o-calorie cake

Yes as the saying goes, I would like to have my cake and eat it too.
I don't mean literally. I would rather it taste like I'm eating cake
but not really eat the laden empty calories (although I have at times.)
There is a food flavored spray that comes in about 30 different
flavors. It's called "David Burke's flavor sprays" each 2 ounce
bottle cost $5.95. Every bottle is 0-calorie, nonfat, and cholesterol
free. Try a Birthday Cake flavor spritz lightly sweetened on a bland
rice cake. Use the bacon version on a hard-boiled egg. Although the
Ranch flavor has a pungent ordor. Some of the other flavors are:
Memphis BBQ, Parmeasan Cheese, and Marshmallow.

Hurrah, I finally made a post under these stressful conditions with
the margins off and I didn't pull out one strand of what is left to my
hair.

food hangover

I haven't felt that stuffed in a long time and it isn't
anything I want to do again soon. No sense in
reviewing my mistakes. I did keep in mind to
not let the whole day be a mishap. I stayed
away from drinking soda pop, I walked a few
stairs, I had a sliver of cheesecake, ate both
meals very early in the day, and skippped
dinner because of the abundant calories I had
eaten earlier. I had a one pound gain but that
can be worked off within the rest of the week.

I really don't feel like talking about anything right now. I am
so fed up with this computer, I could spit nails! The margin is
off and I have to watch the screen and almost count every
letter to judge, it may be the end of a line. Then I have to
enter to start a new line otherwise it stretches out to the
end of the computer screen and I lose my sidebar next to
the entry on my blog. Don't be suprised to see more of
testing 123, which I was doing for hours today. This may
even only be a draft for now, until I cool off.

BLOG READS

GENERAL:
http://www.goforthand.blogspot.com/
http://www.sadhouse.blogspot.com/
http://www.blogcharm.com/AwakeInMiracles
http://wwwstik.blogspot.com/
http://signsoftheweek.blogspot.com/
http://blogcharm.com/siteswap/
http://bloggingtexasmommy.blogspot.com/
http://alittlejoyfortoday.blogspot.com/
http://homesinkitsap.blogspot.com/
entry on o6-22-o6
The Five Factors Of Credit Scoring
http://christianityandmore.blogspot.com/
http://ourholyinheritance.blogspot.com/

DIET:
http://www.diet-blog.com/
(No More Big Fat Lies)
entry on 06-29-06
"The Big Blog List"
34 comments with 34 Diet Blogs
http://www.new-diet-tips.com/
http://members.tripod.com/behaviormodification/index-1.htm
http://www.iportion.blogspot.com/
http://www.turkeywalk.com/
http://101reasonswhyyoucant.blogspot.com/
http://www.womens-health-fitness.com/
http://www.drphil.com/articles/category/
http://chubbytoes.blogspot.com/
http://www.nea.org/wellness/index.html

ANIMALS:
http://www.thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/
http://www.thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/
http://www.animaltails.org/
http://www.CostumeDogs.com/
http://www.cuteoverload.com/
http://www.ithetwilight.com/createhope/
http://www.bettasplenden.blogspot.com/
http://dailypuppy.com/
http://www.worldofcats.blogspot.com/
http://www.art4pets.com/
http://www.cat-world.com.au/CatMyths.htm

father's day

"HAPPY FATHER's DAY"

Thanks Dad for all those times I came to you
with a problem and walked away without one!

Thanks for being patient
while I went through all my phases,
Thanks for having faith
and being quick to sing my praises,
Thanks for easing doubts
and soothing little hurts and fears,
Thanks, with all my heart,
for loving me through all the years.

myth

The more times you lose weight and then gain it back, the harder it is to lose pounds on your next attempt. Not necessarily, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., a weight-loss researcher and professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Many people spend their whole lives going through yo-yo weight cycles." he says. "But there's no definitive data that shows it will permanently slow your metabolism [the rate at which your body burns food for energy]."

But rebound pounds do tend to make you fatter when it comes to body composition, especially if you go on crash diets. For example, say you toggle between 150 and 135 pounds-- lose 15 pounds your regain likely consist of more fat and less muscle than you originally lost, Gaesser says: "Most people who lose weight rapidly will lose muscle mass." Rebound pounds usually contain more fat, less muscle. N.G.


