Wednesday, May 31, 2006

ADHD and Exercise

ADHD and Exercise
VH Melville
My adult ADHD is very trying at times. I plan in the future to go on meds. I’ve done many alternative treatments and they didn’t work.
I get very bored with Exercise so small rewards and changing what I do is helpful.
For the most part I adapt.
I do reverse procrastination and try to get things done as soon as I get them or I will just forget about them.

1. What keeps exercise interesting for you?
2. What fitness products do you actually use?
3. Do you have a back up plan incase your regular exercise falls through and if so what?

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Insults and Praise: Weight Loss Remarks

Vh Melville
Some people only praise you when you when your losing. Are you gaining to that praise again? I think part of me regained the weight that time to let me get treated as if I am someone other than me. Another reason I felt unsecured trying to maintain is that I was unprepared for insults as well.

When I lost weight the first time I knew there would be completes but I didn’t know there would be insults as well. I hadn’t realized that there would be people wanting to sabotage me.

Some people can also insult about weight loss. I don’t react as badly to some people’s comments and complements some people are afraid when people around them eat healthy. I just tell them WW would kick me out if I got too thin or I am not trying to lose more but my weight bounces up and down.
This time is different I have a husband who praises me no matter what I way so I can’t use what other people think as an excuse.

This not about what other people think. This is about my health. This is about enjoying my food.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Holiday Tips

Holiday Tips

1. Journal your food even if you go over.
2. Do your best but do not worry
3. Fill yourself up with a low cal salad before you leave so your not starved.
4. Eat the foods you really want. Eat your fave piece of cake because you want to not because Aunt Betty will be disjointed. Eat half or a fourth the piece or share it with someone else.
5. Ask about the dish saying how good it looks sometimes you’ll find it’s been made light due to someone else being on a special diet.
6. Offer to bring a dish yourself.
7. Plan a few extra calories or points for the day.

Friday, May 26, 2006

News: Hollywood Star Gives Tips On How To Lose Pregnancy Weight

Hollywood Star Gives Tips On How To Lose Pregnancy Weight
Reposted from
http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/asseenon12/9281216/detail.html

There is good news for new moms struggling to get their prepregnancy bodies back.
A Hollywood star is sharing her secret on how she lost more than 50 pounds after giving birth to her son.
Actress Jenny McCarthy said she turned to Weight Watchers.
The star is now working with the company on a new "Bye-Bye Baby Fat Guide."

Some of the tips include:


Set realistic goals
Keep track of what you eat and of accomplishments
Reduce portions and use common sense
Eat frequent, small meals
Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water a day
Start exercising slowly
Think positively and set example for your kids

You can view the guide at www.weightwatchers.com/byebyebabyfat

Thursday, May 25, 2006

What I will give up to Be Healthy

What I will give up to Be Healthy
VH Melville
One I read asked what would you give up to be thin? Would it be your marriage your eye site or your health?

I lost due to my marriage making myself feel good about myself.
I would rather gain back my 100 plus pounds than lose my marriage. My marriage makes me happy but my husband’s very supportive and loves me no matter what I weigh. I gained 4 pounds one week and he told me that if I gained 100 pounds back over night I’d still have him. He’s worth eating healthy for.

Why would I want to give up my health? There are a lot of unhealthy looking thin people.
Another reason I lost the weight so not to get diabetes. It runs in my family. I would not give up my health but maybe a pinky toe if I had too. :-)

Here is what I will give up.
1. I will give up the thoughts I have to starve myself to be thing.
2. I give up the thoughts I can binge after goal.
3. I give up the thoughts that thin will make me happy.
4. Thin is not the same as healthy. I want to be healthy. I give up the lie. That Nothing Tastes better than thin. Food should taste good.
5. I give up the thoughts that diet pills are the answer.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Simple Ways to Make Food Calorie Worthy

VH Melville
I was reading reneegetsfit.com and someone made a comment about not doing well on WW because they could justify spending all their points on low point ice cream but not something healthy like a banana. Banana’s have sugar in them and are sweet.
I went through the Banana WW faze as well as the raison faze. I realized I wanted to do WW as not another diet. I still eat the ice cream. I still eat raisons and bananas, I love ice cream but I don’t always bring it home.

