Back to school is always a bitter sweet time for parents and kids alike. Most of us don’t want summer to end, but there so many things about the fall to look forward to. This can be especially true for college students and their families. Whether your child commuting from home or going away to school, the transition from home and school to college is especially exciting and emotional. As a parent, you want your kids to make smart choices – study hard, make good friends, enjoy themselves and be healthy. Being a young person out on your own during your college years can be a fun and chaotic time, and often eating healthy is the last thing on your mind. Here are some tips to help get you through the year healthy and in control.

The biggest concern with overeating and unhealthy eating in college is stress. Whether you are a well-adjusted senior or an anxious freshman, we all experience stress in our college years. Stress eating can be caused by so many things in college – homework, studying, finals, time management, professors, class schedules, friendships, relationships, jobs, being homesick, moving to a new city or state, worries about the future, graduation, etc. Unfortunately stress is unavoidable in college, as well as in life, so this is a great time to get your eating habits under control. The important thing to remember is that stress won’t solve the problem – it will just keep your mind off of it for a little while. Instead of turning to food, seek out some problem solving solutions. If you have too much on your plate, make a to-do list and prioritize your tasks. If you are procrastinating, maybe you need to study or work in a different location away from distractions. If you are feeling burnt out, take a break and do something that you enjoy. If you need help, reach out to an advisor, professor or friend. Find something that works for you and be prepared for when stress strikes. 

A great way to fight stress eating is to have healthy meal and snacks options on hand. Find your staples at your dining hall, nearby restaurants, local deli or grocery store or order food online. It may seem like you don’t have the time or energy to seek out healthy food options when you have so many other things to worry about, but eating healthy will actually help keep you feeling mentally and emotionally strong. Poor eating habits will maybe satisfy your cravings in the short term, but in the long run you will just feel more tired and sluggish at the end of the semester. Even if you don’t have access to a mini fridge or kitchen you can still eat healthy. Find nonperishable items or items that can be kept at room temperature such as nuts, trail mixes, protein bars, peanut and almond butter, whole wheat bread, cereal, apples, rice cakes, roasted edamame, bananas, oranges, healthy chips, crackers and popcorn, roasted chick peas, and much more. If you do have a mini fridge, you can add Greek yogurt, more fruits and vegetables, hummus, cheese, turkey, skim milk, cottage cheese, mustard, tuna, ripe avocados, sugar free pudding and more – including foods that you order in or pick up locally or from the dining hall. You might even get lucky and find that Mom and Dad send you a healthy care package with snacks and supplies 🙂 Having healthy options in your room is also going to be helpful during those all-nighters when you are looking for sugar and caffeine. Consuming sweets and energy drinks may keep you up, but they will also cause you to crash and feel terrible the next day. It is much better to go for something healthy when you need something to perk you up. If you do have a kitchen, stock up on some cooking basics like eggs/egg whites, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, dry spices, vegetable soups, cooking spray, frozen vegetables, etc. Even if you don’t have experience, find some easy recipes and cook for yourself.

It may take a week or two for you to get into your routine and find what works for you. Navigate your class and work schedule and find the times during the day to eat snacks and meals that work for you. Each day might be different depending on your schedule, but soon everything will fall in to place. On days when you are away from your dorm or apartment all day, pack healthy snacks to get you through the day so you aren’t stuck with what’s in the vending machine. If you have breaks and are able to buy or make yourself something, make sure you know your options. The dining halls can be tricky because you never really know what will be available. Familiarize yourself with portions and ingredients and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Hopefully you will have access to a salad bar, which is always a great choice. Seek out protein with minimal sauce like chicken or turkey. When all else fails, having breakfast for dinner like egg whites or whole wheat toast with peanut butter and fruit can be perfect options if they are available to you. And don’t feel like you have to eat plate after plate just because you can. 

