Have a healthy Christmas Day

I just received an expensive set of spyderco delica knives as a gift. I am not known for being the cook in the family, I think it might be a hint. While on the subject of food:

Those yummy treats and foods that are laid out before you this day should not ruin your body or make you feel guilty. Just use common sense and moderation during the holidays for eating and you will not have to do any drastic dieting come the new year.

Have great Christmas Day.

Should there be an age limit for drivers?

What prompts me to write this blog post is a recent accident that involved a school bus and a car. The car crossed over the center of the road and hit the school bus head on. A passenger in the car, an 84 year old woman was killed at the scene. Her 94 year old husband was the driver and he is in serious condition. The bus driver was unhurt.

I live in an area with a very high percentage of retired people. Too many times I have seen elderly drivers make unsafe lane changes, get distracted or just hit the gas instead of the brake. As far as I know we do not have a maximum age for drivers licenses but I believe we should.

My own father's driving got worse as he got older. His mental attitude became part of his driving and he drove with a "get out of my way" attitude. I think that he should have had his license taken away before he caused any accidents.

If you watch ABC's Funniest Home Videos, then you will see that being elderly and driving anything becomes a danger. There are plenty of clips showing elderly men trying to ride ATV's and motorcycles, even if it is apparent that they can't. They either end up under the ATV Tires or crash into something. Neither have a good ending.

While I am not saying that all elderly people are terrible drivers, I am saying that they should undergo a driving test every 6 months just to see if they are still capable of operating a peice of machinery like a car.

Do beauty creams really work?

It is true that beauty is only skin deep but people sure do pay big bucks to keep that beauty. So do anti-wrinkle creams and beauty moisturizers really work? Some actually do. If they contain sunblock and help seal in moisture then yes they will slow done the aging process of the skin and might even reverse some skin damage but don't count on miracles. Most creams that claim to remove wrinkles merely puff up the skin through irritation to make the wrinkles disappear.

What you have to do is take care of your skin while you are still young and then you won't have to worry about it when you get older.

Foods to induce sleep

Feeling tired after a big meal is a normal part of being human. Your body wants to slow down to properly digest the meal....and that means sleep. Some foods have been known to induce sleep and are a better choice than pill types of sleep aids.

Warm milk has a sleep inducing effect. I have not personally tried it since I am allergic to milk. Other foods are peanuts, sunflower seeds and oatmeal cookies. So technically a warm glass of milk with some oatmeal and raisin cookies should put you right to sleep.

Bone density and suppliments

Did you know that calcium supplements do not work? I bet that is a news item to you. I studied in the "Better Bone and Balance" program that is part of the Oregon State University bone lab. They found that eating calcium has very little to do with building bones. Bone density is increased by impact exercises and not what you eat.

Look up the bone lab studies on the OSU website and you will find lots of up to date information on how you can stop osteoporosis in as little as 6 weeks. 

Seeing old friends

Have you ever met someone you knew from years ago only to ask yourself how come they look so old? I remember one guy that I knew from a former job, who was only in his late twenties, looked decades older. He smoked, drank heavily and used illegal drugs. All of those factors contributed to his aged facial looks.

So the  best anti aging products are to simply not use tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs. Take care of your body and you will save money on not buying beauty products to repair damaged skin from premature aging.

Should you treat yourself to a new outfit as an incentive to losing weight?

How many times have you told yourself you should buy that great looking dress, pants or top as an incentive to lose weight just to fit into it? I know I have, only to never fit into the article of clothing in time for it not to go out of style. I made the mistake of buying a dress that was 3 sizes too small for me and I only lost 2 sizes.

So if you do decide to go out on a clothes shopping spree this Black Friday and find something that you just have to have, just buy it in the next size down from what you are now. That is about 7 to 10 pounds less than you are now. Losing that much weight will be easier that trying for a 20 pound weight loss.

Talk to your doctor first

Don't believe all you read online or see on TV ads about weight loss supplements. Please find out the facts from your doctor. Certain drugs, herbs or mixtures of the two can do a number on you if you have underlying health problems like cholesterol, thyroid problems, asthma, circulation or heart problems.

Don't give in to your whims of quick weight loss. Please talk to your doctor. Your health is more important than a cheap bottle of pills.

Tracking your health

With today's Apple apps, data base software and smart cell phones, there is no excuse for you not to track your weight loss, fitness workout or your blood sugar levels. Gone are the days of self inking stamps and hand written notes to yourself. You can now actively track your health progress. Those new technology tools - use them.

A fabulous new you in time for the end of the year

Forget about waiting for the new year to make resolutions about your health, start right now in making your life healthier.....a new you! Take the time to get healthy again. If it takes an extra 15 minutes in the morning just to eat healthier or do those morning stretches, then just vow to make time for it. If you need motivation to get you going, then find someone who can be your mentor. It could be a relative or your next door neighbor. If you can't find anyone then you might find that motivation from a book or video. Amazon or buy.com has plenty of books and DVDs to choose from. Most of all, you must not procrastinate. Putting off getting healthy should never be on your mind....getting healthy now should.

A simple way to cut your appetite

Almost everyone I know has heard that you should eat your meals slowly so that you give your stomach time to feel full. Unfortunately we cannot always do that for lunch while at work or at school. I have found another way to help your stomach feel full without the aid of new diet pills or eating "filling foods." The secret is psyllium, the ingredient found in Metamucil®. What psyllium does is form a gel in your gut when it is wet and makes you feel full. In order for it to be effective you should take it in pill form. Take the pill about 1 hour before your big meal of the day. You will feel full or nearly full before you even start to eat. That will enable you to eat smaller portions and to walk away from the dinner table without any hunger pangs.

Blog changes

After changing the title and layout of this blog I have noticed a bit of an increase in visitors. People are more interested in their overall health rather than just one aspect of it. While TV pushes the perfect look for everyone via commercials and TV shows, just being healthy for most of us is a blessing.

While I have seen some increase in visitors I have also noticed some strange Google ads show up. The main one I keep seeing is the ads for fast food places and the other one for Davidoff cigars, which is rather strange for a health blog. Someone did tell me once that if I mentioned someone famous passing away on a blog, that I should expect funeral ads below the post. I must have encouraged my readers to quit smoking and those odd ads showed up.

