All about weight-loss

It's a common baby-boomer issue

2010-03-23T02:52:00.000+02:00

Mom is in the hospital and now she can’t go back to the assisted living facility. Dad is having a difficult time of it and is numbing himself with concern about material things like drawing up a plan for dividing the room equitably with a new roommate. He doesn’t want to let go of any of his stuff. Stuff! It’s such a burden. I have the same disease as him. I have too much stuff. Afraid to get rid of it as if it is a part of me or a protection from loss. I see and feel it as a burden. He does not. Dad, you are almost fucking 90! What do you need all this crap for? It will just be more for us to deal with when you finally leave this earth. As it is, moving Mom will be a big ordeal. So much to get rid of. What’s the point of it all? What am I afraid of? What will I miss out on by not having my calculus notes or my binder of proofs from Foundations of Math? Why do I need to keep a squeaky bird I got at a child’s birthday party 15 years ago? All this stuff just clutters up my house, my mind, my life.

I have been feeling pretty hopeless lately. I still have that damn hole in my belly and I’m gaining weight-like I need anymore. If I am this fat and I get real old it will make things really difficult. It is already making everything difficult. Which brings me to the point of what is the point of trying to take better care of myself? It’s a battle between life and death. Right now I want to die young. I don’t want to go through what Mom is going through. I feel like it is a hopeless task to lose weight. Most people can’t do it. If I can’t I might as well die soon. If I can lose it I would have by now don’t you think? Why is this such an issue? It used to be about looks and self-esteem. Now it is about health, pain, medical issues, being a burden (literally) in my old age. I haven’t got any kids to take care of me.

I told Dad, death is a part of life. He said “but I’m not ready to go yet” I asked didn’t his faith help him? and he said yes, it did. My faith tells me that whatever I don’t deal with in this life will be waiting for me to deal with in another life. But I am so tired and sore that I don’t care. I just want to veg out and move on to the next life. At least I can start out young again. Maybe I will be wiser. I have been so stupid in this life. I have not appreciated what I had and not used my gifts. Why can’t I use my gifts? And how do I use them? What am I here for?

Been watching Roswell again. It is such a comfort to me. To see Jason Behr’s characterization of Max Evans and to relive my youth. I just noticed the other day that he has Chris’s legs. Wow! Didn’t get that connection before. What if Chris was the love of my life and I just threw it all away out of fear or some madness? I don’t hold out any hope for love or romance in my life now. Not gonna happen. Fuck it.

[Via http://lindabaker53.wordpress.com]

Apple iPad Already The Most Popular eReader Platform, Will Be ...

229 Days Till The Wedding

2010-03-23T02:50:00.000+02:00

Dearest Supporters:

Just a quick update on my progress during this past weekend. I’ll start by saying that Saturday was my cheat day. Traditionally, when I used to be a gym-rat and treated my body as a temple, I ate healthy foods…six days a week. My philosophy was and still is, that you need to reward yourself for the effort you put into your diet and exercise plan. I know that if I deprived myself of pizza, ice cream and my favorite…chocolate, forever, that I probably wouldn’t have even bothered to start a healthy eating routine. But just knowing that on Saturdays I could let loose and enjoy those foods worked as an incentive for me. Now, trust me, I didn’t go hog-wild stuffing my face with as much junk as possible, though I would’ve like to, especially when it comes to pizza. Being of Italian decent, I can’t live too long without the sauce and mozzarella cheese combo, so having a cheat day allowed me to indulge a bit!

As far as exercise is concerned, I struggled to get my big butt into the gym to do cardio on Saturday. I dressed in my gym clothes after I showered, as a constant reminder that I needed to go, but I kept finding things around the house to occupy my time. After spending the afternoon grocery shopping at Whole Foods, which is forty-five minutes from my house, it was too late to go to the gym. While I was unloading the groceries, I was giving myself the guilt-trip from hell, and when I finished, I hopped into the car and drove to the park, where I walked a full ninety minutes or roughly four and a half miles.

Sunday, I went through the same struggle, but this time I never even left the house. I spent the day in bed watching movies and reading. I had no fight in me. Besides, it was the last day of my vacation and I just wanted to laze around for a day before heading back to the rat-race which, concerned me. With my work schedule being so busy and stressful, I was worried that I would soon abandon my battle.

When I woke up this morning, the only thing on my mind was how I was going to fit my workout into the day. Luckily, one of my tutoring appointments fell through in the afternoon and I was able to start my hour commute a whole hour earlier. My commute, as I mentioned in a previous post, is what gets me into trouble. I always manage to talk myself out of working out by the time I reach my driveway. Today, I changed that. I told myself that I would get to the gym, over and over and over again. it worked because as soon as I walked through my front door, I headed toward the closet, changed my clothes and then headed to the gym. Afterward, I felt great, ate a nice salmon dinner and am now, focused on tomorrow. It’ll be another busy day, but I can’t give up. I’ll keep you posted.

Sincerely,

Thy Maid of Honor

[Via http://thymaidofhonor.wordpress.com]

Morning News | Slog | The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper

Is Caralluma A Weight Loss Scam?

2010-03-21T14:51:00.000+02:00

Hi, I’m Peter Jackson. The simple answer to the question “Is caralluma a weight loss scam?” is no. I created this page to show you it can work. Not only can it work for me, but it can work for you too.

I am 47 years of age, divorced father of two beautiful children. Until I discovered the power of caralluma, my self esteem was very low. I had just come through a messy divorce and I had found comfort in eating.

Since the divorce, I had piled on the pounds and was looking for a way to get rid of the extra weight. I tried dieting and went from one yo-yo diet to the next. Weight loss seemed like a far off dream to me. My self esteem and confidence fell lower and lower. I thought that I would carry this extra weight forever.

Sound familiar, I bet it does.

Then, my friend Ben introduced me to caralluma. He had used it to lose weight for his daughter’s upcoming wedding. He said it worked a treat.

So I scoured the net and discovered that I could try it for free at this website. I had nothing to lose. If it worked I could keep on using it, if it didn’t, It only cost me shipping and handling. That to me was a good deal.

I had paid for diets and exercise programmes in the past, and I could get this caralluma for free from these guys.

Even this doctor was saying how the caralluma plant would help with weight loss.

Well my life turned around. It was as if a cloud had lifted from my shoulders. The results were almost instantaneous. I steadily lost pound after pound and it became obvious to me and the people around me that caralluma was working.

My self esteem and confidence increased day by day. I even had my female friends saying how attractive I had become, not only my body, but my spirit as well.

With the grey clouds lifted, my spirits soared and I was attractive to others again. That’s when I met Sally, a Fortune 500 company Executive. If I hadn’t tried caralluma I would not have had the confidence to ask her out. Now we are planning a fantastic future together.

So please, This is possible for you too. You can change your life with caralluma. Get some free here where I did. Remember it is possible for you too.

[Via http://carallumascam.wordpress.com]

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Easter with Sex and The City Hotspots: Fabulous "Rabbit" Giveaway

2010-03-21T14:10:00.000+02:00

Easter weekend will be all fun and games with On Location Tours’ Sex and the City Hotspots Tour. Earn fabulous Easter egg prizes along the way by knowing your Sex and the City trivia. The grand prize winner will get a Rabbit from the Pleasure Chest, where Charlotte buys her rabbit on the show! All of this while, of course, seeing the city that these four fabulous ladies call home. You’ll stop and have cosmos at “Scout,” the bar owned by Aidan, go to the restaurant where Carrie has her wedding rehearsal dinner, and stuff your face with cupcakes just like the girls while hearing behind the scene secrets from tour guides who are real New York City actresses. So, brush up on your Sex and the City episodes ladies, and book now before seats fill up.

When: Saturday, April 3rd and Sunday April 4th (during 3pm departure only)

Duration: 3.5 hours

Price: $42 (+ $2 ticket fee)

* To purchase online, visit www.screentours.com

* To purchase by phone, call Zerve at 212-209-3370

Departure at Fifth Avenue, between 58th and 59th Streets. (Exact location provided at time of purchase)

[Via http://nealbinnyc.wordpress.com]

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The Verdict's In

2010-03-21T01:38:00.000+02:00

I stepped on the scale yesterday wrapping up a ten day limeade cleanse and the first five days of the subsequent 10 Day Biotics Cleanse.

I sort of knew something had changed when I tried on a size four dress in the juniors department at Kohl’s the other day and it actually fit!

Regardless, you could have knocked me over with a feather when I actually got on the scale. And got off of it. And then got back on.

I swear, if that scale had been in my bathroom instead of at the gym, I probably would have fallen asleep there standing upright!

For the first time in my adult life, I don’t need to lose any weight! In fact, in a completely unanticipated turn of events, I am actually substantially below my stated goal weight!

Go figure. I guess all of those old boyfriends who used to tell me that I was full of crap were actually onto something!

Anyway, goals or no, I’m curious as to what the next 15 days will bring!

Fifteen days – that is – that include 5 more days of prescribed deep liver cleansing, followed by 11 additional days of sugar detox!

Then let the maintenance begin….

Just in case you were beginning to wonder, the fun never seems to end here at Camp Living Lively!

[Via http://kjlivinglively.com]

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Sex in Las Vegas: Where Was Kim Cattrall?

2010-03-20T14:54:00.000+02:00

from http://www.eonline.com/:

Just because Kim Cattrall wasn’t in Las Vegas last night with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon does not mean she is persona non grata.

The gals jetted to Sin City for movie industry convention ShoWest, where the upcoming Sex and the City movie sequel was honored with this year’s Ensemble Award.

So why was Cattrall a no-show?

She’s busy in London starring in a West End production of Noel Coward’s play Private Lives.

“We don’t like her, so she’s gone,” Parker joked (yes, joked!) with me backstage. “We’ve actually been emailing with her for the last three or four hours. The next time you see us, we will be complete.”

Nixon added, “We miss her.”

Davis also piped in to set the record straight about one of the more recent tabloid tales of SATC catfighting. “I want to clear this up,” she said, “I promise I have never made Kim eat alone in a restaurant!”

Of course, the gals were tightlipped about the sequel’s storylines, but did share about the sometimes not-so-glamorous filming that took place in North Africa. “We happened to be staying at a hotel that had no electricity and no indoor plumbing,” Davis said. “We always had to run out to trailers to go to the bathroom.”

Parker added, “We were drinking so much mint tea, but it was a real dilemma: Do you hydrate or do you pee less?”

Perhaps they’ll have better accommodations if they make another SATC flick. While no decision has been made about a third, Nixon cracked, “We’re going to do Sex in Space.”

[Via http://nealbinnyc.wordpress.com]

CNN's Christiane Amanpour to Join ABC News - Media Decoder Blog ...

What is a Team Beachbody® Coach?

2010-03-20T02:31:00.000+02:00

Team Beachbody is where your healthy lifestyle begins.

Whether you’re looking to lose weight or get fit, we can provide a solution. We help you achieve your goals using a combination of proven home fitness programs, easy-to-follow meal plans and nutrition advice, financial incentives, and a support system like no other. Team Beachbody is proving that changing your body and your life is not only possible, but it can be fun, simple, and rewarding.

About Beachbody®

Beachbody has been the leader in home fitness since 1998. We’ve created many of the most popular fitness and weight loss solutions, including P90X® Extreme Home Fitness, INSANITY™, Slim in 6®, Hip Hop Abs®, ChaLEAN Extreme®, Turbo Jam®, Power 90®, Yoga Booty Ballet® Ab & Butt Makeover, and Kathy Smith’s Project:YOU! Type 2®.

Shakeology® and P90X® Results and Recovery Formula lead our Beachbody Nutritionals® line of products, designed to help you get the best results from your fitness programs. All of our supplements adhere to the highest formulation standards in the industry. At Beachbody, we believe that good nutrition is a must for good health.

At Beachbody and Team Beachbody, our mission is to give people the programs, tools, and support they need to achieve their goals and enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives.

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TO BETTER HEALTH AND FITNESS AND A NEW YOU!

When you purchase any Beachbody® Fitness Program from the link above, I will give you a FREE Personal Training Session to assure you are properly performing the excercises and benefiting the most during your workouts.*

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about purchasing your Beachbody® Fitness Program of choice.

*In Rhode Island.

[Via http://imapersonaltrainer.wordpress.com]

Small Business News: Crazy for Social Media | Small Business Trends

EAT WELL: Discover Beets - A Powerful Antioxidant

2010-03-20T02:26:00.000+02:00

Did you know that the pigment that provides the rich red color of beets is also a powerful antioxidant and cancer fighting agent? Beet roots contain a unique class of phytonutrients called betalains. Betacyanin is the red pigment that is concentrated in red beets, and betaxanthin is the yellow-orange pigment found in yellow beets. These health-promoting phytonutrient pigments may be partially responsible for beets’ suggested role as a chemoprotective food. In one study, liver antioxidant enzymes were found to increase in animals fed beet fiber. Since these enzymes protect the liver from free radicals, they are thought to prevent the beginnings of cancerous activity. In a human clinical trial, beet juice was found to be a potent inhibitor of cell mutations that are normally caused by nitrosamines, metabolic byproducts of nitrates, which are chemical preservatives commonly used in processed meats. It turns out that beet roots are not the only part of the plant offering protection against free radical damage—beet greens also have amazing antioxidant potential. In one study that compared them to spinach, broccoli, carrots, onions and celery, beet greens were found to have the highest phenolic phytonutrient content as well as the greatest ability to absorb oxygen radicals (a marker of their antioxidant capacity).

15-Minute Healthy Steamed Beets

The beautiful color of beets also reflects their rich concentration of health-promoting phytonutrient antioxidants, which help protect against the damage to cellular structures and DNA that can be caused by free radicals. They are also rich in folate and one serving of this recipe adds only 57 calories to your Healthiest Way of Eating.

Prep and Cook Time: 5 minute prep; 15 minute cooking

Ingredients:

3 medium beets, about 3″ in diameter

1 medium clove garlic, pressed or chopped

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Optional:

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 TBS chopped dill

1 TBS chopped chives

2 TBS Feta cheese

Directions:

Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water.

While the water is coming to a boil, wash beets, leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of the stem on the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Do not peel.

Steam covered for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork on the tip of a knife into the beet. Although some of their colorful phytonutrients are lost to the steaming water, there is plenty of color and nutrients left in the beets.

Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.

Peel beets using a paper towel.

Transfer beets to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients while they are still hot.

* Serves 2

_______________________________________________________________________

Have a question? Ask a Health & Fitness Professional: info@thefitnessunderground.com

Visit THE FITNESS UNDERGROUND.COM: http://www.thefitnessunderground.com

GET FIT, STAY WELL AND THRIVE. START MOVING IN A HEALTHIER DIRECTION.

A YEAR FROM NOW YOU MAY WISH YOU STARTED TODAY!

The Fitness Underground-Los Angeles c.2010

[Via http://thefitnessunderground.wordpress.com]

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It's a journey..

2010-03-18T14:55:00.000+02:00

This blog is about my journey into a path of healthier eating which must include a lot of raw foods. I realize it’s a journey and the blogging is for me. If someone else can be helped or offer help, that will be great. But I am doing this for me.

This morning I had yogurt for breakfast. I am lacking motivation lately. Honestly I need a bouquet of flowers or something. lol But tomorrow is another day. But I think I’m going to do another 10-21 day veggie cleanse/fast. Yeah I’ve said a lot of things, but whatever. It is what it is… and I say that with a big smile on my face. lol

[Via http://rawcookbooks.wordpress.com]

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Congratulation to our first health class group!

2010-03-18T02:57:00.000+02:00

Tonight was the last meeting for our first “Foundations for Health” group. Over the past 8 weeks or so, we’ve covered a range of topics related to what our body must have to function properly, including diet, exercise, sleep, and others.

At the final weigh-in and measurements, I was happy to see that everyone that embraced the program lost between 5 and 15 pounds and 2 inches from their waist and 2 inches from their hips. This was during one of the most difficult times of the year to lose weight. I am confident that if they continue to follow their new lifestyle, they will lose just as much over the next 8 weeks.

More importantly, many of the group members expressed that they have more energy and feel much better than they have previously. It’s amazing how well the body can work when its basic requirements are satisfied!

If you’re reading this and are thinking to yourself, “I could lose a couple of pounds”, or “I know I should feel better than I do”, or maybe you’re suffering from some sort of health ailment or have been diagnosed with a health issue, consider giving our program a try. There’s no gimmicks, to tricks involved, and no pills to buy. It’s just good, honest, well researched concepts that when put into practice, can make a world of difference.

Our program is good for the beginner that has no clue where to start as well as those that feel they have a pretty good grasp of what they should be doing. We’ll cover all of the basics and well as provide a concrete plan for those that need a little structure and motivation.

If all this sounds good to you, call our office at 570-366-2613 and ask to be placed on our list for the “Foundations for Health” program. Once we have more info on times and dates for our next class, we’ll give you a call and let you know what’s up. By calling and getting on our list, there’s no commitment involved.

(Dr. Touchinsky is the chiropractor at Blue Mountain Family Chiropractic and owner of Healthy Habits Natural Market in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill County. In addition to traditional chiropractic care for neck and back pain, he also has a passion for helping people through diet and lifestyle coaching and counseling. The “Foundations for Health” program is designed to give people a basic understanding of what our bodies need to function properly. People that follow the principles often report weight loss, increase energy, decreased blood pressure, better sleep, and many other benefits.)

[Via http://drtouchinsky.com]

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● The 6-week GREEK GODDESS challenge!

2010-03-18T02:30:00.000+02:00

To all the ladies out there – if you want to see improvements in your body shape, health and fitness, take on my 6-week challenge to start getting the strength and toned physique of a Greek goddess!

3x 30 min sessions a week for a six week commitment, fun and motivating small group training (2-3 people). Make up your own group or meet some new people

To have a better read and for pricing, click on the pic below:

[Via http://angenorton.wordpress.com]

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Measures of Success

2010-03-16T14:55:00.000+02:00

The scale has been pretty slow to respond lately, so I’ve been looking for other ways to measure my progress. One of the most exciting happened this week when I went shoe shopping. For the past twenty years I have been wearing wide shoes. In fact, for the past ten, I’ve had to get WW. This severely limited my choice of style. Lots of pretty shoes are only made for people with M width feet. Well, I’m happy to report that a few days ago, I bought four pairs of cute, medium-width shoes!

I also fit into size 16s—not all 16s—some pants are still too tight, but I’m probably only about a month away.

And then there’s the airplane seatbelt….

Those of you who have never been severely overweight may not realize that it is possible to be able to fit in an airplane seat but not be able to cinch the seat belt. I made this embarrassing discovery on an Air France flight to Paris several years ago. I was traveling with a friend who convinced me I had to admit my problem to the flight attendant. I finally did—deciding that a psychological harm I might suffer by asking for help was nothing compared to the physical harm that I might experience in the case of a rough landing. The kind flight attendant seeing my consternation, surreptitiously handed me a seatbelt extender and I buckled myself in. Realizing that it was unlikely that I would be significantly thinner after a week in Paris and so would likely need that device again, I slipped it into my purse and have carried it on every flight since. Sometimes, I’ve needed it. Sometimes I haven’t.

I usually need it on flights outside the US—I always needed to use it on domestic carriers in Mexico and Nigeria and sometimes on KLM. However, I have never used it on a US flight. I guess that says something about the average waist size of Americans.

At any rate, the news is that I now easily fit into the seatbelt. In fact, when I pulled it tight, I had about seven inches left over!

Just goes to show you that you can measure progress in lots of ways.

- Cheryl

How do you measure your weight loss success?

[Via http://livewellwomen.wordpress.com]

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Isagenix, first week summary

2010-03-16T02:48:00.000+02:00

Here’s my summary of things after one week on Isagenix.

Weight loss: I lost 6 pounds in 7 days. That’s a pretty stellar result, however, I’m not convinced that any other strict diet wouldn’t have done the same. I wonder how much of that weight is water loss. I don’t think I’ve lost muscle, since I do work out quite a bit. I didn’t measure myself again at the 7 day point, so all I know is at the 4 day mark I’d lost 10.5 inches overall.

Energy: A few people told me that I’d have so much more energy. I don’t. I see no difference in my energy level whatsoever.

Sleep: Another thing Isagenix claims to be good for is improving sleep. No dice there either.

Taste: I still hate the shakes. They taste like playdough smells. Tonight I tried mixing one scoop of vanilla and one scoop of chocolate. It didn’t improve things. Nothing makes these shakes taste any better, so I’ve stopped trying to add anything to them. I’ve more or less gotten used to the taste of the Ionix Supreme, and to me the Cleanse drink tastes enough like nothing that I have no problem with it.

Hunger: I have to say that since Thursday, I’ve found my hunger to be controlled pretty well. I don’t get particularly hungry between meals, and if I do, a small snack is enough to keep me going. I do still get some pretty strong sugar cravings though.

Overall: I like the plan. The 2 shakes, one small meal takes all the thinking out of eating, which for me is a good thing. I’m on the fence about cleanse day. However, there are 2 things that will stop me from using the Isagenix products after this month is up: 1. I hate the shakes. I’m figuring that I’d need to stick to this program for 3 to 6 months to lose the weight I want to lose. That’s between 180 and 360 shakes that I absolutely hate. I won’t subject myself to that. 2. Even more importantly, it’s foolishly expensive. The 30 day cleanse cost US$320. I just can’t justify the cost, when I can get the equivalent amount of Unjury protein powder (which tastes better) for US$80 per month. Yes, with Isagenix, I do get a few extra products: Cleanse for Life, Ionix Supreme, Snacks!, IsaFlush, and Natural Accelerator. I can find quite similar products to each of these (with perhaps the exception of Snacks!, but they’re gross anyway) at GNC. The equivalent amount of a cleanse product would cost $40.00 for the month, the equivalent of Ionix Supreme, $15.99, and take your pick of fat burning accelerators, for somewhere around $35.00. Add that all up, and you’re at about half the price of the Isagenix program. Would it be as effective? Maybe I’ll try it out next month.

[Via http://darklightwrites.wordpress.com]

BBC - Viewfinder: Picturing an active life with dementia

118 lbs. later...

2010-03-16T02:43:00.000+02:00

Last summer, I decided it was time to get my weight under control for the first time since my early twenties, so on July 15, I went to my family doctor for a consultation. Of course, he told everything I already knew, but needed to hear: fewer calories, healthier food choices, and exercise–essentially, take in less than you’re putting out. We decided on a caloric intake that would be conducive to weight loss and set up a weight-check schedule for me to follow. Then, I went down the hall to the hospital’s fitness center and stepped up my exercise program, which had been hit-or-miss over the past couple of years.

