You know what you will eat and when you will exercise. Is that all they planning you need? No — there are a couple or other things that will help you in your plan to win.

Write Out Your Schedule for the Week

What is going on Monday? Any appointments Tuesday? Parties scheduled at work? Busy day Thursday? If you write out everything you have ahead of you this week you give yourself a clear advantage over enemy temptations. You can see where an ambush is likely to happen.

As I did this trick, for example, I saw right away that Monday will be a challenge. I have a busy, stressful day ahead with a lot of appointments and things I have to accomplish. Also, I plan to go out of town on Friday — and trips always trip me up!

If you know where the land mines are, you can take care not to step on them. I could plan snacks to take with me on Monday to keep my blood sugar steady and my energy level up. I could decide where I will eat and what I can order if I don’t make it home for lunch. Dinner is going in the crockpot Monday morning. (I know I will be too tired to cook.) A diet disaster day is avoided.

Trip strategies include taking along food instead of stopping at fast food places along the highway. Take along a jug of ice water instead of picking up a soda at a drive-through. If you are visiting relatives, plan how you will graciously eat a meal they provided without doing severe damage to your plan. If you have to eat a high glycemic dish or risk offending your aunt, take a small portion and pass on the bread.

Can’t stand to watch people scarf down goodies at parties, but have an event you can’t avoid this week? If you must, do the Snickers trick. I put a small Snickers bar in the freezer before the party. When other people are eating plates of high-calorie food, I try to focus on socializing instead of munching. I console myself with the thought that I will have my treat later. By the time I get home, the Snickers is frozen and I have to eat it — and enjoy it –slowly. Yes, it does have loads of sugar and has empty calories. However, it is low glycemic because of the protein in the nuts and the fat it contains. It’s better, usually, to avoid them. If one Snickers can save you from a plate of goodies crawling with high glycemic empty calories, though, you may come out ahead — especially if feeling deprived is one of your most dangerous land mines. A word of caution, though. Sometimes sugar is an addiction and one candy bar acts like one drink would to a alcoholic. If you have a problem with addiction and with food triggers, think of a better plan to get you through your party.

What does your schedule look like for the week? What can you do to make it easy on yourself? Plan ahead and you will plan to win!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown