vegetarian protein source). This is usually the part of the meal you don’t want to have three nights in a row. So I lay out Monday through Friday and rotate my meat through the week. I shoot for about 6-8 oz for a portion size for us.

Next are vegetable choices. I believe that at least half of your plate should consist of non-starchy vegetables so I recommend having at least 2 choices per meal. This is what keeps your meal low calorie and high fiber. So you still feel full for barely any calories.

Last is your starch group. This should always be the smallest portion on the plate unless you are doing high intensity exercise and need the fuel. But for most, it’s listed at the bottom as a reminder that it is not the priority. Keep your starches whole grain/100% whole wheat to make the best of that starchy situation.

Now look at that! You’ve got your dinners planned and have made a grocery list!

This can be done for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu planning not only helps you stay on track with your diet, but it also provides convenience while budgeting!

I hope this helps your work week become a little less stressful and a little more healthy. If you have any questions, please comment below! And feel free to share this post by using the icons below!

Finally, a Book by a Dietitian About Weight Loss Surgery!

September 18, 2016

I am so excited to announce that I have written a book and it is now available on Amazon for purchase! I did want to explain why I wrote this book and what better place to do that than right here.

I recently left the world of bariatric nutrition counseling to pursue a different career path within the world of dietetics. Over the years working with weight loss surgery patients, I was always asked where an informational book about bariatric nutrition could be found. That was a great question. I couldn’t really find one that I highly recommended. Throughout the years I was asked by many of my patients why I had not written a book. I could think of a million reasons… It takes a lot of time… and how in the world do I compile all the knowledge I’ve soaked up over the years? During the last several months I was working with these patients, the request continued to grow. It seemed like I was being asked almost weekly to compile my knowledge. So that’s when I began.

Once I started, it seemed like my life consisted of work, home, and typing away. Here are some thoughts I had while writing.

How in the world will I organize all this knowledge??
I’ve really seen thousands of patients over the years…
Gosh my patients have been motivational!
Is that the correct usage of a semi-colon?
I really can’t let this knowledge go to waste.
Will people actually read this?
Oh my goodness… It’s really finished!

That’s it! I had completed my first draft. I located some amazing editors (AKA: my brother and husband) who read it immediately. They spent so much time going over every chapter with me and I could not have done it without them. By the time the editing was complete, the excitement began. It was becoming real. After all of the long hours writing, designing, and editing, it was now ready for publishing.

What I hope for this book is to help people. The questions I received over and over are finally answered. They are answered in a way that can help people feel more comfortable living this new lifestyle. It is a big change for most people and no one should feel alone and confused. So if you know anyone that is considering weight loss surgery, tell them about this book. They will find out what to expect, learn what questions to ask, and discover how to insure long-term success. This is important information to know in order to win with weight loss surgery!

*My book is available to purchase on the side bar of my home page. Kindle app is available for download on Apple products.

All the rage- Halo Top!

August 5, 2016

There are times when I have eaten healthy consistently and the mood for a cheat strikes me. If you are normally a healthy eater, a cheat can carry some guilt. I know it does for me. Recently, I have discovered an option that encourages a little less guilt, but doesn’t sacrifice any taste! Sounds unreal, right?!

I kept hearing this name… Halo Top. I would hear about it at the gym, see it on Instagram, but what is this Halo Top product?

Halo Top is a light ice cream! It allows a cheat to be much less of a blow to your healthy diet. Let’s look into a comparison!

It is quite amazing that it really doesn’t taste bad when you see the lack of sugar and fat. So of course the wheels start spinning… How do I jazz this up and continue to keep the calories low? Add PB2!

PB2 is a great product that gives you a peanut butter taste, but is only 45 calories for 2 Tbsp VS. 210 calories for 2 Tbsp of real peanut butter.

Here is my recipe!

1/2 cup of Vanilla Bean Halo Top

1 Tbsp PB2

1 Tbsp chopped nuts

And this is my finished product!

What is your nutrition make up here with this cheat?

Calories: ~127.5

Protein: ~10 g

Fat: ~6.75 g (2.25 g sat.)

Carbs: ~16 g (5 g sugar)

Not too bad when comparing to real ice cream! And always looking for ways to boost that protein intake. Even in my cheats!