I personally believe that exercising the large muscle groups three times a week and alternating days of weight resistance training will prevent muscle loss and burn off the fat as an extra bonus. (Remember if your carbohydrate intake is too low and your ketones are high your body will be burning your muscles as fuel.)

Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.

water

Tis' the season. With all this hot weather creeping up on us and scheduling a busy summer to keep the kids occupied, who has time to think of what's best for ourselves? Keep your health in check and list your needs also. This includes sun block, sunglasses, healthy nonperishable foods and snacks, handi-wipes, and plenty of water, water, and more water. Our bodies can survive longer without food than we can without water. Especially is you perspire a lot, be prepared. If you are active you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol cause us to lose water by tricking our bodies into thinking we have more water than we need. Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches, and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you are not getting enough water. (Riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow.) Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty. We lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating.

Our bodies are estimated to be about 60 to 70% water. Blood is mostly water, and our muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Water is needed to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs. Water also transports oxygen to our cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. Your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.

Regular or Diet Sodas are not a good source of water. Juices and sodas have a lot of sugar in them and aren't a good choice, so don't count them towards your daily amount. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. There are some brands of flavored water available, but some of them have sugar or artificial sweeteners which you don't need. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor.

The best source of water is plain, pure drinking water. I rest my H2O case.

rededicate

I think I'm in a "RE" mood since yesterday. I will rededicate my efforts to reducing the amount of food I eat today. I will re-energize my activity and use the step counter today. I will restore my passion to live longer and healthier by reviewing my past postings that have motivational hype. I will use deep breathing exercises to reduce the pressure in my life so as not to be an emotional eater. I will refocus my priorities and try again to make myself come first. If I don't respect my body and quit shoveling in empty calories, I will be on a rebound and gain back last years loss. I refuse to give up no matter how often I fall back and gain a pound or two. Remind yourself to refute the obese attitude. The rewards will come in the form of loose clothing and reversed numbers. Now that I have reviled the prefix "re," I have one more inane sentence to propose. Now looking back can you find how many "re" words are so-called hidden?

Step counter- 2,ooo steps equals 1 mile.

Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments. How different would we act if we knew today was our last day on earth?

recalls

PILATES BALLS: Those exercise balls distributed by LTD commodities and the Lakeside Collection and sold in catalogs nationwide from August 2005 through September 2005 for about $9.00. LTD Commodities - 866-736-3654. The Lakeside Collection - 866-847-4327. Certain pieces on the Pilates ball could fall apart and/or separate, posing a risk of injury.

No diet talk today either. Where is the productive diet enthusiast hiding inside of me? Come out, come out, where ever you are! Don't let too many days keep you in one spot. Losing weight is a journey (a long one for me) and a goal will never be met if I don't move on to energize myself one day at a time, one step at a time, and a one pound target loss at a time.

BLESSED PEACE
The greatest peace
I've ever known
I found in troubled times
For when I put my trust in God
He eased my troubled mind
Dolores Karides

sluggish

Today my mind is in a sluggish frame. I don't feel like talking about dieting or working it. Lately I've been nipping at the extra large flavored-coffee cup, cola, and the ever tempting chocolate. A little here and a little there and all of a sudden, headaches. Don't tell me I'm hooked on caffeine again. All I wanted from the stimulant was a little nudge. I got it alright, but then along came the urge followed by the crave and withdrawal. Will I ever learn that any addiction that is overcome has to be followed by continual maintenance. Oh yes, I've had a few that have controlled my life and put me in the wrong direction. I was greedy when it came to smoking, drinking, gambling, pain pills, diet pills, caffeine, even sex, dancing, food especially sugars, and now computers. I could never get enough of anything. Let's see, is that obsessive, compulsive, or addictive? Who cares? I guess I'll always be a "foodie" but at least all are gone even though a few have surfaced. I am an overcomer, I do work a 12 step program when I feel necessary, I strive for a no-fail environment, I get support and continue to be informed concerning the overweight, and soon as the flavored coffees are gone from my house the road to being clean will be traveled once again. I wish myself good luck and to anyone else who struggles with letting go of things that could hurt them. See ya!

overweight children

It's bad enough when we don't take care of ourselves by eating in a way that will guarantee a healthier life, let alone, show a bad example for our children. I don't like taking the blame for any extra poundage my children carry on them but I do remember when my first child was born. Upon a few visits to the doctors for his baby shots I was told to alter his formula by adding some extra boiled water.

