one womans struggle to lose weight and discover her inner beauty. one day at a time.
PLUS SIZE BLOGGER BUTTON
MUSIC PLAYER
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
E-POEM: LORD, SHRINK MY BODY OR STRETCH MY CLOTHES
LORD, SHRINK MY BODY OR STRETCH MY CLOTHES
Lord, shrink my body or stretch my clothes.
I've gained more weight and heaven knows
I've tried on everything I own
And can't believe how much I've grown.
Lord, shrink my body or stretch my clothes.
I can't pull up these brand new hose.
Where did I get this extra weight?
Is being fat my awful fate?
Lord, shrink my body or stretch my clothes.
I bend and just can't reach my toes.
You know that I'd be filled with glee
If you could melt some pounds off me.
Lord, shrink my body or stretch my clothes.
This dress right here is one I chose
To wear to church last Sunday night;
It must have shrunk and I'm a sight
Lord, shrink my body or stretch my clothes.
I know the answer, I suppose.
To you my problems I can bring,
But melting FAT is not Your thing.
©Mariane Holbrook
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
I HAD A PHYSICAL ..the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all
yup, on the 26th of january i went in at 8:30 am for a physical.
JANUARY 26th IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!! so, i gave myself the gift of knowledge for a helathier life
by having a physical done.
came out knowing i am 295 pounds, not 285 (like i thought) my scale sucks apparently..i need a
digital one)
i also found out i have diabetes....UGGH!
a YEST INFECTION (i knew about that one)
and a BLADDER INFECTION masked by the diebetes.
i did slightly discuss the option of GASTRIC BYPASS surgery with my physician and he told me a dr he knows that preforms the proceedure.
after we were there we did a few other things and got to a book store to look for some cookbooks for diabetics. i felt i needed some help.
the dr didnt discuss with me anything about diabetes. or any alternative ways to attemtpt too loose the weight.
he does want to see me again next week tho.
maybe to discuss the bloodwork the insurance company requires be sent to them.
i bet my cholesterol is OFF THE CHART!!
i had a nnormal EKG
my blood pressure was up slightly...we thought it may have been due to nerves...could eb diabetes related as well..
all-in-all my physical wasnt life threatening, aparently.
i did have a pap smear, and im sure the results of that will be discussed too.
so, if you know any healty dibetic easy-to-cook reciepes, dont hesitate to share them with me...
im also planning on schedulong the appointment to discuss the gastric byapss with the dr my physician sugested soon..be looking for posts about that as well.
MICHELLE
JANUARY 26th IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!! so, i gave myself the gift of knowledge for a helathier life
by having a physical done.
came out knowing i am 295 pounds, not 285 (like i thought) my scale sucks apparently..i need a
digital one)
i also found out i have diabetes....UGGH!
a YEST INFECTION (i knew about that one)
and a BLADDER INFECTION masked by the diebetes.
i did slightly discuss the option of GASTRIC BYPASS surgery with my physician and he told me a dr he knows that preforms the proceedure.
after we were there we did a few other things and got to a book store to look for some cookbooks for diabetics. i felt i needed some help.
the dr didnt discuss with me anything about diabetes. or any alternative ways to attemtpt too loose the weight.
he does want to see me again next week tho.
maybe to discuss the bloodwork the insurance company requires be sent to them.
i bet my cholesterol is OFF THE CHART!!
i had a nnormal EKG
my blood pressure was up slightly...we thought it may have been due to nerves...could eb diabetes related as well..
all-in-all my physical wasnt life threatening, aparently.
i did have a pap smear, and im sure the results of that will be discussed too.
so, if you know any healty dibetic easy-to-cook reciepes, dont hesitate to share them with me...
im also planning on schedulong the appointment to discuss the gastric byapss with the dr my physician sugested soon..be looking for posts about that as well.
MICHELLE
Thursday, January 25, 2007
4 STEPS TO A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Four Steps to a Healthy Weight
The following article is part of a series for Healthy Weight Week.
For most of us, the desire to lose weight is easy to conjure up. What can prove more difficult is how to go about it. flexible weight-healthy plan that teaches you sound nutrition principles, such as choosing the right fats (like those from nuts, oily fish, and extra-virgin olive oil) and the right carbs (whole-grain breads and pastas, colorful veggies, high-fiber fruits, and hearty beans) along with lean proteins and low-fat dairy.
Teamed with at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week (something as simple as walking fits this bill) — as well as a balanced strength-training and stretching program, such as the core strengthening routines Here are four steps to get you on the path to reaching your healthy weight:
1. Give your kitchen a makeover. Determine which foods should be kept and which should be thrown away. For instance, keep veggies, nuts, lean proteins, and -approved desserts; toss white bread, pasta, and rice. While you're at it, make adjustments to your shopping list to ensure that your favorite Diet approved foods find their way to your cart — and your kitchen! You can find tips for both tasks on southbeachdiet.com.
2. Incorporate exercise. Physical activity is a key part of the Diet weight-healthy lifestyle. Drs recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week, paired with a strength-training and stretching program. When it comes to strength training, Drs are a fan of core exercises, moves designed to target the muscles of the trunk of your body (your abdomen, lower back, pelvis, and hips). Since a stronger core helps keep you injury free, you're more likely to stay active — and healthy — throughout your life. The Fitness Club offers hundreds of core moves, along with an easy-to-follow walking program, and gentle preparation exercises.