Lastly, remember that it’s up to you to find the balance between eating and activity. You can sit in your room all day and eat whatever you want but you will feel so much better physically and mentally when you have control over your eating habits. Classes and exams may get out of your control at times, but that doesn’t mean that you have to spiral out of control with your eating too. Having control and discipline over one part of your life may help you find the strength you need when other things stress you out and get you down. Also remember that none of us are perfect all the time. If you make a mistake or stray from your plans, it’s okay. Don’t let healthy easting become another stress in your life. Do your best in all things and do what’s right for you.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

We’ve all heard of the idea of “hacks” – life hacks to make everything easier, kitchen hacks to help you stay healthy, cooking hacks to make dinner a breeze, clothing hacks to keep you looking good, organizing hacks to make your life efficient, etc. There is a list of tips and tricks for everything. When you search for clean eating hacks, you are going to find a lot of misinformation and confusing tips, so here is a list of some healthy and clean recipes that hack the clean eating system. 

This first recipe takes one of the most unhealthy foods you can think of and makes it clean and healthy – Zucchini Nachos. All it takes is some zucchini slices to get your started. Use 1-2 large zucchinis and cut them into slices. You can bake them (spray cookie sheets with cooking spray and lay the slices in a single layer on the sheets then spray the zucchini with cooking spray and bake for about 7 minutes at 375 or until they are crisp) or grill them (spray slices with cooking spray and grill for about 5 minutes on each side) then add your favorite toppings (no more than a 1/4 of a cup of each) – diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced onion, jalapeño, black beans and low fat cheese. You can even sprinkle the zucchini with some dry seasoning or spices before you cook them for extra flavor. 

If you love turkey, chicken or veggie burgers you are going to love this recipe. It swaps the burger bun with portobello mushrooms and the result is a tasty hack on a summer staple. Take two large portobello mushrooms and clean their tops with a damp paper towel. Remove the stem and scrape out the grills from the undersides. In a bowl, mix 2 grated garlic cloves with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tablespoons of red vinegar. Marinate the mushrooms in the mixture for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1-2 hours if you have the time. Flip them at least once while marinating. Once they are marinated, sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and grill them on high or medium high heat on your grill for 4-7 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and add some toppings of your choice – onions, tomato, lettuce, mustard and 1/2 avocado or 1 slice of low fat cheese.  

We’ve probably all heard about mashed cauliflower as an alternative to mashed potatoes by now, but what about using cauliflower in a popsicle? It may sound strange, but pureed cauliflower is a perfect neutral base for a creamy fugdscile-like treat. For this recipe, take one cup of cauliflower and boil or steam it until it is soft, then rinse and drain it under cold water to stop it from cooking. Blend the cauliflower in a blender with 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a pinch of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of brewed coffee that has been cooled (optional). Pour the mixture into molds or paper cups and freeze until solid. You will be surprised when you taste them and you won’t believe your dessert has vegetables in it! 

Another savory food can be found in this sweet recipe – Avocado Chocolate Pudding. This gluten and dairy free recipe might even fool your kids if you decide to share! This recipe makes 2 servings and all it takes is 1 avocado, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of agave and 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Blend everything in a food processor or blender until completely combined. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours then enjoy this protein packed snack.

Missing ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet? This recipe is so crazy simple and easy you will want to try it immediately – Fruit Sorbet. Simply freeze 1 cup of any fruit (grapes, berries, and watermelon all work great) then puree them in a blender until smooth and enjoy! Frozen grapes as they are are also a great snack in the summer heat. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

We’ve all felt them. Food cravings can be one of the biggest struggles of weight loss. We may be making healthy choices and feel motivated to succeed, but at some moments of weakness it seems like we can’t help ourselves from giving in to certain foods. All it takes is a whiff of something delicious, a mention or sighting of certain foods, a feeling or just being in a familiar place and all of a sudden we become consumed with one thought – satisfying the craving. 