I hope this helps you control your cheat day a little better by keeping calories lower and protein higher in your treat!

If you have any questions or comments, let me know! Feel free to share this post by using the social media icons below! Enjoy!

Review of the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker

February 17, 2016

One thing I have come to love while working as a dietitian is all of the technology giving me more information about people in regards to what they eat, how they move, and how well they sleep.

A lot of times we believe we move more than we do, so these activity trackers have been great showing us the truth about our activity.

As the health care professional, I have noticed some things as this technology has grown more popular.

Accountability. It promotes more accountability for everyone. When you think you’ve been moving throughout your day and should be close to your goal of 10,000 steps, you may check your activity and only have hit 3,000 steps so far. Seeing a record of your actual movement through the day will provide valuable feedback to help achieve your activity goal.

Competition. We are very competitive by nature not only with other people, but ourselves. When we set a goal and see how close we are to it, we may work a little harder to hit it. It could trigger us to take the longer route to the restroom, park further away, or take the dog on a slightly longer walk than usual.

Earlier Bed Time. Sleep is extremely important for us to function well during the day and also improve our chances for weight loss. By monitoring sleep cycles, you may become more aware of your routines and try to improve on them. Knowing you aren’t sleeping well, you may try going to bed sooner, practice evening relaxation techniques, or take time winding down to prevent tossing and turning.

So I decided to try out the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband, Black for myself and see what the pros and cons were with these tracking products.

THE SET UP

While setting up a Fitbit account, I got confused between the tablet and the computer. They continued to direct me back to one another. So I ended up going to my phone and downloading the app which walked me through creating an account step by step.

Just to avoid confusion, I recommend setting up your account with the Fitbit app on your phone.

Once I got started with the app account setup, it was very easy and explained everything very simply.

THE APP

The app software is really simple. It shows a home page with your progress on the front by tracking steps, mileage, calories burned, active minutes, and also lists options to track your exercise and weight, monitor your sleep, log your food/begin a food plan, and log fluids.

THE WRIST BAND AND TRACKER

The Fitbit Flex came with two different sized bands for wrist comfort. The bands are easily adjustable. Even though the snap is a little stiff at first it will loosen up once you’ve worn it a few times. This will make it easier to put on without assistance.

It is very light weight which I love since I am constantly on the go. I wear it on the same wrist as my watch and don’t even notice it.

ACTIVITY TRACKING

The activity tracking is really neat because it tracks steps taken, mileage, as well as how many of those minutes were considered active. Another great thing about it is that I don’t have to swing my arm in order for it to catch all the steps. That is one thing I’ve always struggled with while wearing pedometers. My movements were never exaggerated enough to catch the step. With the Fitbit Flex, it does. Even grocery shopping with my hand on the cart.

However, I did have a junky cart at one point that vibrated terribly while I pushed it. This vibration continued to throw my Fitbit into sleep mode and out of sleep mode. In order to quickly put your Flex in sleep mode, three to four quick taps does the trick. So the vibrations must have been strong enough to replicate the taps.

SLEEP TRACKING

Sleep tracking is beneficial because it shows you how often you get up and how restless you are through the night. I did not realize how much I toss and turn until I tracked my sleep.

Now I make a point to read or find ways to relax before bed. This has helped improve my sleep cycle. When you sleep more at night, you tend to lose more weight. The longer we are awake, the more your adrenaline kicks in, which leads to more hunger, and ultimately more snacking.

One more cool feature regarding sleep with this device is the silent alarm. I love this because if you are hearing impaired or sleep with a cranky partner, you can wake up to start your day without a disturbance to others. All you do is set your alarm through your app, and it will vibrate your wrist when it is time to wake up.

BATTERY LIFE

Because the flex does not have a screen and only flashes when you tap it, the batter lasts quite a long time. It lasted about 5 days without having to charge it. The great thing about long battery life is that you don’t have to worry about charging it all the time. It can also be a bad thing when you don’t think about it all that often because once I went a whole 12 hours before noticing my Flex was actually dead.

CHARGING

It comes with a little USB charger that you can plug into your computer. One problem I ran into was that if my laptop was in sleep mode, it would not charge.