Male health concerns

I normally don't write about male health simply because I am female. What prompted me to cover one health concern is the fact that most men seem to be obsessed with it. I am talking about ED or what used to be called impudence. The lack of libido seems to be the number one concern for most men that are not stressed out about other problems in their lives.

The inability to perform well in bed is often related to having something else on their minds. Thinking about money or lack of it is right up there with any concerns about size. Doubts about sexual performance will often hinder that performance.   

The business community has latched onto men's concerns of ED that a huge multi billion dollar business has cropped up in the last 15 years. Everything from Viagra pills to enlargement devices and surgery. Whole websites devoted to the subject of male enhancement reviews sales of pills are now the norm.

While I would love to say to those men to just not worry about your ED and it will go away, that is not always true. First and foremost talk to your doctor before embarking on a trail of trial and error when it comes to ED. Only then will everything get better.

Your skin as it ages

Your skin changes dramatically as it ages. It goes from being highly elastic and thick when we are young to thin and loose when were are elderly. Because our skin slowly gets thinner as we age, it makes it harder and harder for wrinkle removal, treating lacerations, and treating skin cancer. Learn to be good to your skin when you are young will help keep your skin keep its elasticity longer as you age.

Beware of over the counter supplements

While the majority of over the counter products for weight loss and general health improvement are mostly harmless there are a few that you should avoid. Supplements are often considered food products and are not regulated by the Drug Administration so you need to read the labels on those products. You need to understand what each chemical does to your body before you buy it. Some of the best weight loss supplements have huge amounts of caffeine or untested herbs as their main ingredients. So you need to do your homework and research each product before you put it into your body. The last thing you want to do is find yourself in the local ER because your body had an extreme reaction to a over the counter supplement. Since the government cannot or will not protect consumers against this type of product, then it is a definite "buyer beware" situation.

Cigars safer than cigarettes?

You have probably heard that old saying that cigars are safer than cigarettes. I know my dad used to tell me that one when he took up cigar smoking. I don't think he ever smoked fancy cubans or makers mark cigars, all I remember is that they stunk. He gave up on the cigars, switched to a pipe for a few years then went back to cigarettes.

He died of the results of a triple by-pass, in fact only 6 weeks after the operation. The doctor told us that his lungs were clear and he had no signs of cancer anywhere but those years of smoking damaged his arteries and weakened his heart so much that he was having a hard time breathing.

So are cigars safer than cigarettes? If you asked my dad during his final days he would have said none of them are safe. I can also assure you that I have asthma now from breathing in his second hand smoke for 20 years.

A new look and a different title for the blog

A person can only write so many blog posts about weight loss, at least that was the way my mind works. So I decided to change the title of the blog to Your health, your body, to cover a much wider range of health topics. While fitness and staying in shape will still remain the main focus of the blog, I think that it is time to have a much more realistic goals of just staying healthy rather than trying to look 20 again.

The overall look of the blog will be slowly changing as I experiment with the new format of Blogger and the templates they have, really nice ones too. The nice part about them is those pages (at the top) that I can add. I also like to add that my visitors have increased along with the comment spammers. Thank goodness I don't allow automatic comment approval otherwise I would have had 15 comments about a xerox phaser 8560, and I don't even know what that is.

I do plan on blogging more frequently as time will allow but we will have to see.

I got a compliment from a stranger

My local discount store was having a big sale this morning. So I got there early to see what might interest me. Since it was the end of the summer season, all of the swimsuits were now priced at 90% off what they use to be. I debated with myself and then gave in and got a one piece.

When I got to the check out and the gal at the cash register was using the barcode scanner on my suit, I made the remark that I was too chicken to get a bikini. At which she said, "why, you have a great figure, you should show it off."

That took me by surprise and I must have blushed 2 shades of red! That was the first time a stranger had ever remarked about my body. No, I did not go back for the bikini but I did say thank you to the cashier for the fab compliment. 

Good clean air

In order to stay healthy we must keep ourselves safe from exposure to harmful chemicals, toxins and known carcinogens. There are 3 ways that the human body can be affected by those elements, they are absorption, ingestion and breathing them in. Ingestion is the simplest one to control, simply know what you are eating. Absorption can be limited to wearing protective clothing when around or working with harmful elements. Breathing or inhalation is another matter entirely.

Often we are not told if there is something harmful in the air we breath. That is evident with all of those ads on TV for Mesothelioma cancer attorneys. Someone did not inform them of the asbestos in the air. But asbestos is just one of many elements that can cause problems. Indoor air can be very toxic if there is no fresh air circulation in the room. Toxins are given off by the foam in cushions, couches and even that brand new bed mattress.

You can use air purifiers and filters all you want but the best solution is good old fresh air, so open a window.

Electronic gizmos to help you stay healthy

It use to be all you needed was a stop watch when you worked out. The watch helped you track your running time, your pulse, and your respiration. The fancier ones tracked laps and other stuff.

Now you can just stop by your local Best Buy and pick up a Wii or a Playstation Move and "play" your way to a newer, fitter you. But it doesn't stop there, you can get electronic calorie counters, diet planning software and of course lets not forget the MP3 for the music you have to listen to just to get through the workout.

Whatever happened to just going for a brisk walk? Playing catch with your kids? Walking to the store instead of taking the car? Going for a bike ride? Do we really need more gizmos?

The Obama health plan

I am still uncertain as to what will happen to my own health care situation under the Obama plan. I can say for certain that I do like the idea of no pre-existing conditions coming into the factor for health insurance. At one point a family member could not get medical insurance because he had a bone operation within 2 years of applying for a new health plan.

I wonder if the new health plan will spill over on to other types of insurance. I do know that many types of term life insurance no medical exams but what about other insurance types? For example will car insurance companies not cover medical portions of their coverage because everyone is suppose to have medical insurance already?

I guess we will find out, soon enough.

Take care of your muscles after a workout

Do you know how to do a proper cool down after you workout? Did you know that not allowing for a proper cool down routine as part of your workout will result in sore, cramping muscles? A proper cool down involves exercises and not just a trip to the hot tub. You can use a treadmill to cool down or just walking. Your aim is to keep moving until your pulse is just slightly elevated and that you have stopped sweating profusely.