The first step to fighting a food craving is understanding it. It’s true when they say that it’s all in your head: New research suggests that cravings are triggered by the areas of the brain responsible for memory and sensing pleasure. That’s where the initial trigger comes from – our brains naturally associate certain foods with certain feelings. Usually foods cravings come up to satisfy emotional needs such as calming stress or reducing anxiety. So when we feel vulnerable, our brains seek foods that make us feel comfortable, full, and happy (which is soon followed by feeling stuffed, sugar high and guilty). When we are at a low point for any reason, our brains look for these foods, which are usually high in sugar, fat or both. Even when it feels like a craving comes out of no where, make note of what brought it on to try and avoid them in the future. 

Once a craving does comes on, you have to do your best to stay in control and not give in. Identify it and fight it. That could mean having a healthy snack, walking away from the trigger or occupying yourself with an unrelated activity. Find what works for you. For some people, that means keeping trigger foods and foods they crave out of their home. If you buy cookies for your next cheat day this weekend, make sure you are able to resist the temptation during the week. For some of us, the best way to make sure we don’t indulge in trigger foods and cravings is to make sure they are no where to be found. For others though, it’s not possible to go cold turkey. Maybe because your roommates or family eat these foods, or maybe because they are something common and part of your weight loss plan like peanut butter or chocolate. In these cases, focus on becoming comfortable and confident in your self control so you can try and include your craving foods in your life in a healthy way. Going cold turkey can actually push some of us too much and we are bound to crack. Finding healthy alternatives or healthy portions of craving foods is a great way to reincorporate them back into your life in a positive and healthy way. Another way to prevent with cravings is to make sure you are never too hungry during the day. This will make you weak for those treats and snacks lurking in the back of your mind. Also, if you know you get cravings late at night or right when you get home from work or school, make sure you save a snack for your danger times. The worst thing you can do is ignore your weak spots and fail to identify and deal with your cravings. 

Although it doesn’t seem to be possible to completely leave cravings behind, you can work on fighting them and over time it will become easier. Taking a mental approach will help strengthen your resolve. Think about it this way – a craving lasts a moment and satisfies you for a few minutes, but eating healthy and clean will give you what you really want for the months and years to come. The choice is up to you.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When it comes to weight loss, gaining is not something that usually makes anyone happy. But when you think about the personal and internal growth you experience when you make a big, positive change in your life, gaining something like that isn’t a bad thing at all. We all feel anxious and self conscious at some point in our weight loss journey – sometimes at the beginning because we aren’t sure if we can do it, sometimes in the middle when we feel like giving up, and sometimes at the end when we can’t seem to reach the finish line. When you are worrying about losing, sometimes it can help you find the motivation you need by thinking about what you have to gain. 

Self Discipline: the ability to control one’s feelings and overcome one’s weaknesses to pursue what is right despite the temptation to abandon it. Strengthening your self discipline starts as soon as you decide to lose weight and get healthy. You take control of your life and you stop waiting for the “right” time – you make it the right time. You don’t let food rule your life anymore and you make smart choices. You resist the temptations around you and even when you hit a bump in the road, you have the power and tools to get back on track. No more over eating or over indulging – you have a plan and you are sticking to it. Even when you feel weak, you have the strength and self-discipline to stay focused and reach your goals because you already took the first step to getting healthy, which is more than most people accomplish.

Self Confidence: a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities and judgement. It’s more than just looking better, it’s about feeling better. Eating healthy and losing weight will make you feel better physically and also give you mental and emotional strength. Proving to others, and more importantly to yourself, that you are capable of going after something you want and achieving it is an amazing feeling that will boost your self confidence and keep you on track. The trust in yourself in extremely important. Knowing that you can go into any situation with confidence and make the choices that you are proud of is invaluable – all you have to do is stick to the plan and success will follow. 

Self Awareness: conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives and desires. Making the decision to lose weight is an important step to becoming more aware of what we are capable of and what we really want in life. It helps us separate what seems important now and what is more important to us in the long run. Losing weight is a long journey, which helps us with patience, endurance, and persistence – qualities that will make you a more self aware person who knows what is takes to get what you really want. Reaching a goal that you had to fight for will keep you on a the right path long after your success and reinforce the positive change you achieve. Accomplishing one goal (losing weight) can give you the motivation and strength to go after other goals and continuously grow as a person.  

