Staying On Track On July 4th

You've started your diet. Unfortunately the temptation of hot dogs and barbeque threaten to to ruin the plans you have to eat healthier.

There are ways to enjoy the day of independence without ruining your diet plans.

Turkey is Your Friend

Turkey has less fat than beef. It's also a white meat, which makes it a lot healthier and more lean and it's also packed with protein.

The great thing about turkey is that it's still got a lot of flavor, minus all the grease.

If you're looking for a tasty frank, you can pick up some turkey dogs (sounds weird, right?) at your local supermarket and keep July 4th yummy without ditching the taste we love during this time of celebration.

Moderation

If you're not on a strict diet, understand that moderation is key. I know that in my post "Breaking Bad Habits"  I mentioned not telling yourself it's okay to just have one, but you'll be surrounded by friends and family that are (hopefully) supportive of your decision to eat healthier. It's going to be hard to eat 3 beef hot dogs without them snatching the plate from you.

It's the power of support and the power of moderation.

Easy on the Condoments

It's tempting to load your meal with all kinds of condoments. It's part of the tradition to add ketchup, sour krout and mayo to your hot dog, that's not even including the cheese.

Use a low fat cheese like swiss or mozerella cheese and don't add an entire bag.

I'm sure you're used to adding so many condoments that you can't see the hot dog at all. You should only add a enough to taste it and only choose 3 condoments at the most. This way you can still enjoy a classic taste without worrying about tipping the scale.

You should only apply a single line of each condoment to ensure you're not applying too much.

Don't Get Full

Don't stuff yourself. When you're done eating, you shouldn't feel like you need to unbutton your pants in order to breathe.

Think of it this way, do you really ENJOY that feeling of being stuffed? Or would you rather eat food and be awake enough to enjoy socializing with friends and family instead of retreating to your room to sink into a food coma?

Focus Less On Food

Remember what July 4th is really about and instead of focusing on the food on the grill (it's going to be one of the many challenges you face when deciding to get healthy) focus on being able to enjoy things that we now have that our country worked to hard to get.

Focus on your friends and family and the awesome fireworks.

Don't Beat Yourself Up

If you're just starting your fitness journey and you find you give in to your temptations, don't beat yourself up over it. It happens, especially in the beginning. Don't give up or ditch your diet plans (if you have any) just because of one slip up.

Forgive youself and start over tomorrow, making sure to remind yourself of your overall goal.