Weight Without Shame Or Guilt - Self-Acceptance

How To Spice Up Can Salmon

2012-02-10T08:12:00.000-05:00

(Excerpt from Patsy White’s Book: Quick-Easy-Creative
Delicious Meals On A Budget

I love Salmon in the can. Don’t know why I don’t like the fresh Salmon. I am a very finicky eater. I like what I like and anything else ruins a good meal. As you can tell I don’t go out to restaurants much but I am never sure of the quality of food.

Maybe I’m spoiled like that because I have my own personal chef. . . my husband. I have loved his cooking since the day I met him. When I was raising children I cooked, made stuff from scratch, the whole nine yards because I believe children should eat healthy.

Perhaps I like cooking for a group rather than two people. Once in awhile I relieve my husband in the kitchen, make him breakfast, dinner or lunch. He doesn’t require it like some men so I appreciate that.

This is one of my favorite meals Patsy White has taught him. Thank you, Patsy, because before you I only knew three ways to make Salmon: Salmon cakes; Salmon with onions over rice—okay, it’s only two. Sorry.

The day you showed him how to make this dish, I have not eaten it the other ways since. Okay I did have Salmon cakes for breakfast since then.

So Blog cookers, want to be chefs, kitchen haters, this is for you:

Salmon With Peppers and Onions On rice With Plantains

1 can of Salmon (your choice of brand name)
1 green and red pepper (cut in strips)
1 onion cut in strips
3 cloves of garlic diced
5 single pieces of fresh Cilantro
1 Ripe Plantain
½ celery stalk cut in 1- inch strips
1 very ripe tomato diced
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
2 cups of Rice

In a large skillet add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil; when oil gets hot, add onions, garlic, pepper, celery, Cilantro; stir well; add tomatoes; stir, and add ¼ cup water; 1 tablespoon of Ketchup, stir well; add Salmon, stir without breaking up the Salmon too small; simmer for 3 minutes, serve on White or Brown Rice.

Rice
2 cups Rice to 4 cups water; cook on medium heat.

Peel Plantains, cut in ¼ inch circles; deep fry or in frying pan until golden brown; serve on the side.

Enjoy!

Comment: What are some of your favorites? Love to share.

More quick and rollover meals from Patsy White’s Book at www.print2publish.com book store.

Weight Loss Recipes for Christian Women

2012-01-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

Are you over weight and unhappy with your weight? Is shame plaguing your life, stealing your peace? Over weight happens when we ignore what we are eating and eat whatever satisfies our taste buds for the moment with whatever is at our fingertips. As a Christian woman modifying weight loss recipes the extra pounds will come off as part of a lifestyle change versus crash dieting.

Where does a Christian woman start when it comes to losing weight? She begins by confessing to God that she has operated outside of his best for her health. Following the confession comes prayer for guidance, asking God to guide her as she begins to turn away from the old habits of weight loss recipes.

A Christian woman should seek God first. He knows everything about her (Psalms 139:3) Spend some time asking God to show you the root of this excessive weight gain. It might help to journal your feelings. It could be the weight loss recipes you have chosen in the past don’t work because you really don’t like, or fearful of doing something over and over. Perhaps it’s because your weight problem is connected to some emotional event in your life.

God wants to heal the real problem and not put a band aid on the symptoms. Choosing weight loss recipes, formulas, and restricting weight management ideas need to be considered spiritually by the Christian woman.

Weight loss recipes that work for some won’t work for others. The Christian woman should make sure her reasons for wanting to lose weight line up with God’s instructions for living. Do you want to lose weight because you no longer feel sexy, attractive? Is taking off the extra pounds going to fulfill your sexy feelings and lure you into thinking that borders on pride and return you to being self focused?

A Christian woman should examine her motives before God, recognizing that she has been created in the image of God, and he didn’t make junk. Making God the focus of your weight loss recipe, rather than becoming a fad, or quick fix, it becomes a lifestyle that can be lived out by the truths of God’s word.

More about living a lifestyle pleasing to God (click here)

Weight Watching: 7-Must Have Seasonings For Great Food Flavoring

2012-01-26T16:59:00.004-05:00

I have always enjoyed great flavor in prepared food. To me there is nothing like a cook who knows how to season, to bring out the best taste in food. I am always looking for great seasonings to improve the flavor of my food.

About two years ago I was introduced to Old Bay and Adobo seasonings by my friend from Trinidad. The Greek Seasoning we stumbled upon while we were vacationing in Indiana when we couldn’t find Adobo.

1. Goya makes a product called Adobo, which is an all purpose seasoning. You can use it on fish, chicken, pork, beef, etc.

2. Cavender’s is an all purpose Greek Seasoning. I was surprised at its many uses: chops, meat loaf, fish, turkey, hamburgers, seafoods, wild game, vegetables, gravies, soups, stews, etc.

3. Garlic Powder.

4. Old Bay Seasoning can be used on seafood, poultry, salads and meats.

5. Salt. You may like it fine, grainy, or the sea salts.

6. Ground Black Pepper

7. Cayenne pepper is also good if you like a little heat in your dishes.

More on losing weight without starving yourself(click here)

5 Quick Tips to Lose Weight Fast Naturally in 10 Days!

2011-12-11T18:58:00.000-05:00

by Karla Robbins

So you are interested in getting a flat stomach and want to know how to lose weight fast naturally? Well, here are 5 quick tips for losing weight quickly and burning the fat that worked wonders for me! And you can get started right away.

1. More Fruits, More Veggies More Fat Loss Power!

Got a sweet tooth? Eat more fruit

Grab an apple,orange or a mango instead of reaching for a sugary snack.This will satisfy your urge for sweets and give you the essential vitamins and minerals you need to power through your day and help you lose weight fast. At meals fill up on raw or steamed vegetables. Remember think organic! (if you can afford it). Aside from being low calorie most veggies are a great natural source of fiber which will help you lose weight fast naturally by keeping you regular.

2. Forget about the super-sized Pepsi!

I know it tastes good and all but what your body really needs is water.

Aside from all the empty calories, alcoholic and soft drinks (with caffeine) will actually drain your body of the water it needs to function properly. Just drink plain water. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because a beverage contains 99% water, that it is just as good as water. It is not!

Plus, drinking ice water can actually help you to burn fat! Make sure you drink at least 2 liters a day this will flush your system of impurities. Tired of drinking just water? Try green tea! Green tea contains some powerful antioxidants which keep you healthy which is important if you want to lose weight fast, naturally,

3. More Whole Grains Less Processed Foods

Have you looked at the list of ingredients for most commercially prepared foods? You don't need all those preservatives, artificial colors and added sugar. Also the fat and sodium levels are usually off the chart!

To burn fat and lose weight successfully you need to have a steady supply of good carbohydrates like potatoes,brown rice and oats, to name a just a few.

4. There are Good Fats and There are Bad Fats

Saturated and trans-fats should be avoided as much as possible. You can boost your immune system by eating foods that contain omega fatty acids, things like olive oil and fresh fish ( You can boost your immune system by eating foods that contain omega fatty acids, things like olive oil and fresh fish (also good for hair and nails!).

Avoid the farmed fish if you can.

5. Pay Attention To Your Meals!

A recent study showed that roughly 73% of North Americans regularly eat their meals in front of the television. Have you done that recently? Have you ever been so absorbed in a TV program that you were surprised that your plate was already empty? Me,too!

If you are serious about losing weight:

Turn off the boob tube

Take your time and eat slowly. When your belly is full there is actually a delay of a few minutes before your brain gets the message. That's why many people over-indulge on the holidays and end up like bloated whales on the sofa gripping their swollen bellies!

Chew your food 32 times before swallowing (this gives your saliva time to do it's magic and properly prepare the food for speedy digestion)

So, if you reduce your portions,get plenty of fiber,fruits and vegetables and lean protein in addition to drinking plenty of water you will find the weight will be melting off you.

Of course, a proper diet is only half of the equation in losing weight quickly.A regular exercise regimen can help you lose weight fast naturally in the shortest amount of time. This is what helped me to lose 50 pounds and get a flat stomach.

But I also had a secret weapon!

Following a simple plan I was able to achieve my weight loss goals and the results were dramatic!

Right, so are you ready to discover how to get a flat stomach that worked so well for me?

Well, I must warn you this is not for everyone. I encourage you to go see my blog, How to Lose Belly Fat! Can you really lose weight with fat burning furnace? Click here to find out! -> How to Lose Belly Fat!

Don't forget to grab the FREE 83 page guide to show you how to get the body of your Dreams in 2010!

Good luck achieving your fat loss goals!

Karla

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karla_Robbins

Feeling Hungry-- It's Late!

2011-11-29T01:08:00.002-05:00

Opted for Yogurt. The other day I bought some Vanilla flavored. Of course, after I saw a special on how flavors are created I thought, just plain, please.

Why does sleepiness, hunger and tired go together? I don't know, just happens like that. Wait! there might be an explanation. When you're sleepy you want to lie down and sleep. Perhaps it is thought, if you eat the body would be busy burning calories and keep itself awake and you.

I don't know, it's late, I'm eating my Yogurt. Thinking of losing at least 10 pounds. If I lose 20 I would have to get a new wardrobe. Not in my budget right now.

While you are on this page, if you look to the right you will see "Losing Weight Without Starving Yourself." The starving, special foods, drinks, teas approach never worked for me. If not that, keep searching for what works for you.

Blondie's "One Pot" Chicken Quarters With Veggies

2011-10-01T18:37:00.002-04:00

Trying my hand at cooking a little more. There are a hundred (100) ways to make Chicken. One day I will do a blog asking for Chicken recipes. Well, you could do that now if you want.

Anyway, back to my attempting to give my husband a break in the kitchen. My favorite meals are made in my one for all style. I’ll call this my “One Pot” special for chicken lovers.

I think my mother may have taught me the basics and I embellished upon it.