I began by walking two miles a day on a treadmill, using the various weight machines, and cutting my calories to 1500 per day; soon the weight started coming off. I felt energized, and my walking increased to three miles a day and my weightlifting continued. By Labor Day, I was down 40 lbs. and walking at least three miles a day. When my wife and I returned from a fall break trip to visit family in and around Strasbourg, France, I’d lost 50 lbs. and had missed only one day of walking since July 15.

As of today, I’ve officially met my weight-loss goal, and I’m running three or four miles a every day and lifting weights six days a week (concentrating on different areas on alternating days). I’m officially in maintenance-mode, and I’m enjoying my forties more than ever.

[Via http://mou101.wordpress.com]

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From 125 to 140 in just 6 months!

2010-03-14T14:41:00.000+02:00

So I’ve gained about 15 lbs. in six months.

I’m not happy about it, and I know why. I stopped going to the gym, and we started going out to eat way more often. In addition, I’m a habitual snacker, and I really, really like to eat.

Now, I’m very small-framed, and 15 lbs. extra on me (I’m at 140) looks like twice as much. I look noticeably heavier even if I gain 5 lbs. I’ve got the usual clothes-don’t-fit-anymore-must-wear-all-elastic-clothing syndrome and the why-do-my-boobs-not-get-bigger-when-I-gain-weight complaint (for the record, I’m smaller than an A cup).

Anywho, this week I’m going to hit the gym (we joined Snap Fitness). I want to build muscle, so I’ll be focusing more on weights than cardio. The gym has one of those sessions where they teach you to use the machines, and they give you a fitness assessment. I will definitely get one or two personal training sessions, as that will help me knock out these 15 lbs.

Wish me luck. I’ll be using Leo Babauta’s 6 Changes approach to creating habits (so far mine include working on going to the gym 2-3 times a week and working on living more minimally).

[Via http://itsjustclaudia.wordpress.com]

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Kinda Jazzed About Today's Run

2010-03-14T02:52:00.000+02:00

My half-marathon training schedule called for me to run eight miles today. A few weeks ago, eight felt like a big bunch of miles. I suppose everything’s relative. Two weeks ago I ran 10 miles, so today’s eight didn’t seem so daunting.

I had planned to take it easy during today’s training session. I had an 11 a.m. work commitment, and I wanted to run prior to that. In order to train at a very comfortable pace, shower, primp, and get to the function on time, I planned an early wake-up. But I didn’t pack my gym bag last night, nor did I assemble my running clothes, fuel belt, etc. In short, I was about a half hour late getting started.

Because I was running late and because I gained a lot of confidence last weekend by running my fastest six miles ever, I ran a little faster than was comfortable. I kept tabs on my pace with my GPS running watch and while it wasn’t exactly Chariots of Fire, I felt good about what I was doing. When I got to the locker room I recorded my time in my training log, then flipped back a few pages to find the notes from my last eight miler. To my astonishment, I shaved 15 minutes off of my time for that distance!

Even though I was a little stiff and sore at the work function, I believe I walked a little taller and prouder. I’m beginning to get used to feeling uncomfortable. And it’s really not so bad.

[Via http://482gr8.wordpress.com]

Small Business News March 12, 2010 | Small Business Trends

Immune Boosting

2010-03-14T02:43:00.000+02:00

As I write this, I’m sitting on my couch with a glass of wine. Drinking is a rarity for me these days but, with a friend in from out-of-town, I’ve had a social week that’s involved alcohol. Unfortunately, the drinking adds a unneccessary calories without a whole lot of nutritional value, Especially when you take in more than 4 ounces. And let’s be honest, not many people stick to just 4 ounces.

Speaking of nutrition, I just got off the phone with my friend, Pamela, who was talking to me about boosting my immune system. Obviously, since I’ve had trouble shaking this sickness, mine is for shit. I’m going to visit some websites tonight to get some tips on eating to boost your immune system. I’ll check back in tomorrow or Monday and share any valuable information I find.

[Via http://thebiggestloserhomechallenge.wordpress.com]

Molyneux: Natal is bigger step than Move News | Xbox 360 | Eurogamer

Back to work

2010-03-13T14:45:00.000+02:00

I don’t really want to get into it but my husband’s job didn’t pan out and we got strapped for cash and I got the better offer on the job front. I am not happy about. Neither is my husband and neither are my children.

I am not that happy with my work environment. I am working in an office butt up against a shop and so my office environment constantly smell like dirt and dust and it is constantly dirty.

I am also the only female even remotely close to my age (that I have seen anyway) so I have no one to share my lunch with. I had lunch with a woman who was probably 40 years my senior but we shared interests in cooking etc. I don’t feel a connection at all with anyone there.

I don’t enjoy the work either.

Boo hoo. So sad. Whatever.

It pays what I need to pay my bills and it is an early shift which means I get home early and have more of my evening to myself. I also miss the worst part of rush hour traffic too. Which I am happy about. I still really wish I could have worked closer to home and avoid the horrifying traffic altogether but none of this arrangement is really what I wanted.

I am trying to stay positive. I am trying to put good vibes out and focus on what I want. Which in this case is for us to get our place on the market and sold ASAP and then for my husband to get into his training soon.

The real bad news though is that being away from home means I am not getting to focus on my weight loss like I did and I have been gaining weight again.

This makes me so mad because I spent two months working hard and I lost 15 lbs and now it is all creeping back on.

There is stuff I can do. For example. I can make an effort to exercise at night. I am often busy with everyone else’s needs during that time but I could schedule an hour in there for me.

I could walk around during my lunch. I haven’t been because it’s an industrial area and there are no sidewalks. And it’s been chillier lately too.

My job keeps me at my desk pretty constantly. I don’t even get up for faxes or photocopying.

So I make an hourly trip to the bathroom and use that as an excuse to get up and stretch. I could do yoga in my cubicle but there is a massive window facing the shop entrance in front of my cubicle. So I’d be doing warrior two and some guys would walk by. Classy.

I am actually feeling a little bit better about the job now. I was very miserable for the first half of the week. I have come to grips with my reality now. But I do need to come up with a good strategy to avoid gaining all of my weight back.

I am thinking new running shorts (mine are too big now) and some new running shoes.

My husband has also been bugging me to start hittin’ the tennis court once again. That could be a start. I just worry it’ll be too cold for the kidlets who won’t be running around quite as much we will be.

Anyway,

I will be posting some more positive news soon.

[Via http://unschoolingrocks.wordpress.com]

News is presented between 2:03 and 2:09 p.m. Eastern | Firedoglake

Get Ready for an Interactive March Symposium on Tuesday, March 16, 2010

2010-03-13T02:44:00.000+02:00

Join us for the March symposium on Tuesday, March 16th at 6:00 p.m. and wraps up at 8:00 p.m. The event will be hosted at the Mt. Washington Bank in the Community Room at 305 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124. You will experience the new ABMWC Symposium format. First, we will demonstrate each phase of the Revolutionary Weight Loss Protocol. Second, everyone one in attendance (women, men, children, couples and singles) will be invited into an interactive conversation about weight loss, healthy living and slim doesn’t equal a healthy body! Third, we will have fun in the Life Style segment with a guest speaker.

Are You Ready? Get set. Let’s do this.

[Via http://abellami.wordpress.com]

ABC News Acknowledges Mini-Mistake In Toyota Report

Bloody Hell!

2010-03-13T02:38:00.000+02:00

Has any woman ever died from blood loss due to that Dirty Bitch Aunt Flo? I’m curious.

I’m amazed I’m still alive after today. At the very least I should be anemic. I’m sick to my stomach and weak and can’t think to save my life. I’ve been shut in my bedroom laying in bed since supper time. The effort it would take to speak or carry on a conversation is just more than I can stand at the moment.

I honestly think my uterus is trying to turn itself inside out.

C’mon menopause – you can’t get here soon enough!

[Via http://pettyreflections.wordpress.com]

Economic data: News flash | The Economist

DIET PILL WARNING

2010-03-11T14:52:00.000+02:00

I was trying to think of a good topic for my post today, but then this email came from a friend who works in the Emergency Department at a children’s hospital and I knew that I had to put the word out there.

Hi Loves,

I’m only telling you guys this because i love you and this totally freaked me out..

A 15 year old girl was admitted to the ED today after she had a constant headache for 2 weeks and her eyes and skin started turning yellow..it turns out she has Chronic Liver Failure and its because she had been taking Green Tea Diet Pills that you can get anywhere. She has been immediately listed for a transplant and she is in really rough shape. I know that when I was in high school, I was really naive and took diet pills too but they are SO bad for you. If you or anyone you know has been taking these please please please stop. They have not been approved by the FDA or any medical association and they are so dangerous.

After receiving the email, I decided to do some research. Turns out, what your mother told you is true: moderation really is key. As this article states, “the polyphenols present in green tea plants or herbs could pose health risks to humans if extracted and packaged in highly concentrated doses, says a new University of Toronto study published in the current issue of Free Radical Biology and Medicine.”

What is a highly concentrated dose? That which is found in green tea diet pills. In a study done on mice, low doses of polyphenols “protected the liver or isolated liver cells against oxygen radicals,” while high concentrations of polyphenols caused liver toxicity, which is exactly what happened to this unknowing 15 year old girl.

In other words: a mug of green tea can benefit your overall health, while green tea taken in pill form can have severe and possibly deadly consequences. This confirms what we already know about diet pills: they are often more detrimental to our bodies than beneficial.

As my friend says in her email, you are all smart, beautiful, amazing women. If you or anyone you know has been taking these pills to lose weight, I hope that this poor girl’s story will make you reconsider.

With lots of love,

Melissa

[Via http://projectbare.wordpress.com]

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report -- March 9, 2010 ...

Christine Kennedy - In the NEWS!

2010-03-11T02:52:00.000+02:00

Life: Real Food Challenge Ditching processed foods is not as easy as it looks

Hamilton’s Leanne Palmerston took on the 28-Day Real Food Challenge, replacing a pantry of refined sugars, vegetable oils and condiments with honey, coconut oil and lard.

Participants in the 28-Day Real Food Challenge find that replacing processed items with fresh meats and vegetables has its challenges.

First step: Toss the pantry

Wency Leung

From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Mar. 10, 2010 9:33AM EST Last updated on Wednesday, Mar. 10, 2010 11:56AM EST

Leanne Palmerston’s commitment to a healthy, wholesome diet was tested as she rummaged through her cupboards.

For nearly a year, the Hamilton resident had been weaning her family off boxed pizzas and other processed foods in favour of fresh meats and vegetables and whole grains.

Read Full Story Here…

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » PPP delivers bad news to Crist on ...

Mr. Rochester

2010-03-11T02:02:00.000+02:00

Oh, Jane Eyre.

Thus far, you would be quite proud of me, oh crowd of anonymous well-wishers to whom I write this daily missive. Not so anonymous, really, since I know at least one person in this very house who reads my screeds which one might imagine would keep me from making such a terrible fool of myself in script day in and day out, but I am nothing if not consistently unafraid of my detractors so long as they remain on the other side of the screen.

I’m writing in a fussy, Austenesque style so as to increase my word count without having to increase my thought output. Clever, no?

I did get up this morning. I did exercise. For exactly 12:30 minutes. Then, I worried I was late and cut myself short. But, for someone who has elected to exercise after work when it’s all jumbled up with my relaxing time and my eating/cooking time and my writing this shite/computer time, it’s pretty amazing that I actually was able to force myself to do it. When I’m on it, it’s fine but it also gets me all out of whack so that I’m not tired when it’s time for bed and I wake up exhausted. Not so today, where I’m feeling kind of luxuriant that the goal of exercising every day is achieved and I don’t have to fight with myself tonight about it. So tack one on for the home team. Then. I ate food from home. Didn’t buy anything today, imagine that. There was hardly time to eat, but I had chicken and peppers at my desk in my little tupperware. I also got this big 1 liter bottle for my water and am now working on my second one with peach green tea crystal light in it. So party on, dudes.

Bad day followed by a goodish one. I have had protein bars. I have had probably too much salt. But I don’t feel so shaky or that I’m dreaming the impossible dream or that all my problems could be solved in a really good piece of pizza or that I deserve to be seriously castigated and put to task for my miserable performance on this whole diet/life change thing. You can spend so long waiting for a beat-down that will somehow make you do all this out of fear, a kick in the head that will physically alter the way you respond when you’re stressed or bored or just not with it 100% of the time. And I don’t think there’s a donkey out there who can knock all the crazy out of us with one good kick. Behaviors and habits fight back. Sometimes they win. Sometimes.

The pathless journey has enough faith in me to let me wobble and fail and skip beats, knowing that it’ll be there, right beneath my feet whenever I decide to make it so.

Today, I made it so. Which, was pretty fucking nice, Mr. Sulu. It was pretty fucking nice.

[Via http://lustrata.wordpress.com]

Matthew Yglesias » The Cable News Problem

Day 1

2010-03-09T14:38:00.000+02:00

Beginning of day 1.

I know it’s going to be a hard bunch of months ahead of me but I’m glad that I’ve started the trip. I’ve been so unhappy lately that I know it affects how I treat others. I like how I interct with others a lot better when I’m not this overweight.

It’s hard to explain to others how difficult it is to carry around this much weight emotionally and physically.

[Via http://dwhite78.wordpress.com]

Weekly International Travel News Roundup | Peter Greenberg Worldwide

Isagenix, Day 2

2010-03-09T02:46:00.000+02:00

G’day, and welcome to day two.

After the excruciating agony of getting up this morning at 6:30, I actually felt pretty good. Coincidence, Isagenix, or something else? Who knows. Too early to say yet.

I prepared this morning’s chocolate shake with about a tablespoon of peanut butter. It made the overall taste better. Not good, but better. Tomorrow perhaps I will add peanut butter and some banana. Drank that Ionix Supreme stuff, which is going to get old pretty quick I think, but at least it’s the size of a shot. I’ll pretend it’s tequila.

And I even went to the gym this morning. I got there much later than expected, because I spent 40 minutes on hold with my car insurance company to make sure that I do in fact have insurance and am not driving illegally. I was worried since I’ve not received a policy statement, certificate or the like from them, nor have they taken any payments out of my bank account. Good news, I am insured! Let’s hope it continues to be free — that would be awesome. Anyway, I briefly considered abandoning the gym due to being 40 minutes behind schedule, but figured it was better to go to the gym for a shorter time than not to go at all. So, in my 20 minute, ever increasing incline, brisk walk on the treadmill I apparently burned 281 calories, if one can trust the treadmill’s calculations, which I’m pretty sure I don’t. But still.

The good news today is that the shake kept me full much longer. I drank it around 7am and was pretty much fine until shortly after 11am, at which point I ate a piece of cheese (90 calories). Being at work and having a routine helps I think. Lunch today is a PC Blue Menu Chicken Lasagna (360 calories). I’ve also added SlimQuick to the mix. I’m using the packets, mainly because it helps me drink the required amount of water (I’m sorry, I just don’t like to drink plain water unless I’m at the gym) and on the few times that I’ve used it before, I have felt less hungry.

Late this afternoon I got pretty hungry again, so I had another piece of cheese and a few strawberries. Dinner was a vanilla shake with a couple strawberries blended in, which was pretty tolerable. However, I’m now completely starving. So, I had a piece of cheese and one of those little tiny cans of tuna. I figure today’s calorie count is somewhere around 1400.

One thing that I know will be hard about this program is not being able to real food for dinner. Now I know I could probably take the shake at lunch instead, but that would be hard as well — I prefer to have real food at work for some reason. But watching the bf eat his pan seared fish and rice last night was a bit tough to take. Maybe I’ll get used to it. And on weekends I might do the shakes at breakfast/lunch, just so I can have a dinner for a change.

[Via http://darklightwrites.wordpress.com]

New Scribblenauts due out this autumn News | DS | Eurogamer

Does Weight Loss Take the Weekend Off?

2010-03-07T14:53:00.000+02:00

Uh………in a word– NO! You can easily undo all your hard work for the week, by going off your plan on the weekend. How many people give up because of that? Put the chips down, put the chocolate down, put all the junk down——- not worth it. Wake up feeling good about yourself Monday morning. I care about you and I KNOW you can do it. Feel free to email me at gettingthin4him@gmail.com if I can help you in a more personal way– I want to see you succeed.

[Via http://gettingthin4him.wordpress.com]

Geophysicists Push Age Of Earth's Magnetic Field Back 250 Million ...

Weight Loss Challenge - Work Travel

2010-03-07T14:36:00.000+02:00

Beginning today, I’m going to be traveling 3 1/2 hours away from home for work-related travel. I have to say, I am not looking forward to it AT ALL.

I’m going to participate in something that is a huge honor that will look great on my resume, but is also a huge commitment of time for 4 days. I’m talking about working 16-hour days. Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a team. Then working well into the night on a report that will be submitted to an extremely well-respected agency that works with the state of California on school evaluation and accreditation. I don’t get paid extra for my time, although they do pay for the hotel, all meals, and “mileage.” Still, I would never have agreed to do this if I was more well-informed about the time commitment. It’s going to be intense, to say the least.

The other thing I’m not looking forward to is the complete break in my daily routine. I have no idea where I’ll be eating, or what, for that matter. The place I’m going is literally in the middle of nowhere, so choices may not be great. My Plan: eat small portions and track whenever possible. I’m so thankful that I have the WW iPhone app, because that will make it a bit easier on the road.

The location is so remote that the nearest hotel is 20 miles away. At least the hotel I’m staying in looks nice. They have a fitness room and a pool, so at least I can exercise. I was really worried about that at first. My Plan:I’m promising myself to try workout at least 30 minutes per day, if I have any energy left after a ridiculously long day. Even if it means I have to workout at 11pm at night, I want to try.

I won’t have time to blog while I’m gone, but I have written a few posts that will publish on the days while I’m gone, so you’ll have something to read, if you want to.

Other blog “housekeeping”:

I won’t do the Healthy You Update on Tuesday, but I will write a check-in post when I get back.
I’ll write my weigh-in post on Thursday, since I won’t be home (or have access to a scale) on Wednesday.
I won’t be regularly reading or commenting on your blogs, but please know that I would if I could. I look forward to spending a few hours on Thursday catching up on everything.

Please wish me all the best, think positive “skinny” thoughts for me, and hope that I can have a successful week on the road.

[Via http://bellaonthebeach.wordpress.com]

Marginal Revolution: More good news about Africa

We Are Not "Starving"

2010-03-07T02:00:00.000+02:00

Read time: 1 minute

My wife has become healthier and a lot leaner than ever. She looks absolutely gorgeous. She accomplished her weight loss by simply eating mostly whole, real food and by eating fewer times through the day. She uses intermittent fasting.

But for intermittent fasting to be successful, old thinking habits must be dropped. She’s still working on this.

I had a meeting that ran late, so dinner was delayed. After the meeting I called her to let her know I was on my way and she replied with a light-hearted comment:

“Great, I’m starving!”

When I got home she was actually fine and said that her hunger went away after a few minutes. And that was that. We cooked dinner together, enjoying a glass of wine and a conversation.

But her reply got me thinking. She used the word starvation to describe something that’s biologically superficial like hunger. And since it is understood among psychologists that words and thoughts can dictate behavior, something as innocuous as a word — starving, or famished — may end up controlling how we act, or in this case, how we eat.

In the past, my wife would’ve grabbed “a quick snack” while waiting for me to get home, and then she would have eaten again, a full-on dinner. This would have netted her additional calories she didn’t need.

This experience reminded my wife that hunger is often temporary and that starvation is actually a physical response to being unfed for not just several hours but for several weeks.

Starvation, therefore, is a true biological emergency. Its usage should not be thrown around for something so trivial as a fleeting sensation no different from a passing memory.

In today’s Western world, hunger is never an emergency. We can wait to eat.

[Via http://theleansaloon.com]

Neil Gaiman's Journal: Breaking news. Also, nobody move, this is a ...

Weight Loss: Kirstie Alley

2010-03-06T14:55:00.000+02:00

So Kirstie Alley has come up with her own weight loss program: Organic Liaison. HERE is an article about the specifics of it. It looks like an organic meal plan with lots of supplements.

“I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist – I’m a regular person like you who has been struggling with her weight and searching and praying for a weight loss program to end that forever.”

(Kirstie on the left after losing 75 pounds strutting her stuff on Oprah. On the right, she’s back on Oprah recently after gaining it all back.)

“I can promise you our certified weight loss elixir, Rescue Me, takes on excess hunger and cravings. It will support your body and flood your body with the missing elements that make weight loss an uphill battle.”

What do you think about Organic Liaison? Would it be something you would try or shy away from??

[Via http://skinnyrunner.com]

Big Developer News: Mac Dev Program reduced to $99

How to Avoid Weight Loss Failure For the Last Time

2010-03-06T14:49:00.000+02:00

Have you tried and not accomplished your weight loss goals with the different diets that exist? Are you struggling with small food portions? Not being able to eat your favorite foods? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. If dieting was easy, all people on the planet would have a great body. To be able to succeed in losing weight, you have to keep these things in mind:

1. Don’t start your diet on a certain day

If you think to start your weight loss program on a certain day your mind is already set to fail. There shouldn’t be a next week or next month idea in your head. The extra food you eat before or after your diet you will have to lose anyway no matter when.

Funny how most overweight people will eat a lot of their delicious favorite foods because once their diet program starts, they can’t have it. Does this sound familiar to you, as well? I was the same way, too.

Do you know when the best date to start losing weight is? It is all the time. Now. Every day. Because every day gives you the opportunity to gain or to lose weight.

2. Don’t do a time limited diet

Actually, don’t do a diet program at all. After trying so many (too many) different kinds of diets I have come to the conclusion that diets do not work. Time limited diets are the worst ones. If you start a diet that will restrict you from eating your favorite “bad” foods within a certain period of time, you will fail. Maybe not on the short run, but on the long run. Because you will be thinking about your favorite foods all the time and the day you can have them again.

Instead, you have to change your whole diet. For life. Eat healthy, eat fresh and try to reduce the “bad” food in your diet.

3. Set small weight loss goals

Go baby steps. Go one week to the next. Weigh yourself in the morning after going to the bathroom. And compare the weekly results. How much weight did you lose within the last seven days? Then set a goal for the next week. Every person and every body has its own rhythm and ability to burn the extra fat. So don’t be disappointed if you didn’t lose as much as you planed to.

I had my best weight loss results when I tried to lose up to 2,2 pounds (=1kg) per week. You can try that, as well. If you lose more, great, if not, don’t be disappointed. Your main goal is to keep losing some weight from week to week. If you accomplish that, be proud about yourself. You will be surprised how quickly a couple of weeks go by. And best of all, you will stay slim.