The most important thing to remember is that you should never underestimate yourself. Everyone has to start somewhere and the important things in life never come easy. I can give you the rules and tools to help you lose weight – but only you have the power within yourself to change and reach your goals.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

For many of us, summer feels like it’s already coming to an end after the 4th of July. May and June went by in a blur and all of a sudden it’s the peak of summer and fading fast. Whether you are happy with your weight loss progress or are starting to realize you wish you had done more or started sooner, summer is a great time for weight loss. Wearing shorts and tank tops can make many of us feel self conscious, but you shouldn’t let it keep you from trying to make a change. In fact, there are many things about summer that are already helping you on your way. 

The first is the fact that summer foods are generally much lighter than fall and winter foods. Numerous fruits and vegetables are in season and make a delicious, hydrating snack such as cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe and more. Having 1 cup of fruit as a snack can help when you are craving something sweet and will help you stay hydrated – the fruits and vegetable listed above are made up of at least 90% water. You can even add them to your water to make hydration more interesting, although a tall glass of water is much easier to consume in the warmer months than in the wintertime. Summer features a lot of other healthy foods like grilled chicken and veggies, seafood, light and crisp salads, avocado and burgers made from salmon, turkey, vegetables and more. Summer highlights barbecuing and lighter, simpler recipes instead of heavy sauces and meats that bring us comfort in the winter. 

Another great thing about summer is that you are probably being more active without even knowing it. You don’t have to be a gym rat to lose weight, but the extra activity is certainly helpful. Whether you are swimming, spending time at the beach, enjoying summer activities like water skiing or hiking, visiting a carnival, etc. you are raising your heart rate and getting in some healthy activity. Even traveling offers a lot of fun opportunities to be on the move – walking the streets, shopping, exploring an amusement park, seeing the sights or strolling through a museum for example. In the wintertime we tend to want to stay inside and hibernate, so don’t let this time go to waste! 

The last factor is accountability. As it was said before, wearing less clothes in the hot weather means we are feeling more exposed and aware of our bodies. Instead of falling into a negative spiral, use this time as a motivator to push for your goals. How did you feel last summer? Were you feeling self conscious? Or were you healthy and fit but lost your way during fall and winter? In the colder months, it is easy to hide inside under sweaters and jackets, but now there are no excuses. Don’t let it stress you out – tell yourself that this summer will be different, starting now. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Looking for a healthy and refreshing way to stay cool and have a tasty treat this summer? Smoothies are a delicious way to get more fruit into your day including their valuable vitamins and minerals. These recipes even have the option to add alcohol for a healthy drink option for parties, barbecues and other fun summer occasions. 

This first recipe is a healthy spin on a classic cocktail: Skinny Pina Colada. For this version, use a banana, almond milk and coconut extract instead of coconut cream to get the same creamy consistency but healthier. For one serving, which counts as a snack, combine 1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple, 1 medium banana, 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons, optional) of rum and blend until smooth. Coconut extract can be found in the cooking aisle, or you can use unsweetened coconut milk instead of almond milk to get that coconut flavor. 

Lemonade is a timeless summer beverage, and this recipe has a refreshing twist. To make this Watermelon Lemonade, combine 1 cup of chopped watermelon with 1/2 a lemon (peeled) in a blender or juicer. Pour into a glass filled with ice then add 1/4 cup of club soda and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons, optional) of vodka. Stir until everything is combined and enjoy this tart and tasty snack! 

When you want to make a recipe healthier, sometimes all you need to do is simplify it. For this 3 Ingredient Margarita, cutting out syrup and sugar won’t take away from flavor and it only counts as a snack. If you choose to salt the glass, do that first then add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of tequila, 3 ounces of flavored seltzer and the juice from 1/4 of a lime. The best part about this recipe is that you can add your own twist with what seltzer you choose. You can go with the traditional lemon citrus flavor, or mix it up with other varieties like blood orange, peach, grapefruit and more. 