Blondie’s “One Pot” Chicken Quarters With Veggies

Ingredients:

Leg Quearters
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 Medium Onion
Adobe All Purpose Seasoning
Old Bay
Black Pepper
1 pack of Green Peas
Olive Oil
Wheat flour
Soy Sauce
Rice

Remove any excess fatty deposits under the skin of the leg quarters, or remove the skin entirely. Wash in warm water, place in a pan, season with a few shakes of black pepper, a few shakes of Adobe All Purpose Seasoning, a few shakes of Old Bay.

Take your naked hand or a rubber glove and spread the seasoning over the meat, just in case there were places the seasoning did not reach.

Let the meat sit for about 10 to 15 minutes while you cut up a half green and red pepper into smaller pieces, about the size of a pea. Repeat the same process for the onion, using only a half. Place the red and green peppers, and the onion, in a separate bowl, or on a saucer.

Take a quart size pot and place it on the stove top, heat it up, place three tablespoons of Olive Oil in the pot; after its hot, add peppers and onions. Stir for about 10 minutes. Pour off any excess oil, add Chicken, enough water to cover Chicken, let it boil.

Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down so it will simmer. Take a separate fry pan, add two tablespoons of Olive Oil, place three tablespoons of wheat flour into the fry pan and stir until it starts to turn brown, add three tablespoons of Soy Sauce, a few shakes of Adobe All Purpose Seasoning, a few shakes of Old Bay, and gradually add 1 cup of water.

Let the gravy come to a boil. Turn the heat down to let it simmer. As the gravy thickens, pour it into the pot with the Chicken. Chicken should cook to fork tenderness. It should cook down into the thickened gravy, peppers and onions. Taste the gravy.

Turn the heat down lower and pour in peas. They should cook with just the steam from the already cooked Chicken. You may also add other veggies of your choosing at this time.

Prepare your rice according to the instructions on the box. You may use brown or white rice.
Your “One Pot” Chicken With Veggies is ready to serve.

Looking for more quick and easy recipes for the busy moms and dads, check other recipes at this blog.

Gather your family's favorite recipes and go here.

Don't Throw Away Those Over-ripe Bananas!

2011-09-01T17:20:00.000-04:00

How many times have you gone into your local supermarket and spotted those beautifully ripe bananas sitting there calling your name to take them home? They look good but you know that beauty is fading, it is not lasting because as soon as you get them home within a day or so that beauty will fade into brown, or black.

I love bananas but would always end up throwing them away, thinking they were not good to eat after they started browning, and then my husband started making smoothies. Bananas are a great source of natural Potassium. I’ve known a few friends to eat bananas for their health.

Anyway, here is my husband’s smoothie recipe.

Ingredients:

Strawberries
Bananas
Pineapple Juice

Since he’s been making Banana Strawberry Smoothies he has gotten some great bargains on those browning Bananas nobody wants for as low as 10-cents a pound at the market.

Look for sales on Strawberries and Bananas at local fruit stands, or your supermarket, buy them, take off the parts you don’t eat, wash and freeze until you are ready to make your smoothie.

Got a smoothie recipe you want to share?

The Best Weight Loss Program For Women Over 40

2011-08-27T20:50:00.000-04:00

Choosing the best weight loss program for women over 40 can be confusing. The choices range in the thousands. Everyone has the cookie. And you probably have tried one too many already. Believe it or not, just because one didn’t work for you, it has worked for someone.

The best weight loss programs are not about cost, they are about what you can work for your benefit. Are you a person who can drink a liquid weight loss drink for a period of time without feeling starved? Is your best weight loss program a pill, a cookie, pre-packaged meals, a stomach band, herbs, or a shot?

These methods may not have worked effectively for you, but they have worked for some. Perhaps you have not given much thought to choosing the best weight loss program. You have gotten to the point you follow whatever your friends have tried.

First, determine from past experience what has worked or what hasn’t. Make a list. Whatever weight loss program you are considering now should be compared to your failures of the past in order to choose the best weight loss program for you.

Second, what was your length of success using your previous weight loss program? Did you keep the weight off or put it back on? Your choice of the best weight loss program for you may require a more natural approach, where you are able to eat naturally but within moderation. Eating naturally fulfills the body’s nutritional requirements and reduces binge snacking.

The best weight loss program is the one you can incorporate into your lifestyle long term, reaching your goal to not only lose the unwanted pounds but to look and feel healthy. Making right choices that do not endanger your health should be your priority. The best weight loss program should be considered in light of side effects. What would be the purpose to lose the weight and end up with worse health problems?

Lose weight without starving yourself (click here)

Corn Bread Anyone?

2011-08-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

Found this recipe when I was looking for heart healthy choices for some of my favorite foods. What I liked about this one, as you can see at the end, it gives you Calorie count and other nutritional values. Interesting! Valuable.

Good-for-You Cornbread
(From CDC.gov website)

This is not only good for you, but good in you—making it a healthy comfort food.
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup low-fat (1%) buttermilk
1 egg, whole
¼ cup margarine, regular, tub
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (to grease baking pan)

1. Mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, and baking powder.

2. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and egg. Beat lightly.

3. Slowly add buttermilk and egg mixture to dry ingredients.

4. Add margarine and mix by hand or with mixer for 1 minute.

5. Bake for 20–25 minutes in an 8 x 8-inch, greased baking dish. Cool.

Cut into 10 squares.

Heart Healthy Home Cooking

Yield: 10 servings

Serving size: 1 square

Calories 178

Total Fat 6 g

Saturated Fat 1 g

Cholesterol 22 mg

Sodium 94 mg

Total Fiber 1 g

Protein 4 g

Carbohydrates 27 g

Potassium 132 mg

Special thanks to Wahida Karmally, Dr.P.H., R.D., CDE, CLS, and her colleagues at the Irving Center for Research at Columbia University for testing the recipes with the African American community.

Dessert Anyone? How About a Kool-aid Pie?

2011-08-10T16:43:00.002-04:00

I know what you are thinking: Kool-aid Pie. . . You’re kidding, right? I thought the same way when I first heard it from my daughter-in-law. All sorts of thoughts went through my head until I learned what went into it and actually made one myself.

What made it attractive to me was the Cool Whip with few calories, plus it was quick and easy for a non-cook, non-pie maker such as myself. Since my first attempt met with rave reviews I decided to try it again and again.

Hope you enjoy. You can always add your own special tastes to the Cool Whip if the Kool-aid doesn’t float your boat.

The ingredients needed:

Two small packs of Kool-aid (your choice of flavors)
These are the flavors I have tried so far: Pineapple, Water Melon Cherry flavor,
and Mango.

Small tub of Cool Whip

A can of condensed milk

Small Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Spoon out Cool Whip, mix in condensed milk, two packs of Kool-aid until it is smooth
And all ingredients are mixed in.

Spoon the mixture into the Pie Crust and place in the refrigerator for about 2 hours

Creates a delicious desserts. The kids will love it! Your friends and family will
fall in love with it and want the recipe.

Suggestion: Kraft Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust is also delicious

Low Cal Mac and Cheese Anyone?

2011-08-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

Looking for a low cal of this traditional favorite? What I like about this, you know your calorie/fat count going in. Enjoy.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese
(Excerpt from heart healthy cooking at the CDC.gov website)

This recipe proves you don’t have to give up your favorite dishes to eat heart healthy meals. Here’s a lower-fat version of a true classic.

Cook macaroni according to directions—but do not add salt to the cooking water. Drain and set aside.

Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Lightly spray saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions to saucepan and saute for about 3 minutes.

In another bowl, combine macaroni, onions, and the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Transfer mixture into casserole dish.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings
Serving size: ½ cup
Calories 200
Total Fat 4 g

Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 34 mg
Sodium 120 mg
Total Fiber 1 g
Protein 11 g
Carbohydrates 29 g
Potassium 119 mg

What you don’t know about what you eat can put you at risk to health problems. Learn more (click here).

How to Avoid the Work-at-home Boredom and Food Cravings

2011-06-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

Just because you work-at-home does not mean sitting around in your pajamas all day, hair uncombed, no make up (ladies), getting started when you feel like it, or just going through the motions. Work-at-home should be viewed the same as work outside.

Start your day with a schedule. Get up early, read, workout, do something to set the mood for the day. Eat a wholesome energy releasing breakfast. Don’t forget to dress up for work, even if it is at home; it creates a positive attitude.

Head into your work space with a bottle of water to sip on while you work; otherwise, you may get busy and forget that liquid gold to your health. Leave the snacks in the pantry. This will be an excuse to get up from your computer to stretch your legs, to stimulate your circulation.

To avoid at work-at-home boredom, use other rooms beside your main area. Set a time to work in each area, then move on to the next. If most of your work is on the computer, set your watch or clock to go off every so often to stand up, walk around, stretch, rest your eyes. Tiredness can lead to an eating binge.

Keeping in mind the triggers to unhealthy eating, here are some do’s and don’ts:

Do buy healthy snacks to keep in the frig or pantry.
Do not keep unhealthy snacks on your desk, or in your work area.
Do keep your healthy snacks some where else so you have to get up to go to them.
Do keep water nearby to sip on.
Do stay alert to the cravings brought on by boredom.
Do take a break if the urge to eat something surfaces, try going to another work area.
Do take breaks, walk outside; play a computer game, eat lunch.
Do not miss meals. Plan your main meals into your day.

Working-at-home allows for flexibility, but if you don’t treat your work- at- home like a business, mindful of your health, your health will suffer the same as people who work outside the home.

Not sure what to choose for healthy snacks (click here)

“Weight Loss Magic Formula” Biggest Lie Ever Told?

2011-05-11T14:12:00.000-04:00

Fast weight loss products and plans appeal to the desperate who think their weight problem is pounds that can magically be moved by an instant product with no effort outside of chewing, swallowing or drinking some weight reducing drink.

