In the June issue of Family Circle magazine Food Director and registered dietitian Regina Ragone offers up strategies to slim down for the pool and beach. Her key to success is taking a few minutes to think and plan ahead.

1. For Work: find a lunch kit that works for you with washable and recyclable containers which are large enough for lunch and snacks. Packing your lunch saves money and puts you in control of what and how much you eat.
2. The Beach: update your Mom’s recipes for tuna salad and egg salad using light mayonnaise and whole-wheat wraps. Add ice-cold summer fruits including watermelon, grapes and cherries along with low fat cheese.
3. Road Trip: Regina talks about how the average gas station convenience store has her choosing between Twinkies, candy bars and potato chips. So she packs an insulated bag with single serve hummus and crackers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes and 100-calorie packs of nuts along with easy-to-eat fruits like baby bananas and grapes.

For more strategies, listen to this week’s podcast with my guest Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine.

Thank you for your emails about trying on bathing suits and how you could relate to my college roommate’s comments. She made us laugh but also take a look at how we women are our own worst critics. Do you agree?

With bathing suit season rolling around, we’re focusing on day-to-day strategies to help you knock off the pounds. I’ve found that over time my greatest success with keeping my weight off comes from the way I live day in and day out…not from a crash diet. That’s why Regina’s strategies work. They give you the power to be in control and not food.

What changes have you made in the way you eat? Tell me about them.

Each month Margit shares a recipe from the Family Circle kitchens and this month it’s Lighter Potato Salad from Food Director Regina Ragone.
Less than 100 calories per serving and only three grams of fat, the horseradish along with fresh chives and scallions pump up the flavor factor of the potato salad. Enjoy!

Listen to this week’s podcast