Day 5 of the No Junk Food Challenge: How to Manage Your Cravings

The holiday season can be very stressful, which makes it more tempting to reach for that slice of cake or go for those cookies. But if you've made it to day 6, you're stronger than you think. Below are just a few tips to help you get through day 16 and then day 21!

• Take it day by day. Don't focus on the 21 days or the entire time you want to remove junk food from your life. Take it meal by meal, choice by choice and then reset your goal. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was a healthy body!
• Take note of how you feel when you don't have junk food in your body. You should have less headache's, fatigue, etc.
• Don't feel defeated if you slip-up. Ladies often think one mistake gives them a pass to eat whatever they want for the rest of the day. Pick up your losses, move on and stay strong for the next meal.
• Get your full night's rest. If you sleep less than 6 hours, you're more likely to crave bad carbs and sweets.
• Remove the temptation. If you have a stash of cookies in your kitchen closet. Give them to that coworker who can afford to eat a cookie or two and not worry about gaining a pound. They'll think you're extra nice and you'll feel in control.
• Focus on your sudden craving and its source. Are you stressed? Anxious? Focus on the actual issue before you reach for that cookie or cupcakes.

Tell us: How are you controlling your cravings for junk food during the challenge?

Day 4 of the No Junk Food Challenge: Staying Strong During the Holiday Party Season!

Source: halogen.tv

The 4th rule of the No Junk Food Challenge says no cookies or biscuits. Yikes! With the dozens of holiday parties on our schedule, this one will surely be hard to maintain for 21 days.

 Holiday parties bring lots of cookies, biscuits, and other naughty treats that can add up quickly! In fact, Marie Claire magazine has counted the typical holiday meal below as 800 calories!

Two glasses of wine.
Two pigs in a blanket (or similar foods, such as mini tacos or small sliders without the bun),
Three shrimp with a tablespoon of cocktail sauce (or citrus-based tartar).
Two tablespoons of hummus with unlimited vegetables.
One fried hors d'oeuvre.
A small sweet treat (such as a brownie square or tartlet)

You'd have to do quite a bit of working out in a day to burn that off. Probably about 60 minutes of jogging, depending on your weight.

Don't stress! Here are some tips on how to fight the cookie and other food temptations during the holiday party season:

• Eat a full and healthy meal right before you head to the party.
• Use a small plate and fill it up at the veggie tray.
• Don't go for seconds!
• Be the "talk" of the party--conversate with your friends and you'll soon be too distracted to visit the dessert table.
• Be the photographer. Taking pics will keep your hands and your brain busy.

Tell us: These are just a few quick tips to help you get ready for the party season. What tips do you use to keep your weight in control during the holiday season?

Day 3: No Junk Food Challenge & The Secret Sabatoge of Candy

Most of you are going strong with the No Junk Food Challenge! We're on Day 3 and I want to help us get through one of the most tricky parts of this challenge--no candy.

Candy. It's everywhere. In the office, at the doctor's office, at your friend's house. It's easily accessible and in most cases small enough that we think "one can't hurt". But then one turns into 10! Think 10 is harmless? According to LiveStrong, one piece of hard butterscotch candy has just 21 calories, with 10 of them equaling over 200 calories!  To burn that off you'd have to do 60 minutes of walking, 30 minutes of jogging on the treadmill, or 35 minutes of a dance class. 10 pieces of butterscotch does not seem like it's worth any of those sweat-inducing workouts. I'd rather burn 200 calories to get me closer to my goal, not damage control!

Limiting our candy intake is especially important for African American women. Candy comes packed with refined carbs. Refined carbs can lead to diabetes. 1 in 4 African American women over 55 years of age has diabetes.You may not be over 55 years of age, but just think, many of those women 55+ may have been able to prevent their diabetes diagnosis if they watched what they ate during their younger years.

Tell us: How do you handle your sweet tooth in a healthy way?