Thursday, August 31, 2006

My True Confessions

My dad called with sad news today so I will pray for his family. I am okay just worried for them and feeling for them.

Updated saying. You cannot fake success.
Why: It’s better to be honest and try your best than fake and do things that make you miserable. You cannot force yourself to be healthy I want you to smack will power today and stomp on it. Make slow livable changes.


Exercise Confession
I haven’t been exercising much in the past few days and had to kick myself. I felt worn out from unpacking. I am going back into fitness slowly. I will make it fun again.

Cookbook Confessions
I am thinking of getting some new cookbooks or at least using my old ones. How many unused cookbooks will I buy. Sometimes I will find just one good recipe and that’s all I need. I made a smoothie today and it was so good.


Diet Confession
When I was a teenager I was placed on a fruit in the morning diet. It wasn’t my choice. I rebelled. I hate to be told what to eat. I love fruit and eat it for breakfast on WW because they have the points and I want more bang for my buck. I am intrigued by Core. I eat a lot of core foods but since I have ADHD I need to journal and count it all.

Tip: Milk Confessions
Powdered milk is ten less calories than regular skim milk. If you drink two glasses that’s 20 calories saved. Powdered milk is best in smoothies.

Fast food challenge tip
Go for the side salad instead of the fries or the child size instead of big ones.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Life, a Poem and a Tip Tag.

I can’t get my msn messenger to work on this comp. I miss chatting with webgrl and doing my weekly Wi’s. I liked the accountability a weekly weigh in brings me.

I wrote this for my ex weight watchers leaders. I thought I’d share this and a tip.

Path by Path
VH Melville
Each moss covered stone path
Has maps pointing which ways to go
Paths first walked by another and another before

We will not get to those places of joy and health if we refuse to move
We cannot fly if we bundle our wings in twine and hide in rusted cages
To invent maps for others or at least to fly we must accept as true
That we can be our dream

Nourish the parts of our soul that cannot be fed by bits of stale cake
Take those steps
Unwrap those wings and fly

Each moss covered stone path
Maps pointing which to go
First walked by another and another before
Go path by path with two maps only one is unrecorded


Tip Tag
Place a tip on being healthy on your blog. The tip can be subtitle or obvious. I am posting two today but you may post as many as you want.

Caffeine is said to make some people hungrier. Check if you are hungrier the more diet soda you drink. Switch to a caffeine free diet soda and see if that helps.

Do not fret if your home weigh is different than your weigh in weight there is a big difference between scales and you can also gain 6 pounds of fake weight in a day and lose it by the next morning.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

I Feel Pretty

I Feel Pretty

Yesterday I ate a whole lot of carrots. I wolf down carrots now the same way people do for cake. I made my first attempt making crackers yesterday and burnt them. They were heart and star shaped. The heart shaped ones were larger and were less charcoal like.

I feel pretty today. My husband makes me feel pretty and did so at when I was over 200 pounds. I want to feel good about myself.

I remember what made me feel ugly, searching for clothes. Some stores never had anything in my sizes. I remember crying in the dressing room preparing for the first date of the wonderful man who is now my husband.

I think we should all feel beautiful/handsome no matter our size, no matter our age.
What makes you feel healthy? What makes you feel beautiful or handsome?
Do you make others feel beautiful/handsome?


Tip# Write out a problem you have with food. Do you binge at parties? Do you binge when you run out of veggies? Second write out ideas to help you. Can you plan extra calories for parties by eating salad, fruit and homemade soup during the day? Can you buy canned and frozen veggies?

Monday, August 28, 2006

Reducing Your Grocery Bills and Eating Healthy

Reducing Your Grocery Bills and Eating Healthy
VH Melville


There was a time when I felt I needed to be more wise with how I spent my money on food. I felt I needed to save so that my family could spend money on what really mattered, technology, visiting grandparents and other things. I’ve had this article for some time. I can no longer use some of the tips but wanted to help those who can.

You spend more in the long run not taking care of yourself and your family.
These saving techniques, sadly, are not available yet in some cities and states. Many people who write money-saving articles don’t realize that their tips won’t work for all areas.

Not everyone wants to save on groceries. Some people would rather live in a small home and eat gourmet food.