The incidence of childhood obesity had tripled in the past two decades. When children weigh more than they should it can lead to a variety of serious health consequences, being obese and showing signs of disease, and emotional consequences as they grow. Obese children and teens suffer so much emotionally and socially that their quality of life compares with that of childhood cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Overweight kids may also turn into chronic dieters or develop eating disorders. Leann Birch, PhD. had found that unwittingly, parents-- through how they act, what they say, and even their own diet struggles-- can subvert their own good intentions.

Check out a book at the library and read up on the suggestions she has for helping your child at an early age. If you can't find anything leave a comment, I will try to furnish some more information.

How ironic that I don't remember being an overweight child but I do remember gaining weight when I was with child, after child, after child, after child.

I wonder why food has a connotation of love to a lot of people. No one escapes the affects of eating more food than our body needs, including men, women, children, and even our pets.

eating out

My three day function has thrown a monkey wrench into my wellness quest. Eating out at restaurants for six times is too much of a good thing. I only had three no-no items. I actually, felt a little rebellious. No one likes to feel pressured or scrutinized. I was amongst people who were to support your efforts, not judge them with an attitude. There were hundreds of like minded participants and only two people who had a tendency to be silently opposed but well heard! Bad vibes and the feeling of rejection can even ruin a good wedding. Like water off of a ducks back I did enjoy myself those thirty six hours. I have a four pound gain. I have been sticking to my diet-promise to my self to change some kind of bad habit, use some kind of good habit that will result in a healthier eating style everyday. This will be day 17.

Here are some of the efforts I put forth, in living color, because when I finish my journey I will have crossed over to the other side of the rainbow and reached the pot of gold representing healthy living for longevity:
1. Skipped Starbucks coffee and muffin for breakfast.

2. Used pedometer (4,245) (5,242) (5,878).

3. Left some food on my plate.

4. Six salads instead of fries.

5. Skipped the bread basket two times.

6. Drank water at four meals.

7. No in between or evening snacks.

8. Nothing to eat past 5:00 pm.

9. Ordered cheesecake for desert, ate one bite and shared the rest. (actually only one other person ate one bite and the rest was wasted)

10. Attended 5 motivational speaking sessions and took notes.

11. Took vitamin supplements and drank plenty of water.

12. All day activities for three days (first day 5 hrs., two dancing) (second day long 14 hrs) (third day long 17 hrs)

Regardless of the gain things are changing.

healthy bones

* Do regular weight-bearing exercise. Walking, jogging, aerobics and weight training strengthen bones.

* Do not forget vitamin D, plus calcium. Daily doses of these nutrients, found in food, fortified drinks such as milk and orange juice, or supplements, are vital for bone health.

* Don't delay. Keep active and get enough calcium and vitamin D early in life. Most bone is formed during childhood and adolescence, and many people start losing bone mass in their 30s.

article

Need some mental stimulation without chemicals and caffeine? Snacking on foods high in boron can keep your mind running at full throttle. In a study at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota, participants deprived of the mineral for nine weeks performed poorly on mental tasks such as counting and computer exercises. "Boron stimulates the production of the brain's beta waves, which work to keep your mind focused and alert," explains lead researcher James Penland, Ph.D.. To ward off afternoon mental slumps, snack on boron-rich red grapes or nuts.

misc.

FACT: Bitter orange often found in weight-loss aids, can increase your risk of heart disease.

JOKE: Life is unfair. I lost my car keys at a ball game and never found them. I lost my sunglasses at the beach and never found them. I lost my socks in the dryer and never found them. I lost three pounds on a diet--I found them and five more.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Don't bother with tomorrow's troubles, you have all you can handle today.

hooray

After two weeks I weighed in last night. I lost 7.50 pounds. I expected more but how often do we get what we expected, or even what we deserve? I will continue to focus on the big picture of where I'm at this time of the year compared to where I was last year at this time. I weigh less, that's good, but I'm not as happy. Therefore instead of dwelling on what can not be changed, I will make a small list for myself the changes I did make in my life or someone else's in a years time. There will always be good and not so good things that crossed my path. I have a few sayings that always puts things into perspective for me.