So how many have you tried? What has been the results? The problem is we want magic and we will risk our health to get slimmer, even if it kills us. What we weight watchers are ending up with is disappointment, sadness and a depleted bank account chasing the ideal weight and beauty promoted in Hollywood and the media.

If you have given up, join the crowd. Has it gotten to the point every time you hear about one more diet drink, pill or meal, you respond with negative feelings and anger? It’s okay. Do you feel like whatever you’ve tried didn’t work, leaving you feeling a bit helpless?

I feel you. Even as I pen these words I am thinking about what my research revealed: an over abundance of competitors trying to capture your weight loss plan dollars through alluring advertising. Your desperation has made you a victim. The lies keep coming and you keep buying into them.

So what is the real truth? Yes, some have kicked themselves into gear and loss those extra pounds but there have been more who failed. Why did you fail? I can’t tell you why you failed but I failed because this altered eating or lifestyle was not a good fit. My body and mind would not cooperate.

My first eye opener: Pills sent my brain the message: “I’m full,” but my body kept saying “I’m hungry. Eat.” I realized it was a mind thing. I admit. Next, I did nothing. Stopped. Ate my normal three squares a day, even ate a few snacks; I stopped focusing on my extra pounds. One day I got this idea from talking with my friend (who is a personal trainer) to watch exercise programs and to listen to talks on nutrition, etc. It wasn’t her idea. She was still trying to convince me to make the move.

I decided to start somewhere, so I began watching and listening to her tapes and watching her videos. I was surprised at how this information was changing my attitude toward my health. After awhile I truly had to resist the urge to do something. It was my intent to watch, listen and do nothing. This went on for several months. Subconsciously, I found myself wanting to read labels on everything I put into my mouth. A mindset change happened gradually.

Imagine my shock when I decided to get on the scale at the grocery store one day, out of curiosity, and noticed that without focusing on losing weight, I had dropped 12 pounds in 2 ½ months. I was encouraged. I continue to enjoy meals with my family, even dessert, and, yes, I am convinced reading labels has now become a part of how I eat. I try not to eat more than 500 to 600 calories per meal.

The best weight loss program is not starving yourself but learning to eat in moderation with healthy food choices, providing your body all the nutrients it needs for optimal performance.

You can do it too (click here).

Lose Weight: Smaller Meals Keep the Metabolism Purring

2011-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Do you find that you are hungry in between your last meal, and start snack hunting? It never dawned on me to carry healthy snacks for those in between meals until I began to listen to my personal trainer, Dr. Vera Stevens. You could carry a healthy snack just as easy as choosing a calorie laced snack on a hunger search.

Have you noticed the snacks you tend to reach for, if they are in your cupboard, or the office snack machine, is usually something like chips, soda, a candy bar, cookies, etc. Try packaging snacks in small sandwich bags. If you are serious about watching those calorie laced pickings, you could pack a thermal bag with an ice pack to keep it fresh. Take it in the car with you, just in case you want to snack.

The body needs fuel. We have been programmed to eat our three main meals a day, not realizing that we could get hungry sooner than our next scheduled meal. Here are a few suggestions to snack on: Apple Jack Cereal, Yogurt, boiled eggs, Orange and Apple Slices, Broccoli Florets. Whatever your tastes are, choose fruits, veggies, low calorie nutritional foods, to keep your metabolism purring.

Do you have to starve yourself to lose weight? Find out at www.alternateweightloss.info

Water and Physical Performance

2011-02-06T20:47:00.001-05:00

by Dr. Vera Stevens by permission from www.abundantlifehealth.com

Water is your body’s most important nutrient, yet its importance is often overlooked or forgotten. It’s recommended that you drink at least seven to eight glasses per day. However, if you’re extremely active and exercise regularly, you should increase your intake of water to prevent possible dehydration.

DEHYDRATION: Occurs if you fail to consume enough water and can result in fatigue and shifting body temperatures as well as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Keeping the body hydrated is one of the most important aspects of optimum physical performance. As water loss increases, specifically due to sweating, dehydration occurs and physical performance diminishes rapidly.

For most athletes, a three percent water weight loss impairs performance; although highly conditioned and acclimated athletes may be able to tolerate a four to five percent loss. Once significant dehydration occurs, such as three percent water loss from the body, it will take at lease 24 hours to restore water balance. Thirst is a poor indicator of dehydration. Hydrating the body before, during, and after a workout is the best approach to reduce or prevents dehydration.

NOTE: Remember, in order to prevent any health issues, Nutrients and Nutrition must be kept at a balance(click here).

Single or Married: Challenges the Same When It Comes to Weight Loss

2011-01-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

Is it easier to lose weight as a single than being married with children? A single can clean the house of all temptations with no opposition. On the other hand, a married person lives with another who may not share the same goal. Come to think of it, the single could also have children, or live with someone, but for this writing I refer to singles who live alone.

Singles can also have a personal discipline problem. One of the challenges to living single could be boredom eating, which can be eliminated by getting rid of unhealthy snacks. If you must have smacks, make it low calorie healthy.

What are the challenges of living with others? They may or may not want to lose weight, or care about your temptations. If you’re married, the whole family may resent you putting them on restrictions. Singles living alone with no children don’t have this problem.

Taking off the pounds married or single depends on your personal commitment to a changed lifestyle. You will have to resist the temptations. The cravings won’t let go that easily. It will be a battle but you can win. Yes, there will be times when you will fall back into old habits. You don’t have to stay there. Start over as many times as it takes.

Single or married: Make your snacks healthy. Keep pieces of fruit, or fruit cups handy; fresh veggies like Brocolli, salad, etc. If you are tempted, read the labels and don’t over do it. Avoid high calorie, high fat snacks like chips, cookies, etc., candy. Watch your meal portion consumption. Eat slower. Chew longer. Practice eating smaller meals in between the main meals. A meal can be Orange and Apple slices.

Remember your goal: to lose the extra pounds, to shape up to look and feel better. I personally don’t like dieting. Gone are the days of starving and denial. Today I eat what my family eats but in moderation.
You can eat healthy and take off the pounds gradually as a part of your lifestyle, or binge diet and lose the fight because of temptation.

Losing weight without starving yourself is the way to go (click here).

Your Health and Edible Fruit

2011-01-04T19:38:00.000-05:00

I grew up during the time when the “An Apple a day keeps the doctor away” was touted by parents, teachers, doctors, the elders, etc. When we grew older and had our own children it became our mantra to our children. Living in South Florida fruits like Grapefruit, Oranges, Chinese Plums, Avocado, Mango is plentiful, yet you pass by many homes and find the fruits of the region on the ground. I am happy to be sharing this with you:

Health Benefits of Fruit
By Robert N. Perry

Most people accept that eating fruit is beneficial to your health but many are not really sure what the actual health benefits are! This article will try to inform about the far reaching health benefits of fruit and the many ways they can help you fight off illnesses.

As a general rule, people who eat a lot of fruit are less likely to develop conditions such as diabetes; heart disease; Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Fruit also supplies your body with all the nutrients necessary to repair cells and combat many infections

Most people will admit they want to live a long and energetic life without the restriction of illness and disease. They are also aware that to do that it is important to stay as healthy as possible. By eating daily helpings of fruit as part of a balanced diet, we can all improve our health and increase our chances of living the lifestyle we would like to have in our older age.

Fruit is now more important than ever as our bodies need ever increasing vitamins and minerals to combat longer working hours, toxic fumes from pollution and increasing levels of stress. Eating fruit is a simple, natural and relatively cheap way of giving your body these nutrients to both help you deal with the stresses of daily life and to guard against future illnesses.

Consuming fruit on a regular basis will also supply your body with valuable antioxidants which help to stop free radicals from attacking the body.

Free radicals are molecules created as a result of our bodies reacting with oxygen. The damage caused when they react with other molecules within the body's cells can result in diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart problems and cancer as well as contributing towards the body's aging.

Additionally, pollution; sunlight; smoking and alcohol are all external factors that can prompt the body into producing free radicals. This means there are a number of factors that put us at the mercy of more free radicals than ever before.

Antioxidants produced naturally by our bodies neutralize free radicals, stopping them from attacking healthy cells, slowing down premature aging and reducing the chances of disease. However, as we are exposed to more and more free radicals due to the age in which we live, we subsequently need more antioxidants to neutralize them. Which brings us back to fruit!

Fruit is a fantastic source of antioxidants and eating 5 portions a day will give you a combination of all the nutrients and vitamins necessary to help put a stop to free radicals.

In addition, fruit is also full of dietary fiber which assists with your digestion, helping to expel waste products more easily and reducing the possibility of contracting colon and bowel cancers.

Eating fruit as part of a daily balanced diet will help to make you look better, feel better and be more energetic. It doesn't matter what fruit you eat - any will do, and it can be fresh; tinned; frozen or dried. Although you will lose some to the nutrients there is nothing like a cool glass of your favorite fruit juice.

Our site has a vast amount of information on fruit health benefits as well as lots of healthy and delicious fruit recipes. Come for a visit.

http://www.fruithealthbenefits.com

Robert Perry specializes in the building of income producing niche websites, usually using Google Adsense ads. For $75 he builds a 5 article website that the search engines love. You should visit his site. http://www.thenichebuilders.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_N._Perry

Comment: Fruit can be included in your daily food consumption as part of a weight loss, or maintenance program. Find out how that is done at www.alternateweightloss.info

Weight Loss Report: Mary Bodel Loses 60 Pounds

2010-12-29T12:57:00.001-05:00

Calories add up. Lifestyle change involves managing the calories for optimal health: look before you eat and make adjustments. The other day I wanted to eat some potato chips.

I checked the calories and realized that based upon what I had eaten, I could only eat 5 chips out of that bag and stay within my goal for that day. Learning to read labels can add to your weight loss success. Here is Mary Bodel’s story.

Tips For Easily Cutting Calories From Recipes
By Mary Bodel

One of my favorite past times is cooking. In fact, that's how I hit 260 pounds. However, that had to change and so did my cooking. It was tough to find what I needed, as I don't want to give up taste, just calories. Perhaps some of what I learned will help you find a way to trim the calories from your dinner and the pounds from your waist.