Ignoring a proper cool down will result in pain, tight muscles and your tendency to avoid workouts all together. You will then be concentrating on how alleviate your pain, either by pain pills, heated mattress pads, ice packs or massage. It would be much easier just to spend 5 minutes at the end of your workouts to just learn to do the right exercises for cool downs.

Your health and sports

The one thing I always encourage is to keep active. No matter what age you are there is a sport that will not only help you keep your body fit but also keep your mind active.

When we are young, the sports tend to be more daring. The sports also tend to have a higher body impact such as football, atv racing, or skydiving. Even leisurely sports such as horseback riding is considered a high risk sport.

As we age, golf, hiking, power walking and bowling tend to replace those high energy demanding sports.They keep our interest and get us out of the house. The added bonus is that they also help us socialize, thus keeping our minds active.

No matter what your age, get out, meet people and get active.

Public places cater to the skinny

You have no doubt heard about those new "saddle" seats that the cut rate airlines plan on installing on short flights. It is just another way for companies to literally put the squeeze on people. Pack them in like sardines and to hell with comfort or safety. It is almost the way I sometimes feel in some of those public toilets, where there they seem to have been built for people that are as thin as skeletons.

What has happened to the architects of these places? Have they been told to fit "X" number of people in "X" number of square feet?

Yes the world is built for skinny people.

Let's talk about Halloween

It used to be that I would love to dress up for Halloween for parties and work. That was until I started getting plump. Then all I could think of was how to hide being overweight in a Halloween costume. One year I went as a pumpkin and didn't need any stuffing for the costume! The next year I was a "dead bride" so the old wedding gown would hide most of my size. My problem was not with just being overweight as much as it was being out of proportion. You see, my weight tends to gather in my tummy and boobs, so that I looked pregnant when I am overweight.

Nowadays they cater to the plus size gal for Halloween. They have the most gorgeous sexy halloween costumes but with one problem, they are for the proportioned overweight gal. Let me show you a couple of photos to make my point:

Here is a sexy plus size costume modeled by a well proportioned model. She has a flat tummy and her hips are not flowing into her shoulder, she has a waist. Below is a whole selection of plus size models that have big bodies but no extra rolls of fat here and there, they are bigger but not really "out of shape" so to speak. They can still wear sexy clothes and make it work for them.

The bottom line is......a model still looks good whether she is a plus or not, the rest of us are just .......

One of the greatest joy of losing weight

The shear thrill of fitting into clothes that have hung in the closet for years while waiting for me to lose weight is a high for me. Just putting on a pair of running shorts that don't feel like a throng that is cutting me in two was a great feeling. My oversized t-shirt tops are now regulated to become pajama tops until they are worn out enough to throw out. 

After a wardrobe thrill like that, I fully never intend to go back to 2X or X anything.

Our bodies change as we age

As our bodies age, it becomes harder for us to lose extra pounds. Our metabolism slows down because our bodies want to hold on to those pounds in preparation of a famine. It is a throw back to harder times and is genetically programed into us. It is just like getting gray hair and age spots, it is something that cannot be avoided. What you can do is learn to eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids and get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

What are great fat burning exercises

If you listen to most people that promote the latest fad diet system, you will hear which exercise that they say will burn fat. In reality the best fat burners are muscle tissue. If your body has more muscle then it will require more calories to support that muscle tissue. To get those calories, your body will draw on your fat reserves to supply the needed energy and nourishment your muscle tissue needs.

So the best exercises that will burn fat are the ones that build muscle. Cardio workouts like the treadmill are a great way to warm up your muscles for the real workout.

Foods that help you lose weight

I am often asked "what types of food should I eat to burn calories?" I just hate to tell them that there is no such thing as fat burning foods. I remember when I was young, my mother would religiously eat one banana and drink a small can of grapefruit juice for lunch everyday, to try and lose weight. She claimed that those foods burned off the fat in her body. I was just a kid and didn't know any better, so I took it as a fact.

When I got older and had more nutritional education, I realized that it was not the foods she ate but the small amounts of them that she ate. Both the grapefruit juice and banana amounted to about 200 calories for lunch. Topped with a small dinner of less than 800 calories and almost nothing of a breakfast, no wonder my short 5' mom was able to stay slim and tiny, she barely ate much at all.

The high cost of health insurance

If you have ever gone shopping for your own health insurance you would know the fact that age and weight often figures into the premiums. With the new Obama health insurance plan in the works I am not really sure how the new insurance quotes will be based. I would love to see everyone get the same rate no matter what age, size or credit rating they had. I can't help it if I am getting older just like everyone else or that I may have asthma, which was not my fault, so why should I pay more than someone 4 years younger than me? I guess I will be waiting to see how this all pans out - just like you are.

Your weight and looking for work

Our society (in the USA) is unfortunately one of being superficial. This fact is often more apparent when a woman (yep this post is aimed at the women readers for now) is looking for a job. While men are judged on their previous work history or education, women are judged first on their looks then their education and work history. It is not uncommon for men to be hired over the phone for a job without having that interview in person, but a woman is often called to come in for that interview.

Employers want to see what that prospective women employee looks like before they hire them. Employers are often more critical of a woman's looks for sales jobs, receptionists or other high public contact position. They claim that those positions are more as company representatives and they want to put out a good impression to the public. I say BS. It is just their method of discrimination, but how to you prove it?

Since the job market is very tight right now, women are getting their faces lifted, having tummy tucks done and above all else, going back to the gym for working out. While plastic surgery is very expensive and I don't recommend it at all, getting your body in shape, the cheap old fashioned way of working out, will not only benefit you but might increase your chances of securing that job you have wanted.

A new bed

Our bed is finally wearing out. I wonder how long a bed is suppose to last. Two overweight people spending at least 7-9 hours a night on it for 11 years sure did wear it down fast. So we had a discussion on what type of bed do we really want to get. I was all for getting a water bed again, since that is what we first had before this bed, while hubby wants us to look into a memory foam bed. There happened to be a local memory foam mattress sale and we went. Whoa, are those things expensive! It looks like we might be getting that water bed again, yippee!

Why do people love this blog?

I know that this little blog is not very well known or visited, but it sure does attract more than its fair share of spammers. I would like to know why Patek Philippe is always leaving spammy comments. That was until I Googled the name and found out it was a watch maker. Come on people, would someone who was interested in watches really want to visit a diet blog? get real.