Get our FREE popular newsletter filled with more tips and secrets on losing weight and staying slim here: http://www.news-bee.com/diets/ or here: How to lose weight and stay slim

[Via http://newsbeediet.wordpress.com]

This Week in Review: Surveying the online news scene, web-first ...

The More I Change... The More I Stay The Same

2010-03-04T14:40:00.000+02:00

Lately coffee is the mote in my eye. I quit it once and was good with it. My sit-downs were solid, I was losing weight, my temper was more even tempered, then Christmas came around and Starbucks had this great Christmas Blend, and I got in the habit of hanging at Starbucks in the mornings and reading on my Kindle.

Coffee is Mote in My Eye

So I promised to be off coffee come the end of the Christmas Blend. Starbucks Christmas coffee has been gone for about 2.5 months. I still sneak coffee.

Although I don’t know if it is connected my weight I had lost has come back, despite my now doing Spinning Classes 2x a week along with treadmill running 2x a week and some lifting. My diet is so/so. Heck, I even drive out and do stairs in Santa Monica area for an hour. I was doing well when I used some iPhone ap to track my weight and eating. I still use it from time to time, for the most part I can tell my calories are under what I need to lose weight. I eat more vegetarian in the morning and lunchtime if I can. Yet my weight is going up. WHY? Sure I could use the excuse that I turned 45 and my metabolism has slowed down. But that is BS. Studies show if you work out regularly and eat well your metabolism might slow a bit, but not enough to cause all this gain.

I could look at my actions. If my gym partners cancel I don’t tend to go to the gym. When I was losing weight I might not have gone to the gym so much but I was using KettleBells down in the garage and swinging them around along with Jump Rope work. I get up and sit on the computer most of the time, or watch TV (very little of it as I have tons of videos and Hulu.com shows and most of them just sit there). I have studies to do for graphic work and my massage business, and I do work on them, but my discipline could be a lot better. Well, unless you are Martha Stewart or some other crazy person who is obsessed with such stuff, then you can be committed to stuff and stick to it. I realize it is all habits. My focus is not very focused and I think that is a big thing to realize. Focus and morning commitment and habits are the killer actions. If I start out my day strong and in a big way and I can be happy with that.. then it won’t effect me having to ignore what is going on in my life (or lack of what I am not doing) by being stuck on the computer.

Ironic I am on the computer posting this since my Gym Partner who has been flaking lately pretty well said in his text last night that he was planning on not showing up. His text was ‘I am going to bed now, so I can try to be up and working out with you’. Notice he used the word ‘try’ in his sentence. He is already planning his failure, as most people do.

[Via http://basboyblair.wordpress.com]

Flash Is Dead At Virgin America » Podcasting News

Day 3-Body Challenge

2010-03-04T02:34:00.000+02:00

Day 1-treadmill-30 min-breakfast (donut, milk) lunch (baked fish fillet, broccoli) snack (vanilla yogurt) dinner (chickpeas, brown rice, vegetable melody)

Day 2-strength training-30 min-breakfast (scrambled eggs on wheat toast, 1/2 donut, milk) lunch (scoop of sweet potatoes, green beans, 1 smoked pork rib, roll I was at a program that offered sampled lunch 2 glasses of lemonade) dinner (greens, rice pilaf, smoked turkey neck)-crazy day..I know…

Day 3- treadmill15 min speed run- brunch (chickpeas, brown rice, veggie melody) snack (vanilla yogurt) dinner (cereal, corn bread)

[Via http://ksoul13.wordpress.com]

Activision unveils Call of Duty reshuffle News | Eurogamer

Wednesday Weigh In

2010-03-04T02:14:00.000+02:00

It’s been a week since I joined the Spring Fling Challenge and I am down 2.1 pounds, my weight today was 248.9! My total weight loss since June 1, 2009, is 57.1 pounds! I am really enjoying the group of ladies I met over at The Hood, they all seem pretty incredible!

Here’s what I did differently this week…I drank a lot more water which really helps curb my appetite! I started to use the treadmill more at the gym along with the stationary bike and NuStep. I’m still having balance issues when done the treadmill so I just kind of stand on the machine for a few seconds before I try and step off and only use the one that is next to the wall so I have something to brace myself with. One of my goals is to get myself to the doctor’s before the end of this month, I failed the balance test and was told to see a neurologist but just haven’t gotten around to it. I never minded going to the doctors before but now I guess since we go so much for my daughter and she is in and out of the hospital I just really have a hard time making the time to address the things that are going on with myself but I’m slowly working on that.

This week was a little stressful. My daughter just turned 4 years old this past January, which is a miracle (each day, every second she is here with us is), her right side of her heart is enlarged and in failure. Now that she is getting older it’s harder for her to be as active as she would like. The other day we went to the mall and her stroller was in the other car, of course the mall didn’t rent strollers (just my luck). Her heart works pretty hard and she becomes easily short winded. She saw the water fountain and her face just lit up and in this sweet voice she said to me, look mom the water fountain come on and run. Times like this is when I wish some I had someone following us around with cameras, I wish everyone could have seen her face and to see her run (its more of a waddle) it was just too cute. She got so short winded from the little sprint that she started coughing and then the vomiting started and just kept on going (good thing I had a plastic bag with me). She said to me, mom I’m all done and I feel better, can we go home now! I just love her. As you can see, she doesn’t look sick and I know we are blessed because I can’t imagine how it is for those families who’s child is sick and looks sick. When she got sick and not being able to do anything for her (you know fix her) just made me want to crawl up into a ball and cry but I didn’t, I just kept in my head all the silly faces, her dancing in the store, rearranging all the shoes at Nordstrom’s (sure they loved that) I held onto all the fun we had up until that point. So I am very grateful that my Jewel doesn’t look like her heart is in failure, I think that would chip away pieces of my heart everyday if I had that in your face reminder.

Another thing I took from that day was to stop stressing about Blogging and Twitter, I wish I had more time but I don’t. All of my time is spent with my daughter and then when she’s in dreamland I get to go online and catch up on the news, read some tweets, blog post and connect with my facebook friends. I love what the FLG said,“You know what challenge I’m doing? One that really means a lot to me and that I’m trying to put my all into? Life. Changing my life. Bettering myself for the people I love and for mine and my family’s future” Well said FLG! I guess I’m not that good at multi-tasking, so no more feeling guilty about not tweeting or making comments on all the wonderful blogs I’ve been reading. Who knows maybe when my Jewel goes back to school then I’ll have more time but for now my goals are to work on getting me healthy (eating right/making better choices, going to the gym at least every other day) and making each second count with my Jewel!

[Via http://fluffy2fit.wordpress.com]

Latest Bunning News | Mother Jones

Are You A Comfort Eater?

2010-03-02T14:22:00.000+02:00

Something has struck me as interesting for a while now, and it’s the fact that many so-called professionals and companies make so much money from ‘educating’ overweight people about how to lose weight.

Let me be really direct with you here: you already know pretty much everything you need to in order to lose weight.

If you’re currently carrying excess weight, it isn’t because you’re confused about whether cake or cranberries are the healthier option.

And yet so many slimming clubs and weight loss coaches will try to convince you that their point system or their tasty overpriced food range or their cabbage soup miracle is the answer to your weight loss struggles.

Please… stop believing all of this stuff.

If you tell me the name of any of these groups, I can show you the statistics that their systems do NOT lead to long-term weight loss.

And they all fail because they focus on the wrong things – nobody really needs help understanding what is healthy and what isn’t.

We all know that food in its natural state is better than when it’s coated in sugar, that fruit and vegetables should be eaten at least 5 portions a day, that brown carbohydrates are better than white, that eating in front of the TV is a bad idea, that all-you-can-eat buffets lead to oversized meals.

Weight gain occurs when we know all of this, but ignore it.

And that’s very often because of comfort eating.

So before you go and spend money joining some group, take this simple quiz.

The more questions you answer ‘YES’ to, the more likely it is that you are a comfort eater.

1. Do you eat when bored?

2. Do you use food as a celebration, treat or reward?

3. Do you use food as a consolation when you are feeling down, poorly or disappointed?

4. Does a good night out for you have to include eating somewhere?

5. Are there foods that you could eat if offered even if you were not hungry?

If comfort eating is an issue for you, I can help.

Just contact me:

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

[Via http://glyco247.wordpress.com]

News on mobile phones is growing; Newspapers get second chance ...

Plan In Place... Time For Results

2010-03-02T02:56:00.000+02:00

I’ve been struggling with my weight for quite some time now. As of last night, I’ve got a plan in place to fix it. Now that I’ve got a definitive plan I’m very optimistic about the potential for success. I weighed 227.0 this morning and I’m hoping that if I stick to what I’ve laid out below I’ll be well on my way to sub 200!

The Plan

Limit carbs to less than 30 grams per day
Workout at least 3 days per week
No snacking after 9:00 PM
At least 5 glasses of water per day
Eat breakfast every day

Time will tell if this will be a successful plan, but I think it addresses quite a few things that have kept me from being successful in the past.

[Via http://iuchewie.wordpress.com]

News Has “Become a Social Experience”: Pew – GigaOM

Fast Fat Loss - Easy Ways to Lose Weight Fast Without Dieting!

2010-03-02T02:53:00.000+02:00

Have you longed for soon weight loss? Alkaline Diet Have you tried starving yourself for weeks in circumstances to shed a few pounds alone to forward it piling coming back on again? This is the quandary in “dieting” as we can identify it. There is a lot of false, misleading hints making pumped out there… and it leads me mad.

I recognize how hard it is to consume weight fast. Why are these types of so referred to as specialists feeding us false guidelines the current instigates it still harder? Could it be so we still be getting this consequently rapidly fat reduction book, magazine or weight deduction supplement?

alkaline diet recipes

Well, no longer…

I hold a key the I found when struggling to get to the underside of how to in effect exhaust weight fast…and stay it off!

The No Diet, Diet

1. Colon Cleansing. The vast majority of stubborn fat, really in the waist state is due to a form up of unhealthy lose in the colon. This put up up prevents your person based on information from absorbing the nutrients out of the foods you eat. Which in turn leaves you hungry and craving for food. All such poorly digested food can get stored at unpleasent fat. Colon cleansing only often consequences in speedily fat loss. swiss answer detox diet

2. Sugar cleansing. Sugar is one of the the majority of bad substances you can put in your person without it killing you. Insulin generation can become significantly impaired and a multitude of illness can arise within too still sugar. Many quality of life experts say it is advisable to hold off sugar as even as possible, along with people “hidden” sugars in foods, this kind of as amended corn syrup. Any legislation to consume weight could key in stopping sugars. candida cleanse

3. Avoid additives. Chose foods which use no or exceptionally few additives at which continually possible. Tests own confirmed the extended operated effects of food additives can be terrible on our health. There are heaps of additive free of charge opportunities obtainable nowadays so you can keep to enjoy your favourite foods.

Fast fat reduction is possible, without starving yourself!

how to increase in value metabolism

Warning: Ignoring these types of advices and consistent to try and cost weight by cutting calories only can cause to reducing the pace slumping your metabolism. This affects it that much rougher to consume weight in the future.

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Read More greater things on Fast Fat Loss

[Via http://fastfat2loss.wordpress.com]

Technology News: Social Networking: Facebook's News Feed Patent ...

Hip Hip No Hooray

2010-02-28T02:52:00.000+02:00

Well, it is another Saturday night that I am spending by myself. Not due to lack of a social schedule this weekend, as I had my book club earlier today and was invited to attend a wine party this evening.

I am home because of my hip. My left hip to be more precise. What the hell next? I already suffer continually from sciatica, and wake up almost nightly in pain if I end up flat on my back. Now my hip more than aches, it kills. It doesn’t feel like the joint itself, but possibly something also sciatic related. It is excruciating when I stand after sitting for long periods of time and it hurts to bear weight sometimes as well.

The dull ache of it started last summer, when I walk daily. I was taking very long walks with a friend of mine, and the walks got very extended as she was using me as a sounding board to her life’s issues. I just thought then I had overdone it. Now being even heavier than last summer, it has gotten worse. Today I feel it in my leg and calf, and of all things, my tail bone as well.

I can’t get into my doctor until Friday, so I guess I will have to self medicate with as much ibuprofen, Tylenol, and other OTC remedies as I can until then. I do have some Tramadol due to a bad neck (a whole other problem), but I do not like painkillers as they make me feel wonky and dizzy and that isn’t a very good trade-off for me.

I wish I could have made it to the wine party, but I would have just been the token fat chick again anyway. Ok, I guess I am done venting. I am going to go sit on a heating pad for a while and see if it helps.

[Via http://curveygirl.wordpress.com]

Desiree out, Smoot in: White House names new social secretary ...

Top Affiliates Wanted

2010-02-27T14:32:00.000+02:00

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[Via http://bestfitart.wordpress.com]

openSUSE News » openSUSE Weekly News, Issue 112 is out!

Reason #55

2010-02-27T13:00:00.000+02:00

Because I’m due for some new clothes that make me feel like a million bucks

I can’t wait to buy new clothes. My pants are getting pretty loose now but I hate to buy things only to turn around and buy again. I have some size 12 clothes in my closet so I’ll migrate back to them but when I get back to the 8’s–time to shop!

[Via http://counttheways.wordpress.com]

Facebook patents News Feed; sets stage for fight against social ...

Is BMI a flawed measurement?

2010-02-27T02:46:00.000+02:00

Body Mass Index, or BMI for short, is a simple calculation — based on your height and weight — used to determine if you are overweight. It has its flaws, but overall, is it a good measurement for body weight? My answer is maybe, maybe not.

First the flaws. It doesn’t take gender, age, or muscle/bone density into account. A fit, but very muscular person could register as overweight, or even obese. Likewise a person with low densities could have lots of dangerous visceral fat, yet still register as normal. These flaws tend to make people dismiss the BMI as nothing more than a statistic used to calculate insurance premiums.

I consider myself has having denser than average bones and/or muscles. In fact I wear the same size clothes as men who weigh 10-20 pounds less than me. Even though I’ll always weigh-in a little on the high side of BMI, I still say give it a chance.

If nothing else, it gives you something to think about. I’m thoroughly convinced that our eyes don’t see our bodies correctly in the mirror and sometimes an objective tool like BMI can help us rethink our goals.

When I started this journey, I was obese according to BMI. My original goal was to get back to the weight that I considered normal for me, the weight I had been most of my adult life. But even that weight was still overweight according to BMI. Looking back at pictures now, I can clearly see that that weight was not normal for me, and my new weight (now registering as normal according to BMI) feels more comfortable. Were it not for BMI, I would still be somewhat overweight.

So I say don’t dismiss BMI, but you don’t have to follow it religiously either. In the end, the only way to know your ideal weight is to see what feels best to you. I like to tell people to set small goals, 5 or 10 pounds at a time, and reassess your goals at that time. You’ll know when you reach your ideal weight.

[Via http://bnelson333.wordpress.com]

What Is the Future of Online News? | Webdesigner Depot

Soup for the Snowed in Soul

2010-02-25T14:51:00.000+02:00

Today is the perfect day for soup. It’s snowing (again!) and nothing warms the body and soul like a big bowl of piping hot soup. For most of us, that means popping the top on a can, pouring it into a pot and letting it heat up. Sure it’s easy, but it also means ingesting tons of sodium. Have you ever actually looked at the sodium content on a soup label? One common brand contains 690 milligrams per serving with 2.5 servings in a can or 29% of your daily intake. Now do the math if you plan on eating a whole can for dinner! I should point out, however, that the amount of salt found in canned soup has dropped about 17% since 2007. That’s good, but making your own is even better and not nearly as time consuming as you think it is.

One of my favorite kinds of soup is lime soup. Sounds weird, but I guarantee it’ll warm you warm the inside out! I first tasted it while on vacation in Mexico and ever since then, I’ve been trying to recreate it at home. Here’s the recipe I’ve come up with.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

2 quarts water

1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons oil (whichever you like)

4 quarts chicken broth (if you don’t make your own, buy the low/no sodium kind!)

2 tomatoes, diced and seeded

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (depends on how hot you like it)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon or 1 Mexican cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lime, quartered

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil and place chicken in the water. Continue to boil until the chicken is done and no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the water, let it cool to the touch and then shred it, removing meat from the bones and skin. Put meat aside. Discard skin, water and bones. (If you’re really adventurous, use the water and bones to make your own chicken stock.)

Toast cinnamon, cloves and oregano on a baking sheet. Be careful not to burn.

In a large pot, heat oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft.

In a separate pot, heat chicken stock and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and then add it to pot containing the onions and garlic.

Add the chicken, tomatoes, jalapeno. Squeeze lime juice into pot and then throw in rinds. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove lime rinds, season with salt to taste and serve with extra lime wedges and flour tortillas.

[Via http://buffbroad.wordpress.com]

Apple posts third update to iPhone OS 3.2 SDK for iPad | iLounge News

Keepin' it goin'

2010-02-25T02:48:00.000+02:00

Starting today and lasting for 8 weeks, I will be part of a team challenge on Shrinking Jeans (www.shrinkingjeans.net). My weight today was 144.6. (stupid daily weight fluctuations!) I was 144.0 yesterday. I’m going to change my weigh-in day to Wednesdays so that I’m in line for this challenge.

I’ve been assigned to Team G. While we are still in the process of getting all our members to check in and of coming up with a team name, a few of us like G4 – Gorgeous Girls Gettin’ Going! But that’s def. not finalized yet.

I also just found out that the next fitness challenge is 30 days in a row of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred work out video. OMG! The 1 time I’ve done this video I could barely move for 3 days! 30 days in a row?! Holy hell! We start March 1 and go to March 30. Well guess what?! My birthday is March 31! Soooo – I’m gonna do this challenge and celebrate my birthday with a sexy, shredded body!

I’d like to set a few goals for the next 8 weeks.

Lose 8 pounds by the end of the challenge (would put me at 136 by 4/21)
Complete the 30 shred fitness challenge
Keep tracking all food and exercise – stay within 1200-1300 net calorie range each day

[Via http://bekkib73.wordpress.com]

Apple posts third new iPhone TV spot | iLounge News

Qivana...Stabilize Your Health! Vitalize Your Income! Optimize Your Life!

2010-02-25T02:45:00.000+02:00

Qivana Stabilize Your Health! Vitalize Your Income! Optimize Your Life! Qivana has launched the most revolutionary weight loss and weight management system ever formulated. The system is created by Dr. Donald Layman, Dean Emeritus of Nutrition at the University of Illinois. He has been studying the metabolic syndrome and obesity for the last 30 years. He is world-renowned for his research in these areas and is respected as the world’s leading authority on healthy weight loss and long term weight management.

This revolutionary system is not driven by gimmicks. It is driven by the most extensive human clinical trials ever conducted in this area. If you understand that getting to and maintaining long term a healthy weight is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to impact your health, you will be blown away by the this great new life altering product system. METABOLIQ at: www.myqivana.com/qvworld

[Via http://denisenqivana.wordpress.com]

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report -- February 23 ...

Healthy You Challenge - Tuesday Check-In (My 1st!)

2010-02-23T14:51:00.000+02:00

I’ve joined the Healthy You Challenge over at Scale Junkie and this is my first Tuesday Check-In! The Healthy You Challenge is a site to encourage and celebrate:

Losing Pounds

Exercising regularly – according to your limitations and doctor’s recommendations

Staying on YOUR healthy eating plan

Recognizing Non Scale Victories

Setting Goals

Rewarding yourself

Challenging yourself

Supporting other bloggers with similar goals, even if they aren’t a part of the challenge

Asking for help when you feel discouraged

It seems like a very supportive place to hang out for those of us working on living a healthier life (and to locate interesting blogs of people similar to us). On Tuesdays they ask that you update your blog with your weekly progress, then head over to Scale Junkie and look for the Tuesday post. Once there, simply scroll to the bottom and sign into the Mister Linky. Mister Linky will add your blog to the list of bloggers that checked-in on Tuesday and then you can visit some of those blogs to encourage each other on to success! C*O*O*L, huh?

So, for those of you new to my blog you can find my program basics H*E*R*E. I’ve been working my plan for 7 weeks today. My goal is to lose 100 pounds in 2010. I’m proud to say:

*** In 7 Weeks I Haven’t ***

Eaten Beef or Pork

Eaten Fast Food or Fried Food

Eaten Dairy

*** In 7 Weeks I Have Only Done this O*N*C*E ***

Had a diet pop/soda

Cheated on my plan

Eaten out (at a Valentine’s dinner/dance)

*** In 7 Weeks I H*A*V*E ***

Gone to Bikram Yoga, on average, 5 times a week and have only missed class 2 days in a row 1 time!

Accomplished more than 25% of my ultimate goal!

Kept my fridge full of pre-made, on-plan food!

Taken supplements and met my water-drinking goals every day!

Been honest on my blog about my weight loss feelings and struggles!

Eaten 5-6 small meals a day!

Fed my family fast food 4 times instead of the 21 times (roughly 3 times a week) that had been the normal!

**************************************

I’m working my plan extremely hard – after more than a decade of “trying” to lose weight in numerous ways – I’m working it harder and more successfully than ever before. I have struggled with depression for 15 years and have had hard days in the past 7 weeks but have been able to refrain from emotional eating. I have been struggling with eating enough calories every day – but am working on it. I struggle to eat enough complex carbs, and again, am working on it. I’m, amittedly, OBSESSED with losing weight and hope it turns into a habitual way of life soon (I seem to have an obsessive personality, though. I’ve gone through Beanie Babies, collecting Power Ranger toys for my son, eBay buying and selling, digital scrapbooking, and more) ! And despite having so much to be proud of I STILL struggle with being too hard on myself and focusing on negative things – yes, I’m working on that, too!

Lastly, I KNOW that I will not be able to keep up these strict standards until the 100 pounds is gone. I just want to get off to a really strong start as seeing fast results will keep me moving in the right direction. I WILL eventually add some beef and pork, an occasional diet pop, healthy pasta, and more carbs into my diet (probably after my 41 st birthday on April 12th). This plan IS TEACHING me life-long ways of eating, though, such as: eating 5-6 small meals a day, eating smaller portions, not eating until I feel “stuffed” and “bloated”, drinking lots and lots of water, participating in regular exercise THAT I ENJOY, eating less fatty meat, eating more fruit and veggies, keeping my fridge full of ready-to-eat healthy food, taking healthy snacks with me when I leave the house, having goals, celebrating success in non-food ways, and the importance of keeping a food log.