So what I did was use my Iphone charger. The base of the Iphone charger uses USB which allows me to plug my Fitbit charger right into the wall. If completely dead, it’ll usually charge in about two to three hours. Then I’ll be good for another 5 days.

PROS

It tracks basic movement (walking/running/hiking) in steps and mileage. If your goal is set high enough, you will have to do additional walking through your day to achieve your goal which creates exercise (or active minutes).
It helps you understand if you’re sleeping well. This could encourage some to try relaxation techniques, get to bed earlier, or maybe have a sleep study done!
The battery lasts such a long time. It is nothing like having to charge your phone nightly. We all want to avoid charging tons of devices on a daily basis.
It is very small and lightweight. I really like being able to wear it next to my watch so it is out of the way.

CONS

It is a device used for only running, walking, and hiking. Basically tracking the steps. So a lot of my exercises are not counted (weight lifting, stair climber, soccer games).
The flex is the beginner wrist band for the line of wrist trackers for Fitbit. So it only tracks activity, sleep/silent alarm, and active minutes. They have more products that offer more functions, but for their basic wrist tracking model, that’s about all it tracks.

SUMMARY

Overall, this little device has been a great addition to my daily life. I catch myself checking my progress throughout the day, which depending on how far I am from my goal, makes me push harder and stay moving.

If you are looking for a simple, easy-to-use, lower cost option for an activity tracker, the Fitbit Flex may be for you.

I hope this review has been helpful! Please feel free to share this post by using the social media icons below.

Using Adult Coloring Books as the Ultimate Snack Distraction!

November 24, 2015

In case you haven’t heard, adult coloring books are all the rage now-a-days! It is very exciting and we’ll go into why!

I was walking through a bookstore this weekend and immediately entering, I noticed the center display. Of course I had to check it out to see if I could find anything up my alley… and of course I did!

I chose a coloring book on Mandalas called Mandala Meditation Coloring Book (Serene Coloring) used for Buddhist meditation and spiritual healing.

Coloring books are being used for all types of reasons and I wanted to discuss some of the great benefits of using these books.

DIETING DISTRACTION

They are an excellent distraction if you are trying to stay on track with a diet! Especially as we approach the holidays.

Lots of times we are triggered to snack when we aren’t even hungry. Snacking has really become a type of hobby or something to do while watching TV… But next time stop. Before grabbing that quick chip and dip, think for a second… “Am I really hungry? Am I bored?” And if you’re not truly physically hungry, put that food down! Grab that nearby coloring book and get to work. Before you know it, 15 minutes has gone by and you are fully engaged in something other than food.

Current Score: You- 1, Junk Food-0

STRESS RELIEF

As adults, all we do is stress… “Did I pay that bill? Do we have anything for dinner this week? When is my son’s soccer game? Did I remember to fill up my car with gas?”

Sometimes we need to do something simple and mindless, just for fun, to remember life doesn’t always have to be stressful. And what better way to do that than coloring.

It can bring you back to when you were 10 years old, had no worries of GPA, bills, purchasing homes, or going to work on Monday. Only innocent times thinking about what you wanted for Christmas and playing with friends on the playground. A perfect memory to relive when feeling overwhelmed by life’s curve balls.

FAMILY TIME

This is something you can do with your entire family no matter what age. With technology now, kids hardly talk to one another let alone put the Ipad down long enough to tell you how their day went. We use technology all too much to distract kids today. What ever happened to promoting creativity? Hanging up the little one’s artwork?

So why not grab a coloring book and color together as a family. Help each other. Talk about your day. Turn off the gadgets and enjoy each other.

I must say, I’ve truly enjoy going back in time and coloring again. I would highly recommend it for anyone of any age. It’s very exciting to see something so simple become such a hot trend right now. Especially since it has nothing to do with electronics and has everything to do with creativity, stress relief, and family!

Benefits of Coconut Water

November 6, 2015

Coconut water is one of nature’s most hydrating fluids. This water comes from the inside of a pre-mature coconut before it matures and turns this water into milk.

I always prefer this hydrating water over any sports drink. It is lower in calories, higher in potassium, and of course lower in sugar. Not to mention it is all-natural and does not contain chemicals.