I just met the rudest overweight person today

Before you go jumping down my throat about making generalizations about fat people, let me say that I weighted as much as 190 pounds at my heaviest and I am a 5'2" woman who should be weighing around 120 pounds. Yes I was obese but I was never rude or inconsiderate of others as much as the fat pig I had the unfortunate pleasure to meet today.

We were both at Walmart, near the vending machines in the front of the store. He was driving one of the Walmart handicapped chairs. I was behind him and he knew I was there. Without warning he starts to back that thing up and I had no where to move to since there were carts on both sides of me (I was walking and had no cart with me). He damn nearly run over me. I did manage to get out of his way and all he did was give me a nasty glare, never speaking a word to me. I managed to get around him and was at the vending machine when he decides to move forward. This time I got my item and got out of his way.

It was a few minutes later that I saw him again and this time I was walking to my car and he was walking to his car. His car was not in the handicapped parking spot, nor did it have any handicapped stickers on it. That damn fool was using the handicapped cart for shear laziness.

When I got to my car, I sat and sorted through few things and then looked up, expecting him to be gone. Nope, he was still there, trying to start his car - it wouldn't start!! I had a big smile on my face as I drove out of the parking lot as he was on his cell phone. I bet he was calling his roadside assistance plan. I guess that is what you get when you try to run someone down in a store.

Don't just sit there!!!

How many times have you said that to yourself (see the title) only to say - later I'll do that. I am betting you never get around to it. Your comfortable modern couches or the overstuffed chair is just too nice to leave. I thought that for 6 months a few years ago. For 6 months I just sat most of the day in my overstuffed easy chair and watched TV or did a few hand held hobbies to pass the time of day. I finally realized that my life was passing me by and that I was not able to walk or go hiking like I used to do without getting out of breath. Even doing something like carrying a 40 pound sack of dog food from the car into the house was a chore.

That was when I decided to say - ENOUGH! I got off of the chair and started to do something with my life and get back into shape. I lost 30 pounds since then and I have managed to keep it off. Now I am working on gaining more muscle.

Why is Zumba the latest fitness fad?

If you have not seen what Zumba fitness is, then here is a video off the latest fitness craze that is sweeping America:



As you watch the video, take notice that even some of the people that were sitting at the beginning of the dance are now standing and dancing too. The reason why it is such a fantastic way to lose weight and get in shape is that it is fun. I can see Zumba dance clubs popping up all over the place, can you?

Interesting studies on obesity

I just saw on TV a few news stories about obesity. The first one claimed to have found the major reason why people in the USA are becoming more and more obese. It was not due to eating habits but the fact that their bodies are not needing as much food as it use to. You see they claim that the human body uses "X" amount of calories a day to regulate its body temperature. More and more people are now living in temperature controlled environments and don't use those calories for temperature regulation anymore. Your body use to work hard to keep you cool and hard again to warm you up. If your body doesn't have to do that then it doesn't need those calories anymore. That was an interesting news story.

The next one was about how obese women thought that they were being picked on at a local clothing store by being "spied" on by the store's security cameras. Not sure where that story was heading.

The last story I saw was one on childhood obesity and the strange part about the story was not the actual story but the one that followed it, it was about how PE was being removed from school curriculum. Now if only they figured out that those 2 stories were linked then they would have cause and effect right there.

Obesity and weight sure is in the news almost everyday now. It use to be just fad diet news but now it has become a national health crisis.

Looking good this summer

I swear that almost every male that I saw today had their shirt off. It was not a hot day but warm. I can only be thankful that most of them were in very good muscular condition. I even saw one guy that was washing his car and until he turned around and I saw his full gray beard, I would have sworn he was in his twenties.

Yes I was looking, I am allowed, aren't I? It was not as if I had binoculars and was looking through windows, nope this was all on display in a small town.

It did get me thinking about men and women and how most men do tend to take better care of their bodies than most women do. I think that has to be how men are raised in the school system. There are more physical fitness opportunities and availability for boys and men than there are for girls and women. Women are taught that the face is the important part of their bodies for glamor. That is why cosmetics are a big industry. While men are taught to be strong and muscular.

I wonder if and when that will change? Your guess is as good as mine I suppose.

One food that can help your body and skin

There are lots of foods that profess to help you lose weight. I can think of one main one off hand and that is grapefruit. I remember my mother eating a grapefruit for breakfast and drinking grapefruit juice for lunch as a method of weight loss. I asked her once if she liked grapefruits enough to eat them twice a day, everyday and she told me NO! She only ate them because she heard that they would help her body burn off fat. She did lose weight with her fruit diet but not because it was grapefruit but because she was almost starving herself in the process. If you are wondering if she put those pounds right back on after eating grapefruits for almost 2 years, she did. She did not learn to eat a balanced diet that she could maintain.

One food that I have found that worked for me was yogurt. I ate that for lunch along with a piece of fruit when I was at work. It was not only a quick and easy lunch to make but it kept me from feeling starved all afternoon long. I have also heard that yogurt is one of the best acne treatments around. Of course for acne, you don't eat the yogurt but put plain yogurt on your face after you wash it. Something about balancing your ph levels on your skin.

How losing weight can save you money

Did you know that overweight people pay more for lots of things? Health care is one. I bet you didn't know that many medical insurance policies did not cover doctors visits if obesity is discussed. Life insurance is another one that overweight people will pay more for. Many life insurance quotes require a physical to be done prior to issuing the policy and often that policy costs more if you are overweight.

Of course there is also those issues with airline seats that pop up in the news every once and awhile but they are often aimed at the severely obese people and not just those who are overweight. While the medical and insurance industry tend to penalize those who are just overweight.

Being uncomfortable during a heat wave

I can personally vouch for the fact that when it gets hot, you are more uncomfortable when you weigh more. I think it has to do with the fat in your body acting as an insulator and not allowing your body's natural cooling system to work properly. It is times during heat waves that most people end up drinking more water and eating less. It is one of the quick weight loss programs that will work for a short period of time. Most of the weight lost will be water weight, but considering that the human body is made of 90% water then that is a lot of weight.

Stay cool and drink lots of water.