Deep Discount shopping

Once a Week shopping: Aldi or Save a Lot.

Your Aldi might not have light bread or other items listed. If you have a large freezer, you can buy light bread at a bakery outlet. Now, if you want to make your own light bread you will have to go once every month or two for specialty flour. I buy light bread somewhere else but plan to make my own. Don’t go to a bunch of different stores each week. You will defeat the purpose. You do not have to get everything on the list. In fact, you shouldn’t.

Aldi

Aldi has many low-point foods. Aldi’s varies with merchandise so you might want to find which of the items your Aldi might carry.

• Fit and Active Rice Cakes. Bag them into plastic bags.
• Fit and Active Light Cool Whip
• Fit and Active Light Bread
• Tomatoes and other vegetables
• Bagged apples and salads
• Sugar substitute in packets
• Cheap canned green beans and other vegetables, including ingredients to make chili
• Light Fit and Active canned fruit as well as pumpkin (in season).
• They have 2 types of English muffins. Check the brand.
• Sacks of potatoes. You can make your own microwave baked potatoes or low-fat oven baked potato chips.
• They have cheap cake mix. I use this to make my diet cola cake. I get my diet cola elsewhere because I do not like caffeine. The diet soda is for cooking.
• Fit and Active Yogurt. This is a good way to get dairy in your diet.
• Aldi does not have low-point cheese but you can use parmesan cheese for a cheese fix.
• Fit and Active Turkey meatballs
• Pierogies: “This is a slightly lower point cal pasta filled with potato”
• Cornish game hens. You can prepare without the skin.
• Freezer bags
• Eggs. You buy them, then remove the yolks after you crack it open. You have an instant eggbeater substitute. Remember ¼ cup of egg beaters is two egg whites. Although, I hear that some Aldi stores do have their own egg substitute as well.
• Dill pickles
• Skim milk and low-fat cottage cheese
• Fit and Active dressings and powdered drinks
• Canned beans are cheap and filling source of protein


Save A Lot:

Save A Lot Has:

• Fresh vegetables
• Nice meat, but chicken breasts can get expensive if you buy it de-boned.
• Cheap low-point biscuits
• 2-point fudge popsicles “At my save a lot”
• Light frozen yogurt
• Sugar substitute
• They also have a good name brand of baby food. I have decided to do my once-a-month shopping at Save-A-Lot for baby food.
• Sacks of potatoes. You can make your own microwave baked potatoes or low fat oven baked potato chips.
• Diet root beer and diet citrus soda
• Cheap cake mix to make diet soda cakes
• Freezer bags
• Eggs. You buy them, then remove the yolks after you crack it open. You have an instant eggbeater substitute. Remember, ¼ cup of eggbeaters is two egg whites.
• Spicy mustard as well as dill pickles
• Canned beans are cheap and filling source of protein

• Skim milk and low-fat cottage cheese

• Sugar-free gelatin and pudding mixes


Super Walmart
You can do your discount shopping at Super Wal-mart. They do have very good prices, but a lot of variety. You have to be more strict with your list. Also, when you can, opt for the Walmart store brands.



Other Ideas:

If you have a freezer, do your once a week shopping at Aldi or Save A lot. Also, do your once-a-month shopping at either Costco, Trader Joe's, Super Walmart, or Sam's Club. For your once a month shopping, restrict it to light bread, fat-free mayonnaise, fat-free cheese and fat-free cream cheese, wheat flour, chicken breasts on sale and in bulk, and one to two Weight Watchers treats. Try and limit yourself to two or four boxes of each treat. Do not over-buy your treat just to make the month. Unless you are getting 55 pounds of chicken breasts that you plan to be using from a great sale, or you're buying a wedding cake, try to keep your once-a-month grocery bill to $27 to $180. Try to avoid spending $300 to $500 dollars at once.
If you eat all your special bread and cheese and your treat in a month, you cannot get more until the following month. Make sure you have flour on hand to bake bread. Also, for one month only, get bread, and another month only get fat-free cheese if it’s on sale. If it’s not, go for 2%. Make sure you rotate your food and know their freezer life. Remember most cheeses do not give a full calcium serving, so you don’t have to buy cheese for your dairy serving.