Here is what I did
1. I pealed, cut and froze my bananas. I used freezer bags. You can even place them on pop cycle sticks before freezing. A half a banana is just a point for WW people. Frozen bananas tastes pretty good.
2. I sometimes I’ll split a low call ice cream sandwich. That way I can have the fruit and the ice cream. I like lots of tastes.
3. With raisons I learned to divide my points and used 1/8th of a cup of raisons instead.
4. I also put whole yogurts in the freezer. They take a long time to eat.
5. Smoothies with powdered milk and ice are a great treat. I am working on getting them thicker. Powdered non fat milk has slightly less calories than regular skim.
You might want to make them with store bought rice milk.
6. I sometimes eat the nuts but not always. Nuts have a lot of calories. Who says you have to eat the whole serving? Divide the serving into smaller servings and then divide the calories. I let my calculator do the work.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Using Measuring Cups and Flying

Using Measuring Cups and Flying
VH Melville
A while back I read in the Fly Lady list about a woman who used to use Measuring cups but now felt they were. I feel the opposite. I feel that not using Measuring cups is perfectionist.
Not using measuring cups is way for people to say, “Look at my perfect food oh and you cannot get it just right because you’ll have to guess the measurements.” Now I don’t measure everything like the spices on my salad and I don’t always measure out the peanut butter for my husband’s oatmeal. Sometimes I feel I need to use my measuring cups and spoons even more,

The call for measuring cups.
1. It doesn’t take that much time to measure. Sometimes it takes much longer to save a wrecked recipe. Sometimes food that’s not measured just tastes off or all together won’t come out.
2. Measuring can be creative: When creating a dish I want to know what I put in it this time so I can share the recipe if it’s good.
3. My family like my cooking more when I measure and I really thought I was becoming a pretty good cook.
4. I have to monitor my calories and using measuring cups help me do that. Some people like diabetics have to monitor their sugar and carbs. People often get of track when they feel they know the recipe well enough to guess the measurements. This is “But I eat the same things all the time how could I have gained or lost.” Some people are looking to gain muscle.
5. A measuring cup is a tool much like my shoes and control journal. It’s a routine.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Weight-loss Blogs I Discovered

Fat fighters lots of tips
http://www.fatfighterblogs.com/

reneegetsfit lots of tips and a personal journey
http://www.reneegetsfit.com

This blog is a personal journey
http://weightlossjnl.blogspot.com/2006/05/slippery-slope.html

Friday, May 19, 2006

Girl's/Boy's Night In

Girl's/Boy's Night In
By VH Melville
Edited by Bonnie Kaye
A girl's/boy's night out can be expensive. How about a money saving
girl's/boy's night in?

1. A case of store-brand diet cola
2. Old board games and cards
3. If you have a VCR and DVD you can pick a movie and theme your event
around it.
4. Since you're preparing the food, you handle the type, the servings,
and how much you spend. If any of your friends are doing WW or another diet program they can each bring a low-point or low calorie snack.
5. Learn something together like hula dancing, kick boxing or belly dancing.
6. A bottle of cheap bubbles. Why let kids have all the fun.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Get Fit and Save Money While Doing it

Get Fit and Save Money While Doing it
By VH Melville
We have to get moving to get fit. So here are a few ideas to get you started. If you don’t have to have the money for a fancy gym, there are many small ways you can increase your movements. You are the master of your movements.