**********************************

~ Thanks for stopping by! I wish you MUCH SUCCESS on your journey today! – Angie

[Via http://isladeangela.wordpress.com]

Sigma planning interchangeable lens compact: Digital Photography ...

Been busy............

2010-02-23T02:42:00.000+02:00

I have been slacking on my blogging duties as of late.

Good news, I haven’t lost or gained any weight within the last two weeks, perhaps a plateau or perhaps a balance between the mild cheats, and the enormous amounts of walking that I have been doing; celebrating the olympics.

My injury is getting better, I haven’t ran in just over a week and it’s killing me mentally I loooooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeee to run.

I have been spending my time at olympic events, and downtown Vancouver; only one week left of this then my life should get back to some sort of routine normalcy.

Till then…

Cheers,

Janet

[Via http://5lbsatatime.wordpress.com]

News Quiz | February 22, 2010 - The Learning Network Blog ...

Day 24: Couples Kenpo X

2010-02-23T02:40:00.000+02:00

Today’s Workout was a:

Today I’m back on Kenpo X, one of my favorite workouts in the p90x program since it flies by so fast. Today I had to do my workout a little later on during the day, around 5pm.

The extra bonus today was that I got to do this workout with my girl, we haven’t yet worked out at all together but after a bunch of times trying to convince her, I finally got her to do it with me.

I really don’t have much to say about kenpo at this point since I can already keep up with this workout pretty perfectly. It’s intense and I love it, actually looking forward to it each week when it pops up.

I maybe should have got my girl to right this entry because this was her first time doing the workout, or any p90x workouts for that matter, and she really seemed to have the same attitude as when I actually started the program: a lot of “fuck you’s” aimed at the dvd, huffing & puffing, a lot of “again?” on repeatitious exercises and a lot of needed breaks & heavy water intake. She did say she enjoyed it though.

So that’s it for today, nothing really else to say about this workout, it was extra easy today since as my girlfriend was getting so warmed up from doing the exercises she actually ended up taking off her pants and doing it in her thong – which obviously was a bonus for me (I hope this happens more often.)

See you next time

-Fat Guy

[Via http://p90xversusafatguy.wordpress.com]

Climate Science: Credibility At Risk, Scientists Say - Science News

Frittata-Healthy Version & Vegetarian!

2010-02-21T14:31:00.000+02:00

This is something that I came up with myself, although, there isn’t much genius behind it lol.

Frittata ”Healthified”

1 Package Simply Potatoes Hashbrowns (about 3.5 cups)
2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 Green Pepper-Diced
2-3 Tbsp Diced Shallots
1-2 Cloves Garlic Finely Diced
1/2 Cup Kraft 2% Sharp Cheddar
2 Cups Egg Beaters
Salt & Pepper to taste
Any herbs (dried or fresh) that you or your family like

Since today I used the Southwestern Egg Beaters, I skipped the Green Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F

In an oven safe non-stick sautee pan, add oil, green peppers and shallots, sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sautee for an additional 1-2 minutes. (Forgot to take a picture)

In a large bowl, mix the hashbrowns, 1/2 of the cheese, any herbs you plan on using and salt and pepper to taste. Once the shallots/garlic/etc are done you blend them into this mix.

Add the hashbrowns to the pan and press into the pan, it’ll be like a big potato pancake. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat.

Pour the eggs on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 Degrees.

Sprinkle the last 1/2 of the cheese over the eggs and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serves 6!

Calories: 201
Fat: 5.5
Fiber 2.5
Points: 4

It’s easy, yummy and makes fantastic leftovers!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

[Via http://adauntingtaleofscalewarfare.com]

Jack Hidary: BREAKING NEWS - MAN THREATENED TO JUMP - NOW IN CUSTODY

Picture Perfect: A digital weight loss diary

2010-02-21T02:30:00.000+02:00

Alright mamas, how many memory cards have you filled with pics of your wee ones? What about you aunties? How many pics of the little monkey have you Facebooked? No doubt we’re all snapping shots of the kids. But leave a place for yourself in the album too. When trying to lose weight or reshape, photos are a great way to monitor progress and reach your goals.

I am far from camera shy. Hello, aspiring fitness cover model here. I see the flash of a bulb and respond instinctively with a full smile and three-quarter pose. You know, that red carpet pose that does all women justice. My Facebook page is filled with fun party pics and vacation photos. But I also have several personal folders documenting my physical changes through competition training, pregnancy and now, post-pregnancy.

Early in my pregnancy I decided to take monthly photos of my growing bump. The first shot was taken at eight weeks. The last shot was taken at eight weeks. LOL. I didn’t really follow through on that plan. Luckily, I managed to get other shots over the course of the year. Now I can look back at my 1-,4-,5-,6-,7- and 9-month belly. Very cool.

While training for my figure competition (prior to pregnancy), I was much more disciplined about the process. I photographed my front, back, and side poses each week. The photos were reviewed regularly by me and by my coach. This process was extremely helpful in evaluating the changes in my musculature and shape. What I didn’t see day-to-day, I definitely saw week-to-week and month-to-month. The progress pics were a great motivator when I didn’t think my body was changing. They revealed that my midsection was progressively becoming leaner, my upper body more built, and my legs better defined.

4 months postpartum

7 1/2 months

I’ve adopted that process again. As I work toward new fitness goals, I am documenting the changes with monthly pics. (See my 3-month and 4-month postpartum updates). It’s already working. I’ve been looking back at my maternity photos. Wow, there was a 6 lb baby in there! I’m not so hard on myself when I see how big my belly actually was. It’s surprisingly easy to forget. And I’m already seeing slight changes in my post-pregnancy photos too. Step up, and see the incredibly shrinking stomach!

I wish I could lay claim to this ingenious tactic. I would patent it and pay for a tummy tuck. Just kidding. The photo thing is actually suggested by many fitness pros. Funny enough, I received an email this week from Tosca Reno with this very suggestion. Her “Focus on Fitness” detailed seven fitness tips. Number three on the list was tracking progress with before and after photos.

I found a similar suggestion in a blog by fitness model, Jennifer Nicole Lee. Taking a ‘before photo’ was step one in her four-week plan. Local trainer Lyzabeth Lopez includes before and after photos in her “Hourglass Workout” 3 month challenge. Plus we’ve all seen those “holy sh*t” before and after pics on The Biggest Loser, right? How awesome are those?!

So as I’m documenting the growth of my little girl, I’ll be documenting the changes in my body too. I look forward to sharing the results with you as I go.

If you’re inspired by this post, I encourage you to give the digital diary a try. Get your camera, get in front of the mirror and start snapping. Keep the pictures, even if you hate them. Nobody else has to see them. Unless you decide to blog about it, LOL. It will be SO satisfying to look back and see how far you’ve come!

What images inspire you to work harder toward your goals?

[Via http://babiesbelliesandbarbells.wordpress.com]

CNET News Daily Podcast: New rules for adult-themed iPhone apps ...

Attack of the Blob!...Day 3/4 of 24 Day Challenge

2010-02-21T02:28:00.000+02:00

I apologize for being remiss in not posting the past few days. I’ve been going going going with work and other activities to the point that I’ve crashed the past couple of nights.

Day 3 and Day 4 went well. I’m getting into a groove and find myself feeling less hungry then I expected. I don’t workout in the mornings (I am NOT a morning person and I prefer to start work when I wake up…rolling into my office sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning), but I still follow the same plan. Spark first thing with Catalyst, followed about an hour later by the meal replacement shake. Then lunch sometime between noon and 1, depending on how distracted I get at work. A small snack of nuts or a rice cake with PB then dinner follow. Depending on how late I eat dinner, I may or may not have a piece of fruit before bed. It just depends.

I’ve found that I really enjoy all three flavors of the meal replacement shake. I also mix some fruit in with the shake to make it a little more filling (though the shake by itself does tide me over til it’s time for my mid morning snack.) The only thing that was a little disconcerting was that I noticed that the shake is a bit gelatinous/blobish in texture. You know, kind of like pudding. I don’t know if this picture will show it justice:

It was bizarre. But still tasty! I use my magic bullet blender to mix and pureé the fruit in with the shake. Super easy, super quick.

I’m going to confess something…I’ve had some artificial sugar. (*gasp*) Now, now, before you get your undies in a bunch…I’m taking 1 packet of those mix in water flavor thingies. There would just be moments that I’d have a craving for something a little sweet, and that would do it. It’s not like I’m mainlining Aspartame. So, am I being perfect (as in 100% clean)? Not technically. But I’ve stayed off dairy, wheat, soda and alcohol (that one’s not hard…I’m not a drinker) with little problem (though I’ve found myself reading labels much more closely then I ever have) and eating clean save for that one little transgression. I think I’ll survive (and won’t derail my progress.)

Oh, wanna know what I did last night? Yeah..screwed up a bit. I was SOOOOO tired that, when I went to pop my herbal cleanse pills (which are HUGE, btw), I accidentally downed my Probiotic RESTORE pills instead. Oops. I realized my error before I crawled my sorry butt into bed and took the correct pills. I just didn’t have any RESTORE for this morning.

On to day 5…almost 1/2 way through the cleanse. Woo-hoo!

[Via http://gritlysweettea.wordpress.com]

DS family outsells rivals in Japan charts News | DS | Eurogamer

Finding Happiness

2010-02-20T14:26:00.000+02:00

Hey Mom,

I love John Wooden. He was a basketball coach at UCLA many years ago and many consider him one of the greatest coaches in history. I have been reading his stuff for a long time now. Recently, I came across an old notebook I had written these in. These are some heavy promises! In an interview with John Maxwell in 2008, Wooden said he still holds himself to this creed given to him by his father after graduating high school. This is his take on how to find happiness. Hope you like it! Love you!

John Wooden’s Strategy to Find Happiness…

-Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.

-Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.

-Promise to think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best from yourself and others.

-Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

-Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

-Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.

-Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.

-Promise to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

-Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

[Via http://trainerjames.com]

Exclusive: War in Iraq to Be Given New Name - Political Punch

What is Real Food?

2010-02-20T02:49:00.000+02:00

In the Beginning… there was FOOD…

This is an incredibly important question, and one that our forefathers did not have to face. Since the beginning of time, all mankind has eaten Real Food, until the development of fake food in the late 19th century. Our ancestors knew what was healthy, and from generation to generation taught their families what was good and wholesome.

Artificial, or processed food soon realized that they could gain market share from the Real Food purveyors (Farmers) by attacking Real Food through fraudulent clinical studies saying Real Food was dangerous, to using corporate power to control the media information about the safety of fake food and the dangers of Real Food, to controlling government officials, to the point that in many states, it is LEGAL to buy marijuana, whisky, cigarettes, etc, but NOT LEGAL to buy whole fresh MILK!

Processed food corporations realized that Real Food did not have the financial wherewithal to rebuke the obscene statements and accusations made against them by the very profitable fake food industry! Real Food has for all intents and purposes become a whipping boy for the companies that want to plunder their customers to their end! The incredibly successful job of brainwashing a nation into believing Real Food is evil is just now becoming realized as chronic disease and obesity crush our once healthy nation.

Because of this fact, we need to re-program our nation that Real Food is not only safe and healthy, it is truly the only safe and healthy thing to eat! Eating anything other is taking our life in our hands! Getting solid information about Real food such as this Liberation Wellness product is a good start, but also avoiding getting your health information from the media is critical!

Real Food is designed by our creator for our health and vitality! In simple terms, the food God made is healthy, and once man gets involved, it becomes corrupt! Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that, as all things natural are not necessarily safe to eat! For example, carrots are natural, but so also is poison ivy and arsenic. Most vegetables and grains actually need to be processed in order to be safe to eat, but the traditional methods that make food truly healthy and digestible are too costly for food manufactures who clearly do not care about the health of their customers when it conflicts with their bottom line. Fresh milk for instance is an extremely safe food and needs no processing and if refrigerated can stay fresh for 2 weeks or longer! Grains on the other hand need soaking or sprouting and delicate care to make the end product safe.

When we go to the supermarket, we find industrial versions of Real Food (imposters) pasteurized milk (processed) that is not healthy for humans, as well as bread processed improperly which can have a devastating effect on human health! These products almost always say they are “Healthy” or “Organic”, but are neither!These products are just genetically-modified microwavable TV dinners!

My first advice is to find a farmer who is doing dairy correctly, there you can start with the great basics of Real Food, milk, butter, eggs, etc, and often he will have cheese and meat and some fermented foods made in the traditional way. If you start with this foundation of Real Food, you will begin to depend less and less on the industrial foods, and will start feeling the great health benefit of eating Real Food. Sometimes you might get fooled along the way, but so have all of us for many years, so now we are empowering you with incredible information that can change your health and life!

There is a journey to begin eating like a human being, and your journey often begins at the farm!

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

Lucas store sells Star Wars stuff in Home News | MMO | Eurogamer

Friday, Friday

2010-02-20T02:42:00.000+02:00

This felt like a really long week, although in retrospect, it flew by. Today was a weigh-day…that stinkin’ scale hasn’t move at all! Luckily it’s still down 4 from the original number, but no movement since. I am sure if I changed my eating, I could see some movement, but as of yet, I am not super compelled to do that…I gave up coffee this week for Lent, and the thought of limiting my chocolate intake as well…well, that just brings tears to the brink of my eyes. So for now, I am content with maintaining the awesome workouts and running. Which is going really well, if I do say so myself (and I do!). I am running the Nashville half marathon in April with a friend who was looking for some travel partners, so I have my 2 spring races on paper. That takes a load off, now I can just focus on the running! One slight issue for me is that the races are back to back weekends. I have never pushed myself that hard before, so I am hoping all goes well. If I continue to stick with my training, I think good things will happen! I am also signing up for the Disney half marathon for next January…I have to do the register now, as it fills up SO quickly, and I need to make sure I get my spot. my (s)MIL is running it with me, so I think we’ll have a great time! Plus, my auntie lives pretty closeby, so we’ll get to sneak in some visiting time as well. Good news all around!

I have been drinking tea the past 3 mornings. That has helped me avoid a caffeine headache suprisingly well. I used to drink 2 VERY large cups of coffee each morning, but have been able to just drink one cup of tea with no problem. Even thinking by next week, I could make a clean break from the caffeine! Not my original goal, but I don’t think that can be a bad thing. But the nice routine and warmth of my cup is definitely something I miss…but all for a good reason, I know!

Well, off to try to finish a project tonight, so I can kick back and relax this weekend. Kinda wish I had more work to do, but it will be nice to get a mandatory weekend off for a change! More will be arriving Monday, so I better take the break while I can get it! Have a fabulous weekend, and hope the weather is kind to you!

[Via http://craftykristi.wordpress.com]

QuirksBlog: Browser news from the Mobile World Congress

Day 21: New Updates to Stats/Measurements/Pictures

2010-02-18T14:51:00.000+02:00

Having just completed my third week, I have updated my stats/measurements and comparison pictures.

Here’s one comparison from day 1 - 14:

———————–Day One ——————————————–Day 21————————

Click here to view the rest of the pictures

Click here to view the weekly changes in measurements

This was a good week. I was able to follow the nutrition plan pretty well, I did eat two junk dinners on two days however; all in all it wasn’t too bad.

I didn’t see as many results as I have in the past week but I’ve been reading online that most people quit the program after 30 days and after 30 days, once your body is no longer in “shock” mode of getting back in shape, that you really get great results after the 30 days. So I’m hoping that the next couple weeks of really pushing myself plus following the nutrition plan will allow me to see some measurable results in the coming weeks.

Week 4 is next up…

Thanks for visiting!

[Via http://p90xversusafatguy.wordpress.com]

Joe Cole to Manchester United? Maicon to Manchester City? Serbian ...

Maximize Your Metabolism

2010-02-18T02:56:00.000+02:00

You most likely don’t need a rocket scientist to reveal to you why you are having a difficult time losing stomach fat. Your metabolism slows with age. But middle age weight gain is not really unavoidable: there’s a diet plan that can address these changes.

This specialized metabolism-boosting session will help you shed unwanted stomach fat. Most important, you’ll create firm, lean muscle tissue, the secret to a strong metabolism. Start today and you’ll rest better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice your clothes are looser in as little as 14 days. Here’s how:

EAT ENOUGH: When you eat less than you need for common biological activity, your body applies the brakes on your metabolism. Consume just enough so you’re not starving.

PERK UP IN THE MORNING: Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy elevated throughout the day. It’s no accident that folks who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. If nothing else, grab a yogurt.

DRINK TEA: A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%, according to one Japanese study. Experts conclude that the antioxidant catechins in tea supply the boost.

BATTLE FAT WITH FIBER: Studies from research find that individuals who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for around 25 g a day–the amount in about 3 servings each of fruits and vegetables.

JUMBO SIZE IT: Researchers revealed that drinking about 48 ounces of cold water a day can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories per day–enough to shed 5 pounds in a year.

GO ORGANIC: Always choose organic when purchasing peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic versions tend to have elevated levels of pesticides.

NEVER OMIT PROTEIN: Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. Add a portion, like three ounces of lean meat, two tablespoons of nuts, or 1/2 pound of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack.

EAT FOODS RICH WITH IRON: Until menopause, women displace iron each month as a result of menstruation. Unless you restock your supply, you run the risk of reduced stamina and a flagging metabolism.

DRINK MILK: Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may cause a decline in fat absorption from other sources.

[Via http://nomorebellyfat.wordpress.com]

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report -- February 16 ...

i remember how beautiful i used to think you are

2010-02-18T02:52:00.000+02:00

I took my mom to her GP last week and she asked if Mary could squeeze me in. Lucky for me, she did. I am the proud owner of a sinus infection, an ear infection, a deviated septum (that has been undiagnosed my entire life – my nose has never been broken), and a Split S2 (also undiagnosed my entire life – lucky for me, not life threatening). That was an interesting doctor’s visit, lemme tell you.

I’ve been taking my antibiotics like a good little girl, but I’ve been getting progressively worse. Normally when I’m on Augmentin, I start feeling better within a day of beginning the meds. Today, I looked at the bottle, disgusted with the fact that I had no voice and a throat that felt like hamburger meat, and realized that I haven’t been taking my meds properly. When I first got them, I read “take one pill once a day” but it really said “take one pill twice a day”. *facepalm* So, I’m taking them correctly now on top of drinking gallons of water and cranberry juice (my kidneys are hating me right now and I’m praying I don’t end up with a UTI on top of everything else). I stopped by CVS and picked up some Mucinex DM, three bags of cough drops, some daytime Theraflu (since I have nighttime stuff and I hate taking it since the stuff knocks me out so hard that I can’t get up the next day), and some Zicam.

When I get sick, I don’t play around. I hate being sick and I want to get better RIGHTTHATVERYMINUTE!

Of course, I also had to go and think about everything that was sitting on my to do list. I hung up the new curtains in the living room (I hung the ones for my bedroom yesterday and will hang Emma’s tomorrow), threw on some laundry (I actually need to go change it over, but I don’t wanna go downstairs to use the dryer), and cooked dinner despite the fact that I wasn’t hungry. What did I cook, you ask? Twice baked potato casserole, chicken tortilla casserole, Italian wedding soup, and chicken proscuitto ravioli. No, I didn’t eat it all (I couldn’t even eat that much when I was eating everything in sight!), I only had the Italian wedding soup (chicken broth on a sore throat is win), but the rest smells freaking GOOD. I cooked it all because I had to… I bought the soup kits (that I turned into casseroles) a while ago, and if I didn’t use them today, I’d have to throw them out. I bought the chicken proscuitto ravioli the other day and today was the use or freeze by date (I bought 2 packages, so I used one & froze the other – there’s a lot in the packages).

Apparently I don’t know the meaning of “go get some rest”. I still have to do some homework (two assignments due by 11pm tonight) and toss Emma in the tub. I hope Jason gets home soon so that I can have him toss the kid in the tub. I no longer have the energy to deal with it all.

Since this is my weight loss journal, I figure I should probably announce that I joined 24 Hour Fitness today. I have Richard Simmons, MTV Yoga, Denise Austin, Jillian Michaels, etc. DVDs, but come on – how often have I used them? I paid for three sessions with a personal trainer, set an appointment, and I’m going to go to the gym even if it kills me (although, if I try to go right now, it probably will).

My aunt Donna, cousin DeeDee, and my friend Ashley are all either getting ready to join or already are members of 24HF, and we’re all going to go together (or variations thereof… ie: me & Ashley, DeeDee & Donna, me & DeeDee, etc). I find that I do better when I work out with a friend. And going to see the personal trainer will give me an idea of what I need to do and how to do it safely.

Now playing: “London” – AJ McLean

[Via http://notsopleasantlyplump.wordpress.com]

Latest Legal News: Ex-Goldman Banker Fights for Main Street over ...

Jesus Gets My Share of the Soda

2010-02-16T14:47:00.000+02:00

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a.k.a. the start of the Christian time period of Lent. I’ve spent the bulk of my life as a perpetually-lapsed Catholic, so generally, I haven’t paid more attention than the time it takes to make a derisive snort to others when they’ve said they’re giving something up for the duration.

Fat Lisa didn’t need Fat Tuesday in order to mow down an entire refrigerator’s worth of eatables on any given day. Fat Lisa saw absolutely no point in giving up any sort of the calorie-laden items she regularly binged on, and didn’t see why anyone else would want to, either. I mean really, who gives up Cheetos, Twinkies, and cheesecake voluntarily? Crazy folks, that’s who.

Well, as a bigger part of this WLJ, I’m trying to become a better person. And though I don’t post about it, reconnecting with my religion is part of that. I’m down with G-O-D, Jesus is my homeboy, and all that stuff along those lines.

So I’m going to give up soda.

I can hear you all now – “Awww, c’mon now, be more inventive!” I know, right? It’s what every person under the sun, their Uncle Ted, and their pet gerbil gives up for Lent. However, I think it’s perfect for me, because as my number of daily points has dwindled and waned, I have become a serious diet soda addict. Srsly.

For example, last weekend I went through an entire 12-pack of Diet Sunkist Lemonade. That’s six cans of faux-sugary sweetness per day. And, as my Twitter buds know, I’m also best friends with Sugar Free Rockstar (an energy drink), which (TMI) will make you pee the color of battery acid, but also promises to keep your chin from crashing into your desk at your 9-5.

Diet soda generally has less than 10 calories. It really doesn’t hurt your WLJ in terms of poundage. BUT, all things in moderation, and I’m certainly having no part of the “moderation” section of that saying right now. So really, this is a good thing. I hereby swear (on pain of… death? Lightning bolt straight from Heaven? I dunno) that starting tomorrow, not a single sip of soda will pass my lips until Easter Sunday.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if severe caffeine withdrawals cause me to become an incredibly crank-tastic Broad Broad. Read/Tweet from now on at your own risk.