God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
The courage to change the things I can and
The wisdom to know the difference.

Some of you may recognize it and we know where that came from. That tells you there is a particular resource in the realm of things for every cause and affect. Do you have a question, request, problem, illness, hurdle, or situation that stresses your life? Go to the right source. My problem is food and always I need to go to it to eat to live. I should not be living to eat. Pass the lips and to the hips. I truly can accept myself, but I do sometimes get disappointed when the feeling of not being accepted by others becomes an issue. My philosophy is to fall back on a good attitude.

Let's just get right down to the real nitty gritty. Diet, what an ugly word. It doesn't even have a good sound to it diet! My mind and body automatically gets defensive and wants to horde everything I eat. Diets don't work forever, they are only a band-aid for the sore spot. To live everyone has to breath, eat, and move in that order. To lose weight, it all has to be in balance.

Case in point: Breath, (oxygen) the one thing you cannot live without. Eat, (nutrition) the fuel in your body that runs the machine. Move, the motion that sparks the circulation that keeps the body all working together. It would be senseless to keep the gas pump running if the gas gauge is on full. Gauge the food you eat. Would you add anything other than what is required to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently? We do it to our bodies everyday of our lives. Get informed about the proper nutrition your body needs. That secret will give you more mileage and peak performance for the remaining years of your life. Vroom vroom

diet minded

Worry, struggle, control, denial, and pushing myself are all feelings I have to deal with everyday if I want to stay diet minded. Speaking of the mind that's where it is all at. I have to remind myself everyday to fall back on a good attitude. What does it matter to have goals and strive to reach them to turn around again and require more goals of yourself over and over to keep up with the world and the so called Trump quest to be the best or the model's runway of narrow frames? Stop and smell the roses. There is the here and now that passes away in the blink of an eye. First count your blessings, love yourself, tell someone you love them (we all need to hear that,) accept imperfections, forgive (it frees your soul,) focus on the good in everything and everybody (it keeps disappointments at bay,) and one more (because I can go on and on,) all humans deal with the issues of life like hurt, misunderstanding, making mistakes, being judgmental, and believing we have to be better than we are.

It's not the things that we do...it's the things that we don't do!

Promise what (the good) you can deliver and deliver more than you promised.

LIFE'S INNER WORTH
There is no path worth wile
Upon the face of earth
Unless man knows sweet peace
And life's true inner worth.
For strength will come each mile
When weary steps grow faint
And faith in God increase
With wisdom of a saint.
by Loreta Inman

dieter's plateau

I'll settle for a plateau rather than a gain. Planning a course leads to a destination. If you find you are going in circles and nothing is changing for you regardless of your efforts to drop some more pounds, try to change your course. Five favorite helpful tips are: increase exercise to raise your basal metabolic rate, diversify your workout, doing both strength and endurance workouts, alter your diet by eating six mini meals throughout the day rather than three large meals to curb cravings and consume the majority of your calories early in the day, line up support to keep your motivation strong and stay true to your plan by pairing up with a friend or in a group of like minded contenders or with an exercise trainer, revise your gaols and don't let the scale be the only measure of your success and if you have focused on one or two techniques only it is time to broaden your approach and adopt new strategies.

Talking about strategies you name it and I've tried it. The only reason I am still talking about I want to lose weight and keep it off is because I never stuck with any one program or attempt long enough to see the benefits of discipline and commitment. That makes me wonder just how important it really was to me or was I trying it to please others? I don't think it is necessary to name all of the type of diets or aids that we all already know of but I even tried weekly shots, body wraps, some kind of sauna box where my head was the only thing showing, and the so called tried and true hypnotist. Now that was a nightmare in its self, sometime I'll have to tell you of my delusions in that tiny empty room........