1. Mow your own lawn. “Chris from Fatty Weight loss makes this an art form”
2. Do your own housework. It’s not housework -- it’s a work out.
3. Walk to the library.
4. Dance with your little ones.
5. Walk your own dogs. You can even walk others
6. Take the stairs.
7. Wal-Mart and Kmart often have good fitness DVDs for ten or less.
8. What ways can you add movement for little or no money?
9. Form a walking or stroller club. That way if one cancels on a day they’ll still me people to walk with. Make sure the aria is safe.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Cheaply Elegant: Dating and Romantic Ideas

Cheaply Elegant: Dating and Romantic Ideas
Edited By Bonnie Kaye
Married couples need to date their spouse once a week. Don't think
dating ends with marriage.

1. Tour free museums. Give a small donation if you can.
2. A walk in the park, along the beach. (It's exercise too)
3. A date the library with your sweetie.
4. A hula hoop contest sees who can go the longest. Winner gets a kiss.
5. Spend two bucks at a 99 cent store. See who can buy the most
romantic gift using only $2.
6. See if your church has church dances. These are often free but they
might want you to bring a snack. Just make it healthy and low-point.
7. Get some other couples together and have a mock prom at your house.
Use any old prom like dress you can find. Have someone provide music
if they have some CDs. Decorate with whatever old holiday decorations
you have. Use what you have: old white Christmas lights, silk flowers, streamers,
a few CDs and have fun. Make sure the Christmas lights aren't a fire
hazard.
8. Cook something healthy together.
9. Go stargazing.
10. High school plays, college theater and local community theaters often offer good prices and nice entertainment. You'd be surprised at the quality of some amateur shows.
11. Get dressed up in your best outfit and bring good napkins. Go to a
fast food restaurant that serves healthy options. Sometimes you have to make them
wonder.
12. Write love poems together.
13. Babysitting for Date Night:
You have four couples. Two go on the date and two watch the kids and
watch a movie and just hang out together. If you do this once a week
you're guaranteed two dates a month. You might switch it around so it's
not always the same couples babysitting together.
14. Picnic in the park with a pitcher of good water and a low-point and a fairly inexpensive meal.
15. Instead of dinner and a movie, why not opt for lunch and a matinée? Movies' daytime rates are much cheaper than the nighttime prices. Lunch is not only cheaper but the portions are smaller, making them filling for fewer calories.
16. If you’re lucky see if your town has a budget movie theater. These theaters play movies that have been already in the theater for while for a much cheaper price.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

7 Ways to Get the Whole family to Move.

7 Ways to Get the Whole family to Move.
VH Melville

1. Buy jump ropes, Play hopscotch pucks and hula hoops.
2. If you have a computer gets the personal Trainer DVD Yourself! Revolution
3. Do an old fashioned barn raising. (Those Amish burn a lot of calories) Make family activates fun.
4. Get Dance revolution and have family dance off.
5. Go for a walk or bike ride together. (Wear your helmets and obey traffic laws. Play it safe.)
6. Buy kid orientated exercise DVDs and videos. They can be found at Amazon.com or http://www.collagevideo.com/
7. Get rid of basic cable or exercise during TV time. You won’t be tempted by all those commercials.

Monday, May 15, 2006

The Fattest Girl in the Room

The Fattest Girl in the Room
VH Melville

I’ve been the fattest girl in the room and I’ve been the thinnest. Yes, it’s now nice to fit into clothes. I love being healthy. I have been on both sides of the mirror and the most beautiful people are the ones with a glow about them who are secure.

Have you ever been friends with someone that when ever you started to lose weight or eat healthy they made catty comments?

I never understood the whole “at least I am not fat as,” Way of thinking or “I want to hang out with someone fatter so I look thinner in comparison.”

I lost a lot of weight over 100 pounds. I am friends with the same friends both fat and skinny and I could care less if my fat friends lost weight as long as they did it in a healthy way. Then there are people who are only friends with people who are less then a size ten.