Choose your Fats: Not all fats are equal. A tablespoon of olive oil has 140 calories, where the same amount of lard has 205. That's a big difference. Look for oils and fats that contain mono or poly unsaturated fats in order to be heart healthy and diet friendly.

Cooking Spray and Non Stick Pans: These two items are some of the greatest additions to your kitchen. A squirt of the spray usually has ten calories or less, and with a nonstick pan, you may not even need that. There are many different flavors of the spray, including butter and olive oil.

Half the Sugar: Many dessert recipes call for too much sugar. You may have to experiment with the recipes to find the happy medium for your household, but there are recipes that I only add half the sugar called for. If possible, look for recipes that call for brown sugar or other less refined formats. That, too, will cut down on the calories.

Reduced fat and Nonfat: Many items that used to come loaded with diet no-nos can now be found with either reduced or no fat. Some of them work better than others, so you'll want to play around with them. I like the new fat free mayos on the market, but I'm not so thrilled with fat free cheese...it doesn't melt well.

One trick I learned about switching from heavy whipping cream or half and half. Fat free half and half can work just as well in most cases. You'll want to watch the sugar content, as that is much higher than in regular half and half.

Whole Grain: This trick won't lessen the number of calories you eat, but it can lower the amount you absorb. Whole grains block absorption of fats and cholesterol, making them a wise choice to leave on the menu. Processed grains don't have this effect.

There are a lot of useful products on the market that can help you enjoy your food guilt free. You don't have to give up flavor or texture in order to have a healthy diet.

I've lost 60 pounds using the principals found in my new Win the Weight Loss War, Win the Battle of the Weight Loss War. If you are struggling to lose the pounds and have tried every diet that ever came out, this book is for you. It covers:

Diet Types.......................Page 8
Understanding Calories.......Page 10
Supplements....................Page 17
Childhood Obesity.............Page 19

If you want to lose the pounds, this book can help.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Bodel

How to Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself (click here).

Looking for Plus Sizes on the Internet?

2010-11-26T12:22:00.001-05:00

Whoever said the plus size gal can’t look good? You are not going to take the weight off right away so in the meantime you need to flatter your looks with clothing and accessories. Start complement your figure right where you are. Don’t wait until you have come down to the size you are striving for. Hold your head up. Did you know you can buy your clothes a size bigger and have a tailor customize the piece to your body?

Backordered! What's A Plus Size Girl To Do?
By Pammy Love

You finally find a plus size dress that you love, it's new, it's fresh, it's priced perfectly. Excited, you pick your color / size and you're ready to finalize your order. But wait, there's a message. 'Sorry your item has been Backordered, expected date of delivery sometime in the next 15 years'! Ugh! So frustrating.

What's with this backorder stuff anyway? So, it's a new item, but it's not in stock? Perplexing.

Well fortunately, this is an issue in the plus size retail world that's hopefully soon to end. This points to old buying habits of plus size retailers. Many years ago, when shopping on the internet was unheard of, buyers of plus size clothing would buy new items based on 70-80% of what they thought the item would sell. This being the best way to give a plus size item a test drive. As an example- a plus size wrap dress (new), estimates to sell 1000 pieces, a buyer will typical fulfill an order to buy 800 pieces. It's a conservative way to cut down on overstock because if the plus size consumer doesn't buy the item, it's a miss for the retailer.

Enter the web.

With the popularity of shopping on the internet, plus size retailers often times have a hard time keeping up with demand. Chances are if you really loved that plus size wrap dress, many other curvy girls did as well. So it's first come, first serve. As an item sells out, the next step is to re-order. Keep in mind, a large majority of plus size items gets shipped from overseas so there is a waiting period. A long one.. Think turtle with a broken leg. The items arrive at distribution centers and get shipped to the curvy customer.

The practice that buyers use to buy new plus size clothing is finally changing. Realizing the web is a major point of sale, they're upping their orders, often times matching the amounts they're buying for repeat items. Good new! We can expect to see less of that annoying backorder message in the near future.

Pammy is the co-creator of the website http://www.PlusSizeSteals.com, the one stop place for plus size coupons, sales, and much much more. The Plus Size Steals fashion blog is all about plus size style, tips and fashion for less.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pammy_Love

Comment: You can look your best. Choose the right clothing and colors for you. Don’t try to follow fads. If you like a particular type clothing and they don’t make your size, I am sure there is a seamstress in your community who would be happy to have your business.

How is the rest of your life going? Issues and answers at www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Dr. Vera's Personal Trainer Weight Loss 20 Challenge

2010-11-23T20:12:00.000-05:00

Are you looking to lose 20 pounds? Even if you are not, have you been struggling with your weight? What if I told you, the real problem of why the weight won’t stay off has to do with what is in your mind?

This is weird how this happened, I took on the challenge to host Dr. Vera, a personal trainer and nutritionist, on one of my radio shows (www.blogtalkradio.com/changinglives) The show has been going on for a few years now. Being the host, preparing and listening to the information caused my mind to make a greater shift related to weight and my health.

At the time I undertook to do this show, I was already at my desired weight, but just recently I decided that I wanted to take off about 15 to 20 pounds. So I proposed the idea to Dr. Vera Stevens and we kicked it off in October: The Weight Loss 20 Challenge.

Dr. Vera has agreed to consult with our listeners individually/group at no cost to those participating in the challenge. You may be the type of person who needs to be accountable to someone. There is a missing piece to why you haven’t made the connection to set you free from the battle with your weight. . . It’s not too late to join.

Kick off the New Year with a new plan of action, one that values health and wellness.

Take off the pounds without starving yourself (click here)

What is the Problem With Fast Weight Loss?

2010-11-03T13:29:00.000-04:00

The last diet fad I quit on was the no carbs plan. What I don’t like about dieting plans, requires you too often to eat or drink foods that is not apart of your cultural taste.

Losing weight fast is what some opt to do because they are frustrated and lack patience. Have you ever had a tooth filled? How long does it take before your mind accepts that something foreign has been placed in your mouth? Or it’s like my dog after I give her a bath, for the next hour or so she runs around the house shaking, rubbing her head in the carpet trying to wash off this feeling of wetness.

Any weight loss plan should start in the mind. It took me a long time to really understand this but once I got it, I ate whatever I wanted, including snacks and still loss 30 pounds. Was it overnight? No, it was over a year’s time.

Think about it, you have been carrying that extra fat for awhile, haven’t you? You have adjusted your walk to it. As a matter of fact, your wardrobe has two sizes: the size you are now and your dream size that you look at every now and then, hoping to get down to. Everyone knows you are overweight. It is something you have mentioned to your friends over and over. Even your mind has gotten use to carrying around the extra weight.

I think the mind has a record of the body’s functions. That’s why when something happens different, it alerts us. The body knows you are yo-yo dieting. We have seen this with Oprah's weight loss plan. Even Janet Jackson once said she still feels fat, even though what we saw was a thin frame. The fast weight loss approach may not be right for you. The mind is still thinking “fat,” and I believe goes to work to bring back the fat because it has adjusted to the fat body.

Lose Weight Naturally Without Starving Yourself at www.alternateweightloss.info

Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself!

2010-11-03T13:13:00.000-04:00

Why are we so overweight? Why have you put on those extra 30 or 40 pounds? Did it just magically appear? Are you tired of being bombarded with diet pills, diet fads, the next best weight loss plan? I know I was. I chased after them all, looking for a quick fix. Have you discovered there are none, or are you still hoping?

I liked the way my pants, jeans, dresses, and skirts adorned my body. Then they started fitting tighter. The look I wanted for myself in my clothes was changing to a little more hips and stomach. Everyone has their turning point, and that was mine.

My husband liked what he saw either way but I was not happy. I was getting older, and I want to go into those years being able to run, jump and play, whether it is with the grandchildren, or my husband. I enjoy an active life. I fly kites. I garden. Bike ride and find this time in my life the best and want to get everything out of it I can while I still live.

I decided to challenge myself to lose 30 pounds, but I didn’t want to eat pre-measured meals, do diet teas, diet drinks, pills, diet cookies, none of that diet stuff for me. I was going to go natural. The first thing I did, I started keeping a journal of what I eat and drink daily. I did that for about a month.

In that month I read everything I could on weight loss; tips, exercises, foods, etc. I guess you can say I educated myself. I learned more about reading labels and how to decrease calories to take off weight. What took place before I began to work my plan: my awareness was raised on what I was eating or drinking. I realized that by educating myself on food, calories, weight loss tips, and how my body uses food, that my mindset was changing.

For most people weight loss is like diving in the water not knowing that it was shark infested until you get in, that those waters have enemies that will keep you from your destination unless you know how to work around them.

What do you know about losing weight? What is your mindset? Do you know how your body processes carbohydrates, proteins, nutrition? Are you aware of how your body works? Did you know you can lose weight naturally?

Find out how to lose weight and keep it off at www.alternateweightloss.info

Why Are Kids Overweight?

2010-10-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

“Supersize it!” Sodas, French Fries, Chips, Candy, Blue juices, ice cream, etc. The list goes on. Our children have been trained to eat and eat and eat; drink and drink and drink. They watch television with something in their hand. When they ride in the car, mom hands them snacks to keep them quiet. At night before they lay down to sleep mom yields to their demands for more calorie laced snacks, or else they won’t go to bed.

Let me say right here and now, parents it is your fault if you have an obese child in your house. What use to be cute is now a weight problem and it is now out of your control and you are frustrated. Trying to stop a child from gluttonous eating habits is like trying to take a bone from a dog. You’ve got a fight on your hands.

In order to make changes in the child, change must come to the parent’s way of doing things. Several of my grandchildren have been conditioned at two and four to expect snacks whether they eat their meals or not, but when they come to our house, even if their parents bring the snack foods, which they love, we limit the amount they eat. Most of the time they end up taking it back home.

