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It's been about 4 months since I lost my 20lbs of fall/winter weight and kept it off... so I think it's safe to finally talk about it without fear of jinxing the results.

Unlike previous weight loss efforts like I talk about in "The Get A Life Campaign," (losing 70lbs of baby weight, especially the 55 I still had at 9 months post-partum)... I didn't have the schedule or energy to commit to twice a week workouts nor completely swear off carbs.

I had to figure out a sustainable way to drop pounds and keep them off in the midst of my overbooked life.

Here are the mantras that I attribute to my (prolonged) success:

Only eat carbs when they count. Wheat bread for a sandwich is okay, but chocolate cake with frosting, NOT okay
Use Splenda whenever possible. No carbs, no calories, curbs the sweet tooth, and doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out on goodies.
If I do indulge in sweets, add an extra activity. ONE white macadamia nut cookie = walking back up the stairs to the 7th floor on the way up from lunch or making sure I do push ups at home.
Don't tempt myself. The house is only stocked with healthy or low-carb snacks. Yes, I still ravage the house for a misplaced bag of Skittles now and then, but hey -- I'm human.
Snack much but don't deprive myself. I always have a bunch of low-carb, low-sugar snacks on hand so I can snack as much as I want without feeling like I'm "dieting" or feeling ravenous.
Bring food from home. Even if it's not home-cooked food, it still saves money and is usually healthier than the snacks I grab on the go.

What's in my snack bag?

- Splenda... Splenda... Splenda
- South Beach Living Cereal bars (cinnamon raisin and peanut butter chocolate chip are my favorites)
- No sugar added fruit cups
- String cheese
- Atkins vanilla shakes
- Crystal Light on the go packets to add to my water
- Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max
- Popcorn
- Sugar free candies (Twizzler, Reese's Peanut Butter cups)
- Low-carb or light bread (5-7grams net carbs per slice, which is 1/4th of regular bread slices)
- Whipped cream (okay maybe this doesn't go to work with me in the lunch bag, but it's a great diet tool... My new fave is diet root beer with whipped cream -- no sugar, no carbs. You can add it to anything, strawberries, etc. to make a plain snack taste scrumptious).
- Water-Water-Water (helps my energy level, decreases my needs for caffeine, and fills me up)

In truth, anyone can crash diet and lose a bunch of weight. I'm happy I can finally maintain without feeling guilty over every sweet or guilty about not living in the gym.

What's in your healthy snack bag? Oh yea... And don't forget your quickies!