Money-Saving Lunch Bag Ideas
Instead of high-priced cupcakes and chips, why not make diet cola cupcakes and put them in a freezer bag and freeze them? Pull out a frozen one and place in lunch bag if you make normal sized cupcakes that makes 24 from one box. This great for kids or for yourself. Sure beats high-priced, low-point snack cakes!
Make your own low-point wraps and fill them with Veggies and lean meats.
Buy one big bag of the kids' favorite greasy chips and have them help you put them into small plastic bags for them.
Suckers are low in points, and they might be a nice treat in a lunch sack every now and then. Just make sure the school allows them. Some schools have a no junk food policy.

Gifts of Garden Vegetables
If a friend offers you a large amount of vegetables like zucchini, take them. What you can’t use right away, you might be able to freeze or dehydrate.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Weekend

My internet has been out for two days. In those two days I managed to get myself locked out of my dwelling and went on mini camping trip cookout. It wasn’t an over night. I had such a good time.
I also baked a lower fat lemon cake. I used a mix but used no oil but a 12 ounce can of sprite and one egg. You also may use 12 ounces of water and 2 egg whites.

My husband made homemade frozen yogurt. It was very good.

I ate a Dream Bar peanut flavor today. It’s sort of like a diet butterfinger. I would go crazy if I couldn’t have candy now and then.

My feet and back have been hurting. My back doesn't hurt as bad as it did when I was over 200.


I've been reading candy's and living to feel good's post about getting personal trainers. It sounds like so much fun. Has anyone else had a trainer?

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Our little Excuses

I am still unpacking. That will be my exercise for the day as well as berry picking later. I need to get my exercise equipment ready so I can exercise while on the comp. It might sound silly but it’s a lot of fun. I’ve gotten much further last night and actually got some of the books put up. My feet hurt and I feel like some major pampering. I need it. I think I have one DVD of the reality show Manor House on Netflix that just came. It makes people live as the Edwardians have lived and shows more of the t dark history even more so Than Even Upstairs Downstairs.

I have Excuses for getting unhealthy again. I am too busy is one of mine.

What are Our Excuses for Not Trying to get Healthy?

I am not a celebrity and they have it easier:
There will always be someone who has it easier or harder than you. There are some people things are just harder for and some people who can’t afford 11$ a week for a weight watcher and a $26 dollar copy of Yourself! Fitness. Most of us who say we’re not a celebrity have enough or more resources.
I am thinking it might not be any easier for celebrities with body issues then us. They are treated differently, A normal to thin person in the real world is called fat in the celebrity world. Then they have more access to crazy weightless schemes because scam artists would be drawn to the money and hope of getting their diet out. Yes stars may get thinner faster doesn’t mean they are healthier. Being able to have a trainer is great but some trainers are more about selling supplement than they are about training. Many of these trainers have little or no education in supplements or in diet plans. You might find a better trainer at your gym than some celebrities have.

I Eat the Same Foods Everyday Why is this not working?
You might be eating the same foods but not the same amount. A man complained to his ww leader about this. I met the leader. He finally journeyed and lost weight. He found out in an evening he was eating the same 1 point snack he always did 17 times. If measuring your cereal bores you why not get bowls in half and one cup sizes. I do not care what diet your on, WW, south Beach, all are helped by journaling.
I can quit after I get down to the size I want.
If you quit you will gain your weight back. No diet will teach you to eat thin. You will eat more to maintain but you still

I don’t have the Willpower:
Will power will get you nowhere. None of us really have all that much of it. Do not deprive yourself with crash diets of fasting or only eating lemons, turunups and celery all day and then you find yourself eating half a cheese cake, three slices of pizza, and four containers of Chinese food.
Ephedra got Banned:
Ephedra is unsafe.
People have died from these pills. If transfats resulted in weight loss people would be screaming for transfats. Ephedra-based diet supplements have finally been completely and full banned in august.
Some diet pills even make it harder to lose the next time. What a lot of people do not know is that due to a law passed by congress it’s extremely hard for the FDA to currently ban anything. Meaning the evidence was overwhelming about Ephedra.
Steve Bechler took just three pills. He thought since it was over the counter the pills were safe. Steve's life was cut short.
A lot of people like to blame Steve's death on him. It wasn't Steve’s fault.
Another death
http://www.lexisone.com/news/nlibrary/m071404d.htmle has to be extrodinanry for anything to get banned.

