What could be more refreshing on a steamy summer day in North Carolina than a frosty glass of iced coffee? Can't you just feel the chill? Mmmmmm.

Well, uh oh! Not so fast. The Daily Meal, a site that describes itself as the home of all things food and drink, has revealed the "7 Fast-Food Iced Coffees to Avoid" and it'll scare you straight, believe me.

A large Iced Cappy Mocha Blast at Baskin Robbins has 610 calories, the site reports, and 10 grams of fat, more than a two-scoop ice cream sundae. An Iced Caramel Mocha at McDonald's with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and drizzle has more calories (390) than a medium-sized order of fries. And on it goes.

It's a chilling post that you should check out.

For a long time -- ever since my first diet in 1988 -- I've made a point not to drink calories. I stick to diet soda (and much less of it these days than I used to), black coffee, unsweet tea and good old H2O. If I do enjoy some iced coffee, I take it skinny, with skim milk. A 16-oz. glass is less than 100 calories.

Now, THAT's refreshing.

Weight control has a lot to do with confidence, according to my weight coach Charity Husk, who shared an email from a behavioral specialist in response to a question she asked about a client struggling with resolve.

The email offers some food for thought (calorie-free) for all of us waging the battle of the bulge. Retooled, here are some questions to help you pinpoint what's going on when you just can't stay committed and ways to cope:

• What made yesterday a good day and what made today a bad day? What was the difference between the days?
• What things were out of your control and what was within your control? Can you let go of the things you can't control and build on the things you are able to control, the things that have made you successful before?

The behavioral specialist, Nicholas D. Frye, of Medifast Inc., notes that when we focus on things that made us successful in the past, we build confidence. Also affecting confidence is whether we have workable ways to overcome our challenges.

• Ask a friend or a coach to help you create a menu of strategies to overcome challenges. This way, you have many options to choose from instead of turning to food for comfort or just feeling miserable and not being able to do anything about it.

I'm giving away a copy of "Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss," by Joel Fuhrman.

To enter, you must leave a comment below this post before noon Friday June 1. I'll choose a winner at random. Good luck!

Sharon Denise Powell, news assistant, Eastern Wake News and Clayton News-Star, writes: My quest to reach a healthy weight, strengthen my muscles, get ready for the MS Walk-a-thon next March and live to be 100, continues.

Zumba is the new craze. Two of my cousins are Zumba fanatics. Even my daughter goes to Zumba Classes.  When I saw an email announcing four weeks of Zumba Classes by my employer I was happy to know that there was a class I could take. The first class is tonight (Wednesday). I’m stuck at work – is this a good thing maybe, I’m not sure?

Do I really want to do this? I’m not sure. I used to take aerobic classes so I think I can do this. After all I take long walks/runs with my dog.  Zumba shouldn’t be that difficult. Still, I hesitate. Why? I admit that of late I have had some difficulty sticking to commitments. I made a promise to myself that I would eat more vegetables and eat three healthy meals a day. I haven’t exactly stuck with that plan. Last night I skipped dinner and instead had lots and lots of peanuts and chocolate candy. Breakfast this morning was my trusty cup of coffee and a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich. What can I say, I’m not in the navy anymore and my discipline is on a hanger in my closet with my navy uniforms.

I have to be willing to get in my car this afternoon and drive from my office in Zebulon to the N&O Building downtown. My car is on automatic pilot and, like me, would rather head to my house in Northeast Raleigh. 

Today, I read that adults who remember physical education as a bad experience don’t like to exercise.  I hated PE.  I was always the last one off the bleachers when we played basketball – I couldn’t hit the backboard, nor make a free throw.  Is this why I’m not thrilled about going to an exercise class even though I know it will help me?

I do have an excuse today. I have a deadline to meet and I may not have time to go. This is a legitimate excuse, but I think I’m just a bit too relieved that I can’t go.

I’m ashamed, I say I want to take the MS Walk next fall. I also say I want to be physically fit and yet I can’t push myself to go to an exercise class.

I wish I’d had a better experience in high school PE. I will try harder next week.

UPDATE – Thursday, I didn’t make it to class.

You can win a copy of "Grill This, Not That," by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. To enter, you must leave a comment below this post before noon Friday, May 25.

I'll choose a winner using random.org. Good luck!

I cooked with -- and feasted on -- whole milk and real butter Sunday on behalf of fans of our Wednesday food section. I'm judging a casserole contest.

Pictured at left is part of the lettuce crop in my husband's vegetable garden. There's red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and arugula. (The tall frondy things leaning in from the left are asparagus plants. We have to wait another year to harvest those.)

After a very indulgent weekend of eating in New York City, I did not gain any weight because I stuck to my plan of walking everywhere. But I definitely needed to take a break from all that rich food: caviar, deep fried soft shell crabs and even rosemary-seasoned whipped lardo spread on toasted bread. (The latter was delicious!) 

So I was happy to come home to a full lettuce crop in the garden. I do think growing your own food inspires you to eat better. You don't want all that work, or in this case my husband's work, to go to waste.

This week, I'm trying to eat a salad as a meal once a day. I try hard to make them appetizing so I don't get bored with salads. Here is my basic formula beyond lettuce,  diced vegetables and croutons: some kind of protein (grilled chicken, hardboiled eggs or leftover steak), toasted nuts (pine nuts, sugared pecans or almonds), dried fruit (raisins, craisins, figs or apricots) and something acidic (olives, Bamboo pickles or any pickled vegetable I have stashed in the refrigerator).

What do you do to keep your salads interesting?

Take a pleasure trip to Chicago, add a week at home with new cooking equipment and no more exercise than a quick trip from couch to kitchen and what do you get?

This story caught my eye today: food writer Peter Kaminsky shares his healthy eating plan in today's The New York Times. Go HERE to read it.

I'm giving away a copy of "The Joy Fit Club: Cookbook, Diet Plan & Inspiration," by Joy Bauer of the Today Show.

To enter to win a copy of this book, leave a comment below this post before noon, May 18. I'll choose a winner at random. Good luck!