[Via http://thebroadbroad.wordpress.com]

Bioshock 2 takes number 1 position in UK chart | News

Food Journal Feb. 8th - 15th (weeks 5- 6)

2010-02-16T02:54:00.000+02:00

Food Journal

Feb 8th – Feb 15th (weeks 5 thru 6)

8th –

8:30 am 2 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

10:30 am 2 oz. roasted turkey breast, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mustard

1:00 pm 1 oz. tuna steak (I tired to eat brussels sprouts but they were gross and I really wasn’t hungry…)

3:30 (1.5 hours before yoga) protein drink and a banana

7:30 (after yoga) 2.5 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1/2 roasted sweet potato, steamed green beans

9:30 pm some apple slices

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 1013 – Fat Grams, 16 – Carb Grams, 142.8 – Protein, 81.7

9th –

9:00 am 2.5 oz. roasted turkey breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

11:00 am protein shake, blended w/ 1/4 cup blueberries & 2 strawberries

2:00 pm 12 boiled shrimp cocktail

4:45 pm roasted asparagus, spicy broccoli and chicken sausage soup

8:00 pm 1 egg, 1 egg white, 1 slice turkey bacon, 100% ww bread thin

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 1032 – Fat Grams, 30.3 – Carb Grams, 106.2 – Protein, 88.6

10 th –

9:00 am 2 oz. grilled chicken, 12 blueberries, 6 raspberries, 2 strawberries

11:00 am 10 boiled shrimp cocktail

1:00 pm 2 oz. grilled chicken, raw broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber and carrots

3:30 pm protein shake blended with 2 strawberries, 1/3 banana, 1/4 cup blueberries

7:15 pm salmon patty, 100%ww bread thin, lettuce, onion, cucumber, yellow pepper rings, chipotle mustard

9:15 pm some apple slices

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 917 – Fat Grams, 20.4 – Carb Grams, 97.6 – Protein, 90.2

11th –

9:00 am 2 over medium eggs

1:15 pm 6 boiled shrimp, 2 oz. grilled chicken, 1 cup ruby red grapefruit

3:30 pm (before yoga) protein drink blended w/ 1/2 banana, blueberries, and 2 strawberries

6:45 pm mushroom burger, 100% ww bread thin, onion, lettuce, 8 cherry tomatoes, 20 raspberries, chipotle mustard

9:15 pm some apple slices (mostly skin)

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 1017 – Fat Grams, 28.6 – Carb Grams, 128.3 – Protein, 70.6

12th –

9:00 am 2 oz. roasted turkey breast, 1/4 cantaloupe

12:00 pm 2 oz. grilled chicken, a cup of ruby red grapefruit

1:30 pm 1 energy bar

4:00 pm Portobello burger, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pepperochini, chipotle mustard

7:00 pm 1.5 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1/3 roasted sweet potato, 1/2 cup broccoli

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 912 – Fat Grams, 22.9 – Carb Grams, 119.9 – Protein, 65.4

13 th –

10:00 pm 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 cup ruby red grapefruit

1:15 pm spicy tomato, chicken sausage and broccoli soup

3:45 pm few cubes roasted butternut squash, onion slices, fennel slices (not very yummy…)

8:00 pm we went to a Valentine’s Day Dinner/Dance and after 6-weeks of being cheat-free I inhaled food like I’d been stranded on an island for 6 weeks. I ate breaded chicken breast with sauce, mashed potatoes, buttered veggie, 4 chocolate chip cookies, a brownie, and a piece of rum cake.

12:00 am, still on my sugar high, I ate 4 LARGE shortbread cookies halfs dipped in chocolate. I could barely shove the last one down my throat but I did.

Calories, 10,000? – Fat Grams, 1,000? – Carb Grams, 3,000? – Protein, 20 UGH! Oh well. 40 days good and one day bad – No Biggie… As long as I get right back on plan. I will. I’ve worked too hard and look so much better than I did 6 weeks ago! Gotta keep going!

14 th -

I can’t wait to go to yoga and detox that sugar out of my system!

10:30 am 3 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

12:00 pm (2 hours before yoga) protein shake blended with strawberries and a banana chunk

4:15 pm (after yoga) a Portobello veggie burger, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, pepperochini, chiptole mustard, spinach salad with touch of olive oil dressing, 7 grape tomatoes, 4 cucumber slices

8:30 pm 2 chicken sausages sautéed with green peppers, onions, and grape tomatoes

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 1,088 – Fat Grams, 26.7 – Carb Grams, 144.7 – Protein, 74.8

15 th –

10:30 am 2 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

12:30 pm 1 egg and 1 egg white omelette with green pepper, onion, and cherry tomatoes

3:45 (a little before yoga) protein shake blended with strawberries and peach chunks

7:30 pm (after yoga) 3 oz. grilled chicken and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

9:30 pm some baby carrots

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher):

Calories, 835 – Fat Grams, 15.2 – Carb Grams, 114 – Protein, 63.7

[Via http://isladeangela.wordpress.com]

Earthquake-Proofing Haiti – Wired News | News Goblogspot

Cycle Log: Intensity Phase Week 3

2010-02-16T02:47:00.000+02:00

Week 3 is the final week of the first mesocycle of my Intensity Phase (click here for a detailed description of macrocyles, mesocycles and microcycles). Because my training is based on 21-day mesocycles, the third week is always a recovery week, and in this case, a much-needed one. Here are the actual workouts with the plan for the week of February 8 to 14, 2010 (click here to download my plan for the Intensity Phase). I had one high intensity interval workout (VO2max & Sprint Intervals: Short), two Active Recovery rides and one Steady Spinning: Indoors workout.

Week of 2/8/10 Mon Tues Wed Th Fri Sat Sun Total Goal 1.25 VO2/SI:S 0.75 AR OFF 1.0 AR OFF 2.0 GR OFF 5.0 Actual 1.25 VO2/SI:S 1.0 AR OFF 1.0 AR OFF 1.0 SS:I OFF 4.25

I had a great interval workout on Monday indoors on my TT bike. I performed 4 x 3:00 VO2max intervals with 3 minutes of recovery following each hard effort. I followed this up with 5 x 20 second Sprint Intervals with 2:40 recovery. Top speed for each interval was 31 to 32.5 mph. I did my two active recovery rides on a stationary bike in the gym. I had pretty tired legs for the first one, but was a little stronger for the second. I felt close to fully recovered for my Zone 2 spin on Saturday, once again on my TT bike. I should be back to full strength to begin my next mesocycle. I’ll let you know how it goes!

NEXT POST – February 18, 2010

Cycling Performance Tip #4

[Via http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com]

openSUSE News » openSUSE Weekly News, Issue 110 is out!

Reality Bites

2010-02-14T14:56:00.000+02:00

Stats: Started 164.5

Today:154

Blah, blah, blah. Yes.

I know it is salt and water and not overeating. I’m on my plan and have things I want to do today such as huddle up and play video games and clean the smallest amount of my messy house and finish reading a Song of Ice and Fire, at least the first book, and do my five mile walk and stop itching so I want to get this entry done and posted so I can stop obsessing over it.

I cannot stop. I don’t have any interest in stopping. I just have to keep on keeping on. I can wear the size medium coat. I wasn’t going to buy the coat, because there were no size larges but I can fit the medium and my arms fit it in it and it’s good. So. I don’t know what I’m going to do about food today. There’s some stuff about and I’m not terribly hungry and I’m not going out in the snow for anyone so there’s nothing to do but just accept the reality and do my best to not let it get under my skin.

So. Yeah. Valentine’s Day. I’m not seeing anyone, but I have a few things on the horizon, on the books, as it were. It’s much better than Valentine’s past. I’m okay with acknowledging the date this year and not sneering at it or feeling a titanic weight on my chest over it. It’s just like this pathless journey, it’s a marker, but it being this day or tomorrow or December 6 doesn’t change anything if you don’t imbue it with meaning and judge yourself for it.

I really want to judge myself for my shortcomings because then I can feel guilt and shame and all these big, ungainly things that have to be managed and I can justify not thinking clearly about my goals and working towards them. I’ve written a post every single day since I started this in January. It’s only six weeks and I’m terrified, but I’m here. I’m going to see my friends in July and I want more than anything to just enjoy the time, to not feel awkward and disappointed in myself. I want control of this journey.

And maybe I can’t have control.

Which is hard as hell for me to take or understand or accept. I control my own chaotic life by a knife’s blade. I don’t go crazy or take big risks generally. I am quiet and hold back things I mean to say, and I pre-eviscerate events where I am not sure of the outcome to keep myself from any uncontrolled emotion. Because the outcome could take my life somewhere and it’s like I have no inner will to change things. That if I let myself feel love, I will end up with the wrong person and I’d have to make a painful escape or live somehow with never finding the right, magical person who is out there and I would feel perfect about.

Well, clearly, despite the scale, I can manage to make change and stick to things and adapt. I can do it. I just have to convince my head.

And drink some damn water.

[Via http://lustrata.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: 75% support letting gays serve openly in the ...

Day 14: It's a Beautiful Mornin'

2010-02-14T02:20:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Mornin' -- Again!

Well, Mother Nature has done it again — yet another morning pastel wonder to behold.

Did yoga and went for a long huffing and puffing hilly walk with the dogs.

Breakfast: Two poached eggs on Ezekiel toast. Coffee with whole milk.

Lunch: Smoked Trout with Lemon-Pepper and Garlic, Millet with veggies: beets, carrots and parsnips.

Snack: 1/2 pear.

Dinner: 1/2 turkey sandwich with vegenaise, avocado, a whole lotta sprouts, on 7-grain bread. Carrot and celery sticks. Red Chai Tea (no caffeine).

[Via http://gofigurechallenge.wordpress.com]

Break Media acquires FileFront gaming network | News

there's nothing better than swimming

2010-02-14T02:16:00.000+02:00

in the rain!

it’s wet season here! It’s been raining heaps lately! I love swimming in the rain (apart from frogs) and at night time! I swim underwater, to not get wet – hahaha!

Looking forward to tomorrow, good day actually; cause prissy has the day off, so she can do up her blog! Then when i finish work at five, we can go swimming!

Got new boxing gloves the other day, they are so cool! And a soccer ball, might see if my bro’s, prissy and i can play soccer tomorrow too, in the rain, backyard! sounds splendid!

Well, I best be off, got housework to do … Housework is a thankless job and i’m sick of doing it haha! Now i know how my mummy felt! Although I’m glad i did help her I know she appreciated it! I’d give anything to be able to help her now! (love you miss you mum)

[Via http://fitforpinknelle.wordpress.com]

» President Obama asked to Back Bloggers at Vancouver Olympics ...

Weight Loss Program Round 2 Day 1

2010-02-13T14:45:00.000+02:00

Today is Saturday, February 13, 2010. Valentine’s Day Eve. I am starting my weight loss program with Essential Health Hawaii today. I am so excited. The last time I lost about 20 pounds in 5 weeks and I’ve been able to keep off most of it. I gained back around four pounds, but this time I am serious. Although I think keeping the 15 pounds off was good, I want to be THIN!!!! I am determined to lose at least another 20 pounds. Brandy is so good. I love working with her. She said this time around, we are going to work on what keeps me addicted to sweets. We are going deep man! I love it!

This morning at 4:30am I weighed in at 150.5. I start my two loading up days. This is where I get to eat as much as i want! She wants to me load up on fats, calories and junk! Not sure how this fits into the program, I just know it works. Well, here goes. I am going to take my magic drops now and EAT! Stay tuned. Next week the pounds should start melting away as I do!

[Via http://veronicayamagata.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: 75% support letting gays serve openly in the ...

Day 12, February 12th, 2010

2010-02-13T02:35:00.000+02:00

So today, overall was a good day. Of course, the whining and complaining about waking up… but I went out today and bought more gourmet coffee creamer so now hopefully my mornings will be a little cheerier Today was supposed to be a day off, but I’m heading out of town this weekend so I’m going to be missing two days, so I’m just going to do 4 days on, then 2 days off. The only thing though is that my knees have been hurting… not sure if i’m doing something wrong or if it’s just the slate flooring I’m working out on, or just the fact that I’m actually getting off my ass to do something, lol.

EXCERCISE

So I burned 124 calories…. it would have been more, but about halfway through my exercises I was doing shoulder raises and sure enough my resistance band snapped so I ended up double fisting myself in the face. Yep. That was awesome. One in the lip, the other on my cheek bone. My lip still hurts, but thankfully no cuts or bruises. So I was so pissed I did all my exercises half assed and skipped anything that used the resistance band. Ah well.

DIET

Missing my water today… only 1 glass so far… need to get on that….

100 cals Grapefruit

560 cals Mac N Cheese with Facon Bits

100 cals Injera

200 cals Home Made Chicken Fingers

278 cals Home Made Fries

60 cals Booze

20 cals Two Sugar Free Red Bulls (*drools*)

TOTAL CALORIES FOR THE DAY: 1318

MEASUREMENTS

Well, so far so good! I weigh the same! 200 lbs.

[Via http://wiislim.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: 75% support letting gays serve openly in the ...

Finding the house of my belonging, Part Deux

2010-02-13T02:01:00.000+02:00

I seem to be changing my relationship to food. My awareness is shifting. Earlier this week, I wrote about feeding more. I am more conscious of the elements in my life—from my relationships, to my activities, to the written word and even my thoughts that all play a part in feeding me. All of these, I now accept, enter my body and mind, heart and spirit. (and, they are all choices!) I love the similarities of all the words normally associated with eating, (and with the mouth), that also apply to all of these parts of my life. These activities, experiences, all part of my life-style are also my life’s ‘diet’, content to digest! Does what I am doing or reading or producing feed me, does it nourish? How is it to digest? I even had a dream recently where a large stomached man with a mustache (irrelevant detail?) winked at me and said, “The heart is the true stomach.” Chew on that why don’t you?

As a result, I am less attached to food as a source to fill me. (It may sound cliché, but this is the stuff of daily habits and on the surface, not easily ripe for change). Living from home for seven whole days during this snow storm has helped a lot. No stress or time lost with food storage, transport, reheating, which has been very stabilizing. I am conscious of simply filling myself with less food– a bowl of home cooked chicken soup for a meal, rather than whatever my notion of a full meal was before. Right now, I am eating anywhere from 120-300 calories per meal (400 with some indulgence). Now the import of this is not that I am doing it, the import of this is that I am doing it organically. That is, making this choice doesn’t feel like deprivation or delayed gratification. It actually feels as if feeding myself in other areas of my life is snapping or draining that feeling of deprivation inside and organically loosening up my ties to food. It feels peaceful, without conflicts or fears inside me about attaining external goals. I woke up this morning to find I have lost 6 pounds, almost 4 this week. (More of that, please!)

That does keep me motivated to remain conscious around eating, particularly eating less. Its as if my ‘unconscious’ eating is a mental construct rather than a biological construct. Its definitely about regaining awareness of it as a biological source of intake. Of course, this part of the approach applies to my particular life, because I have achieved the worst of modern comforts: a highly sedentary life. I am carrying more weight than is right for my body and doing all of this helps me while I cultivate a stronger habit of exercise. I am even beginning to get comfortable with just letting myself feel hungry for a little bit. I never ‘thought’ this was an option before and is rather exciting in its own way.

What is my other food these days? Meditating, and reading 2 David Whyte books: the House of My belonging and Three Marriages, and giving myself up to my love of words. Maybe even the possibility of giving myself up to pLaY.

[Via http://inlets.wordpress.com]

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Be picky! 4 Simple food-selection tips

2010-02-11T14:42:00.000+02:00

As a former cheese-fry eating contest champion and probable record holder for most Lafayette Coney orders in single week, I certainly know what bad food tastes like. I lived it, man. For example, I promise you the following Taco Bell drive-thru order actually took place in my younger days. I still have friends that bring it up as legend over beers back home…

“I’ll take a nachos bell grande please, no tomatoes, no onions, but extra cheese. And I mean extra. I’ll pay for double or triple extra or whatever you feel up to charging me. I want it gross, man. Have fun with it.”

I think I got fatter just remembering that order… haha! When the guy came to the window, he was laughing. You could tell he felt guilty handing it to me, he said something about not being able to tell what was below the cheese as my friends and I all stared in awe at the plastic trough in front of me.

And I’m sure I used whatever spork or foon they put in the bag to get every last drop of that cheese. That, my friends, is how Old Trau rolled.

But as this blog is evidence of, those days are far behind me. These days I wouldn’t even be comfortable if some of that cheese sauce touched my skin, much less made it into my digestive tract.

Since giving up my Old Trau ways, I’ve become keenly observant of the awful, horrible things the good people around me consume on a regular basis. Some of it is blatantly bad for them, some is masked in healthy-looking packaging.

One of the most crucial elements of a healthy body is a picky, skeptical sense of appetite. I’ve come across some solid, no-bullshit guidelines that I think are a good starting point to help the person a bit stymied by all the “healthy” food out there make better choices.

Suspicious Package Rule:

If it comes in a box, wrapper, can or bag, be skeptical. Don’t immediately discard it, but processed, chemical-laden foods come in packages. That’s how they roll. And if it had a package, it has nutrition facts. Read up. Focus on the ingredients more than the percentages. Some great foods come in packages, so I will emphasize that the point is to be skeptical, not dismissive. Only dismiss once you’ve considered the following rules…

Dawn’s Classic “Rule of Thumb”

Now I don’t know if my friend Dawn invented this herself, but she introduced it to me, so it’s hers as far as I’m concerned. The rule: On any packaging that lists nutrition facts, if you can lay your thumb horizontally over the ingredients list and still read some of the ingredients, that’s a bad sign. Read the list now. Granted, it could be something like a trail mix where the long list of ingredients are all whole foods and totally welcome in your belly… but is there anything in there you can’t pronounce? Let’s move on to the third rule…

Pronunciation vs. Digestion rule

So you’re reading an ingredients list, everything looks good for the first three, then you get to some collection of nouns and vowels that resembles a word… You’ve just stumbled upon a chemical. A sweetener, a thickener, a preservative. Sure, the good people at Whatever Co. deemed it safe enough to go into a food product, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you by a long shot. If you can’t pronounce it, who’s to say you can digest it?

Piece-by-piece rule

When you’re trying to cook up an alibi for the unpronounceable item in your packaged food, consider this: If all the ingredients in that list were separated and laid out on the counter in front of you, would you be comfortable taking an equal spoonful of each into your mouth? A heaping bite of partially hyrdogenated cottonseed oil perhaps? A shot of sodium pyrophosphate anyone? Hell no. If you wouldn’t eat it alone, or even stir it into a home-cooked recipe, don’t let those bastards at Whatever Co. slip it into your mouth either.

It takes a little practice to make all of these things habit, and maybe a bit more scrutiny than some folks can afford to devote to their diets. But for me, what I put into my mouth gets as much scrutiny — if not more — as anything I would be trying to put into any other orifice in my body.

So, how will you treat YOUR orifice today?

TRAU

[Via http://howtraudoesit.wordpress.com]

News Of The Day

Does Swimming Work for Weight Loss

2010-02-11T14:35:00.000+02:00

Make Swimming Work for Weight Loss

Swimming is an amazing cardiovascular exercise that involves the entire body. Unfortunately it does not seem to be an exercise that is effective for weight loss.

A lot of earlier research has shown that swimmers have less weight loss than runners or cyclists. Effective weight loss can only be achieved if the calories consumed are less than the calories burnt. It seems that this could also be the reason most swimmers do not get weight loss.

The Earliest Research

A lot of research has been carried out on the effectiveness of swimming for weight loss.

Some of the earliest research was done by Dr Grant Gwinup. His findings were presented in a paper entitled “Efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise”

Dr Gwinup enlisted minimally to moderately obese women who wanted to lose weight. They were made to do the following 3 exercises;

- Brisk walking

- Stationary bicycle

- Swimming laps

All women slowly but progressively increased the time spent in daily exercise to 60 minutes. After 6 months , the women assigned to walking lost 10% of initial weight, the women who cycled lost 12%, but the women who swam lost no weight at all.

Swimmers Carry More Body Fat Than Runners

Jang published a paper in the Journal of Swimming Research in 1987 that consisted of college swimmers and runners. He stated that despite the exercise energy expenditure of the runners and swimmers being similar, the swimmers carried more body fat. Male runners averaged body fat of 7% as compared to male swimmers at 12%. Female runners averaged body fat of 15% as compared to female runners at 20%. One of the shortfalls of this study was that it depended on the participants to self-report food consumption. Research has shown that people under-estimate food consumption by up to 40% when self reporting.

Swimmers and Runners Have Similar Energy Expenditure During Training

It was also postulated that difference in hormonal patterns and fat oxidation mechanisms may explain the difference in fat levels in swimmers and runners. Flynn published the findings of his study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

Both the swimmers and runners showed no difference in total energy expenditure during training or recovery. There were some differences in substrate utilization and hormone levels. Flynn found that swimming resulted in lower blood glucose levels than running. There was apparently a greater reliance on carbohydrate as a fuel during swimming. Also, it was found that fat oxidation tended to be greater after swimming than running. Flynn concluded that these differences were small and could not explain why swimmers have higher body fat levels.

The Effects of Swimming on Body Weight

Tanaka conducted a study in 1997, where one of the objectives was to investigate the effects of swimming on body weight. The training group swam at 60% of maximal heart rate reserve for 45 min per day for 3 days per week for 10 weeks. The control group remained sedentary. Tanaka did not find any substantial decrease in body fat.

“It is regrettable that swimming does not seem to be as effective as other exercise modes in reducing body mass or body fat since swimming would be an ideal exercise for obese individuals”, Tanaka said. Incidentally, Tanaka is conducting a further study to investigate the effects of swimming for body fat reduction and cardiovascular health improvements.

Swimmers Need Land Training to Trim Fat

Dr Louise Burke, head of Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sports has quoted in his article as follows;

“Swimmers, especially female swimmers, face an energy balance conundrum. Elite swimmers typically undertake 4000-20,000 m per day in training, burning thousands of calories. However, the typical body fat levels of these athletes are significantly higher than runners or cyclists who spend similar or even smaller amounts of energy in their training. Many female swimmers have fought well-publicized battles with their body fat levels and with their coaches! They are generally prescribed “land training” (running or cycling) in addition to their many laps of the pool in the belief that it is a necessary treatment to produce lower skinfold levels”

Do Not Discount Swimming Yet

Swimming is still a fantastic exercise. It is very energy intensive and is extremely beneficial for weight loss. Watch out for Part 2 which elaborates further on how someone could actually make swimming work for exercise.