I will never look like a Barbie/Ken Doll.
Barbie and Ken dolls aren’t normal they are plastic dolls with rubber heads filled with air. Be the healthiest-strongest you. Be the you that loves himself/herself at any weight.
I am Gaining a couple pounds in single Day
You frustrated when you weighed in after dinner. You are journaling but are 4 pounds since your morning weigh in. Did I eat too many carbs or calories? Most likely you did nothing wrong. You can gain on average 6 pounds of fake weight in a day. It did not mean you ate too much calories or carbs. Some people gain this water weight because they had a salty meal, or have bowel problems.

Update Bunny Food
Is doing a quote tag. Sounded like fun.

Never give up never surrender
Galaxy Quest

To maintain do the same things you did while dieting but eat more food
Carla
http://www.freewebs.com/dimpledn/index.htm

Monday, August 21, 2006

Promote Your Favorite Health Blogs, My Cheap Personal Trainer.

Promote Your Favorite Health Blogs, My Cheap Personal Trainer.
VH Melville
I spent most of my birthday unpacking. I still have a lot to do but I made a major dent and last night I was able to make a smoothie for the first time in over in weeks. I knew it would take a long time to get here. I received most of my gifts a head a time. Did any of you get stuff for yourself? I get to do some fun stuff today like baking with a rolling pin. It’s the little things you miss.

Promote:
Last time I said you can promote your blog well you can this time as well to but also like to know what fitness and wellness blogs you enjoy to read. My only rule is no diet pill sites. This might be fun you might find out who is reading your blogs as well? It doesn’t matter if someone posted your favorite blog already just chime in.
My Cheap Personal Trainer:
My Personal Trainer: My personal trainer is inexpensive and resalable. She doesn’t dole out weird advice and allows me to pick and choose my own equipment. My trainer comes in a box. I live my yourself! Fitness video game and can’t wait till the new version Yourself! Fitness Lifestyle comes out. Do you have a favorite fitness video game?

Thursday, August 17, 2006

A Birthday Gift, Tip Tagged and the Fast Food Challenge

My birthday is tomorrow. This may sound odd but for my birthday I want you to do something nice for yourself. You deserve to be treated well now not just when you lose the weight. Do you want to buy a book, or get a pedicure, or go for a walk? If you don’t have a lot of money on you can you use the lotions you do have. Do you have a gift certificate that you were saving but never used because you wanted to use at a special time. Gift certificates can expire. I might spend most of my birthday unpacking my things the movers are coming tomorrow. Knock on wood. I want to use my blender for smoothies and play with my stability ball. There are something’s I decided I don’t want. I love my plus size wedding dress it’s beautiful but I want to bless someone else with it since I don’t plan on using it again. I like the guy I got.


Tip Tag: You’ve been tagged by iportion if you choose to accept put one to tip on your blog. It can be obvious and obscure.

Iportion’s Tip Tag. Not all fats are bad. Try cooking with olive oil, canola oil, sunflower, safflower oil, or corn. If you want to replace canned cooking spray use a plastic bottle and a half teaspoon of oil and a little water. Those spray cans do have calories and lots of them if you do lots of sprays. The servings are just so small they don’t have to list them.

Fast Food Challenges: Thoughts
Tonights homework. Find your favorite fast food place and see if they have nutrition information on line, if not email them.

What I don't get is how fast food places can get way with only having only thin people in it’s commercials. Willard scot as hired was the original Ronald then McDonald’s fired him before they went national because he was fat. I feel fast food composes shouldn’t be allowed to discriminate against the same people who are buying their food. I don’t feel it’s a sin fo someone to be fat. Fat is just fat. A person isn’t good or bad because of their weight. They are good and bad because of how they treat others.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

We Struggle, We Learn

We Struggle, We Learn
VH Melville
I’ve been struggling lately and it was hard to exercise in the past few days. I was able to get in my daily walk today and feel strong and blessed. I am looking a lot healthier and I am so glad my headache and nausea is gone. I made that pizza cookie again. This one wasn’t as good as before last time I cooked it longer to make it a little crispier. My lower calorie chocolate chip cookies are great and I plan to share that recipe once I’ve made it more.
I am thinking of getting some cooking DVD’s off of Amazon.

