Jump-start Your Weight Loss Plan This Weekend!

If you are like most working people, your favorite part of the week is not actually the working part...it is the weekend! Weekends can be a great time to take a quick inventory on how you did on healthy eating and exercise. It can be the perfect opportunity to focus on planning healthy meals for the upcoming week to ensure success in your health goals. There are a few important steps that you can take to make your weekend relaxing and healthy.

1. Make a plan.
If you don't have a plan in place, you are likely not to follow it! Planning is essential to meeting goals, especially if it involves healthy eating and weight loss. Also, if you don't have your menus planned and the ingredients in place, the temptation to do a quick and easy fast food lunch may overpower you in the busyness of the work week.

2. Rest
Ever heard of leptin and ghrelin? These two hormones are related to weight loss and sleep and they work together. They affect sleep and appetite, so you can imagine the connection. Use the weekend for some extra rest so that these two hormones won't send your appetite spiraling out of control. Also, extra rest = more energy to stick to your plan.

3. Get outside!
Being in the great outdoors can make exercise more enjoyable, and fresh air is always a plus-especially if you work in an office environment five days a week. Whatever type of exercise motivates you-running, walking, jump-roping-do it outdoors.

4. Cook more.
If you want to enjoy better health and better weight loss results, the only way to do it is to avoid fast food and do your own cooking. Start your weekend off with healthy Whole-Wheat Buttermilk pancakes.

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- Cooking spray
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons butter

Preparation
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and egg white, stirring with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Serve with syrup and butter.

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