[Via http://correct-weight-loss.net]

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Back in the Saddle Again

2010-02-11T02:24:00.000+02:00

It’s been a long time….. New year… New Job… and oh yeah, new 8 pounds added to my body!!!!! I added about three pounds over the holiday season and then in January, I started a new job… and there came the extra five pounds. So now, I’m back in the saddle again. I haven’t been in this position for quite a few years. But here I am again. Time to shed these ridiculous pounds! As for the running. I’m only getting in about 3 runs a week and they are all treadmill runs – definitely not my favorite. So… here’s the plan. Very simple, but not always easy to execute. I can stick with the three runs a week until we are out of the snow season. I think, no actual I know for a fact, that it has been my eating that has gotten me into trouble. So now…. here are the rules by which I promise to live by…. and may I blow up completely if I break these rules: 1.) Three meals a day and only three meals a day. 2.) No more than a total of 12oo calories per day. 3.) In the words of a wise man, “Eat Food, Not Much, Mostly Plants. I think that should sum it up pretty well. I’m giving myself a deadline of exactly one month to shed these god-forsaken pounds. So, that means that if today is February 10th. I have until exactly March 10th (5 days before my43rd birthday) to be 8 pounds lighter. The challenge is on…. maybe I’ll even be 10 pounds lighter by then…. why not? And to keep myself honest, I think I’ll use this blog as a sort of tracker – posting my weight and any exercise done with every blog post. So here goes…. today, I weighed in at 126 pounds. No running today (major snow storm/blizzard instead), but I did 25 minutes of upper body strength training/weight lifting. My eating was horrific today, but that should be the last time that I have to confess to that mistake. As of this moment, I am back in the saddle…..

[Via http://runsinthecity.wordpress.com]

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Lose Yourself: Cashing in on the rewards

2010-02-09T14:52:00.000+02:00

LOST!

10lbs of baby weight

Fleshy, soft, covered in stretch-marked, caramel brown skin

Last seen lying low in back, thigh and abdominal area of muscular young mother

Answers to the aroma of baked goods

If found, DO NOT return to owner

**$75.00 cash reward**

It’s not uncommon to see a reward offered for the safe return of a lost item or loved one. But what about a reward offered for safely losing a not-so-loved-one? A reward for getting rid of baby weight sounds good to me!

When it comes to getting in shape, I hardly lack motivation. I’m fired up just knowing what my body is capable of. Every day I’m driven by the recollection of my pre-pregnancy self. Still, I like the idea of a fun treat to mark my achievement. A little extra incentive can’t hurt, right?

My ultimate goal is to weigh 140 lbs max and fit into my size 28 jeans. That will take time. By “expert” calculations, I shouldn’t count on sporting my old Mavis until early-mid summer. A season spent strutting in my “skinny jeans” will be a prize in itself. Until then, there are smaller goals I can aim for along the way.

Fitness professionals suggest breaking long-term goals into smaller chunks. They also suggest celebrating weight loss achievements with a non-food gift to yourself. Darn, scratch dinner at Chiado off the list. I would also add that the gift should be meaningful and enticing enough to keep you in pursuit.

So I’ve made a deal with myself. Upon reaching the half-way point, I will treat myself to a $75 mini shopping spree. Now I just have to determine what the half-way point is. When I started writing this, I set my target at 150 lbs (the mid-point between 160 and 140 pounds). Then I stepped on the scale at GoodLife. 166lbs. Okay, change of plans.

See, the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s possible to make good progress without seeing a big change in weight. For instance, the fit of my clothes says I’ve definitely lost inches while the change room scale says I’ve gained pounds. Stupid scale. It’s muscle, I knoooww. The scale is still stupid!

Okay so here’s the new deal. It’s all about my fitness assessment in April. I expect that assessment to reveal a few successes – lower heart rate, improved cardio, better body composition, smaller waist size, etc. These are all important indicators of fitness level – just not the sexiest ones. Can’t say I’ve ever faced the fitting room mirror and praised my awesome heart rate. In any case, if I hit any of the targets below, I collect on my shopping spree reward:

150 lbs
25% body fat (down from 35%)
32 waist circumference (down from 40)
Comfortably and attractively fitting into my size 29 Twiggy jeans i.e. no muffin-topping and wearable waist-exposed in public

I haven’t decided how to spend my reward but there’s no shortage of options. Maternity leave has forced me to sacrifice a few fun luxuries along with my full-time salary. My esthetician or hair stylist might send a search party out to find me any day now.

Maybe I’ll get a much needed mani & pedi. Or perhaps an update to my make-up case. A new mommy make-over would be great. I could also go for new workout wear. Oh, but lingerie might be better since I’ll probably be spending hubby’s money hee hee. Whatever I choose, it will definitely be something to look forward to.

So that’s that. More baby weight will be lost. And come April, I will find myself looking svelte, feeling accomplished, and relishing my special treat. Check out my 3-month assessment post to see how I do.

How do you reward yourself for a job well done…New shoes? Spa day? Day off?

[Via http://babiesbelliesandbarbells.wordpress.com]

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Who needs the gym, when you have two feet of snow!?

2010-02-09T02:37:00.000+02:00

It’s been a couple days since I updated, so I’ll just have to summarize the weekend.

We woke up on Saturday to two feet of snow!! It was unbelievable. Absolutely beautiful. Obviously, we couldn’t go anywhere. Roads weren’t plowed yet, a state of emergency had been called, and even if we could go anywhere nothing was open (nothing – groceries stores, drugstores, the Y, etc). All this would not have been so bad if only we had power! It went off sometime before 4am, and with such a big snowstorm, we had no idea when it was coming back on. It is really amazing how many things that I take for granted require electricity, including the foods we normally eat. No stove, oven, microwave, and I wanted to open fridge/freezer as little as possible. So all we had to eat were crackers, chips, salsa, candy, marshmallows, and high-calorie homemade sourdough bread. After eating a really early dinner on Friday, I woke up very hungry Saturday morning. Unfortunately I took this situation as license to eat basically whatever I wanted. That’s the not so good part. However, I did want to get some exercise, so I dug out one of cars – took a good 45 minutes of shoveling, worked lots of muscles, and burned some calories! Luckily our power was restored in the early afternoon!

Pic of snow near our house:

Sunday, I am happy that I worked out using exercise DVDs at home (Y isn’t open on Sun morning). Burned a lot of calories and had a decently intense workout. I did Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred for the first time. It really is a good 24 minute workout. And I was very sore from it today! I also did another video to get some extra cardio in. Unfortunately my resolve to make good food choices waned steadily throughout the day. By the time the superbowl party was ending, I dug into the cookies! Whoops! All told, my weekend was definitely high on the calorie side. And also very difficult to count since I ate at other people’s houses. I would guess 2500 or so calories Sat and Sun minus the exercise calories of course. So, bottom line, my calories for the week overall were probably a slight deficit, but not too much. Which brings me to the next topic:

This week’s weigh-in: -0.0, stayed exactly the same. Funny, worked out exactly as I thought it would. Unfortunately this week doesn’t look to be a stellar week calorie deficit wise. Leaving Thursday night to stay with a friend, so I won’t be able to work out Thurs, Fri, or Sat plus the food probably won’t be as healthy as if I were eating at home. However, I’m going to continue to do the best I can this week. I really would like just a slight lose, and then I can really pick up my intensity next week.

Which brings me to today. I did a killer bootcamp class at the Y. Once again, I made a fool of myself and couldn’t keep up, but I did burn some calories. And I’m liking trying all these new classes. I’m also getting a bit of weight-training which I never did on my own. I burned about 500 calories in 56 minutes. Most of the workout was cardio drills (Jump rope, jogging, sprinting, suicide drills, etc) followed by leg/arm combo moves with weights and a few stationary arm exercises. The last 10 minutes were ab work, and although my abs got a killer workout, ab work doesn’t really burn many calories. The heart rate is really low. Plus, with so much weight to lose, I won’t even be able to see muscle definition until I lose another 70-90 pounds.

Anyway, here’s todays stats:

[Via http://laurajane.wordpress.com]

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How Do You Warm Up Before Exercising? This Article Will Tell You How

2010-02-09T02:17:00.000+02:00

Nowadays it’s tough to fit exercise into our busy schedules. Some may be tempted thanks to not having a lot of time to skip warming up. This is NOT a sensible idea. Many injuries are caused by individuals pushing themselves too hard without warming up their muscles first. Without your warm up you may also be stiffer when exercising that will make it tough to exercise the subsequent day.

Warming up doesn’t have to eat up the time you allotted for exercise into your day. In reality, a good workout solely must be 5 minutes long to try and do its job. It doesn’t have to be tedious either you’ll mix up a range of great moves to make your warm up as fun as the rest of your exercising. Bear in mind that a sensible warm up gets all of your muscles moving, even if you don’t suppose that you just will be intensely working out a group of muscles on any particular day. Warming up is also vital no matter if you’re doing cardiovascular exercises or lifting weights. Essentially, any calisthenics that you propose to try and do should begin with a warm up.

The moves you are doing for a warm up shouldn’t necessarily be tough or make you break a sweat. The chief ambition of the warm up isn’t to become a part of your workout, but merely to slowly move muscles that you just haven’t really thought of all day to wake them up. Good moves, therefore, include things like jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, lunging, and jumping rope.

A sensible warm-up can also include slowly stretching your muscles in a variety of ways, although this is sometimes additionally effective for a cool-down. When you are doing stretch, make certain that you just don’t bounce into the stretch, but rather, just slowly stretch your muscles and don’t push it too hard. Also think about exercises that work on balance and form in order to prepare you for the exercises you may be doing in the workout.

If you’re extremely short on time, why not attempt warming up before you even get to the gym. Unhurriedly jog or power walk to the sports hall, park as far away as possible and lunge to the door, and take the stairs instead of the elevator. That way, when you get to the gym to workout your warm up routine is already half way done.

A sensible workout continuously varies in strength. You would like to keep your muscles working. This is the best way to lose weight and maintain your weight reduction. Begin with a warm up routine and after that get into the main exercise. Change up your exercise each few days this challenges you muscles and increases your muscle mass and helps you burn those additional calories.

Try out these blogs for up to date knowledge on healthy dieting and weight reduction: Healthy Diet Plan

and

Healthy Diet Plan

[Via http://blenheimj.wordpress.com]

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The Single Most Important Nutritional Factor for Fat Loss

2010-02-07T14:51:00.000+02:00

Fat loss is probably the most common health and fitness goal today and there are so many different products and programs designed to make people lose fat that it is virtually impossible to keep track of them all. Having different options for achieving fat loss is important, because no single approach will work for everyone, although some fat loss strategies definitely work better than others.

I hope this is obvious, but any good approach to long-term fat loss must involve making improvements in your nutrition and any product or program that promises fat loss without addressing nutritional issues is almost certainly a gimmick and a waste of money. The good news is there are many different fat loss programs that are effective. Interestingly, even though some of these programs involve very different eating habits, they often have some of the same fundamental strategies at their core.

Some of the more popular nutritional strategies involve minimizing insulin level fluctuations, eating natural (unprocessed) foods, eating small meals throughout the day etc. The multitude of nutritional strategies and diets, along with the current obesity problem, has resulted in a lot of research being done to learn more about the process of fat loss. Many studies have compared various eating strategies to figure out which ones work better than others and analysis has been done to determine what nutritional factors are most strongly linked to fat loss.

Of course, there are many factors that influence whether or not a fat loss program will be successful, but some things have been shown to be more important than others. One of the commonly studied factors is the percentage of calories consumed from fats, protein, and carbohydrates, otherwise known as the macronutrient profile. The macronutrient profile is one of the most obvious differences between nutritional programs or diets, with different programs focusing on things like minimizing carb intake, minimizing fat intake, having a balance between all three, etc.

So many programs suggest that theirs is the best for fat loss because of the particular macronutrient profile of the foods, but it turns out this is not the most important part of a meal plan, at least from a fat loss standpoint. When it comes to weight and fat loss, the number of calories consumed is more important than what type of calories you are consuming. Of course, the type of calories you consume is very important for your overall health, but eating for health and eating for fat loss are not always the same thing.

Even though the number of calories you consume is more important for weight and fat loss than the type of calories consumed, calorie consumption is still not the factor that is most strongly linked to fat loss. The single most important nutritional for fat loss is actually something called caloric density. Caloric density is a measure of how much a food weighs compared to how many calories are contained in that food. Simply stated, foods that weigh more and have fewer calories are better for fat loss than other foods.

Researchers have found that the weight of the food you eat has more of an effect on how full or hungry you feel than the number of calories contained in the food. In other words, if two people with similar appetites each eat a pound of food, they should both feel equally full, even if one person ate twice as many calories as the other person. By eating foods that have fewer calories by weight, you will be able to minimize your feelings of hunger, which is one of the keys to long-term fat loss success.

I should point out that while caloric density does not measure where the calories come from (fat, protein, carb), foods that have good caloric density scores usually have healthy characteristics. This is because many healthy components of food, such as water and fiber, have weight but do not add calories, so they will improve caloric density. On the other hand, foods that are very high in fat will have low caloric densities, because fat has more than twice the number of calories per weight than protein or carbs.

By taking a look at the things that influence caloric density, we can see that while it does not directly measure calorie content or macronutrient profiles, the caloric density of a food is essentially a partial measure of both things. Another interesting thing is that many foods with the best caloric density scores are healthy vegetables, which are considered good foods to eat on virtually every type of nutritional program or diet.

It is important to keep in mind that eating foods just based on their caloric density will not guarantee you will have a well balanced diet. You still need to include a certain amount of fat, particularly healthy fats (omega-3 oils), and quality protein if you want to achieve fat loss and good health. However, other things being similar, a person who eats foods with good caloric densities should lose more fat than a person who eats foods with poor caloric densities.

Finally I want to point out that caloric density and nutrition in general is only one component to fat loss. The most successful programs always incorporate both nutrition and exercise. Following a nutrition program that focuses on eating a well-balanced combination of foods with good caloric densities should result in fat loss, but your results will be significantly better if you consistently include challenging workouts into your routine as well.

[Via http://austinpersonaltrainer.wordpress.com]

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Wow! What a weekend

2010-02-07T14:31:00.000+02:00

Wow! I can’t believe i forgot to write this whole weekend! I woke up Saturday and went straight to the gym knowing that I wouldn’t get another chance to go as I was going out Saturday night. I ate fairly healthily Saturday night but then drank copulous amounts of alcohol so that might have voided it!

Sunday I was still over the limit so couldn’t drive to the gym. I planned to do exercise at home but that didn’t happen so instead I had a lazy day. I think I missed the gym though… After going every day, I noticed not going… I also had an eat whatever I want day today and so I ate fairly unhealthily all day…

Tomorow I will make up for it though as I’m planning 2 gym visits in the day. My weight loss goal is to get down to 138kgs by Friday. Wish me luck!

[Via http://mynewhealthylife.wordpress.com]

Steam News

Seven Weight Loss Tips For Beginners

2010-02-07T02:11:00.000+02:00

Read on for seven weight loss tips you need to know

1. Set Goals

You need to have a reason to keep pushing when temptation arises or you simply don’t feel like doing it anymore. The goal/s need to be both physical and emotional. For example your physical goal may be to lose 20kg (44lbs) but this isn’t strong enough to motivate you when you don’t feel like continuing. An emotional goal such as ‘to be able to play with the kids’ or ‘to enjoy life to its fullest’ will ensure you keep focused to achieve your ultimate weightloss goals.

2. Start Exercising

If you are a complete beginner, start with something light like 30 minute walks, 4 times/week and build from there. Don’t rush into exercising to quickly. Build up gradually to allow your body to recover and grow stronger.

3. Include Resistance Training

Resistance training is becoming increasingly popular among the general population and for good reason. It increases muscle mass which means your body burns more calories while at rest. It also improves insulin sensitivity which means less insulin is released by the body, resulting in less fat storage. Another benefit is its nutrient partitioning effects – put simply it means the foods you eat get put to use as energy for muscles rather than being stored as fat.

Benefits not limited to weightloss include reducing elevated blood pressure, preventing osteoporosis, strengthening the immune system and improving posture.

4. Take Control Of Your Diet

Nutrition can be very complex and the ‘ideal’ diet for each individual varies greatly due to differences in size, preferences, goals, age, activity levels and a host of other factors. Having said that there are a few key factors that are universal for all people who want to lose weight. The first is that you must burn more calories than you consume either through diet and/or exercise. Next you need to make sure that what you do eat covers all your nutritional requirements. This can normally be achieved by eating a variety of foods but in some cases supplements may be necessary. Finally, your diet needs to be enjoyable! Associating the words ‘diet’ and ‘enjoyable’ may seem odd but an enjoyable diet translates to a sustainable diet. And sustainability will mean you not only lose weight but keep it off.

5. Include Variety

This goes for your exercise and nutrition. Variety will prevent boredom and means you will continue on your quest to lose weight.

Adding variety to your exercise program is easy. You can change the exercises, rep ranges or even the type of exercising. Instead of running you could swim. You could replace cycling with a boxing class. Or start a sporting team with friends.

Including variety in your nutrition is a little more difficult. When replacing one food with another you need to make sure it still fits into your calorie and macronutrient goals. You also need to control the portion size. However, doing so will make sure your ‘diet’ doesn’t feel like a diet at all.

6. Continue to Learn

If you are reading this article then you are already putting this important step into action. It is can be very handy to continue learning about different ways to exercise and eat in order to lose weight. You don’t have to hit the books but simply talking to others in the gym who have achieved what you want to achieve may help.

(Note: I emphasise may help. There is a great deal of myths and mumbo jumbo out there so be careful when taking advice from someone who got their information from ‘a friend of a friend.’)

7. Consistency Is Key

Put the first 6 steps into action and then be consistent. The only way to continue to lose weight is to consistently do what needs to be done. For some of you there may be a fairly large amount of weight that you need to lose before you reach your goal. To do so you will need to be consistent. Don’t fall into the trap of TV and magazine commercials offering instant success with the latest ‘AB-pro’ or ‘jiggle machine.’ These types of advertisements are simply trying to take advantage of your deep desire to lose weight. Instead, find out what needs to be done and do it consistently. If you do I guarantee you will lose the weight.

Feel lost, disheartened and discouraged on your weight loss journey? Need help, guidance and motivation from a professional? Then check out www.slimdownshapeup.com for online personal training. Or if you live in the Hills District, Sydney enquire about mobile personal training today.

[Via http://slimdownshapeup.wordpress.com]

Facebook Sends More News Traffic than Google News

Law of Thermodynamics: Keep it Simple

2010-02-06T14:22:00.000+02:00

I wanted my first post to be about obesity, because it was my personal struggle. I wanted to keep this very simple and short because there is no magic pill for weight loss. All diets, nutrition plans, trips to McDonald’s and Subway sandwiches apply to the Law of Thermodynamics.

Law of Thermodynamics: Weight reduction can only take place when there is more energy burned than consumed.

You will not lose weight if consume more calories than you burn. There are a number of ways to increase the “energy burned” that I will discuss in later posts. All of them require that you eat healthy foods and exercise. Women should never consume less than 1200 calories and men should never consume less than 1600 calories. Your body has to have these calories to function properly. There is no reason to buy supplements, diet pills, etc. God has created EVERYTHING you need in nature. Do not over complicate the process. Drink a minimum of 96 ounces/3 Quarts of Water and consume fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. Through God’s love he has provided everything you need to stay healthy. Are you willing to embrace it?

[Via http://christianathlete.wordpress.com]

Facebook helps the news industry, but it's no white knight ...

Biggest Loser or Big Loser?

2010-02-06T02:28:00.000+02:00

6 weeks of working out=6 pounds lost.

I’ve eaten yogurt and granola when I wanted cinnamon crunch bagels and cream cheese.

I’ve eaten turkey wraps and vegetable soup when I wanted a cheeseburger and french fries.

I’ve drank loads of water when I wanted loads of coffee.

I’ve gotten up at 5 a.m. to exercise with the Wii version of Bob Harper when I wanted to cuddle up to my husband and sleep.

I’ve done all the right things but I have 6 pounds and bags under my eyes to show for it.

I’ve fallen off the wagon this week. Increased work responsibilities and a sick child derailed working out and quite frankly, I don’t care. I’m tired of it.

Do you get like that? Results don’t happen as quickly as you want? A couple of set backs make you want to quit?

What do you do to stay motivated? Have you quit?

[Via http://reclinerreflections.wordpress.com]

ModNation Racers heading to PSP News | PSP | Eurogamer

Shovel out of Winter Weight Gain!

2010-02-06T02:25:00.000+02:00

Keeping you from your fitness goals are a series of obstacles which pile up like the amount of snow this winter. Thanksgiving and all the big winter holidays are gone. Snow-storms after snow-storm and torrential rainfalls have hit many U.S. states. Frigid temperatures don’t inspire walking to the car much less driving in bad weather to get to the gym. While at home experiencing the winter blues, comfort comes in the form of various carbs. After awhile the comfort food begins to make you uncomfortable with your body when the results are a donut around the waist. As surely as it takes time to shovel your car out of the accumulation, shoveling out of the weight gain mess takes time and can be achieved. Clear the road to weight loss success with small steps.

Make your liquids non caloric whether tea, water or diet soda.
Low-fat Desserts: Yogurt pie, fruit parfait, and smoothies are great options(add your cultural flair with mango, kiwi, lime, etc)
Stock up on Exercise DVD’s. Have a variety to avoid boredom
Wii fit games like boxing
Weight train at home. Make those arms look gorgeous.
Soup is a great comfort food. Avoid high sodium soup and make homemade.
Stock up on snacks such as carrots, celery, jicama, nuts and fruits.

Weight Watchers Strawberry Trifle

Need the taste of cake: Angel food is lighter. Use a light whip cream and strawberries.
Don’t forget 1 hour of snow shoveling can burn off at least 400 calories!

Click Here to visit: Healthy Living Section

Click Trifle Recipe

Article by Crystal A. Johnson

[Via http://multiculturalcookingnetwork.wordpress.com]

ABC News Jumps On Hulu Bandwagon

National Wear Red Day!

2010-02-04T14:42:00.000+02:00

“The sweet spot = when your personal and professional worlds not only intersect, but exist symbiotically.”

This has become my mantra lately, and it’s even scrawled on my Facebook page.

At work recently, I’ve been able to combine my off-the-clock passions for healthy living and social media as I’ve become involved in our work for the American Heart Association.