We all have had times that we struggle more than others. Sometimes we let one day completely derail us. We often derail ourselves willingly by taking breaks choosing complicated or unhealthy diet plans we can’t do in the long run. I realize even though I am now in a thinner body I still have to do this for the long hall. Sometimes we are jealous of the people who eat nothing but junk and lots of it and are thin. This doesn’t always mean healthy you can be thin on the outside and not healthy, weight is not the only gage of health. I used to be jealous of the people who’s eating wasn’t broken and eat normally. Having broken eating stinks it really does and I know that but I want a life where I can be happy and deal. Maybe my eating is broken so I can help others and be helped by others. Maybe my eating is broken so I can read the beautiful messages through these blogs.
Fast Food Challenge: How is everyone going on that?

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

The Yucks

The Yucks
VH Melville
Yesterday started out great. The day was beautiful my head ache that woke me up in the middle of the night was fading. I waited all day for an important call and they never called. So I had to be stuck inside all day. I didn’t get walk in due to waiting and I didn’t eat as much as I should of.
My headache came back and ended up so bad that I was trying to keep food down. I took a hour nap in the evening woke up at nine or ten. I decided not to binge like I have done in the past. I removed my ten flex points to use for today. I was planning a big dinner. I then used up all my daily points in one sitting but counted every last bite. I also stopped when full but not stuffed. I had two fist size crackers covered in ½ a tbs of peanut butter each, chocolate and peanut-butter chips, one corn dog, one semi running egg with one piece of real bread, a frozen banana, oatmeal with chocolate chips, and some wheat germ. I had a craving for eggs after reading a blog about it a few days ago.
Today I am walking in place as sort of a mock workout. My leg is sore for some reason and will be stretched.
I am doing this so I don’t make excuses like I did two weeks ago. I had my rest day already. I think if I ate properly and was able to exercise some stress away I would not have gotten so sick.

Three things about me
1. I have a very worn copy of sink reflections and I am not OP with my cleaning for the past week. I am starting to get back on track today. What happened this time. I discovered my eating worked because I journal my food so I combined my cleaning journal with my eating journal. My food journal started falling a part the my cleaning did. I plan to start flying right, today.
2. I have lots of cookbook but I don’t use them often. I want more and more cookbooks. Most of the recipes I use are on the boards made by fellow WW as well from a digital cook book I bought. I have used a Slob in the Kitchen and made a few things out of that book.
3. I like playing the sims but haven’t in a long time.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Confessions: Good Diet Books You’ve Read or Listened To

Confessions: Good Diet Books You’ve Read or Listened To
VH Melville
I kept waking up last night with a really bad headache last night. For the past two days all I’ve wanted to do was eat and eat. I am only human. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and need to get back into the good attitude I had before. I have been getting back with exercise but I am not sure if I will get to take my walk to day.
Today will be a busy day. I might get some strength training in woo hoo. So wish me luck.

When ever I go to a bookstore I see many diet books at borders to make my head spin. What diet and healthy eating books have you bought and read that helped you

What did you like about them? What were their problems? I once had Susan’s Poweter’s Stop the insanity on tape. I didn’t follow the diet but my own but I found it a little angry but very inspirational. I also listened to Richard Simmons Project Me in the past. I wish I had these on CD.



Flash News
Viennese veggie orchestra makes sweet music
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5051910/

Friday, August 11, 2006

What’s Your Favorite reality Shows? Birthdays and Body Fat

I like the Apprentice but don’t have basic cable. I have the first season on DVD. I used to watch the yahoo clips as well. What made Apprentice one work was that you were cheering for both the two winners to be the Apprentice.

I made lower cal cookies last night and my husband liked them. I made a winner.

Birthday:
I turn 32 next week. I have no idea if my husband will make dinner or will go out to eat.
Things I’d like to do next year. 1. Eat Vegemite. 2. Get my Sci-Fi novel accepted. 3. Self publish my free diet ebook. 4. Get the new version of Yourself! Fitness. 5. Get healthier. 6. Teach aerobics 7. Do one nice thing for my community. 8. Help some people in their journey to healthy eating. What will you be doing after your birthday.