detox diet pros

I knew I would find something to refute my last entry. I affirm that these well-educated authorities that try to lead us along the path of research studies, tend to portray bi-polar opinions. Can't they ever get along and agree on what is best for our welfare? Dr. Hellmut Lutzner (doctorate that is impressive) wrote a book and I'm not going to promote the title, since I have doubts now about fasting which I have done for years. There are seven different kinds of fastings: water fasting, zero fasting, tea fasting, gruel fasting, fresh juice fasting, whey fast, and the Buchinger method. (Always check with your doctor about anything you read, therapeutic fasting is also recommended as a preventive against cancer if there has been cancer in your family and you are in a high risk category?) ( A grain of salt here please.) Preventive fasting if for people who are in danger of becoming ill through diet-related diseases and metabolic disturbances. With your doctors guidance you should fast until the risk factors, which can be determined by medical tests, have disappeared, for example in the case of:

*high blood pressure (hypertension)
*elevated blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides)
*elevated blood sugar (beginning of diabetes)
*too many blood cells and thickened blood (polycythaemia)
*elevated uric acid in the blood (in the early stages of gout)

Different ways fasting can affect you: eyesight, understanding, remembering, sexual potency, menstruation, and low points during the fast. The fasting organism draws vitality and warmth from the energy supply which is fat, and nutrients from stored proteins. (My muscles?) The body does not burn up just any kind of fat or use up just any kind of proteins. It rids itself of the following substances and in the exact order given:

*anything that burdens the body
*anything the body does not need
*anything that disturbs the body
*anything that makes the body ill

Here's the paradox: the body never rids itself of

*anything vitally essential, for example heart muscles
*functioning parts of the body, active organs
*control devices

That may be the immediate results seen but what about the unseen? And as always, the long term effect that shows up eventually. (Example, the recall on medications.) How about the loss of electrolytes, chemical imbalances, and malnutrition?)

Decisions, decisions, what's a person to do and who do you trust? My trust lies in the discernment through the Lord, not the "multiple Degrees" that people continually strive for thinking they are full of intelligence but how about "wisdom" which I prefer?

detox diets cons

Are they safe and effective? Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of Nutrition for Women (Owl Books, 2003) responds: There is little scientific evidence that the body needs cleansing from detox diets, since it already has systems for breaking down and ridding itself of most harmful things, says C. Wayne Callaway, M.D., an endocrinologist in Washington, D.C..

Ironically, fasting generates toxins. As protein in your muscles and organs is broken down for energy around day two, toxic nitrogen substances such as uric acid are formed; these can tax the kidneys and increase risk for gout.

Detox diets also deplete glucose, the No. 1 fuel for your brain. Even a juice fast doesn't supply enough glucose to meet these needs, so the body first turns to stored glucose, called glycogen, in the liver. By the middle of the first fasting day, that resource is exhausted, leaving you lightheaded, hungry, tired, and unable to concentrate. By day two or three, you lose your appetite and even feel slightly euphoric - not a result of toxins being released from tissues, but because of a rise in fat fragments, called ketones.

In essence, your body is literally consuming itself as it strives to provide energy for the brain and tissues, while metabolism has slowed in an attempt to conserve energy. "The weight you lose in the first two or three days of a fast is water and muscle, not fat," says Callaway, who adds that pounds quickly return.

Well look what I came across in my notes. To think I had plans to do a fast next week the day before my weigh-in. I sure talked myself out that one of course, unless I find the "pros advocate" notes to refute the "cons," which I can always count on scientists and researchers or any well educated authority on such matters to always disagree to a certain level. I've come to the conclusion that the only sure answer is the equation of a mathamatical problem.

diet promise

I'm so glad that eating weekend is all over with. I feel like I probably have a food hang-over. I kept my promises to myself-- day three; took to the stairs and read some pages of a diet book, day four; took to the stairs, passed up pizza and cake, ate out and left half of the fries and slaw (I always clean the plate, day five; went to a bar-b-cue and passed on seconds of anything (another first.) I know they are little things but every little change in the right direction will exchange my bad habits with good habits. Of course I am jumping on the scale often (which I am addicted to) and I don't see a loss but at least there is no recent gain. It also helps to know I am still having water retention regardless of the water pills. Surely when the excess water is gone a few pounds might take a hike. I am a year-round sweater when I move around a lot, also looking forward to the hot weather calling on more perspiration and a quicker loss in weight on the scale. I don't care if it is only a liquid loss, anything to see the scale numbers decline.

Naturally occurring sugars in fruits vegetables and milk are fine when consumed in normal recommended amounts.

With out discipline we can solve nothing!