Trite and sometimes irritating, yet true: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

I have a cook out each evening this weekend. I probably will not account for every single calorie, and I accept that. However, there are some things I plan to do.

No buns with the meat. I am not a low-carb person, but most buns have high fructose corn syrup, white flour and not enough nutrient density.

One dessert, shared with my daughter. She is two. She does not need a whole dessert, and neither do I.

Plate MUST have 1/2 veggies before adding anything else. That means real veggies, not mayo-covered, dressing-smothered veggies.

Throw plate away (or put in sink) after first trip. Just ditch the plate.

Exercise everyday, either running or elliptical at the gym.

Great plan!! Sounds like you are not going to gain an ounce this holiday. Good for you. I dont' really have any plans for this holiday weekend. I am going to the movie with my mom but we will eat lunch at Applebees first. I'll try to order something from the WW menu. Monday i'm pretty sure my gym is closed so i'll probably get out in my yard and cut grass for my excersize. I got at least an acre of wild grass and weeds to cut. That should suffice for excersize.

Are these your cookouts or just ones you're attending? If attending, can you take something? I'd substitute the desserts for a fruit dish. Just had a cookout at my brother's on Mother's Day and SIL made an easy dish. Scoop out watermelon balls from two halves of a personal sized watermelon, clean the rhine, add in the watermelon balls, strawberries, grapes, other fruits as desired and top with fat free whipped cream.

And if you really want a bun, either take some whole wheat buns or bread. Who knows, there may even be others that would prefer them.

No cookouts for us this holiday weekend. Instead, my sister and her family (husband and 2 daughters) are coming to visit. On Saturday, we'll be spending the day in the city (CD) taking the boys (both grown men are eager to go) and the 7-year old to the museaums. We hope to hit the art museaum, museam of natural science, and possibly the air and space. This will make for LOTS of walking, plus taking turns carrying/pushing the 4-month old.

I'm sure we'll end up eating out a lot, but pretty much every place has salads (no cheese, no bacon, dressing on the side) or chicken and veggies (no butter, no toppings on the chicken, any dipping sauces on the side).

Plus, since we are having company, I get in a little extra exercise by having to clean my apartment this week

I'm going on a ROAD TRIP!!!! Down to lovely Asheville, NC. Traffic Friday afternoon is going to be TERRIBLE on 495 (Jill knows what I'm talking about!) and 95 around Richmond will be worse! But I'm still excited!

I'm packing lots of healthy car snacks in my little mini lunch box. Carrots, some Laughing Cow cheese, string cheese a couple grapes or apples. And I'm getting my friend (who we're visiting) to map out a three mile loop for me to run on Saturday morning! (that way my roommate can run the first part with me, and I can go around again and get my 6 miles in) Atleast that's the plan

I was just thinking this morning that I am scared for the holiday weekend! I've been doing good on my diet for a week - seeing a little progress - but it is a lot easier on the weekday schedule. My only plan is to: continue to drink all my water, get out with the family and move as much as I can and try to eat as lo-cal as possible during the day time (we have 2 cookouts and one dinner out planned). I have totally not yet mastered the "unregulated" (yummy food at someone else's house or a restaurant) meal.

But OTT's advice seems helpful and relatively reasonable.

Also, I've been trying to follow SuperFoods RX which helps to give you some rationale for food choices.

So I'm going with my parents and sis to maine. We have a lot planned so I won't have time to sit around and eat except at typical mealtimes. For lunch and dinner, mandatory to have a salad before the meal. If it's a big enough salad, then I will just have that for lunch. Breffix is going to be a deal because hotels generally offer pastries and white flour stuff so that will be a thinker. Hmmm...I guess one meal a day being a little on the caloried side is ok... so that's my plan.

no plans yet...have to work friday and sat but swimming will be involved at the pool both sunday and monday.

hey amberD have fun in Asheville..i love that town. Me and DH got married right outside of Asheville in a bed and breakfast and had our reception at the biltmore wine cellar. We are going back there in july for our 1 year wedding anniversary. That town is so great...so much to do. Enjoy!