On Body Fat
I am feeling much better since I gained 5 pounds and I look better too even though I had not gone two low in my BMI. I am now at the weight I felt most comfortable at 121 but my goal weight is 130. I am still scared of regaining all my weight back but I am still a bit scared. There was a great post on fat fighters how much body fat you should have in general http://www.fatfighterblogs.com/
This something I’ve been given conflicting and sometimes dangerous information about.
PS How is everyone’s fast food challenge going? Yesterday I had less of the bread and at 1/4th of the fries if that.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Week 10:Human Garbage Disposal

I've decided that thats what i used to eat like.
I ran outta groceries two days ago and had to make random weird meals as i couldn't make it to the store till yesterday.
These things i would eat without thinking BEFORE i started weight watchers ten weeks ago.
I'm down 14lbs but don't feel like it. I haven't been good about working out because i can barely spend time with my guy before stumbling into bed tired and frustrated from work/school. EXCUSES!
If i have to workout on my lunch break i WILL because i feel better about me when i do.
Anyways - back to being the human garbage disposal.
Yesterday i decided to take a day 'off plan'
I started the day by counting points (out of habit) then i quit and entertained thoughts of oh my gosh this is the beginning of the end but they didn't last long - too busy to care.
I didn't measure out lunch i just ate, not sensibly, i ATE.
My stomach felt strange and tugged at and bloated and just so uncomfortable.
I then didn't eat till hours and hours later when i went to the store hungry (bad idea!)
I wanted cookies so i put a package of choc chip cookies in the cart and my cousin said she'd split it with me.
Silly me. I KNOW i should have just bought a small portion controlled package. But i was off plan right?
Then we got chinese food for dinner. GEEZ!
Instead of something decent i got something fatty and i should have eaten half, but no, i ate the whole thing.
I felt SO disgusting (why is it i never felt like that before?)
About an hour later i got into the cookies.
Thank goodness i had help so i wouldn't eat my weight's worth.
I felt lethargic and gross and my stomach hurt and i was nauseous and i just wanted to puke.
Clear indications that my body isn't accustomed to this stuff anymore.
I felt so bad i'm in no hurry to do that again.
EVER.
I drank a giant bottle of water and kept waking up to go to the bathroom and this morning i started on another giant bottle - its like i'm trying to wash away my food sins ha!
I hope that this spike in calories will jumpstart my losses somehow though and i might see a 'whoosh' on the scale this coming monday.
So today i'm having tons of water and back OP
I have no desire to eat like i used to, i've found that eating less makes me feel so much better.
If only i can get a handle on the exercise and still manage to get everything else done that i need to.
I'm nauseous just THINKING about last night.
So here's to no longer desiring to be a human garbage disposal.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Lets Play: I’ve Been Tagged

Lets Play: I’ve Been Tagged
VH Melville
I’ve been tagged blogging style by the ever sweet and wonderful Candy. www.goingalltheweigh.com


I have to list five weird things about myself.
1. I am gadget girl. I keep a roomba as a pet. Who doesn’t want a pet that eats dirt?
2. When I was a teenager I would collect garbage pail kids.
3. I am a published novelist who write fairy tales.
4. When I was 7 or 8 I thought the guy who played Harold in the movie Harold and Maud was cute. Harold and Maud was one of my favorite movies as a small child. Now the only man I find cute is my husband.
5. When I was 17 and dieting to avoid fries I’d get baked potatoes and put ketchup on them at restaurants. Well maybe not so weird.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Talent Show

Talent Show
VH Melville
I am still journaling but adding more points. I hope to be at my larger goal weight in a couple of weeks. It will be so hard going down again. My body loves all this extra food. I've maintained since last October. This time last year I was an emotional wreck of worry about my family. We’re doing better this year. I am going to try some more low calorie baking. Baking was a talented of mine but only if I followed the recipe exactly and I fell out of practice. Baking is no longer a talent of mine because I stopped trying and fell out of practice. It’s the same way with our diets, and with faith. We must do the routines. I’ve not been doing my fly lady cleaning routines in the past few days and my house suffered. I made sure I did them this morning.
I am thinking of my talents today and yours.
My talents are searching for information, enthusiasm, story telling.
How often do we think our talents are worthless that we have nothing to share?
I want you to think? What are your talents? I know many talented bloggers. I know knitters and artists, and home cooks, and good parents. Being a good parent is a major talent.
Examples:
Starling Fitness created walking workouts. Laura is super nifty and wanted to share her talent of exercise.
http://www.starling-fitness.com
Webgrl from iportion is getting healthy and sharing her art. She is amazing artist. She does all the art for iportion. Some of her collage work people actually have fought over.
Many of the bloggers who comment on my posts have amazing talents. I want you to share your talents.