Here is a great side by side of the sport drink VS water:

From an all-natural standpoint, Coconut water provides everything above without the addition of supplements or synthetic ingredients.

There is actually a STUDY that shows that coconut water can be used intravenously for short-term hydration! How much more natural can you get?

Do you think that anyone would be brave enough to attempt that with a sports drink?

Now looking at Gatorade, there is an ingredient list full of man made products. Here is what I pulled from Gatorade’s website. This is the list from their Orange Thirst Quencher.

Ingredients:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW 6

Then we look at coconut water…

Ingredients:

COCONUT WATER

A lot of people say one of the sole purposes of Gatorade is the addition of the sugar and carbs… which is a great point. You really need the extra carbs during continuous and strenuous activity (i.e. soccer tournament in the heat). Even then, I would recommend high carb snacks with plenty of water and coconut water.

As a person who is nutrition conscious and plays soccer, I see coconut water as a great way to hydrate and prevent cramps.

Halloween Treats That Are Not Candy!

October 16, 2015

Halloween is always the start of what I call the JUNK-FOOD-EVERYWHERE season. It starts with Halloween, trickles through Thanksgiving, slides into Christmas, and crosses the weight gain finish line on New Years. Every month, a new struggle will arise.

How do we avoid this horrible trend?

We must start the season strong!

With some people, they can purchase Halloween candy they don’t like, and it won’t be touched by anyone but the trick-or-treaters.

For others, all candy is considered too much temptation.

So I’ll share some of the things I am passing out this year for Halloween in hopes of encouraging a little less candy consumption.

Glow Sticks

This one is so much fun for the kids, but also a great idea for safety. I bought little glow sticks that came with connectors so I can make glow bracelets for the kids in my neighborhood. This way if they are trick-or-treating after the sun goes down, they will be spotted by cars more easily… especially while crossing street. And not to mention the fun that comes along with glowing in the dark.

Bubbles

All kids love bubbles! We want to encourage these young ones to stay outside and play. Especially while the weather is crisp and cool. So at my local dollar store I found wedding favor bubble sets that are plain white… six bubble sets for $1. This way I can write things on them or tie them up with ribbon!

According to the National Retail Federation, the average American spent more than $77 on Halloween. We all know how expensive Halloween candy is… One bag alone can cost almost $10. By the time everyone in the house passes the bowl and grabs a piece, and with trick-or-treaters ringing the bell for their share, how much money will have been spent on candy?

Halloween Pencils and Erasers

This one was really exciting to come across because every parent seems to stress about the expense of school supplies. So why not help them out?

I found tons of Halloween pencils, Frankenstein erasers for the tips of the pencils, and larger hand held erasers in the shapes of pumpkins and bats. This may motivate kids to use these things and be more creative or to get that homework finished.

Halloween Toys

There are lots of neat toys you can include in your goody bags or treat bucket. Glow in the dark vampire teeth definitely made my goody list. I also passed tons of plastic bugs, ghost rings, and orange yo-yos in the dollar store. Plenty of fun to keep the little ones entertained.

I hope this helped you mix up your Halloween treat bucket even if it does contain some candy. Sometimes it’s nice to find something other than sugar to give to the little ones ringing our doorbell.

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The Benefits of Quinoa

October 9, 2015

Quinoa comes from South America around Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. Humans began cultivating it around 3,000-4,000 years ago. These seeds are high in protein (for a grain) and contain essential amino acids that are beneficial to our health.

Quinoa can be found in many colors, but there are three common colors you’ll see in most grocery stores. An earthy white color, a rich clay red color, and black. I’ve been asked, “what are the differences in red/white/black quinoa?” So here is what I have noticed.

White quinoa is very susceptible to heat. It tends to swell quickly when cooked and can become mushy fast. I would prefer to let it soak in water to soften and use in cold dishes.

Red quinoa is my favorite. It tends to hold its texture and form when cooked. It also adds a nice color to the dish.

Black quinoa can be a bit sweeter when cooked and will still maintain its texture and form.

Personally, I prefer the red quinoa due to the color contrast it adds to my dish and how well it holds form when cooking. Plus in my local grocery stores and health food stores, I can only find red, white, or tricolored mixtures. So I tend to stick with red.