I’ve noticed they are poor eaters of nutritionally sound food, but when the snacks come out, they are like a hungry puppy who can’t wait for you to pour food in his bowl. I can make suggestions but I don’t live in their house. This is what their parents have chosen to do.

Solving the overweight child’s problem begins with educating the parent about nutrition and balance, shopping and cooking nutritious meals within their likes and dislikes as a family. If you don’t get the whole family involved it will not work because the temptation is too great.

Why should you as a parent be willing to do whatever it takes to help your child to lose weight? Children who are overweight are teased, pushed around, talked about, feel ashamed, can’t run, jump and play like other kids, have a low self-esteem and may not do well academically.

Is that a good enough reason to get involved as a parent? Or would you rather have other people talk about your child's weight? Sooner or later your child’s weight problem will affect his/her health and the family’s lifestyle.

Learn more about nutrition at www.abundantlifehealth.com

Walking Is A Natural Weight Loss Exercise For Lazy Me

2010-10-16T19:41:00.000-04:00

I am unmotivated and lazy when it comes to exercises just to lose weight, or maintain it. I think it’s because I have tried different approaches to workouts but when I travel, somehow my routine always seems to be broken. By the time I return home I have lost interest.

What I find works for me no matter where I find myself is: walking. I prefer to be outside wherever possible. It is all about finding what works for you. Certain types of food dieting did not work for me, so I customized a plan to work for me. Exercise habits should be something you can adapt as a part of your lifestyle, otherwise, you start slacking off.

There are different types of walking, you can walk slow, in a stroll, or at a medium pace. What my personal trainer revealed to me, walking fast, kick starts the heart rate and burns the calories. I don’t believe in jumping right in to anything. I like to work my way into my plan of action.

I used a pedometer to measure my steps. Buy yourself one that shows calories burned, steps, etc., as much information as possible. I started keeping track of my walks around the office. When you are working your weight loss plan, it is not a bad idea to keep track of what you are doing.

A friend of mine started working out in her neighborhood by using mail boxes as her goal. If you live in a gated community, or an apartment, you might try walking around your complex. Set a goal to do so many circles, and each day add another. If you don’t like circling, then set a time but make sure you are able to mark your journey in some way.

I have a park nearby and tried to get up, get in my car and drive to the park. It didn’t last long. If I got up one day and it was raining no walk. You’re probably thinking, what happens if I get in a routine of walking and it is raining? Raincoats and umbrellas are very useful tools. If you don’t want to go that route, put on your pedometer and set a path in your house or apartment and get to walking.

Got questions, need answers visit www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Why Is Natural Weight Loss Better

2010-10-16T17:52:00.000-04:00

My friends always seem to tell me about the right weight loss plan, the one that really works. I use to be taken in by that. I have some friends that have been on so many plans I’ve stopped counting. Why do friends try to get you to join them in their weight loss programs.

Don’t you love the testimonies: “I loss 65 pounds in 2 months.” That is enticing. That is about 32 point something per month. Wow! It is tempting, magical weight loss. You ask yourself, can I do that? Yeah, you probably can, but will you keep it off? I understand wanting to get thin fast. I thought there was a magic formula. How ignorant I was, thinking that I could trick my body to unload 30 pounds almost overnight.

You may trick the body, but the mind says, “No, no, you are fat, you need to put those pounds back on.”
Just kidding, your mind may not be audibly speaking that but for those of us who have been in the struggle, we know that we don’t want the pounds back, but it seems like it happens slowly until we lose control again.

I use to follow them, until I saw after a few months they were gaining the weight back. Ah-h-h. So how do you decide on a weight loss program? Look at your track record, why did you fail with the other plans? Be honest. Could it be like my story? I don’t like being told what I can and can’t do. There is no one size fits all plan for me. That is why my choices didn’t work. The internet has many weight loss resources, examine them and decide what is best for you.

Personally, I don’t think every thing you have been accustomed to eating should be disregarded. Most people think of a losing weight plan means eating food with no taste, things you really don’t like. If that is the case you are defeating the purpose.

Eating naturally means I can still enjoy my meat proteins, cut back on the carbs, increase the veggies, fruits, without starving myself. A balance diet for me is essential to providing my body with the necessary nutrients. Using nutritional food groups has caused me to lose weight and keep it off.

My idea of a natural weight loss plan, being able to eat meat, carbs (in moderation), veggies and fruits, no special diet. What does losing weight naturally mean to you?

Is your weight the only thing bugging you, or are there other issues that maybe at the root of your finding comfort in food. Be victorious in life at www.relationshipsecretsonline.com .

Weight Loss Alert: Don't Eat When You're Bored

2010-09-30T00:11:00.000-04:00

I notice when I am on a road trip I tend to eat just to be eating. I’m not hungry but just because there
is usually food on the car I eat. What I have learned to do is to play my favorite gospel tunes, especially when I am driving. Since I am driven most of the time I keep myself occupied with reading a book, or crossroad puzzles, etc. Thought this article might help you, if you are a boredom eater.

Is Boredom Making You Fat? 10 Non-Food Ways to Beat Boredom
By Kathy Ferneau

Do you ever eat because you're bored? Lots of people do. It's one of many emotional reasons for overeating. In fact, some experts have estimated that as much as 75% of overeating can be attributed to our emotions, not true hunger. Along with stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem, we satiate boredom with eating.

Bored on the job? Take a coffee break and grab a candy bar or sweet roll.

Bored at school? Hit the vending machines for something salty.

Bored at home? Check out the fridge.

Why do we need to placate our boredom with food? Is an internal stimulus the only answer? Obviously, no. But it's probably one of the easiest and fastest. It doesn't take much thought to stuff something in your mouth and the sensation temporarily relieves the pain, or in this case, the boredom.

Eating affords a quick fix, especially when you munch down on easily-consumed junk food while grazing through the kitchen.

You need to realize, however, that mindless eating damages your body. That feel-good fix works just like a drug addict's shot of heroin.

You can combat boredom in many other ways:

1. Read a book. Okay, I hear you--who's got time to read a novel? How about two pages of the novel, an article from a favorite magazine, or five minutes reading today's newspaper?

2. If you have access to exercise equipment, spend five minutes working on it. Or just take a walk around the block. If you're working in an office building, walk up and down a few flights of stairs.

3. Solve a crossword puzzle. Keep a book of puzzles in your desk and when the insanity gets overwhelming, fill in a few words.

4. Have a hobby handy. Keep a bag of knitting near you and get a few rows completed on that scarf. Take up origami and fold paper birds. Paint water color roses.

5. Give yourself a manicure.

6. Organize a drawer.

7. Return a phone call that you've been putting off.

8. Write a thank you note.

9. Vacuum one room.

10. Plan your next vacation.

Limit yourself to 5 to 10 minutes. Surfing the internet or watching TV for 45 minutes creates new problems!

Plan your "boredom busters" in advance, choosing what works best for you. Keep a list of them close by.

The American artist, Saul Steinberg, said, "The life of the creative man is led, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes."

So the next time you're tempted to eat out of boredom, stimulate your brain, not your taste buds!

Looking for diet and weight loss tips? Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise. Click here: http://www.lose-weight-diets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Ferneau

Comment: Raising awareness about habits in the hopes you will replace bad ones with good ones. It wouldn’t hurt to stop before you grab food and ask yourself, “Am I really hungry? Does this food have any nutritional value, or am I just eating to be eating?

Looking for more answers to the challenges of life, visit www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Eating Well on a Tight Budget

2010-09-23T19:58:00.000-04:00

I enjoy food that is tastefully prepared and colorful. Make a list of the types of foods you like to eat. That would include meat, veggies and starches. In the meat department some choices can create rollover meals. For example, chicken breast can be made into a salad, fried, baked, stewed, soups, salads and add gravy. You can plan a meal around any of these.

If you are on a tight budget you are looking to stretch your meals so that you can take a meat like chicken and create several meals. I don’t know about you but chicken prices seem to be higher these days. I am picky about how my chickens are grown. I don’t want chickens who have been given hormones, although packaging labels can lie.

How many ways do you know how to prepare chicken? Invite you to share your recipes.

Ground Turkey is another meat that can give you a lot of cluck for your buck. You can make meat sauce with Spaghetti, add chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cheese,and make a Taco. The Turkey meat sauce can also be placed over two slices of whole wheat bread, add some veggies, or a salad, for a Sloppy Joe.

Another delicious dish you can make using the Turkey meat before you put the sauce or any other ingredients, is a Shepherd’s Pie, using mash potatoes. Mix the mash potatoes according to the instructions on the box, pour some on the bottom of the pan, add cooked Turkey Meat, some peas, carrots, and add another layer of mashed potatoes over the meat, peas, etc. You might do a second layer with meat, peas, etc. and a final layer of mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle your favorite cheese on the top, stick it in the oven for a few minutes and it is ready to serve.

Everything in moderation. You can eat good nutrition on a budget and improve your health.

More healthy ideas with savings at www.recipesavingscookbooks.blogspot.com

How Does Food Affect Your Weight and Health?

2010-09-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard the expression, “We are what we eat.” A statement like that makes me think. Am I what I eat? What I think it is referring to: if you eat right, then the intention of that food will add up to a healthier you.

Our bodies requires food that will help it to build muscle, supply our blood cells, etc. But what do we eat and why is it good for us? Example, carbohydrates. Why do we need it?

Why Should We Eat Carbohydrates with a Protein?
By Dr. Vera Stevens

Eating balance throughout the day is not the only important factor to keeping your metabolism burning high and your body working well. Every meal (and snack) should include both carbohydrates and proteins. Understand that carbohydrates are 100 percent pure energy, fuel for the body.

Proteins are the building blocks; but if no carbohydrates are available, the body will burn proteins. A carbohydrate should be eaten with protein to protect it from being wasted as a less efficient fuel source.