PS you still can join the fast food challenge if you haven't.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Iportion’s Fast Food Challenge

Iportion’s Fast Food Challenge
VH Melville

Update: Arindana made a cute little button for anyone who wants to post the challenge on their blog. http://arindana.blogspot.com/


When fast food joints try to sell healthy food only 10% of the population or less buys it. If you want these places to serve healthy food try buying it. They will sell it if we buy it. Are we responsible?
Unlike other fast food challenges this is not banning fast food for a year or a week or a month. You can still eat fast food on this challenge. Yes you heard me right. This challenge is until Valentines Day 2007 but if anyone wants to continue by all means.
I go out to eat once a week you may go out once a week, once a month, twice a month if you have a busy job and need to eat out at fast food places three to five times a week you can do so. You chose the amount that is reasonable and doable for you,

Rules
1. Respond and tell me you’re joining. You may invite friends to join you or go it alone. Share your tips, experiences and what you ate with us even if the post is not about the challenge per say. I will learn from you and you will learn from me.
2. Look up your favorite places on the internet like calorieking or and check the nutrition on the websites. Email fast food places if the food is not listed. . Do you really want to eat at a chain restaurant that cares so little about your needs that they won’t provide basic information? Mom and pop places don’t have the resources of the big chains so you can eat there but choose wisely and small places sometimes make substitutions.
3. Journal what you eat and follow your eating plan the best you can. Don’t beat yourself up, make it fun. You reward yourself for the first day with a non food reward. Then you reward yourself for week one. Then each month you give yourself another reward. Gifts can be from the dollar tree or from Amazon. You set your prizes to fit your budget.
4. Exercise if you’re able to: Exercise for 15 minutes a day 2 to 5 days a week. Exercise can be walking, swimming, chair dancing, weights, Yourself Fitness, DDR, VHS tapes, DVDs . If you exercise give yourself another monthly reward.
Why join this challenge?
We’ll be banding together making better food choices and having fun. We’ll be showing food places there is a market for healthy food. It will teach us not to feel so guilty about food and it will empower us. Besides rewarding ourselves is fun.


TIPS
These tips are not hard rules they are just ideas just help us along. You may share your own.
1. Some food that looks healthy isn’t. The Market fresh sandwiches is one of the unhealthiest sandwiches Arby’s sells. The roast beef is actually a better option
2. Try new foods. If you like Taco bell try the Fresco menu. If you like Wendy’s try the grilled chicken or a small chili. Try your subway sandwich on the warp or 6. You might want to avoid the Atkins dressings even if you’re on a low carb diet.
3. If you want a hamburger go for the small one or even the children’s meal. If they won’t sell the children’s meal to you don’t buy from them. Get a small side salad to add volume.
4. If you want pizza opt for thin crust or a personal pizza. Ask for them to put half the cheese that they normally put on pizza. Share the personal pizza with a friend and eat a large salad.
5. If you really want a Big and Tasty have it with the side salad and light dressing count the calories of your food for the day or if you do WW use your flex points for it. Maybe eat half and bring the rest tomorrow.
6. Now if you want to have something really high in calories you can do so just plan for it. Some people plan a free day or use extra flex points but be award of what you’re eating.
7. If you want Caesar salad bring your own dressing and ask the place to give you a light dressing. Save the dressing light for later. Avoid croutons all together. Do you really want all your calories from bits stale bread? I’d rather have chocolate. Avoid breaded meats in salad or sandwich. Anything Tuna usually has lots of mayo in it. Have the place hold the mayo. Always check the dressings. Some dressings can add hundreds of calories.
8. If places sell more then one kind of diet drinks buy them. Caffeine can make some people hungry. You want them to know you’ll buy more if they offer.
9. You can eat out once or twice a week or more if you want to. I think once is perfect but some people have busy jobs they need to eat out more often.
10. Eat the side salad instead of the fries.
11. Go out for frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Sleep, Shangri-La, and Cookies