Another diet product

I was talking over the back fence to my good friend a few days ago. The weather was nice and not too hot and we had just finished doing some yard work. I had remarked at how good she looked and she told me she had lost 10 pounds. I asked her if it was some miracle diet pill and to my surprise she said yes. When I asked her what it was she answered vigrx, which I know is NOT a diet pill but one of those male enhancement drugs. Since she is now gone for the long holiday weekend I will have to wait to ask her again what that diet pill really is. I can't wait to find out.

Midnight snackers

I have a dear friend that always seems to be on a diet of some sort. I have known her long enough to see her go through the very obese times to the very slim days. She is currently back to her overweight time and until recently I was unaware that she was a closet midnight snacker. Her husband told me that he would be getting ready for work one day and found all kinds of food left out in the kitchen. He put it away and thought nothing more about it. Then a week later it happened again. He thought it was one of his teenage sons and confronted him. It was then he found out that his wife was the sneaky snacker.

My friend and her husband had a huge argument over the issue. She refused to admit that eating 2 sandwiches at 1am in the morning was contributing to her almost 280 pound problem. At one point he threatened to put a lock on the refrigerator or figure out a way to keep her out of it during certain hours. He even wondered if any company made such a thing like refrigerator filters that detected who was opening the door and what they were getting out or putting in.

What he finally did in the end was make an appointment for her at the doctor and not tell her about it. The appointment was around lunch time and he made arraignments that it looked like he would be taking her out to lunch and instead they ended up at the doctors office. After the appointment her midnight snacking stopped......at least for now it has. She dropped 30 pounds since not making those midnight runs.

A balanced diet is extremely important

While dieting, everyone should take a physical inventory or their current health. Before the diet how was their skin condition? What was the condition of their hair and nails? Nail and hair growth along with skin condition are great indicators of health problems. Lack of certain vitamins in the diet can cause red flaky skin rashes and excessive hair loss for women. While hair loss in men also occurs, it is often put down as male pattern baldness and the dietary factor is often overlooked. Nail growth patterns to look for include nails that are progressively getting thinner and or break easily than they did before the diet. The rate of hair and nail growth should also be noted. Has it slowed down or sped up?

Eating not enough fiber on a diet that is rich in natural vitamins can cause a host of problems ranging from dandruff to digestive problems.

Eating a balanced diet that is low in carbs and calories can still be achieved with ease if you eat more vegetables and fruit with very lean non-processed meats.

Obesity is now an epidemic

Did you know that in the USA, obesity is now at epidemic rates? That means that heart disease, diabetes, and other weight related health problems will rise right along with it. You will also see an increase in companies trying to cash in on that. More fad diets, exercise equipment and other gizmos will be bombarding us. Next you will see more franchises that encourage home based businesses with herbal supplements to help with weight loss.

All of that instead of people just learning to eat a balanced diet, stay away from fast food and excessive snacking and get out and off of the couch. I wonder when will people learn? Or are they merely sheep that listen to commercials that push food and videos games? I hope not. I hope there is hope for us.......for all of us.

Sex sells

One of my biggest gripes against society and corporations in particular is the fact they push sex and being thin down our throats at every turn then push fast food on every corner of town. Let's face it the photo below is not to draw attention to the new Jaguar car, nope it is the scantly dressed woman.

You find that sex is used to sell everything from Ferrari parts to baby diapers. If you can not seen the newest commercial for Huggies diapers then you have not seen how bad it can get. I do have to admit the commercial is funny but it goes to prove that sex appeal is used to push products down our throats.

So why do I have a gripe with it? Simple, us women and men that do not measure up to those perfect images are now trying to perfect our own bodies through surgery, diets and body shaping foundation underwear. That does not even take into account the mental problems that often people get when constantly bombarded with what society perceives as what we should look like.

My personal feeling on dieting is to diet for you health and not for looks. Lose weight because it is good for your heart or reduce your chance of premature death, not to simply get into that sexy outfit.

Changed the layout of the blog

So what do you think? I kept the header but I might change that. The blog was way overdue for a new look. I just got several new books on how to use Photoshop and Corel Paint. I want to eliminate that fuzzy look around the words that MS Paint gave me. I do like the new color combination of the blog.

One draw back of losing weight

If you are over 45 and you decide to lose a lot of weight over a short period of time you will experience one big drawback to rapid weight loss - loose skin. I am not taking just about that turkey neck or needing wrinkle eye cream, nope, I am talking about large flaps of skin that use to be your belly, boobs or thighs.

To stop that from happening you MUST exercise to tighten the muscles under the skin to help the skin shrink. You will also find out that you need to lose weight at a slower pace in order for your body to better adjust.....skin wise that is.

Not all the information for weight loss is good

I signed up for a email newsletter recently that was supposed to be full of diet recipes and losing weight tips. What it turned out to be was nothing more than an affiliate marketing scam. I was really disappointed. The recipes were nothing more than links to cook books to buy. Why do people do that?

Getting a doctor to help you

Often we have to get a doctors help when we have hit a roadblock in weight loss. The doctor will be the first to inform you that there is no way to quick weight loss other than surgery. The doctor will be able to determine if there is another reason why you are having a problem with losing weight or even tell you if you should not lose weight. There is a small group of people that obsess over their weight to the point of losing too much weight and end up putting their health in jeopardy.

A great idea

I came across this interesting idea while looking for an exercise ball. Apparently some schools in Australia are experimenting with using exercise balls or modified exercise balls for kids who fidget in class. I thought that maybe the kids here in the USA might benefit from them as well. Not only would kids get a daily workout just sitting on this type of school furniture but their balance would also improve. Come to think of it, I could remove my office chair and use my ball instead.

Diet pill claims

I really dislike those outrageous diet pill claims that you can lose up to 10 pounds in 10 days. Of course you can lose 10 pounds in 10 days......but it will be water. One gallon of water weighs 16 pounds so if you lost one gallon of water weight out of your body, you will lose 16 pounds. Heck just pee before you weigh yourself and you will see what I mean.

Many diet pills like Lipofuze make outrageous claims like the one above. Alli is another one that will cause a nasty side effect that will make you lose weight like crazy.......diarrhea. Water weight is the easiest weight to lose, actual fat is something else.

Don't fall for those quick fix, over the counter diet pills, they just don't work.

Diets and smoking

I have never smoked but my slightly tubby hubby has. He has told me on several occasions that after eating a very full dinner he just felt like having a cigarette or one of his Davidoff cigars (gawd, I hated the smell of those things). When he quit smoking, he was afraid that he would substitute more food for his habit. Did didn't but he did substitute by drinking more sodas. It took him some time but not he is drinking more water and diet sodas. Smoking does change your eating habits. Once you quit smoking, your taste buds will change and food will become tastier.