Protein is necessary for vital building functions: boosting the metabolism; building body muscle; keeping the body fluids in balance; healing and fighting infection; and making beautiful skin, hair and nails. Protein is the new you!

You cannot be healthy without eating protein properly. But, frankly, it is so potent that you don’t need much of it. A 6 ½-ounce piece of chicken provides all the protein you need in an entire day.

“A little dab will do you” certainly applies to protein! The typical American diet provides two to three times the daily amount recommended because many Americans don’t eat balance throughout the day, and do not use it effectively, the body does not store protein, so it must be replenished frequently throughout the day, every day of your life... Without it your body isn’t building itself up. And without carbohydrates your body is burning protein as fuel.

Anyone who tells you not to eat carbohydrates, or protein together would be helping you to rob your body of carbohydrate’s energy and protein’s building power all day long.

!!REMEMBER, CARBOHYDRATES BURN, AND PROTEINS BUILD!!

“FOR A LONG AND HEALTHLY LIFE, EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT”

Read more like this at www.abundantlifehealth.com

Shopping For Plus Size Women

2010-09-23T18:06:00.000-04:00

Women models have been portrayed as skinny for years but there is a trend that is catching on which has spun a market that has commanded its own fashion show and that is the plus sized models.

I watched a plus size slide show out of New York recently and was somewhat disappointed. I didn’t find the choices particularly flattering to the full figure, instead it was still pushing skinny girl styles of tight fit.

Actress Nikki Blonsky said she got tired of trying on outfits and just decided to go with what she liked and felt comfortable in. Personally, I think that the focus should have been on what flatters the plus size figure, whatever that maybe. They are the experts.

There were far too many above the knee. They looked good on the models who obviously work out and are toned but I don’t think it would be an appropriate choice for plus size gals. The belt around the waist, arms bare definitely not for me.

When it was over I had a question: What size constitutes a plus size? That question was answered later on in the article as size 12 and a referral to www.onestopplus.com.

Are fashion designers assuming plus size women want skinny girl styles? Have you been asked, or taken a survey lately?

Relationship tips for plus size women at www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

10- Tips For Plus Size Women (Look Good While Losing Weight)

2010-09-03T18:23:00.004-04:00

More tips for my ladies to look good and make great choices.

1. Assess your wardrobe and add to what you have

2. Decide which types of material gives you the best appearance all the time

3. All colors do not flatter your body. Choose a basic color
such as navy,black, etc. Coordinate color
into your basic colors sparingly.

4. Compliments can help you measure what goes into your wardrobe

5. Choosing fabrics and having your clothes made can be an
advantage to achieving slimmer looks.

6. Use earrings and other jewelry sparingly

7. Avoid hugging fits in pants and dresses.

8. If clothes and shoes are showing sings of wear and tear discard.

9. Separate your clothes into coordinated outfits for ease of selection.

10. Avoid following what is in style

Looking to get into a relationship, visit www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Soda or Water: Making the Right Choice for Life

2010-08-17T23:40:00.003-04:00

Spent a week traveling to far away places, at least away from my home. Hanging out with friends, taking in sceneries. Tried to keep up with their drink tastes, not alcohol, but tea, water, soda, juices. I noticed that there was no change in how my body felt when I drank just plain water. Tea, even though it was iced tea made me

feel bloated, or just plain fat. It was the same with soda and juices. The more tea, juice or soda I attempted to drink the more uncomfortable my body got.

Also discovered nothing quenches my thirst like water. If I drank any of these I still felt like I wanted water and only water would satisfy me.

Did you know that our body is made up of about 80% water? I read somewhere that some diseases, like asthma is related to dehydration of the lungs.

My husband thinks I’m weird at times when I take a forkful of something and determine that my body does not like this food, or drink and won’t eat it.

A friend who is a certified nutritionist, personal trainer, etc., told me that water has a function that can only be ignored at our peril. Did you know that when your body burns food, waste is formed and needs to be flushed out of the body?

If you want to live healthy, be healthy, hang around people who eat healthy, think healthy and practice healthy living.

Learn more about living healthy with Dr. Vera at www.blogtalkradio.com/changinglives

Take Your Eyes Off the Fat Diets, Teas, etc.

2010-07-21T19:56:00.003-04:00

5 Motivational Quotes That Give You Inspiration to Take Action
By Anthony D Carter

We all get down sometimes while pursuing our goals. We need motivation to keep going. Motivational quotes provide a great remedy for inspiring you to action. Here are five good quotes that will give you inspiration for action.

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." ~ Andre Gide

Unless you are willing to leave the comfort of status quo then you will never experience the excitement of growth and achievement. You are doomed to repeat the same boring experiences and live in the same stale surroundings. Deep down we all long for a life of expansion. We want to grow. We want to live up to our potential. We experience a meaningful degree of fulfillment once we move beyond the levels that we believed possible. We feel more and more alive as we move forward on our path of personal development.

In order to grow we need to step out into uncharted waters. We need to go where we have never gone and do activities that we have never performed before.

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." ~ Henry D. Thoreau

Keep your attention on where you are going and not on where you are or where you have been in the past. Too often we let our past failures dictate our future plans. This is a major mistake and it will sap your motivation. Instead look at your future opportunities in an optimistic light. Forget your past and forge ahead with new possibilities. Learn from your failures and use them as a foundation for your upcoming successes.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

One major pitfall to maintaining motivation lies in our constant struggle with procrastination. However when you look at each day as if it were your last then you realize that the only time you have is today. You have this one moment in time. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. So your prevailing thought process should be to "Do It Now!"

Learn everything that you can. The more experiences that you can gain then the less time you will spend correcting mistakes. Often we can learn a majority of what we need to know by asking questions and getting answers from people who have done what we are attempting to do. Always seek to learn new ideas and insights everyday. This keeps you motivated and excited about life. We get discouraged when we are overwhelmed by confusion and frustration.

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye." ~ Mary Shelley

Keep your goal at the forefront of your mind it gives your struggles meaning. You will face frustration and disappointment while you are striving to hit your goals. But if the target is clearly defined these feelings will not keep you down.

The goal is the prize. And every prize demands that you pay a price to attain it. When you succeed you will feel so proud of yourself because you did indeed pay that price. You need to see your goal as already attained as you go about doing the work. If you do that then you will remain steady and consistent in your progressive march towards the object that you desire. You will never have to struggle with remaining motivated if you work at keeping your attention fixed on what it is that you want.

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."~ Marilyn Vos Savant

Success consist of getting up one more time than you got knocked down. Failure is not permanent unless you quit. Commit to finishing what you start and you will discover that it does not matter how many mistakes that you make. You can still succeed if you do not give up. Gain inspiration from the fact that you will eventually achieve success if you keep on keeping on in spite of setbacks. Have the courage to try again and again for as long as it takes until you get what you want.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your free access to my special report "Motivation Keys" by going to http://www.motivationkeys.com

From Anthony D. Carter - a leading expert on motivation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_D_Carter

Comments: If you are not motivated, no matter what plan you choose it won’t work. Why not focus on things that motivate you, that will uplift your spirits. So what, on some days your focus is all wrong. Come back to this page and give yourself a shot in the arm. It’s not about the fat, it’s about you. What do you want to do?

More solutions at www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Break the High Calorie Eating Habit Today

2010-07-21T19:31:00.004-04:00

The Proccess of Changing Old Habits
By Willis Miller

Hello Again!

Willis L Miller here again. Our topic for today is, "Can old habits change?" This is a question I have for you to consider. There is a saying that goes like this. "You can't teach old dogs new tricks!" That saying is very accurate when it comes to the literal meaning of that phrase. People are a bit like that, in formulating a excuse to not do that certain new activity or excursion or whatever may be. Because they plain and simple do not want to do that because of fear of the unknown!

The difference I see between us humans and dogs, is that God has given us the power of choice to do as we want. Dogs don't have the ability to think and choose what they want to do, based on logical thinking. We as created human beings do. The process of changing old habits I admit is not at all easy. In fact I believe it's one of the hardest things to change as we get older. When it involves dealing with our will or what we want to do for whatever reason, it becomes a lot easier to just let it go and keep putting up with it. I mean we can put up with ourselves a whole lot easier then someone else. We tend to expect other peoples habits to change instead of ours because we think life would become easier for us, if "they" would change.

The truth is that if we would change ours first then "they" will more likely change theirs to. And besides we'll find that by changing our habits first, our perspective on "them" will change for the better. So it's almost like a win win situation! When something becomes entrenched in our daily habits, we have a hard time processing the idea of coming out of the trench and moving on to a different tune. It only happens when the perceived need becomes great enough, and if there is no other option then the choice making becomes a want to, or maybe by then it's a have to).

Sometimes it's good to take a look back on our lives to see the problematic issues that have risen again and again because of our old habits. If we're concerned enough about it, (we should be concerned)hopefully motivation will drive us to get with the program, and do whatever it takes to get out of the rut! Fear of people, fear of not being able to match up to our circle of friends, fear of unknown, fear of failure,fear of being manipulated by others, fear of missing out on something and the list could go on, ect. can keep the good life style changes from happening if we would just release those fears and open our minds to new possibilities!! It keeps life fun when we can stay out of our own comfort zones and be open to do things differently then what we're used to.

We have a choice. We can stay within our cultured comfort zones and reap the benefits of being a shriveled up "crab apple":( Or we can expand ourselves and try something new now and then, and reap the benefits of creativity. Creativity in our lives helps us to not get stuck so much from old habits. Life is meant to be enjoyed! It's going to be up to me personally to actually change and do something about it. Do I fear that process? All the thinking up of excuses in the world will not change anything. I need to take that actual step in producing change. That will be the only way toward the right direction! So take courage and take a deep breath and take that step toward a new you!

That all again for now, so keep on plowing ahead and do something successful in your life.

