Let's face it, if you are reading this, you are probably trying to get into better shape. At the very least you don't want to get into worse shape. Well, at least not on purpose.

Whether you are just trying to hang on to what you have, or maybe trying to improve it, your conditioning hinges pretty much on one thing, choices. Your body is a direct reflection of your choices. In my opinion, there are two times of year when it gets harder to make better choices. Those being the winter holiday season and summer.

I love the summer. It's an awesome time to be outside and there always seems to be lots of reasons to get together with friends and family. Unfortunately, all those times come with a lot of temptation. Here are some ideas on how to make better choices for your body.

MAKE THE PEOPLE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FOOD
I went to a great gathering yesterday held by one of my closest friends. Let me tell you, Rob knows how to throw a party for sure. He had a pizza truck there, an ice cream sundae bar, appetizers all over, and some amazing looking pastries, and that wasn't all. Guess what, I didn't eat a thing.

The sad thing is, a lot of people would assume I had a horrible time. Not true. I ran into so many friends and had awesome conversations. It was a beautiful day. The sun was blazing, music was playing, and everyone was having a great time. Sure I was tempted by the food a little. However, I try to make it such that food does not dictate whether I have a good time or not. I make events about the company, not the food.

WATCH YOUR BOOZE
I don't drink often anymore. It's not great for performance and can leave me feeling awful. Plus, the calories pile up quickly when drinking. First, from the drinks themselves and then from the lost inhibitions when making some food choices. Yep, I think we have all done some sloppy eating after a little too much boozing.

That said, I'll have a drink here and there. The cool thing now is, I'm a cheap date. Not drinking often has that benefit. I'm also choosy about my drinks. I'll usually go with some type of liquor with either club soda or a diet soda. That's only about 70 calories a drink versus slugging back sugary mixed drinks or a bunch of beers.

IF IT'S NOT A TEN, IT'S A ZERO
This is some of the best advice I can offer. Whether you are trying to get fit or stay fit, calories are precious. Back in my chunkier days, all too often I'd find I'd just eat for the sake of eating. I'd mindlessly stuff my face with whatever food I was standing around.

Here's a confession, I'm not perfect, I slip up on my nutrition. However, I'm selective. I pretty much know when a food is going to be worth the calories. My rule is, if I don't think it ranks up there as a ten, it's a zero. I wasted too many calories in the past on fives and sixes only to feel like crap and then on top of that, regret it. This will probably sound gross, but I have actually gotten in the habit of discretely spitting food into a napkin if it's not a ten. Ok, I admit it, I have issues. Then again I have lost over 110 lbs and have kept it off.

So there you have it. Just a few rules for making better choices this summer. Actually, they're good rules to live by all year long.

Let me finish with this though, if you fall off the wagon at a party, so be it. Get right back on the wagon when you get home. Don't blow it the rest of the night or even worse, wait until Monday to get back on track.

Thanks for reading and have a great summer everyone!