I’ve never understood about hanging out with people just because they make you look thinner or hipper.
The sabotaging starts when the fatter one starts losing weight.
How nice does someone look using people or trying to keep someone fat so we’d be the thinner one? It doesn’t look nice and most people see right through it.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Sweet Temptations: My wishes for a Candy Diet

Sweet Temptations: My wishes for a Candy Diet
VH Melville
I wish more people would incorporate candy in their diet in little ways and be happy without guilt. When you make sure your not deprived you can devote more time to yummy vegetables. Some kinds of chocolates can freeze so you don’t have to eat them all at once. It would take five pages to list all my favorite candies.


1. I wish they sold Cadbury Thins in the states. They are only 100 calories each and from Cadbury.
2. I wish sugar free jelly babies came in even more flavors.
3. I wish Neco’s orange cream thins were sold all year round and not just at Christmas time.
4. Wish peppermint patties which are low in fat than some other candy bars came in orange cream and maple cream flavors.
5. I wish trident came in even more flavors.
6. I want a Mallow cup right now, but first I need to know the nutritional content.
7. I want more black lickerish at the stores.
8. I wish dum dums were sold in smaller packages.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Saving on Gas: For Your Journey

Saving on Gas: For Your Journey
By VH Melville
Edited By Bonnie Kaye
You want to afford healthy food, but you also need to get to your job. I’ve seen so many boycotts that ask you not to buy gas on a certain day. What if you need gas on the boycott day? If you get the gas the day before or after the gas spikes up and they will still get their money. You’re going to have to cut gas down over time. Gas stations make more money on junk food than gas.


1. Don’t be late to appointments. When you're too late for an appointment, reschedule. Saves gas money. Don’t speed, just leave a little earlier.
2. Bring a map or use GPS when going to places you don’t know. Getting lost costs you gas.
3. If you have more than two cars for your family and one's not for business, sell it. Show cars are exceptions but if you haven’t displayed the car in a car show in the last two years then sell it.

4. Use old standards: bus tickets, bike riding, walking, carpooling and the train.

5. Sell your SUV or don’t buy one until more environmentally friendly ones come out. I hear there is one down the pike. (Buying a hybrid SUV won’t save you money, just gas if you have the money.) If you can’t get rid of your SUV, at least use it to carpool.
6. Go grocery shopping once a week, not two to three times a week.
Go with a list. Get canned and frozen vegetables as well as better storage containers for fresh vegetables. Frozen vegetables and canned vegetables can have more vitamins than their fresher counterparts since fresh ones can lose vitamins in shipping. What foods can you freeze safely?

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Why Weight Watchers?

By VH Melville
Edited By Bonnie Kaye
Why should you join Weight Watchers and not another weight loss program?
Weight Watchers is backed up by medical studies and is the top weight
loss plan of Consumer Reports. The meetings work and the plan is livable. Weight Watchers is less expensive than most of the other big named programs. Weight Watchers doesn't force you to buy packaged food as part of the program.
Yes they sell frozen dinners but you can pick them up at the store.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Portions: The Cupcakes Are Calling Me

By VH Melville
One of my biggest problems is cake. I sort of see cake as one great big delicious serving. That is why simply making smaller cupcakes and mini bunt cakes has been helpful to me.

I stick them un-iced in the freezer. I use regular pudding in the mix cake mix. I make them lighter by using 2 egg whites and 12 ounces of water. Bake like the box says. They do not need oil to even come out.

To frost: You can use pudding, frosting. Sugar free jam, and coolwhip free mixed with sugar free pudding mix.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Budget Food Finds

Budget Food Finds
By VH Melville
Edited By Bonnie Kaye

The food finds on my list have many budgets in mind, whether you are budget-minded or a movie star. I hope I included food finds for all. I definitely think buying what you love is key. Don’t be stuck with food you hate while you’re on a diet just because everyone else is eating it. I support the products that I feel are worth it. They should be supported or they will go away. Do your regular shopping in the deep discount store, then buy your treats with coupons at the main store. If you reverse the order you spend a lot more money. You might not like some of the food finds I listed, but that's okay.