VH Melville

I got a night sleep the other day I had only gotten 2 hours and 40 to 48 minute sleep. I tend to get hungy when I don't sleep well.
I was worried abut my health about what I want to do to help people. I made cookies they were made with real sugar but less of it and came to three points per a very big cookie serving. They were very good. I am trying to become a better baker.

I got a free copy of the Shangri-La diet by Seth Roberts. I am reading it. I was planning to go on it for two weeks but I am not supposed to lose weight right now. So I might either do a shortened version like a day or something just to see what it’s like. It seems so far to be a cheap version of slim-fast.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Fat and Everything

Fat and Everything
VH Melville
I am scared. I have had some health problems as of late. I went for a medical appointment the other day and found out that I am most likely under-fat. I am not under weight though. My BMI is 22 . 1 I made sure I went by the weight watchers healthy assessment. I am 117 if anyone wants to know.
I am only 5 foot 1 inches tall well maybe 5ive one and quarter. Though many people who know me from the internet and through my writings always thought I’d be taller.
When I started WW my weight was 234.8 and my BMI was 44.4 My pregnancy weight topped out at around 250.
I am adding 4 to 5 points a day until I hit my goal weight of 125 to 132. It would be too easy to be unhealthy again. I could use this as an excuse not to journal. There are no more excuses. The old me would have vacationed and went back into the same habits. I used my journal even though it got ugly today.
Love yourself and get healthy.
Not all body fat is bad. Not all fat is bad. I got very obese after losing the weight the first time through
Fat free baked goods. I could kick myself for taking a break after I goaled but I realize that most of us take breaks until were more unhealthy than before.
I lost weight because I wanted to look on the outside how my husband made me feel on the inside. I also got tired of having to sleep 13 hours just to feel rested. I was tired of the weak ankles. I was tired
of not finding nice clothes. I was sick of the stretch marks. I felt pretty just unwell.

PS
Last night I wasn’t perfect. My journaling was sketchy/ugly and exercise was non existent. I kept adding and removing points I am sure I got something wrong by mistake. I am human. I had pineapple chicken I used the sweet and sour points in the WW book which I feel should be similar. I used my flex points and my new extra points. I measured it. The food was delivery. I also put some of the food back which I ate for breakfast. I gave the rest to my husband for dinner. I had some leftover points but I chose oatmeal and fruit but I wouldn’t have had these points if I ate the whole thing. I am also a bit more feeling like binging now which I’ve decided not to do.


Updated: I decided to make moderation easier for all.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

We Deserve Better: Pamper Yourself Happy

We Deserve Better: Pamper Yourself Happy
VH Melville
I wrote this as a conversation I had with webgrl both of us deal with stress the same way. We eat. Sometimes the easiest and the hardest thing to do is binge. It doesn’t matter if you goaled or are starting your journey you still can be prone to overeating and not journaling or counting what ever you count. What do you do when the binge monster is calling you? When a so called friend want you to eat a cookie or a piece of cake you don’t want to eat.
We often go by the cake and chips ill when upset and feel we deserve this we're upset. We deserve that bag of chips a family member called us a name. We deserve that container of frosting we were on a bad date. We deserve that popcorn and stick of real butter and ice cream and a diet coke because our husband's are working late.
1. We deserve better!
We can't taste the food if we're wolfing it down and we destroyed a all the fun in the food. Food we love should be a treat not a reward nor a treatment.
We are beautiful strong and need to find other ways to pamper ourselves.
I want you to write three things to pamper yourself down. You can share them or not it's your choice.
1. Chat with supportive people.
2. play with a Yo-yo
3. Blowing bubbles.
4. Painting or sewing.
5. Stepping on a small bag of chips and grinding them.
6. Dancing. 7. Hula hoop.
8. Play a fitness video game.
9. Volunteer.
10. Go to the spa.
11. Pump some iron.
Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge More blogs about iportion.