Up date on my liquid diet

Well, it is now one week of my liquid Slim Fast, every other day diet. I have lost a total of 5 pounds and I am keeping it off. Tonight I had 2 homemade meatball sandwiches for dinner and I am stuffed. My plan of using the Slim Fast to shrink my stomach seems to be working. Well so much for learning dieting from textbooks, seems I just have to go with my gut feeling (please excuse the pun on that one) on dieting.

I found a way to push my weight loss just a bit more

I have been having a battle with my body. I have been exercising like crazy 2 hours every other day and only managed to tone my body. That sounds great doesn't it? But unfortunately that tone is under a layer of fat that I just can't seem to lose - until now. I decided to do something drastic. I drink nothing but slim fast drinks (4 of them) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The other days I eat my normal balanced diet. After one week I have lost and kept off, 3 pounds! My new diet is working!!! Not only am I losing weight at an acceptable slow rate but I am keeping it off.

Maybe this year I can get into that bikini I bought last summer. Wait, I'll need some new outdoor cushions to lay on when I am showing off my new bod. Bring on summer, I'm ready for it this year.

Take care of yourself when you diet

The biggest flaw in fad diets is not getting a balanced diet. Everyone needs fiber in their diet to maintain a healthy colon. They also need to be getting at least the minimum recommended daily minerals and vitamins. I know that when I am stressed or have a sickness, my body uses up vitamin C like it was going out of style. My body will exhibit the beginnings of vitamin C shortage. There is a slight difference between womens vitamins and mens, but not that much. Just make sure you are eating a balanced diet when you are trying to lose weight.

Fat is where you find it

Companies have made fortunes trying to convince people that their product, system or method will rid you of fat on just one part of your body. You remember that product that Suzanne Somers use to push.......The Thigh Master. People bought that product because they thought that their thighs would look like hers.


Those poor gullible consumers......they did not know that she also dieted and had a personal trainer.

Then you have those pharmaceutical companies that have pills that claim to get rid of belly fat. All I can say about that is BULL! Your body will store fat where there is a lack of muscle tone, if that happens to be your belly then you need to exercise those muscles and not take pills.

Don't fall for any product that claims to target just one part of your body. Whatever you put in your body affects your WHOLE body not just one part.

Are you a night time snacker?

When the sun goes down and the TV goes on, so do the commercials for fast food places and baking cakes. Even if you manage to stay away from the food channel you are bombarded with images of food, food and even more ........food.

So what are some good low calorie appetite suppressants for night time snacks? One good one is peanuts. Just a 1/2 cup of peanuts will satisfy your hunger cravings and since they take a long time to digest they will keep you feeling full longer than other snacks. Another one is bananas. They are also filling and since they are lower in water content than most other fruits they will also take longer to digest.

Now you have 2 choices for night time snacks.....but remember it is best not to eat anything after 7 pm.

Your skin after a crash diet

The one reason I tell people not to go on crash diets (losing more than 5 pounds a week) is the fact that your skin will look like loose flab after you lose the weight. Your skin needs time to adjust to not being stretched over your fat. Unless you want to pay for cosmetic surgery to remove all that extra skin, do yourself a favor and don't go on any crash diets. You will find that even a wrinkle cream that works will not remove that turkey neck if you lose weight too fast.

By losing weight slowly you skin will have a chance to bounce back to a slimmer you.

Myths about exercise

Since the early 1900's there have been so many myths perpetuated about exercise. Everything from if it doesn't hurt it is not doing any good, to stretching before, during or after a workout.

During my exercise class, a member of the group announced that she was told never to stretch before a workout. What she failed to realize is that our class warms up before stretching, she just never realized that using the treadmill for 5 minutes prior to the beginning of workout class was the warm up for the class.

Another myth is that you don't need to exercise if you use diet pills or eat correctly. Even the best diet pills in the world and the most balanced diet will not help your heart or lungs stay in shape for exertion. Exercise is not just for losing weight or looking good it is for staying out of the hospital with a heart attack or artery problems.

The one phase I hate the most as an exercise myth is "no pain, no gain," that saying alone will stop people from even wanting to exercise. Pain is your body's way of saying "stop" before you get badly injured. Listen to you body and don't go over the point of pain but just to that point and no further.

The down side to body shapers

Corsets were what our mothers wore, now they call them body shapers. Pictured above is the kymaro body shaper a diet cheaters way to fit into their clothes. The only problem is the fact that these types of spandex underwear tend to cut off blood circulation. The wearer will have indigestion and intestinal discomfort. I don't know about you but even a tight bra on me is very uncomfortable much less having that feeling all over my body.

Also, take a good look at the photo above. Are those before and after shots really the same person? The chest on the woman on the right looks much larger than the woman on the left.

I have found a new use for my PDA

I recently bought a PDA off of eBay. For $25 I got a great deal. I use it for making shopping lists, playing MP3 music files and now keeping track of my workouts. Of course you might have an iPhone to do that. I do have a laptop but the PDA is something I keep in my purse or carrying pouch. I have just enough memory in the PDA for what I need. I am not the type of person that has so many files that I have to resort to having an online backup for them. I keep it very simple.

Along with tracking my workouts I can also keep track of my daily eating habits and adjust them if needed. Often you don't realize how much you eat each day until you see the entire amount in words and numbers right before your own eyes.

Be careful what diet products you buy

I cannot emphasize enough that you thoroughly investigate any over the counter diet supplements before you buy them. You don't have to have a pair of discount prescription glasses to get a real good look at those labels. If any of the label says something about a secret ingredient then put that product back on the shelf. Familiarize yourself with chemical names of common ingredients like the chemical name for salt or iron.

Keep in mind that many diet products are untested and unregulated by the FDA. It is not until there are deaths attributed to a product will the FDA step in and take a product off of the market. Protect yourself and your health and read those product labels.