You might recall a few weeks ago I did a post about American Heart Month.

And if you become a fan of the American Heart Association on Facebook (or follow AHA on Twitter @American_Heart), I’m the “voice” communicating with you, also known as a “community manager.”

Well, tomorrow is National Wear Red Day! And since I know I have a captive audience of (mostly) women here who are likely concerned about their own heart-health (and overall health) I thought I’d use this “reach” for a good cause today.

Too many women die each year because they are unaware that heart disease is their No. 1 killer. So if you’re on Facebook, please make your profile picture red and Speak Up for women’s heart health. You can learn about the cause here. And if you have a blog, would you consider linking to this post, or doing a post about women’s heart health?! Thank you for all your support!

Let’s Go Red For Women! We’re worth it!

[Via http://talesofadisorderedeater.org]

Facebook Could Become World's Leading News Reader (Sorry Google)

Nailed It

2010-02-04T02:40:00.001+02:00

Consistency. Blink. Blink.

Okay, focus, focus. I did my exercise today and hard. In the process of cleaning a few things up in my room, I found my pedometer. I know you’re supposed to get 10,000 steps in a day, at a bare minimum. Well, smart alecks, I have a desk job and I sit at that desk a lot of the day. Some idiots comment on the fact I’m always at my desk. Well, that’s where the work is and the computer to do the work. Should I wander around aimlessly to add steps on the pedometer and appease some sense….okay, tangent. At any rate, I’m working my way to 5,000 with consistency starting, well, today. But, having ran and walked and gadded about for 45 minutes, I’m at 4500. So hopefully I can find some ways to get more in during the day and more water.

I’ve been thinking about salt intake and how that might be an issue. But, that’s a meal at a time kind of thing and the damn peanuts I bought out of hunger today are another tripwire. Oh, hallo imperfection and wavering lines.

Me? I’m doing okay. I’m trying not to see more than one bird at a time, and not overwhelm myself. Monday is another food day at work with a bowling tournament where the choices are Mexican, Italian, or maybe Subway. I don’t know yet what I’m going to do or how tough I’ll be on myself if I eat poorly. I know what we’ll have and I love it and I wonder if I’ll give in or not. But, the thing is…Wednesday night? Pizza is ordered for our meeting. And I know, logically, nothing is making that go into me. Nothing is making me have to have any interaction with it at all. But my brain is telling me things like now I deserve it. I deserve to fall backwards? I deserve to give up? I don’t know. I do have more control. And I’m not the person that has to revel in food for emotional sustenance. Not in 2010. There are other places to go for that.

Also! Lest I forget. I made a whole vlog and wanted to post it, but no fooling, it was all sped up and didn’t upload right. I am thinking that if/when I work it out, I’ll post a link here. I don’t know how comfortable I am with a fluidity of this identity with a visual one. I know that should all be part of this self-acceptance adventure, but I gotta be a little self-aware, too and not jump in head first. If one area gets a bit poisoned, as things on the internet are bound to do, I don’t want to have to lose the other. Especially not this project. It’s starting to mean something to me, more than just a place to dump all my bullshit for free, but as possibly a documentation of my emerging humanity or something. My emergent self-love. Ah, no. Um. Something. It means something and I’m not just stalling for words, it’s just elusive and I can’t name it yet.

[Via http://lustrata.wordpress.com]

News Corp Earnings Are In: Digital Media Contribution Decreases By ...

Day 33 - A Faster Run With A Splash Of Measurements...

2010-02-04T02:40:00.000+02:00

First off, I am quitting work and becoming a professional Powerball player… I can’t imagine that would be so bad and at least at the end of each day, I wouldn’t be pulling out my hair! But… enough about work… let’s get to the good stuff… the test/measurements…

As for the first part of my test… Facebook says it best:

Cliff Rebelo ran 1.56 mi on 2/3/2010 at 6:40 PM with a pace of 9′40″/mi http://nikerunning.nike.com/n/r/en_US/1208129937/2020809252/?sitesrc=fbk_ab_plus

That’s right… I kicked ass on the treadmill. On 12/16, I did 1.3 miles in 15 minutes and that was considered outstanding. I completely blew my numbers out of the water by dong 1.56 in the same amount of time. I am increasing so much on my running and I am getting excited all over again with it… thank GOD because this is what I needed to happen, the excitement. After a glorious improvement in my run, I smacked CJ for making me run at the speeds he made me run at and then we moved on.

The rest of the test consisted of measuring my improvements on this machine that does dips and other crap and all of that improved. Did it improve a lot? I wasn’t impressed with the amount of reps I did this time at 130lbs. I increased the amount that I could do each rep compared to 12/16, but not by a lot. CJ, however, said I should be impressed and considering I had a so-so January, the improvement was more than expected. So… I took the small improvements in stride and moved on to some ab work and plowed through those exercises with one thing in mind… measurements…

How did I do? Considering I had a January straight out of SUPERSIZE ME, I did phenomenal… measurements wise anyway… I wasn’t impressed with the number on the scale but CJ seemed awfully impressed with the numbers taken as he grabbed me there and pulled me here… kinda sounds dirty when you say it that way… but I digress.

Overall, I lost another 7.7mm of crap all around my body and the biggest surprise for me? Going from 35% body fat to 26%… I don’t know body fat and how it works out but I do believe that’s impressive. My weight on the scale? 223lbs… eh. That was a 5lb weight loss from 12/16 which made me sad. I should have lost a lot more than that but Stretch Armstrong told me to focus on the numbers he pulled using his measuring tape and body fat thingie so that is what I am doing. Only thing I can do now is focus on my next test/measurements which will be on 3/3/10, 17 days before my first 5k!

See the information below. On 3/3/10, I need to be at 218lbs or LOWER and I also need to lose at LEAST 3 more millimeters of gunk around my massive body.

Weight: 228lbs to 223bs

Neck: 15.5″ to 15.1″

Shoulders: 47.9″ to 47″

Chest: 43.2″ to 42.5″

Arms at Side: 14.5″ to 14.1″

Arms Flexed: 15″ to 16.3″ (Yeah Buddy)

Waist: 43″ to 41″

Hip: 44.6″ to 43″

Thighs: 20.3″ to 21″ (I’m supposed to have big thighs apparently)

Calves: 15.4″ to 15″ (Still trying to understand this logic)

Triceps: 12mm to 9.8mm

Lat: 9mm to 7.5mm

Illium: 28mm to 24mm

Thigh: 10mm to 10mm (Who knows what that means)

For a total of: 51.3MM = 7.7 MM loss from my DECEMBER 16th MEASUREMENTS and 15.2MM altogether since starting with CJ and taking my first measurements on 11/11/09.

So that’s it. A so-so month led to better results than expected. Thankfully I am excited all over again about all of this and I am ready to get the job done on 3/3/10! My total MM count on that date needs to be 48.1MM or below for a total loss of 3+MM. And what did I learn? DON’T FOCUS ON THE SCALE! I only lost 5lbs BUT look at those numbers. To see my body fat go down 9% is AMAZING and it shows that my hard work has been paying off. So remember folks, get to the gym and pick up those weights because cardio is NOT enough. Get your mind off of the numbers on the evil scale and follow my example. Oh yeah, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… if you are struggling with getting your weight-loss program started, then get yourself a CJ. Having that accountability each week is amazing and if it wasn’t for this accountability, I’d probably still be blogging about not going to the gym! The money I’ve spent on him has been very well spent and it’s the best investment I’ve made in a long, long, long, long time.

Until next time folks…

[Via http://riguy1980.wordpress.com]

Booker Rising: 2/2 News: The Haiti Earthquake Aftermath

Are individuals really that insecure?

2010-02-02T14:54:00.000+02:00

I have received many interesting comments over the years about varied exercises. Most very positive and encouraging. I try to think outside the box and take an exercise and break it down so someone who is either morbidly obese or just starting a fitness program can exercise and feel good about themselves.

Recently I obtained a comment from youtube (where I do have a some snippets) that was not that pleasant. It was from an person who when I looked up their information was large with extreme hard cut muscle. Dont these people realize that not everyone is fit with hard cut muscle? Dont they realize that in reality it is a very small percentage that is extremely fit with hard cut muscle? Dont they realize that most people are trying to fit fitness into their daily lives and don’t want to live at the gym?

I truly wish that those people would stop with the negativity and start with some positive encouragement. Are they that insecure about themselves that they can not use a kind word. I have tried for over 20 years to encourage people to change their lifestyle one day at a time.

It was a few weeks ago that there was an article on-line about one of the Biggest Loser contestants putting back on almost all the weight he lost on the show. (He was the winner of season 3) There was some extreme hate emails that were written and very few positive encouraging words to get back on track. I guess for those who never had to battle with weight don’t have a clue. It does take lots of hard work and positive reinforcement to help those stay on track.

As for me I just cut those negative comments so others don’t have to read them. Sometimes I feel like I am back in grade school with the bully’s. As adults all I want to say is grow up. Life is too short for all of your negativity. Not everyone wants to live at the gym staring at themselves in the mirror or every reflective surface flexing their muscles. Being healthy and fit is one thing. Not everyone wants hard cut muscles. Look I have been there and done that with both losing weight and hard cut muscles. At this point in my life I don’t want that hard cut look for myself. I don’t want to spend all those hours at the gym. So when you see me in those snippets trying to encouraging others you will not see hard cut muscle. Yes you may even see some body fat, but I am healthy, energized, strong and HAPPY!!!! So get over yourselves and allow me to continue to encourage others to help themselves to a better quality of life:)

[Via http://isobreathing.wordpress.com]

skippy the bush kangaroo: environmental news stories sunday

Kids - Healthy First, Happy Second

2010-02-02T02:55:00.000+02:00

You struggle with your weight so help your kids so they don’t have to. Childhood obesity is at an all-time high. It’s not ok for them to eat whatever they want, whenever they want. We monitor their TV, computers, what they listen to, and who their friends are so it’s ok to monitor what they eat. Our job as parents is to keep them safe and HEALTHY. Start now teaching them now what to eat and how much. Save them from having to learn it the hard way as an adult and keep their growing bodies fueled with nutrition.

[Via http://smashfit.wordpress.com]

openSUSE News » Its here! openSUSE 11.3 Milestone 1

Days 25 - 31 - Where the "F" Have I Been?

2010-02-02T02:42:00.000+02:00

Miss me? You know you did, don’t lie. Over the past week, people have thought that I had either died, gained 100lbs or ran off to take part in a Central American stage show. Well, I am happy to say that I have done none of the above. Where have I been then? Good question… After the miserable failure I had experienced over the last few weeks between my illness and my lack of motivation to exercise, I decided that I needed to regroup and take a breather. After my last post on January 25th, I had to step back and figure out what the hell was going on. I had been so motivated and so ready to go for weeks and then suddenly, I was on a one way ticket to FATOPIA, population: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000…

I wasn’t overeating or anything crazy like that, but the last few weeks were just hard in terms of getting excited about the gym again. So on 1/25 and 1/26, I managed to excuse my way out of the gym but on 1/27, I had no choice as I had to face CJ and explain to him that I was a deadbeat for most of January. Instead of and being scolded and called fat, I actually got a more sympathetic and concerned response as he did not want to see me slide back to being the fatty he first met in October. During our rigorous one hour workout, he consistently reminded me why I was there and what I was doing for myself. He then decided that I would get measured this week (as in Wednesday 2/3… eek) and then next week, he was going to see me twice in the same week to make sure I was getting excited about this whole process again. He really did not want me to lose focus and after seeing him… I did get some of my spunk back.

After our lovely hour I remembered the 5K and how far I had come with my strength training and I had to kick myself a few times for wasting what could have been a great month in weight loss. But… I can’t look back. I didn’t gain an enormous amount of weight (maybe a pound or two) and I found last week that I am still pretty strong with both my weights and my running. So after seeing CJ I made sure to make it back to the gym to complete the new circuit twice (Saturday and tonight) and I also made sure to get going with my running. On my last two treadmill runs, I managed to hit 2 miles in just about 20 minutes… if I can keep this up outside on pavement and then add an additional 10 or so minutes, I will have my 5K in a VERY respectable first time try…

I also decided to kick up my weight training a notch by going out and buying an enormous tub of whey protein powder. I bought a canister of Muscle Milk Light and made my first protein packed shake tonight and it actually did not taste bad at all. I made sure to drink it as soon as I got home from the gym to make sure all of that liquid protein got to my muscles and I then followed it up with a light dinner an hour and a half later. I’ve been online finding all of these recipes to make with the powder so that one of these shakes can sometimes serve as a meal replacement as well… found an outstanding recipe where you add bananas, natural peanut butter, some other crap… sounded tasty. In the beginning, I’ll stick to the simple water and milk recipe and only drink them after workouts… I’ll graduate to complicated recipes in a week or two.

So, what did I learn these last few weeks? As fun as this blog is and as much support as I get from it… no one can motivate me but me. Kinda sucks huh? I thought for sure that all of the inquiries regarding my blogging absence would have gotten me to get up and get moving, but it didn’t. Yes, it’s nice to have so many people support me on this journey and wonder if I am OK, etc… but the only one who can fix me is me and I had to fix myself to get back on this road once again. I may have had a scary few weeks, but I am back in this game and that is all that counts! The support does help, but you really need to want this… if you don’t want it, then no one and nothing can help you until you help yourself and get that drive back. Fortunately for me, I got it back and I am just hoping that this time it sticks! Look for the new measurements this week…

Until next time folks…

[Via http://riguy1980.wordpress.com]

CBS News Braces For 100 Layoffs After Horrible Ratings

Top Ten Weight Loss Methods

2010-01-31T14:30:00.000+02:00

The newest articles of the best and most popular online, Fitness guides for Losing Weight, are available from the Fitness Diet website, where the Fat Loss Reviews were carried out for weight loss through Diet, or Diet with some form of exercise and orderd by effort.

Popular tried and tested Diets are seldom sequenced in terms of ease of effort required and speed of Fat Loss, however Diet Reviews Top 10 have done just that. The site is unique, 10 popular Weight Loss Diet guides have been reviewed and orderd higher for being more effortless, requiring little or no exercise and fewer stars awarded for Fat Loss Diet requiring physical activity through fitness training. Additionally the speed of weight loss is also added into the star ratings, where more stars are awarded for quicker results and fewer for slower results.

Although Fitness training is not required on some of the Diets, the Diet and Fitness section covers Weightloss Reviews of products with increasing exercise times leading to greater Weight Loss and much improved Fitness levels. The of Fat Lossand Fitness level attained is significantly higher in these ebooks, awarded with higher stars to signify how easy the results can be attained in the shortest possible time. Where the training time increases for each guide reviewed, lower stars are awarded, however these later ebooks are really for the more serious physical fitness training enthusiasts, where the effort required is considerable for much more accelerated results.

The free guides alone are worthy of registering for, covering Diet, Weight Loss, Fat Loss and Fitness ebooks, moreover gaining full exclusive access to the site. In summary out of these Weightloss Reviews, the most effortless Fat Loss Guide is “Fat loss 4 Idiots” and of the effortless Diet and Fitness guides, “Fat Burning Furnace”, See WeightLoss Diet on main website or blog reviews at Weight Loss Reviews for further details.

The “Fat loss 4 idiots” WeightLoss Diet guide is truly a marvel, lose 9 lbs every 11 days , eat until full four times a day, adding your favourite food and no fitness training required. The Diet uses Calorie Shifting and although the claim is positive, feedback has been good. Reports of effortless weight loss, close to the claim of, lose 9 lbs every 11 days, is not unusual. Read the full Fitness Diet on the main website, testimonials, or blog Fatloss Reviews.

All the Fitness diets have varying degrees of exercise, in intensity and duration. “Fat Burning Furnace” Diet and Fitness guide, requires the effort and duration, to produce impressive results, with temptingly good feedback. Read the full Fitness Diet on the main website, testimonials, or blog Weightloss Reviews.

Due to the demand of the Diet Reviews, additional articles are being compiled shortly covering the comparisons of the individual products.

A number of great Weight Loss Diet guides are available free, by simply registering on the popup that appears on the home page, as well as full exclusive access to this unique website.

For practical recommendations in the sphere of CLEP Study Guides – read the site. The times have come when proper info is truly only one click of your mouse, use this possibility.

[Via http://lotsofarticles.wordpress.com]

Happy Sounding Economic Headlines Front Skeptical Economic News

And So It Begins...

2010-01-31T02:46:00.000+02:00

Full Disclosure: I’m not affiliated with any of the sites, people, or programs mentioned below other than that I am using them and like them a lot (and I think you will too!).

It’s almost 1 month into the new year and I’m finally posting to my newly re-imagined blog. That’s ok though b/c I’ve got a great reason for it. I’ve had an epiphany today regarding my health and fitness. I’ve been looking into, and agreeing with, the primal lifestyle in general and, to be more specific, Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint (PB). However, today things have changed.

First, I’ve finally taken action and ordered Mark’s book. I have been reading his blog for quite some time and debating over whether to get the book or not, and today I took the plunge. Not only that, but I’ve also created an eating plan based on the principles in the book and on Mark’s blog (call it a diet if you want, but this is a lifestyle change and NOT a fad that’s going on here folks).

To help with the eating plan, I’ve also signed up for the free online version of FitDay – which is a great way to track not only the foods I eat, but any activities I do, weight I lose (or gain, but that’s not the plan), and it allows me to set goals for all kinds of things. My goal weight is my high school football playing weight of 210lbs (I’m currently @ 250.4lbs), and I have set goal ranges (minimums and maximums) for calorie intake, fat intake (calories and grams, and broken into saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated), protein (calories and grams), and carbohydrates (calories and grams) designed to help me get lean as well as lose weight.

I still need to set up my workout plan based on the PB principles, and I’ll probably do another entry when I get that done (hopefully later today).

The other thing that’s so great about FitDay is that regardless of what kind of program you are following and what your goals are, you can set the goals, ranges, etc. that fit your needs and it will keep track of everything. It even gives you graphs for calorie breakdowns (by nutrient type), weight tracking, etc.

I was planning on working out today, and instead, I spent most of it reading up on Mark’s blog, ordering his book, and setting up my FitDay account. It doesn’t take a long time to set up the account, but I’ve been doing a lot of reading along the way, and it took me some time to do the calculations to get the balance of calories, fat, protein, and carbs that I wanted so I could enter them in my goals on FitDay. I also need to tweak my workout schedule/program before I get back at it.

So this is it. Day one of my lifestyle change – and as an added benefit/motivation, I’m starting this in the middle of the second week of my company’s Biggest Loser competition (it’s 18 weeks total). I lost 5 lbs the first week and expect this new outlook to continue my success, if not help me do even better!

[Via http://johnjmcmahon.wordpress.com]

ARRLWeb: ARRL Home Page

Health Stories: Triggers for Seeking Health Information Online

2010-01-31T02:36:00.000+02:00

When you design a health Web site, the most important questions to ask are how and why someone will come to your site. To help my Online Consumer Health students answer these questions for the sites they design, they create personas and then develop scenarios that start with the persona’s trigger for going online and continue with the persona’s ongoing education and support needs.

Triggers can be related to the calendar; searches for “diet” spike on the first week of each new year and crash a week later. Bill Tancer reported on the frequency of health searches related to a diagnosis of a famous person in the news. But the most common trigger is to diagnose or learn more about a health issue. With 52% of online health inquiries on behalf of someone else, the trigger for many is the need to learn more about someone else’s health condition.

Jill D. is a researcher from New Hampshire whose mother was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal tract tumor. Shocked and worried when she heard this, Jill wanted to immediately learn more. She needed to understand what the diagnosis meant for herslef and to help her mother understand it; she also needed to help her mother evaluate treatment options. Jill doesn’t live near her mother so couldn’t go with her mother on her next doctor’s appointment. She would have felt comfortable asking her own doctor questions, but didn’t have an appointment otherwise scheduled. So she went online.

In June 2006, my (then) 74-year-old Mom was told that she had a gastrointestinal tract tumor that was probably cancerous. As soon as I heard, I wanted to find out what treatment options would likely be offered to my Mom as well as the statistical likelihood of survival.

I looked online for information because I’m not in my doctor’s office often enough to be able to ask my own physician, “Say, what do you know about tumors of the GI tract?” Also, I wanted to be able to browse through written information at my own pace rather than trying to listen closely to a quick data dump.

I looked online over the course of several evenings. I know that the trustworthiness of information on any given website is highly dependent on the source of the information, so I concentrated on sites provided by highly reputable medical establishments such as the Mayo Clinic and the US National Institutes of Health.

By far the most useful information for my purposes was available at the National Cancer Institute. The reason I found it so helpful is because I was able to read the same article in two versions, one intended for patients and the other for medical providers. I am not a medical provider but I am used to reading dense, scientific journal articles. Thus I carefully went through a page entitled, “Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors Treatment“.

I learned that these tumors tend to grow very slowly and, if the tumor is localized, the 5-year survival rate is 70 – 90%. My Mom was wondering if she would be subjected to radiation treatment but this article indicated that radiation is rarely helpful for these types of tumors so I told her that her oncologist would probably not prescribe radiation. Further, I found out that tumors smaller than 1 cm rarely spread to other areas (metastasize) but that tumors greater than 2 cm frequently metastasize; this told me that my Mom’s 1.6 cm tumor could go either way.

None of the information in the preceding paragraph was available on the page intended for patients, so I was grateful for the chance to read the pages intended for health professionals. I had to look up a few words, such as “telangeictasia” (the formal term for spider veins, one of the potential signs of GI carcinoid tumors). Despite my incomplete medical vocabulary, I felt reasonably confident that I understand the article and wouldn’t misrepresent the information when relaying it to my Mom.

This story has a happy ending because my Mom underwent surgery to successfully remove the tumor and—even better—the tumor was not at all cancerous. Six weeks after the operation my Mom was feeling healthier than she’d felt in years and went off on a long car trip.

[Via http://lisaneal.wordpress.com]

Pink is the New Blog | Everybody's Business Is My Business » Blog ...

Summary Saturday

2010-01-30T14:00:00.000+02:00

I’m going to start a weekly wrap-up of some great articles that I come across, hence the clever “Summary Saturday” slogan…The information will include a range of topics, but it will all be fitness related.

A few good things this week…

A great post from Michael Boyle on how running is a poor choice for most people, and using it as a tool to “get fit” may possibly lead you to injury. You Can’t Run to Get Fit, You Need to Be Fit to Run.