Best Regards,
WillisLMiller

Hello, How are ya? Let me tell you a little about myself. I'm what you call a Christian and I'm a guy that enjoys socializing with sociable people. I'm here to help in whatever way I can. I'm working online as well and don't mine sharing tips and pointers to those that are in the same field. I feel that people deserve to feel better esp. in today's world of fast foods. That's why I feel that having a customized blend of herbs for your supplementation and nutrition, that will give to you the essentials you need. Then you couple that with the power of stem cells that regenerate and renew your bodies various systems for optimal health. With these in your daily regime, you will begin to feel healthier and much more energetic. If you want to keep up with me, you can visit my blog at http://wlmsuccess.wordpress.com. Submit your comments as there very much appreciated!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Willis_Miller

Comments: Old habits are hard to break. What are your bad habits today? Is there something you want to do? It starts with a decision. No one can do it for you. If you feel your weight is a problem, ask yourself what you are doing to add to the problem. Hate the habits that got you into this mess but don't hate your body. Your body is a temple, treat it like a sacred place by getting rid of those old eating habits.

Share your story at www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

Tips From Personal Trainer, Coach, Nutritionist, Dr. Vera Stevens

2010-07-19T18:27:00.002-04:00

(Excerpt from her book: The Power Is In Your Hands:
Physically and Spiritually Fit For Life

HEALTH TIPS

1. Cut back on your daily use of sugar and sweets. Eat fruits to satisfy your natural craving for a sweet taste. Sugar abuse is not worth robbing your self of precious energy and stamina.

2. Reduce or eliminate soft drink consumption. Drinking these drinks set you up for excessive eating and lack of discipline.

3. Having trouble falling asleep at night? The body uses sleeping to cleanse, and rebuild, but if you go to sleep with a full stomach your body is not at rest. It will be busy digesting and processing a large amount of food, which will take hours to break down, inhibiting the vital cleansing, building and rest processes that normally occur while you are asleep.The Human body uses sleep to repair, rebuild and restore it.

4. Education is the Key: A perfect dietary and a healthier lifestyle habit, stress management and proper exercise program cannot be incorporated into a person’s daily regime overnight,but an increased awareness of these health tools and positive benefits will serve many individuals for life.

5. Avoid poor diets that include dead, cooked, devitalize, clogging, low fiber, or fried foods, with not enough water. This type of diet will set the stage for intestinal problems. Unlike fresh fruit and raw vegetables and 6 to 8 ounce glasses of pure natural water, lack the proper enzymes to assist in proper digestion and assimilation, and lack the fiber or bulk to assist in proper elimination. Also,lacks essential vitamins, minerals, and other basic nutrients.

6. How can cleansing help with weight loss? Virtually all nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, enter into the body through the small intestinal villi, which is located on the wall of the intestinal. They act as a filtering system, extracting nourishment from the food we eat and then filtering our impurities.

7 Many filters can become clogged with digestive by-products. When this happens their surface area is redacted and they cannot absorb the nutrients as effectually. We continue to eat but less and less of the nutrients are getting into our system and so we feel hungry and continue to consume unhealthy foods which provide no nutrients.

The Power Is In Your Hands, what are you going to do about it? Hear more from Dr. Vera at www.blogtalkradio.com/changinglives

You Have the Power! Make Something Happen!

2010-07-19T17:31:00.004-04:00

10 Days to a New You
By Lynn Banis

We all could do with a make - over now and then. Here are several things you can do to create a new you. Just do one a day, make it a habit and soon you will have a whole new persona and outlook on life.

1. Put your needs first. When you always let the needs of other come before your own you soon feel angry, over whelmed and put upon or used. Remember that if you don't take care of yourself first you will have mothering to five to others.

2. Live intentionally. Know what you want and how you want to impact others and the world. Stay aligned with your intentions. You will feel strong, empowered and alive.

3. Acknowledge your impact on others and the world. We are all connected and what you do and say reverberates across many, many people. Be sure you think through the repercussions of your words and actions.

4. Take a stand. Don't let the opinions of others run or ruin your life. If you are living intentionally and acknowledging your impact on the world around you the negative opinions of others should be something you can easily shrug off. They are just not valid or important.

5. Live in integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Know what your values are and live according to them. They are your rudder through all the storms in life. Stick to them, they will serve you well.

6. Build your confidence. You are a unique work of art. Speak out and let the world know who you are and what gift you bring to share with others. Dare to be all you can be.

7. Accept your mistakes and move on. We all make mistakes but the healthiest of us learn from them and then shrug them off and move on. Join the healthy crowd and do this for yourself.

8. Play. Don't take yourself and your life so seriously. Laugh and be silly. Enjoy what you are doing. Life is far too short to be bogged down in seriousness all of the time. Lighten up and put joy into your life and the lives of others.

9. Write. Use a journal or notebook to work through the issues in your life. You can usually hash things out in about eight hundred words. Reread what you have written, extract the wisdom and move on. Dwelling on issues any longer just gets you stuck in them.

10. Get a hobby or special interest in your life. It will broaden your horizons and make you a more interesting and interested person.

About the Author:

Lynn Banis PhD, MCC is known as America's High Performance Coach. She specializes in helping executives and entrepreneurs make the most of their opportunities and potential. Her years of working with small and large businesses has given her a depth of knowledge that is invaluable to her clients. You can reach her at http://www.discoverypointcoaching.com or lynn@discoverypointcoaching.com. Also check out Lynn's other businesses: Coach Academy Texas, a cutting edge coach training company; and Turnkey Coaching Solutions, a coaching program management and contract coach staffing company.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Banis

Comments: I like what Lynn said about taking a stand. It’s time for you to do that. Stop wallowing in self pity and start to live. Today is a new day. The power is in your hands, so what are you going to do? Cast your fears, shame, lack of confidence, to the wind. There is nothing you can’t do. Put your self first. Send yourself some love. Pamper you today.

Got questions, need answers? Visit www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

If You Want to Lose Weight, Try Thinking About It First. . .

2010-07-19T17:19:00.002-04:00

Think and Grow Thin - Make Up Your Mind to Lose Weight
By Louis Jeffries

Healthy Weight Loss Begins in the Mind

The weight loss plan you choose is important. The choices to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet are necessary for anyone to lose weight. But no one will "grow thin" unless their mind is made up to do so. I am not talking about wishful thinking. I am not talking about the thought of the day or another new years resolution that you just come up with. To truly "grow thin" you must have a burning passionate desire mixed with faith and a will to succeed that causes you to be persistent and not to be denied. When you develop that burning desire to do anything and have faith that you can accomplish what you believe, nothing can stop you from achieving anything you set your mind to do.

A Burning Desire

The first step to success in any goal is to have a desire to achieve the goal. The more daunting the task the greater your desire for success must be. Burning excess fat and keeping it off requires a deep passionate desire ingrained in your soul for most people to successfully accomplish and maintain their goals. A burning desire is much more than a thought or a wish. It dominates your thoughts day and night. Much like a fear you can not get it out of your mind. When you truly have a will and mindset to grow thin you seek solutions and educate yourself on how to satisfy that unquenchable thirst in your soul. One thing to be wary of are those situations where you may accept anything that may sound to good to be true as you seek to quench that thirst. This is where the fad diets, magic potions and lotions, and miracle pills all make millions on people who have a desire but do not learn to lose weight properly by employing professionals to help them eat a healthy diet and develop an exercise routine that will in fact help them lose weight. Even quality natural nutritional supplements are helpful as part of your healthy weight loss program. The undeniable key to success is your mind set. You must think and have a passionate burning desire with faith and an unstoppable persistence to ensure success to grow thin as you meet your goals.

You Can Do It.

Be Blessed. Be A Blessing.

Coach Louis

A Christian, Husband, Father, Grandfather who is passionate about sharing God's Word.
I have been teaching Sunday School and Bible Study classes since 2000. I have a special passion for sharing what God said for us to eat healthy according to His Word. As a middle aged man with more years behind me than a head of me I know the importance of being an example for the generations to come. We baby boomers have an obligation to God and to our brothers and sisters to let them know to believe God for He is faithful and His Word is true. He will do what he says he would do. See more of my articles at http://healthyweightloss4babyboomers.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Louis_Jeffries

Comments: Coach Louis has a point. When are you going to stop participating in the next new fad diet, drink, tea, buying the next exercise, or joining the gyms? Whatever your mind can conceive and believe you can achieve.

Need help in your relationship matters, visit www.relationshipsecretsonline.com

What Are Full Figured Girls Wearing?

2010-06-18T08:26:00.003-04:00

A woman who loves her body image can wear anything she wants. Others looking upon her might laugh or make fun but she is comfortable in her skin. Though some styles are not flattering, but if her confidence is up there, go for it!

Their wardrobe’s are daring, adventurous, and full of statements of who they are and bold, in your face, about who they think they are. They are strutting two piece bathing suits, one piece, thongs, middrift exposing layered tops, short shorts, breast revealing shirts. Just like their slimmer competition, they like to show off flesh too, and the man in their lives loves their full figure.

Doesn’t that just boost your confidence? Yes, it does. Except I like the idea of being a full figured conservative in dress. Never did like bathing suits, even as a teen. Forget the thong. Although I have to admit the thought crossed my mind. Can’t expose the mid drift because of a scar I carried from childhood, so that’s out.

I’ll stick with my Capri style pants and wear the shorts at home in my backyard. What I am saying here, if that is not you, then be who you are, create your own YOU. Don’t get caught up in what the slims are wearing. That is what they want to wear. Their body size will flatter what they put on. You can do the same. Wearing something because it is style but does not flatter your body type defeats the purpose.

Big shirts are in. so if you want to wear that bathing suit, what is wrong with putting one over it. Why not wear the mid drift exposing tops with a body slimming suit. Instead of shorts you might want to try Capri styles. Shorts tend to climb up your leg.

Jump Start Your Weight Loss Plan with Stretching Exercises???