Light wonder bread. It’s pricier than regular bread, but honestly this stuff is delicious.
I found them in three kinds: wheat, Italian and white.

Most big chains have store brands and some stores like Aldi and Save-A-Lot are mostly store brands. Store brand fudge pops are generally not over two points and very economical.

Aldi has great new line of products called Fit and Active. The Fit and Active yogurt is $.33 apiece and 2 points for 80oz, not the 1 point for a measly 6oz. Mine doesn’t have Fit and Active light bread, though some Aldi stores do have it. Mine has Fit and Active Ice cream sandwiches at $2.99. I am planning to get their baked tortilla chips too.

Off-brand diet citrus soda and off-brand root beer. These are just like the real thing and many stores have them. They are great for making diet cola cupcakes. When I have a dark cola I do prefer diet, caffeine-free Diet Rite and caffeine-free Diet Coke. Though I long to get a Diet caffeine-free Dr. Pepper.

Canned green beans. I count them as 1 point per can because they add sugar and salt. I also eat the whole can. Some people count this as zero. I get low-sodium ones.

Sugar-free gelatin is a great snack and very low-priced.

WW ice cream cones. Very expensive, but good for a treat. Sometimes a treat like this can even save you money. If you go to an ice scream parlor every week, then I would swap that ice cream for this, and after eating it take your family to the library for a fun, free outing.

Snack Cakes:
I find most low-point, low-calorie snack cakes are hard to find and very expensive. I’ve been experimenting with making my own. Special box mixes can also be very expensive depending on the brand. The cupcake might be the snack for you. They are smaller portions and they can be made lighter. You can even cut them in half and add fat free, non-dairy topping or spoonful of marshmallow cream for the center. The recipe makes a whole bunch of them so you can put them in a freezer bag to freeze. I think they taste even better frozen. They will

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Wedding Photos

Wedding Photos
VH Melville
I was over 100 pounds heavier than I am now but I do not cringe when I see those wedding photos.
I see a couple very much in love.
The dress was beautiful. It was a mid range designer and the last of it’s kind. It was very hard finding a dress. Any dress that fit me was low cut and not the modest dress I was looking for. I felt beautiful because he made me feel beautiful. It was off the rack at this lovely boutique and at a much reduced price. I

So don’t look back at those old photos with dread. You were beautiful then and now. This is about being and getting healthy. This about not dwelling on the things you can’t change.

Iportion Updates

Iportion Updates
VH Melville
I am now the sole owner of Iportion Creative Gall got too busy. After next year she might return to do an article or two. I am and will be adding staff writers.

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Flying Again

Flying Again
VH Melville
I’ve been on program (OP) with eating but need to bump up my exercises I’ve been way off program with Flying (flylady.net ) The Fly lady cleaning system has been the only program that has worked for me. So I recommitted myself these two days. I don’t know why I don’t do it more. Like exercise and eating right Flying makes me feel healthy.
I altered the program to fit my needs. My control journal is just two sheets on the fridge. I am not a shoe person. I have two shoes max, but wear shoes with straps and not laces because they are cute and comfy. I do each zone and room in shorter increments than 15 due to my ADHD. When I flied right it would take me 45 min to an hour max a day to clean the house and I got weekends off.
Some people are confused about fly ladies program. Fly girls and guys are not Stepford wives and husband’s. Yes, many men fly too. The fly lady system is anti Stepford. It’s down with the perfectionism that hold’s us back.

Pimp My Snack's Rainbow Burger.

Pimp My Snack's Rainbow Burger. I bet it tastes better than it looks.
I still wouldn't want to eat one.
http://www.pimpmysnack.com/simples.php?pimpID=9

Monday, May 01, 2006

If Only I was Good with My Hands

videogameworkout.com has a new post up called Build Your Own Video Game Exerciser!
If only I was good with my hands that sounds way fun.
http://videogameworkout.com/2006/04/build-your-own-video-game-exerciser.html
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