For those of you still on the “I don’t eat egg yolks” bandwagon, here’s an interesting article worth a read. Do Egg Yolks Cause Heart Disease? I always crack up when someone throws the yolk away at breakfast and proceeds to tell me that a bland egg-white omelette is the way to go…

An interesting article on how core stabilization exercises can benefit soldiers during their APFT sit-up test. Sit-Ups Versus Core Strengthening

Lastly, a great post by Lyle McDonald on Split Squats. He goes over a few basic techniques and some common errors that may be plaguing you during the exercise. Split Squat Technique

Video of the Week: A compilation of the worst deadlifts ever…ugh. You can’t help but laugh a little. I can hear chiropractors cheering on future patients…

[Via http://envisionedhealth.wordpress.com]

Perez Hilton: HUGE GaGa News!!!!

May Be Of Some Help

2010-01-30T02:17:00.000+02:00

I am still dealing with this damn Urticaria and what I am sure of is that it is environmentally caused (detailed in another post) and food aggravated. I am producing too much histamine and even a slight pressure on my skin causes a welt. It disappears only to be replaced by another somewhere else. In all of my searches on-line for help I found very little until I began examining histamine reducing diets.

This link may be of some help to someone out there.

I kind of wish I had not been so negative in my first post, but hey, it was an honest moment and I felt in crises.

I am watching my money right now and since everything I eat seems to cause a reaction, I’m not spending the money for “better products”. I’ve been shifting to organics for a long time, but today, I decided that $2.99 for Annie’s Organic Macaroni and Cheese could not compete with a .49 cent box of Kraft’s. Yes, it’s not good for you, but I like it better and since nothing is helping it’s what I chose.

Why pay more for hives than I have to?

I am going full-force into a candida cleanse in a week—I have some work issues to clear up before I start. I really like this plan and it’s worked for me before. If I lose a bit of weight it’s a bonus, but right now I need to get my immune system running at full speed again.

By the way, I’m really sick and tired of everyone giving up on Obama a year in. Jesus—he has a mess to deal with and never in history (my voting history) has a president been held to such a high standard by his own party the first year. I’m tired of the whining and wailing that he isn’t what he said he was,. He is what he said he was. He’s a different kind of leader and that’s what we voted for…or at least I did.

[Via http://fortyonefat.wordpress.com]

Talking Biz News » BW names exec editor, deputy editor in first ...

Day 11/20 - Part 2

2010-01-30T02:02:00.000+02:00

Continued to feel awful most of the day. Bosses let me go home at noon. I came home and crashed on the couch for an hour or two. Woke feeling somewhat better, but hungry. By evening, I was feeling pretty good and got out the Wii Fit balance board for some more cycling. Completed the “Island View Course” and unlocked the “Expert Course”. Took a look at it, but was feeling weary after about five minutes and called it a night. Will hit it hard (-er, at any rate) tomorrow.

Wii Fit:

End-Of-Day Total (minutes): 44

Weekly Total (hours:minutes): 4:37

[Via http://portsidebd.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Great news: Bin Laden declares jihad on ...

Week 2: Days 1-7

2010-01-28T14:39:00.000+02:00

Instead of writing a new post for every day of the week, I am just going to combine the week into one post and just update it everyday/when I find the time.

Last week I had a pretty rough start and only lost .2 pounds . My goal for this week is 2 pounds.

Yesterday: January 27th, 2010

Lunch: Salad with Balsamic for dressing, Left over Shrimp and veggies, V8 Juice. Snack: Hot Chocolate, Fiber One Bar. Dinner: 1/2 Californian sub from Planet Sub, Bag Baked Lays, Unsweetened Ice Tea. Snack: 1 serving animal crackers, one pouch Motts fruit snack. Exercise: 60 min weight lifting class

I didn’t drink any water at all yesterday. But now that I have my new water bottle, I have no excuse!

Total Intake of: Calories: Fat: Fiber: Protein: Calories Burned in workout, about: Calories. * I will update this info when I get home from work.

[Via http://wonderwallflower.wordpress.com]

Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen: Green News Report -- January 21 ...

KFC Confessional

2010-01-28T02:54:00.000+02:00

I had KFC tonight. And still….am struggling to get to my 1800 calories for the day. I am sitting at 1460. This is the way my week has gone. If I am tracking, I am too good at maximizing healthy, filling foods, into as few calories as possible. I have even managed to figure out how to work snacks into my work day, which is hard to do given the job I do.

So why do I feel guilty about the KFC if I am not over calories?

Here is why.

KFC is a crutch for me. It is comfort food. I only want it when I am stressed or something emotional is going on. With that said, I did not plan to eat KFC tonight. Had I pre-planned or even pre-thought about KFC, I would have sent an SOS text out into the world. Instead, here is what happened. No excuses, just the facts.

1. I gained 2 lbs this week. Don’t know how, but I did.Been somewhat (ok a lot) discouraged by this.

2. Been especially crabby and tired this week. My cold is back. I know I am retaining water which means one thing and one thing only…and I have been feeling especially lonely this week…probably triggered by the same thing causing water retention.

3. I had a long day at work.

4. Received a not so pleasant email from a friend accusing me of some not so pleasant things that I don’t want to deal with.

5. On my way home, I was dealing with some of the natural consequences of 18 months unemployment…not so fun.

After finishing up some somewhat stressful phone calls, I headed to the kitchen to make some dinner only to find a bucket of KFC there. Without thinking, I pulled it out and ate.

It was only afterwards that my brain kicked in and I realized what I had done AND how that kind of eating was directly related to my day and the emotions involved.

I hate when I realize this behavior. Like I said, no excuses. I ate what I ate, for the reasons I ate. The only way to change it is to puke it up which just leads to a whole new pattern of behavior that is completely unacceptable in my eyes…(which I have never done before, by the way).

So now, I get to move on. But those great theories I have of not letting the past define you and letting things be what they are and not getting sucked into the shame cycle…are soooo much easier to talk about…when on the other side of it all…

[Via http://road2beautiful.wordpress.com]

Poll: Fox most trusted name in news - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

What's Shakin'?

2010-01-28T02:52:00.000+02:00

Oh goodness, this Saturday is going to be fun. To start things off, the Death Track Dolls will be gracing us with their inimitable presence at the 10:30 Recess! class, and then the ever-fashionable, eco-conscious, radder than rad Do. Crew (check out their facebook group) will be tearing it up at 11:30.

Are you kidding me? This will be more fun than sweet potato fries and ketchup. More fun than talking through a fan to make your voice sound like Darth Vader. More fun than watching a bully try to kick over your snowman, not realizing you built it over a fire hydrant. More fun than any singing cat video you’ve ever seen.

What’s Recess all about? Well, Recess is a games-based gymnastic/Parkour/high intensity interval class which will restore your youthful vitality, reignite your love of movement, and get you freakishly fit. Have I set the bar too high? Come try a class and find out. 213 Geary is where it’s at.

If you have questions, or would like to schedule a private or group session, email me (Liz) at marthadonkey at gmail dot com.

[Via http://runningonplenty.wordpress.com]

AllHipHop.com Daily News - : AHH Stray News: Hip-Hop Karoaoke, 50 ...

full moon...

2010-01-26T14:41:00.000+02:00

My wife enjoys these stories…mostly because they come at my expense.

This morning’s run was tough…15 min easy run to warm up (ok, that not so much), then in zones 3-4 needed to do 5 x 45 sec full out…well close too it. The first four were ok; and by ok I mean, I was sucking wind. I jogged 2 minutes between each to bring my HR down. Then on the fifth one, I hit 30 seconds. Like I said…it was tough. Again I was sucking wind and realized that and my pants were falling off. No really, my ass was out for the world to see! I’m pretty sure I mooned the lady walking her dog. Hope she enjoyed the show lol! I couldn’t get them retied…I’ve found with these pants that the drawstring slips when you pull it too tight. And since I’ve lost weight since buying them, I cinch them tighter…the drawstring didn’t like that. And well, I think it’s time to buy new pants.

So I ran home, the last 18 minutes of the workout with one hand holding up my pants…yeah, it was a fantastic sight I must say.

Despite the wardrobe malfunction…I think I did ok. I was intimidated a little, not sure I could do it. I tried talking myself up…didn’t help so much. Then I realized I was starting to beat myself up…that I couldn’t do it, I shouldn’t try, and that I was a big fat piece of crap…I got pissed. I decided I was going to show myself I could do it. And well, I guess I did it.

While it helped going negative, it motivated me but I don’t want to do that all the time. I’m making progress…I’m not the same guy I was 16 weeks ago. I’ve made changes and they are sticking. I can do it…and will. I guess I just need to prove it to myself some more. Eff you negative Dan…you’re going down.

More later after I get the girls to bed! Kick ass today people!

[Via http://cubicledad.com]

Journalists Restrict Their News Sources To Facebook And Twitter

Miracle Occurs! - WebMD Reports Truth About Diet - Low-Carb is Healthier!

2010-01-26T02:39:00.000+02:00

Low-Carb Diet Lowers Blood Pressure Low-Carbohydrate Diet Better Than Weight Loss Drug Orlistat at Lowering Blood Pressure With Weight Loss By Jennifer Warner

WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 25, 2010 — A low-carbohydrate diet may have health benefits that go beyond weight loss.

A new study shows that a low-carbohydrate diet was equally good as the weight loss drug orlistat (the active ingredient in Alli and Xenical) at helping overweight and obese people lose weight, but people who followed the low-carb diet also experienced a healthy drop in their blood pressure levels.

“I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat,” researcher William S. Yancy, Jr., MD, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, says in a news release. “If people have high blood pressure and a weight problem, a low-carbohydrate diet might be a better option than a weight loss medication.”

Researchers say studies have already shown that the two weight loss methods are effective at promoting weight loss, but it’s the first time the health effects of each have been compared head to head.

“It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects,” Yancy says.

Low-Carb Lowers Blood Pressure

In the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 146 obese or overweight adults were randomly divided into two groups. Many of the participants also had chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.

The first group was advised to follow a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet consisting of less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, and the second group received the weight loss drug orlistat three times a day, plus counseling in following a low-fat diet (less than 30% of daily calories from fat) at group meetings over 48 weeks.

The results showed weight loss was similar in the two groups. The low-carb diet group lost an average of 9.5% of their body weight and the orlistat group lost an average of 8.5%. Both weight loss methods were also not significantly different at improving cholesterol and glucose levels.

But when researchers looked at changes in blood pressure, they found nearly half of those who followed the low-carbohydrate group had their blood pressure medication decreased or discontinued during the study, compared to only 21% of those in the orlistat group.

Overall, systolic (the top number in a blood pressure reading) dropped an average of 5.9 points among the low-carb diet group, compared with an increase of 1.5 points in the orlistat group.

Researchers say weight loss itself typically produces a healthy reduction in blood pressure, but it appears that a low-carbohydrate diet has an additional blood pressure-lowering effect that merits further study.

Comment- Excuse my sarcasm, but If only information like this was promoted 40 years ago, millions of lives might have been saved. Imagine the incredibly obvious truth, consuming less sugar (carbs) in your diet is healthy and will promote weight loss! Wow, what a revelation, WebMD really went out on a limb, I’m surprised it even made the website!

Kevin Brown

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

Saber strikes back at Fox News, Sean Hannity on health care reform ...

Day 2

2010-01-26T02:38:00.000+02:00

Here we are at day two! I feel great on the inside but my throat and ears are doing horrible! I can’t believe this sickness has totally got me this time round. Well first day of school was a success and I’m ready for tomorrow!

I threw up twice this morning because I was coughing so much… yeah I know it was painful. Sometimes I can barely catch my breath when these things come on. I was in line at the bank on saturday and had to leave cause my cough was so bad I couldn’t stand in line, almost the same thing happened at the post office.

I’m still feeling a bit self-conscious about my weight even though I’ve lost 10 pounds I really sometimes don’t like the fact that I’m still big and I just want this all to GO AWAY! My sister was telling me about the show the Biggest Loser and how the people on there have so many mental problems being the fat person and I wanted to tell her I’m losing weight too but I haven’t said a thing to any of my family or friends because I’m not ready yet. I really just want to surprise them.

My friend who’s wedding I’m in is helping me find a pattern for the dress I’m going to wear and I really want to tell her I’ll be really thin by the time here wedding comes around so don’t worry but she just thinks I don’t really like the dress… I sooo wanted to to tell her or give a hint but I WILL not do that. I want people to start seeing a change in me rather than going around telling everyone “I’m Changing!!!” So here’s to another day skinner, healthier and more energetic. I will be seeing my health psychologist soon and I’ll let you know what we chat about and the new things she’s helping me with.

Thank you for your support and helping me on my way. I’ll do the same for you!

FMLopez

[Via http://fmlopez.wordpress.com]

College Football News and Views 2010 Edition | CFB Wizard

Day 5/14 - Part 2

2010-01-24T02:50:00.000+02:00

Tonight was Date Night, sponsored by our church. They offer free childcare from 6:00-9:30pm so married couples can have a night on their own and strengthen their marriage. Thankfully, Amanda and Brandon took part in this and actually left the house this time meaning I got the apartment all to myself for a couple hours. This is greatly appreciated by me. It allowed me to do my Wii Fitting without an audience and with all the windows open and the fans blowing on. Quite nice. I did the Long Distance Run, Expert Rhythm Boxing, Advanced Step Aerobics and Rhythm Kung Fu.

I really don’t enjoy the running. My calves start to burn in the middle of it and ache the rest of the night, but that’s probably a good thing. Since this activity doesn’t actually use the Wii balance board, I pushed it out of the way and ran mini-laps around the living room to get a better rhythm going. Did well, I think. Scored the top spot, anyway.

Wii Fit:

End-Of-Day Total (minutes): 37

Weekly Total (hours:minutes): 4:46

[Via http://portsidebd.wordpress.com]

AMERICAblog News: Corporations, Lobbyists and Republicans are big ...

Is Your Personal Trainer Fat?

2010-01-24T02:46:00.000+02:00

Does your personal trainer look like he or she could use the workout more than you?

As a San Diego Personal Trainer, I know how important it is for me to practice what I preach. I like to think that my personal training clients follow my example when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. These days I see quite a few out of shape personal trainers and I often wonder, how do they get business? I cannot imagine being an inspiration and heathy example to my clients being out of shape. It just doesn’t make sense.

So let me ask you a question. How would you feel if your trainer and most trusted advisor had a higher bodyfat percentage than you? How would you feel if your trainer was clearly overweight? As a client, wouldn’t you feel that there is no hope? I know that personal trainers should not necessarily be the models for perfection, but that is sort of part of the job description and how we are perceived.

So why do people sign-up for training sessions with out of shape personal trainers? Are people attracted to the out of shape trainers because they remind them more of themselves, not the changes that they wish to instill in their lives?

For any toes that I may have stepped on, I apologize, but please do your business a favor and take care of yourself. This is a debate that has gone on for years and will continue to be argued for years to come.

I am interested in your input. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

[Via http://nikolklein.wordpress.com]

Fox News' Wallace on White House Effort to Spin Brown Victory: 'I ...

Need Help And Tips About Dry Acai Berry Products - Find Them Here.

2010-01-23T14:41:00.000+02:00

Why should we avoid Dry Acai berry production? Here, where Dry Acai berry production is used in the course of heating in extremely heats. Here, where the temperature is warmer, there is the higher destruction of many nutrients of Acai Berry itself. The good effect of heats will be more time before the expiry of the term of its action; however it is with very less nutritional value. Product working life extends for time, but they have reduced the nutrients. In this type of Acai fruit, it is better to appreciate Berry and it is known for the big nutritiousness and should not be perceived as due. By this time, you can think why to avoid Dry Acai Berry product.

The dusting core is engaged in drying by the help of the big heat or intensive quantity to hot temperature for elimination of water of property of Acai Berry. And then, when in the course of heating, the substance then will be mixed with a mix, also is considered as the carrier. It can be and other reason why it is necessary to avoid Dry Acai Berry product as the huge sums or a component of dry powders dispersion Acai Berry is the carrier.

The another matter here is that the carrier maltodexin cannot be found on a label for this mix and is actually got mixed up on manufacture of such kind of activity as that from the technical point of view is not present any necessity for its part of components also because of some problems from marks laws are covered by FDA. Here, where to bear its agent known as maltodexin is a product of production and in any way is not an additional component, hence, necessarily to be on a label. It is one more valid feature why it is necessary to avoid Dry Acai Berry product.

Thus, dried spray of Acai Berry powder can be cheaper in manufacture, therefore than it is cheaper take advantage or buy, but on the other hand when we speak about quality of dry spray of Acai Berry powder it is necessary to make efforts for it to use simply on the necessary quantity, at the same time there is no presence of any carriers as well as maltodexin, plus big features that gives Berry the full nutritious of Acai fruits which have remained also safeties. Having this article, you can be able to be informed on the reasons of why one excludes the Dry Acai Berry product.

Now do you wish to have more energy, to be healthy, to look younger, and to grow thin, clear a body, yes? Then using the Acai Berry fruit products is the best way to reach these purposes.

Once anything new comes into our life, people with brains test this thing first. Nowadays lots of people are talking about acai berry and its positive effect upon fight with overweight.

Beyond any doubt any product from the mother nature has all rights to be the subject of special attention of modern medicine, as people are tired of chemical drugs that often do more harm than any real assistance. And acai is a good example of the help from above.

But in any case learning more about what is acai, its ingredients, how it works and what effect it can produce is the first step to do for a wise person.

Nowadays we are living in the world where knowledge quickly enhances the quality of our life.

Due to this if you are properly armed with the knowledge in your sphere of interest you can be sure that you will always find the way out from any bad situation. So, please make sure to track this blog on a regular basis or – best of all – sign up to its RSS. In such an easy way you will have your hand on the pulse of the freshest informational updates here. Blogs can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

[Via http://overallhealthblog.wordpress.com]

Fox News Wins Haiti, Massachusetts Election Ratings, By A Lot

Catrina's food intolerances revealed

2010-01-23T14:26:00.000+02:00

As part of an initial Nutritional Therapy consultation I often carry out a food intolerance test using EDS (Electrodermal screening). This is a completely painless test that is 75 – 80% accurate in pinpointing foods that may be causing or aggravating symptoms. Given that it takes up to 4 days for your body to throw out a symptom if often really difficult to work out what you’re intolerances are for yourself.

I don’t normally weigh my clients as scales tend to reinforce the “diet” mentality but given the plan to blog Catrina’s progress I dug out my scales that also measure body fat percentage.

Catrina weighed in at 20 stone and 11lb with a body fat of 55%. Now 55% may sound high but given her overall weight I was surprised it wasn’t much higher than that. I believe therefore that a lot of her excess weight isn’t fat but retained water. This will happen partly as she’s massively dehydrated given the amount of caffiene intake (see previous post) but as a result of regularly eating foods and drinks that are toxic to her. When we bombard our body with toxins continually the liver can’t cope and a back log is created. In order to make the toxin safe in the meantime it binds the toxin with water within a fat cell. Stop ingesting the toxin and the body gets a chance to clear the backlog and the water is released along with the toxin through the normal waste channels.

The test revealed that Catrina has 5 major intolerances:

broccoli

corn

rice

soya

sugar cane

Given that she has so many that a day won’t go past without exposure to one or more of these substances it’s not surprising that she hasn’t noticed a link between eating them and a particular symptom. Although I can see from her food/mood diary that her mood dipped after a Sunday dinner that included broccoli.

So rather than worry about “slimming” I’ve asked her to cut out the above foods one by one, once she’s got her hydration programme underway.

Most Nutritional Therapy clients come back in 6 – 8 weeks for a follow up but Catrina will be back next week for step 2 of the life change process – follow this blog to find out how she’s getting on with the challenges I’ve set her.

[Via http://whywaittofeelbetter.wordpress.com]

BBC - Douglas Fraser's Ledger: Paperless news

Weight Loss Plan

2010-01-21T14:47:00.000+02:00

Excess weight and adiposity, as a rule, are surrounded by wrong habits of a food and a sedentary life. An improper feeding leads to accumulation of fat and other toxins in our organism and helps to lower our suitability and efficiency in work. To result a body in the form it is obligatory for reception of a foodstuff in places before we will go to other methods, such as cardiovascular exercises or tablets for growing thin. It consists of a diet and consumption of corresponding food during corresponding time in the necessary quantity.

The healthy balanced diet includes the big portion of fruit, cereals, vegetables, fish and meat products. They provide necessary vitamins and the nutrients are necessary for healthy way of life. Seasonal fruit and vegetables should be always more preferable. Any meal which is stored in a refrigerator during the long period loses the freshness and nutrients. It is better to avoid the processed foodstuff which is loaded from the sated fats which are not useful to heart. Besides, the people having such fat food as a rule develop to a bulky frame.

The majority of researches have been published in the last century about optimum plans of a food and kinds of the foodstuffs which will allow conducting a long and healthy life. The plan of Atkins diet, the Mediterranean diet, and sugar Busters Diet undertake radical various ways of the decision of a problem. The plan of Atkins offers the limited consumption of carbohydrates, the Mediterranean plan does an emphasis on vegetables, dairy products, both olive oil together with fish and poultry farming production. Sugar Busters excludes fat food of calories and sugar.

Bud of a life such as the fried food, the aerated soft drinks became an integral part of our life since the early childhood. Chips, salty peanut, hamburgers, ice-cream, confectionery products, coke, etc. can be more to taste, but they wreck chaos on a body.

To grow thin on a constant basis, one should think up the good plan of a diet. Standard error is that carbohydrates including rice, macaroni of the whole grain and lead to weight increase. Carbohydrates actually make vitals, such as a brain and kidneys work properly. The majority of people consider that it is necessary to stop with snack to grow thin. Healthy snack between food intakes are raised by a metabolism and the control of torments of hunger. And the most important idea is never to go on a diet. Such diet is pernicious for a body, especially eyes, kidneys and hair to receive the victim after the short period.

Many people who have packed enough also a sedentary life prefer to address for dietary tablets to help them with their programs of struggle against excessive weight. It always is expedient to try tablets made by the known companies. It is necessary to consult with the doctor to find out, suitable tablets. Usually as active components were specified on the bottle party. It is possible to make also more detailed search in a network for reception of more detailed information.

If you are among those who are searching for info about phentermine 37.5 pills – please go to this phentermine 37.5 site. There you will find info about the dosage, regulations, effect and other vital details about phentermine 37.5.

Today we live in the world where information makes life easier.

That is why if you are properly armed with the information in your topic you can rest assured that you will in any case find the way out from any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this web site on a regular basis or – best of all – sign up to its RSS feed. In such an easy way you will have your hand on the pulse of the freshest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to know how to use them.

[Via http://overallhealthblog.wordpress.com]

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Nailed It