This next recipe is great for parties: Green Sangria. It makes 8 servings, each one is a snack packed with real fruits and vegetables. It takes a little more time to prepare but it will be worth it. Combine one bottle of Pinot Grigio with 1/2 a green apple (cored and sliced), 1/2 of a lime (sliced), 1/4 of cucumber (sliced), 10 mint leaves, and 1/2 a kiwi (peeled and sliced). Refrigerate the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 8 hours. When ready to serve, pour 1/2 a cup of the mixture into a glass and add a splash of citrus seltzer to taste. 

This last recipe is a grown up version of a tasty warm weather treat. This Adult Milk Shake is a meal packed with flavor and protein. To make it, combine 1 medium banana, a pinch of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons if rum, 8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 4-5 ice cubes in a blender. It’s a sweet treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

It’s Monday after a long holiday weekend and I am sure many of you are promising you will never eat like that again. Others are proud of how well they did. Wherever you may be on your weight loss path, put the weekend behind you and think about where you are going.   

The path to weight loss success is about consistency and consecutive days. You need to eat clean consistently and do it for at least 6 consecutive days to see the results. So what you need to do right now is simply get right back on program and before you know it you will begin to feel amazing again.  

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1. Stay with the basics. Eat your meals and snacks and deal with the pain of saying no. It’s only food and will be there next cheat day.

2. It’s okay to be a little hungry. If you feed into your hunger every time you feel it, you are never giving your stomach a chance to shrink.  

3. While you may feel bloated it’s still very much water weight. It has not turned to real fat. The real fat begins if you do not do the right things this week and you gain weight on top of the weekend water weight. Then your weekend weight will no longer be water weight it will be fat – the choice is always yours to do the right thing.

4. It’s very easy to lose your way when summer is filled with parties, drinking and good food. It’s a simple process – you eat clean and fuel your body for weight loss 6 days and indulge one day. No one should be indulging everyday. The parties will always be there. It’s up to you to look at them as celebrations and not a reason to overeat. You need to learn to live with them in your life. 

5. The key to weight loss is simple. You follow your program and you lose the weight. The trouble begins when you start trying to figure out short cuts. There are no short cuts. Eat healthy, eat clean, eat less and lose weight. That’s the bottom line and the more you come to terms with it, the faster you will see your results. You have to remind yourself constantly that it’s only food. It will be there tomorrow, it will be there next week and it will be there on your cheat day. You don’t have to have it right now.

Think back to this past weekend. Were you comfortable in your clothes? Did your refuse to put on a bathing suit? Did you change 10x and were you happy with how you looked?   Whether the answer is yes you felt great or yes you were uncomfortable, use your experience to either:

Change and do the right thing for yourself and your body this week so you DON’T have the same experience next week 

OR

Continue to do the right thing by yourself and your body so you DO have the same experience this week.   

We have a long summer ahead of us and the quicker that you live the 6 days clean and one day off, the more you will be able to enjoy what summer has to offer. The better you will feel in your summer clothes and the better you will feel in your own skin.  

Everyday you choose to fuel you body by eating clean, 

your body returns the favor by looking and feeling amazing.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

As we teach our children the travels of life, we are traveling down our own path as well. This summer I want you to stop for a moment and think about what it is that you want. What would you like to accomplish this summer. For many the answer will be to lose weight, or hit my goal weight, get healthy and be the best person I can be both mentally and physically. All wonderful thoughts, but as you know when it comes to weight loss it takes much more than just a thought to be successful. So now ask yourself this…How bad do you want it and How hard are you willing to work for it?