The nutrition content is very similar among all quinoa no matter the color. So lets take a look at what it contains.

QUINOA

SERVING: 1/2 CUP

CALORIES: 111

PROTEIN: 4 g

CARBOHYDRATES: 19.7 g

FIBER: 2.6 g

FAT (mostly poly/mono): 1.8 g

*Contains: Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc

If you would like to add more quinoa to your diet, try out my new quinoa soup recipe HERE!

Please feel free to spread the word about quinoa by using the social media icons below!

Five Things To Do To Avoid Food Temptation

October 5, 2015

With the holidays approaching, I feel that this blog post is extremely important to start practicing with now!

One culprit that causes weight gain is temptation. Sometimes foods are so enticing, we don’t have enough will power to say no!

So what can we do to help build that will power and keep us from those situations arising in the first place?

Here are 5 tips you can follow to avoid food temptation!

1. Make your home your sanctuary.

If you have junk foods or trigger foods at home, it will be nearly impossible to stay on track with those treats dancing around in the back of your brain. Make today the day you grab an empty box, open that pantry, and carry a load to your local food bank! This way, if you have a strong craving for something unhealthy, your only choice is to throw on shoes, jump in the car, and go purchase it. And no one wants to do that in the middle of the night. This will also help with mindless snacking on junk.

And before you say, “But the kids really like ____, I can’t just get rid of that…” think about their health. Is that a regular food you want them to grow up eating? Or should that food really be a treat for them?

2. Remove yourself from the situation or find a distraction.

When choosing a healthier lifestyle, you must allow yourself time to go through sugar/salt/fat withdrawal. Yes, we can be addicted to these substances and sometimes it is just as bad as drugs/alcohol. When looking at brain scans, our brain can light up like a Christmas tree when eating these foods in a stressful state and shortly after, we feel calm and relaxed. This was something we discussed during a food addiction seminar I attended. What is happening is actually a serotonin (our feel good hormone) release. And if habits like that have been practiced too long, we can now be addicted and must allow time for withdrawal.

So if its evening time, the tv is on, and you reach for something to munch on while you relax, ask yourself, “before I take this bite, am I truly physically hungry? Or am I looking for something to do?” If you are not physically hungry, this is a great time to remove yourself from the situation you are currently in, or find a good distraction.

By distracting the mind from temptation, you are currently in the process of breaking a habit. It takes almost a month to break a habit, so stay strong. Find something that can relax you at the same time whether its a craft, hobby, or going for a walk.

3. Eat slowly.

This is an extremely helpful tip. The slower you eat, the faster you fill up. Once you are no longer hungry, you will be less inclined to have dessert or a late night snack.

Asking for a to-go box immediately when ordering your food is also a step in the right direction. When you remove half of your meal from your plate, you are eliminating that temptation of eating the full serving. Always give yourself 10-15 minutes after completing a meal to determine if you are satisfied or not.

The last suggestion when it comes to social gatherings, restaurant celebrations, or holidays, is that you can always eat before you go if you don’t think you will have full control. Now this doesn’t mean I believe you should never have “cheat meals” or something unhealthy occasionally… But if this is a gathering you are attending recently after a cheat meal or it happens to be a place serving trigger foods for you, it is a great idea to eat ahead of time and just enjoy the social aspect of the event.

4. Don’t buy it!

If you do not purchase this food, you cannot eat it! Practicing the word NO is really important.

5. Avoid tempting aisles at the grocery store.

You always want to shop the outskirts of the grocery store. This will keep you around fresh produce, protein, and dairy products. Anything within the aisles will always revolve around processed foods. If you have a specific trigger food, AVOID THAT AISLE!

One grocery store in particular has really helped some of my patients by doing an online ordering system! You can order all of your groceries online, pay online, and schedule a pick-up time! How awesome is that? This way you don’t have to look at the junk on sale at each end cap or smell the aromas from the bakery.

SUMMARY

These are just some of the things I practice with my patients to make sure temptation is not going to be an issue while living healthy. I do believe in moderation, but for some people, if they fall off track or even have a cheat meal, they may throw in the towel because they already feel that they have failed. So these are some easy tips to work on to make sure you avoid temptation and stay successful with your healthy lifestyle.