Tight tummies and your core

I always have to laugh when people think tha they can take a pill to loose weight on just one part of their body. Take for example relacore, I even took that pill for about a week, it is nothing more than super caffeine and will make you hyper, hyper and more hyper. Phosphacore is much along those same lines. In fact it is just another pill with "core" as part of its name to claim that it targets tummy fat. In fact if you do a search for phosphacore reviews you will come up with more hard sells than real facts. If you do any search on a diet pill just add the words "side effects" to the search and the results would be enough to make you stop taking pills altogether.

You have got to have fun in order to loose weight

I have discovered one of the most enjoyable weight loss programs - and I invented just for me. I have a treadmill that I think is the most boring way to exercise but since I already have it in the house I might as well use it. How I made it enjoyable was to get a small MP3 player and put 40 minutes of music on it that got me almost dancing on the machine. All of the songs I picked for their tempo and put them on the MP3 player in order to warm-up, exercise and cool down.

Now I enjoy my workouts. I told a friend and he confessed to me that he has several play lists on his iPod that he uses for workouts. He has one play list for jogging, another for weights and one for his elliptical.

Music does make exercising more fun.

Wrinkles in the neck

Older women often wonder why they have loose skin in the neck area. It should be no surprise to the since it was often the remnants of being overweight when they were in their 40's and 50's. Cosmetic companies have made a killing selling skin tightening creams and often spend millions of dollars in advertising that they have the best wrinkle cream on the market.

Of course women don't realize that wrinkles and loose flabby skin are two different things. Men on the other hand seem not worry about the double chin effect. Many leading men on TV have double shins but if a women has one she had better been made to look that way for the part.

Exercise machine - the elliptical

We have a treadmill at home and even though I use it, it is not best fat burning exercise because I don't run on it. The elliptical on the other hand will burn off calories at a rate of up to 300 every 5 minutes. When I use the elliptical at the gym I can only stay on if for no more than 10 minutes at a time since it wipes me out. If you don't stand on it correctly then your back will hurt so you need to find your center of gravity when using it. Try leaning different ways on it while using it to see which is the best position for you. The wrong position will not only hurt but will deter you from going back on it.

Discrimination because of being overweight

It is a sad fact that during tight employment times like now, subtle employment screening takes place. Unfortunately visual screening is the very first process that companies do to weed out potential employees. About 10 years ago I got a job over the phone because there was a shortage of what I did. Now with the high unemployment rate I have to go in to be seen for the interview. That means I not only have to dress up but look fit. Companies tend to not want people that will drive up their health insurance costs and being overweight is one of them.

Of course it would be hard to prove that anybody has been discriminated due to weight but with the rise in the amount of women going in for nip tuck procedures then you know that weight will play a part.

I would like to hear of any of your stories regarding looking for a job and your weight...leave a comment.

Take care of your health

Weight loss to become a healthier you will lengthen your life, lower your medical insurance costs and keep you off of social security disability. Excess weight contributes to bone loss, diabetes and believe it or not increased pain from lack of movement. Did you know that shortness of breath is a sign of heart disease? When your heart becomes weak because of excess weight and lack of exercise then it cannot pump blood to your lungs to get your blood oxygen. That causes shortness of breath.

Outdoor fitness

The one thing about springtime is the fact we finally have some great days to go outside and get some fresh air at the same time getting some much needed exercise. Maybe you can finally put to good use those workout clothes you bought last Cyber Monday (but it was too cold to wear back then).

Don't forget to still wear layered clothing so as you get warmer you can adjust to the ever changing spring weather. At the end of your workout don't forget to cool down slowly so your muscles don't get chilled and cause you to hav cramps later.

Do you have expensive exercise equipment?

Treadmills, ellipticals, swim spas and those other very expensive workout equipment - do you own one? What do you do when it breaks down? Or has it? I know when we bought our fully loaded treadmill for under $150 (it was a clearance sale) I was offered mechanical breakdown insurance but I turned it down. The price for the plan was almost as much as the treadmill. That was about 6 years ago and we have yet to have a problem with it.

I say go with your gut feeling when buying fix-it plans for your stuff. Sometimes it costs more in the long run to buy the plan than to buy a new machine.

The types of jobs you need to be fit for

With the job market that is so tight right now, it does not take much of an imagination to figure out that being physically fit will often get you that job you are after. There are of course some jobs that require a person not only to be fit but pass an extreme physical just to be considered for the job. One such job is being a fire fighter. I know of several people both male and female that got their Fire Service degrees only to fail the obstacle course that they had to pass just to be considered for the job. They all went back after more rigorous training and passed the obstacle course so they could advance to the next level of elimination.

The physical demands for that type of job are tremendous. Other physically demanding jobs are farm field workers, tree trimmer, electric linesmen and logger. Most are considered to be a male oriented careers but us gals know that if we want to get the good pay we have to, and do, enter those male careers for better pay.

Anoher diet supplement needs to be looked at

There is yet another diet system on the market. This one is called Quick Trim. Just by the title I can see that it is yet another gimmick diet to part you from your cash. There are websites that are popping up all over that claim they have the best or most honest quick trim reviews. I have not looked into this diet or system yet but with the word 'Quick" in its title, it can't be all that good.

You don't want to look like this

I always tell anyone that is interested in losing weight or getting into shape.........DON'T use fast weight loss pills or try and go on a crazy diet to lose weight fast. Otherwise you will end up with lots of loose skin like this:


The type of people that want to lose weight fast are the plastic surgeons bread and butter. They love people who need a nip and tuck job after losing weight too fast. You need to not ony diet but you have to exercise as well.

Drop outs in my workout class

I have been attending my college strength and fitness class now for 7 weeks. It meets 3 times a week for an hour. When I first started the class there were about 50 students. Now, 7 weeks later I think there are only 15. A lot of people have dropped out.

I think that most of the students just wanted a quick fix to their weight and fitness. I even overheard 2 of the girls talking about alli reviews since one of them was tempted to try it out. Thankfully the teacher overheard them too an managed to talk them out of that shortcut to their overall health.

Hows your metabolism?

Do you know what a metabolism is? It is the rate your body uses calories just to maintain itself. Some people have higher metabolism rates than others, but why? One of the simplest ways to explain it is that muscle tissue uses more calories than fat does. So the more muscle versus fat you have on your body the more calories your body can use without it turning to fat. The top fat burners will be bodybuilders and those in physical competition.