We will be spending the day on a beautiful nearby lake so the kids can have fun water skiing and wake-boarding. The ice chest will be filled with low-cal. sandwich meats, fresh fruits and SF sodas and waters. Wheat bread for all and some baked chips for those that desire them. I plan to swim if the water isn't too cold.

DH and DS are leaving for the lake around lunchtime today, and DD and I will follow on Saturday morning (DD has the end of the school year social/dance Friday night) and we'll be staying until at least Wednesday or Thursday. The whole family will be down there, my mom, my inlaws, my brother and his family, dh's brother and his family, couple aunts, cousins, etc. Tons of people! Normally we all make sure we eat dinner together, each fam providing their own meat to bbq and a dish large enough for everyone. No one else seams to do real healthy things, either the veggies are covered in cheese sauce, or regular salad dressing is smothering an otherwise excellent salad. I've decided to be proactive this trip! I will politely tell them all that I'd like to grab some salad out of the bowl BEFORE it gets tossed with dressing. All of my donations to the meals will be vegetables WITHOUT any type of sauce and will include grilled zuchinni, steamed cauliflower, grilled corn on the cob just to name a few. Breakfast at the lake is sort of a free for all with everyone wandering around and eating at each place. Eggs and bacon are the number one item on the menu. I've already picked up an extra canister of oatmeal to just leave down there so that I can stick to my normal breakfast. I've picked up the same healthy lunchmeat choices that I keep on hand here at home to take along. Will include cheese 'cause dh and ds like it on their sandwiches, raw carrots and other veggies to add some healthy crunch to lunch, baked chips/cheetohs only...none of the full fat variety, and Wonder Light bread for all. Amazingly the rest of my immediate family has found that they like the baked chips and lighter bread, and that I'm not nuts for eating it! LOL! Water, propel, flavored water and sprite zero will be the beverage choices.

As for exercise, my ipod is on the charger now so it'll be ready for me to do a couple miles each morning before everyone else is up and moving around. DS packed his portable ipod charger for me in case I need a boost. In addition we'll be boating and doing water sports every day.

The only potential downfall I'm anticipating is the evening campfires with bottles of wine and smores. I don't really want or need those things, but sometimes it just LOOKS so good when others are partaking!

It sounds like everyone has great plans-controlled calories, planning ahead so that your appropriate foods are on hand and getting some exercise in

As for me, I don't have any BBQ plans. I plan on doing a lot of studying, housecleaning, and cooking all meals fresh at home for my family and I this weekend. I *may* allow myself to have a drink (Absolut Citron and organic sparking lemonade ?) but we will see how I feel about "spending the calories" on that indulgence

Best of luck to everyone

YAY!! I LOVE holidays!!

I'm going camping with my brother and SIL, and I've planned everything out. They have 4 nature trails and a couple are about 2 miles so I will be doing a lot of walking/biking. They also have a beach right there, so probably some swimming will be in order.

Then I also planned my food. I'm taking TONS of canned veggies and fruits in their own juices to eat along with my entrees and shakes (that I can make into puddings since I won't have a blender). I even got canned cherries packed in water that I'm already craving. lol

This is going to be great....A whole weekend of NOTHING but EXERCISE!!!! I'm looking forward to not having to worry about anything else...I can even sleep half the day if I want to...

I hope everyone has beautiful weather!!

This weekend I'm not too concerned with my eating. I'm going to allow myself to eat whatever I want, I just don't want to overeat. I do plan on working out every day though...and I'm going to try to not drink too much alcohol.

First of all, have a lovely time. I love NC from the mountains to Cape Hatteras, every bit of it.

Second, did you get up to six miles doing cool runnings? I started last week, and it is not killing me, but I just don't have any joy for it. I want to get excited for running like all my running friends, but I just don't feel the enthusiasm yet.