2010-03-26T20:04:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I was interviewing Dr. Vera Stevens on my radio show at www.blogtalkradio.com/changing lives. The topic of the day was stretching,
and how to stretch without injuring the body.

I did my research, preparing to bring Dr. Vera on the show,
so that I could at least sound like I knew a little something.

We purposely decided not to post pictures, or videos of her but to allow her to
talk us through the exercises, to visualize them.

By the second week of our discussion those visions had moved from my head
Into my desiring to act on the information.

Has that ever happened to you? I decided to do a stretching plan for 30 days, about 10 minutes a day.

I want you to know that I blew one day already this week, didn’t
want to make the effort.

Today is a better day. And this is the day I decided to let you in on what I’m doing.

The other day I helped carry some chairs at church and it felt good. I’m also up to 15 minutes for my stretching exercises. I can tell my endurance level is up.

Want to get in on Dr. Vera’s Stretching Tips, visit blogtalkradio.com/changinglives.

Discouraged By Weight Loss Scams?

2010-03-05T20:03:00.003-05:00

Weight loss advertisers seem to have the next best magic pill for those extra unwanted pounds, don’t they? We buy into the fast weight loss lies, believing that this will be the one, only to discover after spending our hard earned cash that we are right back where we started.

Why are you not getting any where? That is a question that you have asked yourself from one weight loss tip to the next.

I’ve wondered about that myself. I wanted the magic pill, formula, act, guardian weight angel, somebody to introduce me to the easy weight loss plan.

What is the secret to successful weight loss? Many make the decision to lose weight, buy the next weight loss plan and flop one more time. Those who succeed at dropping those unwanted pounds may sound something like this: “I decided it’s enough. I don’t want to be fat any more. It wasn’t healthy. I stuck with it. I was determined. I refused to go up another dress size. I wanted to look better.”

Something took place in that person’s mind. There was a mindset shift. That product or service was just a catalyst to help them get started, and they decided to go all the way.

Weight loss programs sell to your emotions, a vision of what you want to look like, the fantasy look. You buy into the product or service with a distorted vision of who you are and where you’re at. They sell you on this overnight success. That is why most people fail. Your mind is flooded with pictures of the overweight and then, poof, the slim model comes forth.

If they told you about hard work, endurance, persistence, they wouldn’t sell you on their product. They reel you in with the “I once was fat but look at me now.” Before you know it, you’re emptying your pockets again.

Your weight is a part of you. It has been a part of you, something you have home grown. Now it has made you unhappy.

Think about your unhappiness for a moment. As a matter of fact, take a pen and write down why you are unhappy with your weight. Be honest.

Now take a look at what you wrote. How does that make you feel? If you are feeling anything except love for what you are faced with, then you have the wrong thoughts, and you will never lose the weight because you have the wrong attitude.

Take responsibility for what you have done. It is not the food’s fault; it is not someone else’s fault, it is your fault.

This is the first step to dropping those unwanted pounds; confess your part and wake up to a new attitude.

Looking for ideas on healthy weight loss, check out Dr. Vera Stevens on blogtalkradio.com/changinglives

Fat, Fat, Full, Full, Oh What A Relief?

2009-06-26T15:45:00.006-04:00

The light comes on one day and you realize you are fat. I could say it nicely. You have a few more pounds; you're a fuller figured woman; overweight.

That is the problem, we keep telling ourselves lies and the mind is trying to talk some sense into us.

You've done it. I've done it. Tell yourself you are skinny; buy into the skinny program.

My approach has always been to call a spade a spade.

You will not get anywhere with lies. They don't work. If you hate you fat body, then
it will continue to perform even after you take off the fat pounds to go to work to put back on the pounds.

How to Avoid Stressful Situations Adding Extra Pounds

2009-01-06T01:01:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of reasons why people put on weight. Eating is just one of the many causes of weight gain. When most people look at a person who is overweight, eating is the first thought.

It is so easy to point fingers and criticize. I don’t think anyone starts out in life desiring to stretch their body’s skin in such a way they don’t look like the person they started out as.

Things happen. Unless you have been there don’t pass judgment.

I thought I would talk about stress and its impact. I was watching a friend who is full figured already during the holiday season. It was as if she had the munchies. She snacked and ate, snacked and ate.

As I watched her, it occurred to me that her eating was not about being hungry but more about something else and then it occurred to me she was once an addict.

Now that she was no longer on drugs, she had substituted food in all forms to quiet the cravings. The drug craving was causing her to be stressed and eating was her outlet for the stress.

Are you trying to eat away your stress? How do you know? The next time you feel upset, take inventory of what is going on in your mind; what are you thinking of? Did you reach for something to snack on or for food?

Become aware of your eating habits and what is associated with them. You can take control. Devise a plan of action for eating away emotional disturbances, or coping with stress.

Some of the things I do: keep a journal, drink water instead of snack, eat fruity snacks, or protein snack, do some physical activity, play a game, watch exercise videos.

Remember the power is in your hands. The decisions about your body are yours. Whatever you do, don’t do it for others, do it for yourself. That is the real key to health and fitness.

Is money stressing you out? Check your financial IQ at moneydesperate.blogspot.com

No More Short Pants: Capri's Will Do

2008-10-25T18:42:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed how when you put on short pants they seem to ride up your leg, the friction between your legs causes them to ride up?So why bother when it is unattractive. And you won’t feel good about the experience.

No more short pants for you for awhile, unless you just choose to torture yourself.Personally, I have never liked short pants even when I was skinny, or a 5/6. Capris’ are in for full bodied women like us. Come to think of it they look better on the full bodied figures than smaller figures. . . Just my opinion.

I prefer the mid leg style myself. Visit your local department store, try on a few and see which ones you like.Stop seeing the negative side of who you are but began to see the best you, you can be, dress and present.You may want to go to my blog talk show (blogtalkradio.com/changinglives), where myself and my co-host talked much about what to do with the full bodied figure.

Oh, by the way, the show title is: Is Your Job Packing On The Pounds?My co-host was my husband, of course, who is skinny and came into my life at 5/6. Some styles and cuts are not for everyone.

I found out that the more expensive a piece of clothing,the sizes are smaller and the fit is better.The decisions about your size should be yours and what you do with it should never be dependent on what others want you to do.Anyway, got to go.

Will return and talk to you again soon.

Peace out!

Have You Talked To Your Body Today?

2008-10-03T21:03:00.000-04:00

Love your body. Why would your body go to work to take off the pounds if you don’t love it in the condition it is in?

Okay, I love my stomach; I love my thighs; I love my butt. Even though you don’t look pleasant to my eyes, I still love you.

You are what you are because of what I did to you. I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t get any smaller either, if someone called me names and showed me no love.

There are things about you that I don’t like but it’s my fault you’re like this. I take full responsibility.

I purpose to win you over. You are my friend and I love you just the way you are.
You might not believe that but I do.

I’m struggling to love you just the way you are because I have these images in my head from what others look like and what I thought I wanted but not any more.

I want the body I want because it is to please me.

Every where you learn it is about getting skinny, not being fat. What’s wrong with fat? Fat cushions your organs. Without it, you will die.

God, help me to love this body like it is. Help me to look at myself in the mirror and instead of disgust, see love.

For more on understanding your intimacy needs visit webtv45.com

Today I Gave Myself A Breast Lift!

2008-08-23T13:45:00.001-04:00

This morning when I got up I put on a cotton, short sleeve, to the waist not too tight,shirt. As I gazed in the mirror I thought, “This shirt deserves to look better. How can I improve its appearance on this body?” Even my shoulders seemed to sag a bit.”

Then I remembered a friend of mine invented a bra clip thingy. I had tossed it into my draw to use but hadn’t really bothered.

The search was on. I found it but I couldn’t seem to make it work. I tried a few times until I broke it trying to snap it.

I looked on my dresser and there sat a small shopping bag with two cord handles. I cut one snapped my bra, gathered the two straps, tied the cord, adjusted my bra and it was instant transformation. IT WORKED WONDERS!

Working with what you have in excess pounds requires some creativity. Why be miserable about your weight? Do something about what you have.

If a bra clip will lift your boobs and give you that confident feeling. DO IT!

Feel good right in the body you’re in, is the first step to the right mindset to welcome your new body.

(For more about getting in the right mindset, read an excerpt from Sue Hodkinson's book: May I Have This Dance? at www.comebelovedcome.com

Take the Weight Off Then What?

2008-08-19T10:35:00.000-04:00

Are you fighting the battle of the bulge? Your thighs rubbing together? Excessive sweating when its hot, maybe even a rash? They never seem to make the chairs wide enough in some places, even in church? Even your significant other may turn his head when he walks in the room where you stand naked.

The worst thing you can do is began to beat up on yourself, want to avoid being around skinny weight conscious people, maybe you might even want to run-a-way and hide because you are so ashamed of your body weight.

What is wrong with fat, bulges, etc. anyway? Why do we have to have other people dictate to us how we should look? All of us can’t look like the picture perfect models that they use in those commercials to lie to us, make us think that if we buy their product, we are going to grow thin.

They entice us with looks to die for, magic pills, drinks and one more spa to join. I ask you has it worked for you? It sure hasn’t worked for me.

I’ve had enough trying to please everyone else, trying to live up to everyone else’s standards.How about you? So what can we do about all of this commercialism aimed at our wishful thinking?

I don’t know about you. I quit. If I don’t like the body I’m in, how am I going to like my new makeover thin body? Been there done that. Took the challenge, lost the weight, gained it all back. How about you?

I’ve stopped moaning and groaning about it. My new program is to accept myself right where I am. Are you ready to admit who you really are. We are fat. We are overweight.No matter how much we tell ourselves we are thin. We are not. We have been fat all of our life practically. So why are we forcing a lie on the truth?

You have tried everything else and nothing has worked. From now on, stand in front of that mirror and admit who you are, tell yourself how much you love your fat stomach, your fat thighs and big butt.

Post your comments here to encourage others. You're not alone.