There is a BIG bonus for those people with more muscle and very little fat on their bodies.....they can often eat lots of calories and not gain any weight. That is because their muscles are using the calories right away. Most bodybuilders will often consume 5,000 calories a day or more., where as the average person will only need 1500 to 2000 calories a day.

How much weight to lose each week?

Have you ever wondered how much weight you can safely lose each week without any ill effects? The truth is that most doctors don't want you to lose weight fast. They recommend a weight loss program and diet that you lose no more than 3 pounds a week. Weight loss at a faster rate will have some adverse affects to your internal organs mostly due to dehydration.

If you think about, it took you more than a week to put on a few pounds so it is wise to take off all that weight at the same rate you put it on.

My MP3 player makes it easy to use the treadmill

I have found a great secret to having fun while working out - music. I put together 30 minutes of music to workout on the treadmill. Six songs that keep me almost dancing on the treadmill and two songs to cool down with. The music sure did make a long boring workout go fast.

A friend at the gym noticed my MP3 hanging around my neck and asked me what it was. I mentioned the music and she said she didn't have an MP3 but did have an old cell phone that would hold music. She couldn't find a cell phone signal booster for it so she got another phone. A few days later she was using that old phone as an MP3 player and was enjoying her workouts too.

I have started off the year with an exercise class

Yes I did it, signed up for a workout class. This class is located at my local community college and meets 3 times a week for one hour. It is a combination of aerobics and weights. I have not lost any weight in the first 3 weeks but I have lost inches. The weights are building muscle which weighs more than fat. I am looking forward to a trimmer new me in the next few weeks.

On another note, this blog seems to be attracting some weird spam comments. People that try and leave comments with odd names like ls2208 or dfrsw334 and link to some link farm. Well I do moderate the comments and those ones did not get approved. They were just too odd and their English was not sounding right either.

The advantages of eating healthy

When you eat a balanced diet, not only do you lose extra weight but your overall health improves. I have personally noticed that my hair, skin and nails are no longer dry and have increased in their growth (the hair and nails, not the skin). A friend of mine told me that her increase in fruit consumption and decrease in eating potato chips has become a body acne treatment for her. She tells me that her skin now glows.

See what eating healthier can do for your body? Try it out and see.

Do you wake up in the middle of the night to eat?

You know that your eating habits have gotten out of hand when you wake up hungry in the middle of the night and you get up to eat. Something that I learned from a dietitian is to eat a 1/2 cup of peanuts right before going to bed at night. What the peanuts do is act as natural sleep aids. They allow the body to slowly digest something and keep hunger pangs at bay. If your stomach is busy digesting then it tends to keep you asleep. The peanuts are also high in protien and low in sugar so that prolongs the digesting time.

Everybody wants to lose weight - NOW

I am sorry to say it but, there is no safe way for quick weight loss. Face the facts, it took you months or even years to put on all of that weight. It will take just as long to take it off again. You cannot rush your body. Companies make millions of dollars trying to convince you that you can lose 20-30 pounds in 6 weeks or less, don't you believe it.

Losing weight is NOT an overnight quick fix. You cannot expect to get in that bikini for the summer if you have 60+ pounds to lose in 4 months. Losing that much weight in that short of a time puts your major organs at risk.

Take you weight loss at a slow but steady pace and learn not to put it back on and you will be well on your way to a healthier you.

The nasty side of diet pills

I have spoken about some of the nasty diet pill side effects before but they are worth repeating. Ali has one of the well known ones, diarrhea. Wouldn't it be wonderful to show off that brand new dress you could now fit into except that brown stain that appears after you got up from your chair. Ali was jokingly referred to as the pill that gave you a workout (making you run to the bathroom).

Another diet pill worth staying away from was those fat inhibitor pills. I think most of them have been taken off the market now but they might still be a few bottles out there. What they do is coat your stomach and intestine so you could not absorb fat, of course you would also not absorb much of anything else either. Another pill to give you the runs, runs to the bathroom that is.

Diet pills are best left to be prescribed by your doctor and not left for picking and choosing off of the shelf at the grocery store.

Staying motivated

There are as many successful ways to lose weight as there are diet doctors. What makes each of them successful in the individual's motivation. If a person thinks that their new die will work, it probably will, because they will probably stick to it longer than if they didn't believe it would work.

Self motivation and believing in yourself will do your body wonders.

Don't hide inside

One of the worse things you can do when trying to lose weight is get depressed about the whole ordeal. You also don't need to pull the blinds and hide behind closed doors because you don't feel attractive. You need to get out in the world and meet people and do things. It will take your mind off of your body and give you a whole new outlook on your live. Don't give in to your low moods because of your weight. Don't let it control you of your life.

Weight loss news from the Mayo Clinic

You hear the complaints every year. People groaning about the 5-10 pounds they packed on during the holidays. But for many people, too much weight is an every-day issue. Thousands of people are obese, and that means their health and quality of life can suffer. Surgery may be an option for some people, but for those who don't want surgery or can't have it for medical reasons, there is another option. Doctors at Mayo Clinic developed a liquid meal program geared toward people who need to lose a lot of weight. Video below:

New clothing the reward we give ourselves for losing weight

Do you shop for clothing with the idea of "when I lose a few more pounds, I'll fit into that?" If you do you are not alone. Many women actually reward themselves or use clothing as a goal to lose weight or a few dress sizes. Rather than using a tape measure to see how much we women have lost in inches, we use the "wow, I look great in this now," method of self gratification.

A doctor I once had years ago actually told me never to wear a pair of pants with an elastic waist band, because as I gained weight I would not notice it s fast as wearing a non-stretch waistband. She was right and I did indeed wear expanding pants as I got older and I felt bloated when I put on my non-stretch pants.

Clothing is a great tool. You can use it as a reward. When you see something you want to fit into in the next month or so, you don't have to feel guilty when you buy it on sale. It is also a wonderful indicator of weight loss or gain.

New Years resolutions

I suppose you have vowed to lose some weight or get in shape as your new year resolution. I personally don't make resolutions since I almost always abandon them several months into the year. What I will not do is pick up any new nasty habits. I have a friend that never smoked in her life and took up using those nasty habit forming e cigarettes. She claims she is not hurting her body but I just tell her that the research into the things is not complete since they are so new.

Do yourself a favor, if you can't keep your own promises to yourself then at least don't go out of your way to ruin your health. Do start any new habit forming addictions that you know you will be paying for later in life.