Conference rocks::weight_control

    Hi Monica - 
                                                                      
    First of all, congratulations on losing those 20 pounds! 
    
    One thing that might help is changing the way you look at the "upcoming
    barbeque season". If you think about barbeques and parties as "places
    where there is lots and lots of yummy, fattening foods", then you
    are more likely to have a problem with overeating than if you think
    of them as "places to get together with friends and enjoy summer".
    
    Try to keep in mind how hard you worked to lose the 20 pounds that
    you did. Do you really want to lose what progress you have made?
    Do you really want to have to lose those same 20 pounds again? Aren't
    there better ways you can use your time and energy?
    
    Good luck.
    
    -Amy.
         

    Hi Amy,
    	Thankyou for the words of encouragement. This past
    weekend with a couple of barbeque invitations my will-power
    was put to the test. I really did well considering the 
    FATTENING food that was all around me. I had a small taste
    of some of the goodies and that seemed to satisfy me. I had
    more compliments on how good I looked that it gave me the
    motivation I needed to watch what I ate. Also I dug out the
    Week 1 of W.W. and I am now planning to loose those last 10
    pounds on my own.
    
    regards,
    
    Monica

    Try thinking of barbecues in a different way.  I think about barbecue
    season as a chance to broil food in a way I love, and in a way I
    can only take advantage of in the summer.  At home, I try to use
    the grill as much as possible, and do things like the following:
    	o pound out boneless, skinless chicken breasts till they are
    	  about 1/2" thick.  Season and broil on the grill
    	o buy fish steaks (mako shark, halibut), season how you like
    	  (try blackened..) and broil
    
    If your host/hostess seems to understand and support what you are
    trying to do, ask them if you could just bring your own piece of
    chicken to throw on the grill.  That is filling and with a salad,
    and maybe a taste of something less dietetic, you can enjoy your
    food, feel less "deprived", and feel good about yourself because
    you kept in line with your diet.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Paula
    
    (who swears by WW)
    

                 -< Spicy tomatoey oil-free bbq sauce. >-

    Here's a bbq sauce that I modified to make it much lower in
    calories than the original.  It's WONDERFUL on chicken.  I've
    served it to non-dieters and they wanted the recipe.  --Louise
    
    Lower calorie bbq sauce - makes about 1 1/2 cups
    
    1 cup V8 juice OR crushed tomatoes (from a can)
    1 medium onion, diced finely
    1/4 cup vinegar (I used white distilled GOOD vinegar)
    1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    4 teaspoons chili powder (or to taste)
    1/4 teaspoon mustard powder, or prepared hot mustard, to taste.
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or fresh garlic, to taste
    1 Tbsp flour blended with 2 Tbsp cool water
    (sugar or molasses, to taste)
    
    Pour V8 into a small saucepan. Add onions.  Bring to simmer over
    low heat - simmer about 5 min.  Add all the rest of the ingredients
    EXCEPT the flour/water, and blend.  stir in the flour/water mix,
    combining well with the sauce.  Cook about half an hour on low
    heat (or as long as you have until the bbq pit is ready).  You
    may need to thicken the sauce more; if so, add more flour blended
    with water (to prevent lumps) and cook at least 5 min after adding
    to thicken and to cook out the flour taste.
    
    Another suggestion is to bring your own diet foods.  Things like
    cut up veggies, cut up fruit or fruit salad, LESS rolls for burgers,
    salad.  Warn your host/hostess that you are dieting - if put nicely,
    not "I can't eat your nasty food", but "I'd love to see you and
    would like to bring some of my "allowed" foods, since I'm dieting.",
    it goes over better.  Especially if you bring enough for everyone,
    if it's veggies or fruit!
    
    --Louise

    Just a little warning - you may want to check the sodium content
    on the v8 --- and use the low-salt v8 instead. I was very surprised
    to find out how many mgs of sodium in a small can of spicy v8 (like
    around 500, as I recall ). I'm not fanatic about sodium intake,
    but that seems like a LOT of sodium for 35 calories worth of stuff.