After losing a little more than 25 pounds, I gained back 10. And while I’m still getting in workouts about 3-5 times a week, my weight has been stagnant for the past few months (probably all that McDonald’s I’ve been inhaling–blah). I’m happy I haven’t gained any weight, but sheesh—can I win?

I mean, I know at some point the body stops losing weight as a defense mechanism and you have to trick it either through really disciplined eating habits or more challenging workouts. The body gets used to your usual workouts and decides it just doesn’t want to lose any more weight. So I’m glad I came across the 10 Pound Slimdown series on Exercise TV. I’ve been doing the 10 Pound Slimdown Total Body Blast for the past week and a half. I get a challenging and energetic workout that has me sweating like crazy and since it’s only 23 minutes, I don’t take a lot of time from my jam-packed schedule. And the 10 Pound Slimdown Upper Body workout? Love it! I have an injury in my neck/shoulder/upper back area and usually shy away from weight training as to not aggravate it, but the Upper Body workout which combines cardio with weight training, didn’t make me feel sore. Yet I feel like I still got a lot out of it. Sweet!

I had no clue there was a whole 10 Pound Slimdown Series complete with a workout plan until I went to the Exercise TV website. You can download all six workouts and the workout plan for just $14.98 if your cable provider doesn’t offer Exercise TV.

To know me is to know I love my snacks. I’m normally good enough to not eat chips and cookies (though sometimes I can slip as seen in this tweet…lol), but on a recent grocery trip done on an empty stomach (word to the wise, do NOT go grocery shopping hungry) I picked up one of those 100-calorie packs. Now I’m smart enough to know that even though it’s only 100 calories, what’s inside still isn’t very good for me. But apparently I wasn’t smart enough to not let my hunger get the best of me. First, those 100 calorie things can wind up being expensive since you essentially pay for the convenience of them being portioned out like that. And second, who am I kidding? When did 100 calories of 3 cookie crumbs ever satisfy anybody’s sweet tooth? There were 6 bags in one box which I planned on stretching out for this entire week. The box was gone by Tuesday. *sigh*

What are your thoughts on 100-calorie snacks?

My weight loss has been firmly stuck on the same number for weeks now. I’m glad I haven’t gained any weight (which is miraculous given the sad McDonald’s binges I’ve been on…lol) but since I remain active, I guess I’m just breaking even. But still, can’t help but wonder if my wimpy workouts are holding me back (answer is they are). Wish me luck because part of my reason for wimpier workouts is because of some neck, back, and shoulder injuries. But I will lose 15 pounds just so I can gain it back when I’m in Georgia for the holidays.

Check out the Is Your Workout Too Wimpy? article on WebMD.

If you feel like you’re losing the fight against food — scarfing chips and cookies when you should be munching on carrots — maybe it’s time you learned the rules of healthy eating and healthy cooking. Learning to feel more comfortable in the kitchen can help you feel closer to your food — and closer to a healthy lifestyle.

Diet Secret: Eat at home and learn healthy cooking tricks
Americans eat a lot of food they didn’t cook themselves. While three-quarters of us eat most dinners at home, less than 60% of us prepare them in our own kitchens. In 2005, the trend of combining the convenience of take-out food with the comforts of home found each American buying an average of 57 restaurant meals to eat elsewhere, up from 33 meals 20 years ago. And when we do cook, we seldom cook from scratch. Last year, less than half of main meals prepared at home included even one fresh product, according to research from the NPD Group.

Read the rest on WebMD

New York City can be one of the most frustrating cities to commute in (although I can vouch for Atlanta, too…lol). What’s supposed to be a 20 minute car ride turns into two hours of pure hell. For me any intense level of aggravation can lead to making a beeline for the nearest drive thru. Even when I used Dr. Ian’s Fat Smash to lose about 30 pounds last year, one of his tips was to vary your commute if you find yourself craving french fries while in the car (he knows!)…lol.

So what I do is make sure I have some healthy snacks available before I get hungry. Right now there’s a big bag of light popcorn in my back seat that I’ve been snacking on all week while stuck in traffic. I’ve also made sure I have 5 or 6 strawberries as well. They’re good sources of fiber. Wish I would have remembered to do this on my last few weeks of McDonald’s binging…lol.

What are some of your favorite healthy on-the-go snacks?