 

You see, everyone wants to lose weight. Everywhere you go people talk about it. It’s usually while they are drinking and eating, but they are talking about it. The problem is not everyone is willing to put the work in to get it. But if losing weight and being healthy is what you really want then you have to turn your WANTS into WORK. You have to promise yourself that you will work for it everyday because it means that much to you. You have to promise that you will not give up when it gets hard or challenging. And of course it’s going to get hard and challenging…..If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Remember anything in life that is worth something is going to be hard and challenging to achieve. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It just means you have to WORK for it.

 

Don’t let the end of the summer come and you look back and say I should have, could have, wish I did. Now 10 lbs heavier going into the fall and winter. NO NOT AGAIN! Take this summer and make a commitment to yourself,  to your family and those you love. We all know that when we are not happy with who we are, and how we feel,  it’s the people we love around us who suffer for it. This summer, make the commitment and put the work in to change.

 

The solution to weight loss is NOT HARD. The solution to weight loss is EASY. You follow your menu, ask questions and lose weight. You see, it’s not the solution that is the hard part – It’s the journey. It’s the temptations that surround you everyday. It’s the parties, the barbecue, the events. It’s making the choice to not have the bread on the table or the extra glass of wine.   It’s the excuse you give yourself everyday that you will start next week, next month and before you know it, it’s next year and you are another 10lbs heavier then the prior year.

 

But if you set your mind to it and work hard toward it and believe and understand that it has to be the most important thing to you — you will have success.

 

Life is always about choices. Good choices and bad choices. And every choice we make decides where we are going and who we will be. If you want success then you have to make the choice to be successful.

 

This summer make the choice to be successful.

 

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

June 24, 2015By Josephine Fitzpatrick

Summer Camp

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For many, summer is the best time of the year – warm weather, days at the beach, Fourth of July, vacations, relaxing, barbecuing, and going away to camp. Camp is a fun time for kids and parents to enjoy all that summer has to offer in their own ways. Kids get to be independent and try new things and make new friends, while parents get to enjoy some quiet time and other kid-free activities. Going from a house full of kids and the chaos that comes with them, to being able to put those responsibilities on hold can be quite a change of pace that can disrupt everything from daily schedules to eating habits. This can be said for parents and kids too.

 

As much as you may try to share your healthy eating habits with your kids, when they are left to their own devices we can all guess what kind of choices they will make. Even though they are participating in a number of activities, you can’t out-exercise a bad diet. As much as they will enjoy themselves, they will probably come back having gained. Let them know that they should do their best to find some balance. They won’t be able to control what they are served all the time, but they can decide how much they put on their plate and how often they snack. It’s important for them to be hydrated and have energy for all the things they will be doing but they can also make smarter choices when possible. For example, make sure they know to drink water instead of sports drinks all day and give them some ideas for healthier food and snack alternatives –  try to include lean proteins – chicken, turkey or fish, light or low fat cheese and skim or 1% milk. Find the fresh fruits – apples, blueberries and melon. Some other options are yogurts, nuts (many camps are nut-free but if yours is not then include some nuts or trail mix), cereals, eggs and whenever possible head to the salad bar. At the salad bar be sure to include greens, yellows, orange and reds.  Dressings should never be more than 2 tbsp. For sandwiches, use 1 slice of bread instead of two. Try to alternate a very healthy meal day with a less healthier meal the next – and make sure to take notice how you feel each day.

 

Even though it is the kids that are going away, parents can feel like they are on a break too. Eating clean and being on a weight loss plan doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your summer, but like any other time of the year you can’t let yourself get caught up in changing circumstances. Don’t let the kids being away be your excuse to go off your plan. There are other ways to enjoy the season and the company of friends and family besides eating and drinking to excess. It may be tough to constantly avoid temptation but what you are working towards is more important than giving in. When the kids finally come back it may mean time for a family vacation or even getting into school preparations, so you want to do your best now before things get chaotic again.

 

Summer is such a great time of the year. Keep your thoughts close to mind of how hard you have worked to get to where you are. Don’t fill you days with regret by going overboard. Instead, find Balance in your summer. You will be much happier making smart choices and helping those around you be healthy.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

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