3. Anyone can do it. No matter which activity you choose, beginners should start — and progress — slowly to prevent injury. Though physical activity is both safe and recommended for most adults, if you're starting an exercise program for the very first time, be sure to consult with your physician. Also, be realistic when developing your exercise schedule — there will be days you can't get to the gym or don't feel physically up to par. Don't be too hard on yourself — just get back to your routine as soon as you can. Finally, remember that any amount of exercise is better than none at all, so if you don't have time to squeeze in an entire workout, don't let that deter you from getting some activity.
4. Seek out support. Look to your friends and family for encouragement. They may want to join you on your path to wellness, but even if they aren't ready to make positive lifestyle changes, they can offer inspiration and motivation. You can also take advantage of some of the great motivational features Online, like locating a like-mindedOnline member to swap tips and share recipes on the Message Boards.
The following article is part of a series for Healthy Weight Week.
For most of us, the desire to lose weight is easy to conjure up. What can prove more difficult is how to go about it. flexible weight-healthy plan that teaches you sound nutrition principles, such as choosing the right fats (like those from nuts, oily fish, and extra-virgin olive oil) and the right carbs (whole-grain breads and pastas, colorful veggies, high-fiber fruits, and hearty beans) along with lean proteins and low-fat dairy.
Teamed with at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week (something as simple as walking fits this bill) — as well as a balanced strength-training and stretching program, such as the core strengthening routines Here are four steps to get you on the path to reaching your healthy weight:
1. Give your kitchen a makeover. Determine which foods should be kept and which should be thrown away. For instance, keep veggies, nuts, lean proteins, and -approved desserts; toss white bread, pasta, and rice. While you're at it, make adjustments to your shopping list to ensure that your favorite Diet approved foods find their way to your cart — and your kitchen! You can find tips for both tasks on southbeachdiet.com.
2. Incorporate exercise. Physical activity is a key part of the Diet weight-healthy lifestyle. Drs recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity most days of the week, paired with a strength-training and stretching program. When it comes to strength training, Drs are a fan of core exercises, moves designed to target the muscles of the trunk of your body (your abdomen, lower back, pelvis, and hips). Since a stronger core helps keep you injury free, you're more likely to stay active — and healthy — throughout your life. The Fitness Club offers hundreds of core moves, along with an easy-to-follow walking program, and gentle preparation exercises.
3. Anyone can do it. No matter which activity you choose, beginners should start — and progress — slowly to prevent injury. Though physical activity is both safe and recommended for most adults, if you're starting an exercise program for the very first time, be sure to consult with your physician. Also, be realistic when developing your exercise schedule — there will be days you can't get to the gym or don't feel physically up to par. Don't be too hard on yourself — just get back to your routine as soon as you can. Finally, remember that any amount of exercise is better than none at all, so if you don't have time to squeeze in an entire workout, don't let that deter you from getting some activity.
4. Seek out support. Look to your friends and family for encouragement. They may want to join you on your path to wellness, but even if they aren't ready to make positive lifestyle changes, they can offer inspiration and motivation. You can also take advantage of some of the great motivational features Online, like locating a like-mindedOnline member to swap tips and share recipes on the Message Boards.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I ALMOST FAINTED AT WALMART
seriously.
i was talking to a woman, and about 15 minutes into the conversation, my ears began to ring and i go extreemly light-headed.
she asked me if i was diabetic, i dont know if i am or not.
its one of the reasons i want the physical to tell me if my weight has issued me into that area as well.
i had eaten as late as 3pm, and it was 6 hours later...i may have bottomed out due to lack of food.
craig went and got me a drink, with some sugar in it, and i was stable after that.
it was a very unusual expirience. the ear rinnging part was almost like being under water. i could barely hear anything. my vision was slightly off.
the funny thing was, i wasnt very hungry.
i hope i get an explination on friday about it.
MICHELLE
i was talking to a woman, and about 15 minutes into the conversation, my ears began to ring and i go extreemly light-headed.
she asked me if i was diabetic, i dont know if i am or not.
its one of the reasons i want the physical to tell me if my weight has issued me into that area as well.
i had eaten as late as 3pm, and it was 6 hours later...i may have bottomed out due to lack of food.
craig went and got me a drink, with some sugar in it, and i was stable after that.
it was a very unusual expirience. the ear rinnging part was almost like being under water. i could barely hear anything. my vision was slightly off.
the funny thing was, i wasnt very hungry.
i hope i get an explination on friday about it.
MICHELLE
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
E-INSPIRATION: A CARROT, AN EGG, AND A CUP OF COFFEE
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee
...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it
and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as
one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and
placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she
placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed
ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots
out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a
bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to
her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did
and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled
egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it
mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in
strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling
water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer
shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the
boiling water, its inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were
unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the
water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door,
how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain
and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship
or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the
same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit
and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the
very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases
the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their
worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is
the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to
another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they
just make the most of everything that comes along their way.. The brightest
future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life
until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone
around you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to
you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who
make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the
brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship
you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.
If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten
someone's day with this message!
It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true.
...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it
and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as
one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and
placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she
placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed
ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots
out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a
bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to
her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did
and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled
egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it
mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in
strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling
water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer
shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the
boiling water, its inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were
unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the
water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door,
how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain
and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship
or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the
same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit
and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the
very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases
the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their
worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is
the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to
another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a
coffee bean?
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they
just make the most of everything that comes along their way.. The brightest
future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life
until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone
around you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to
you; to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to those who
make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the
brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship
you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.
If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to brighten
someone's day with this message!
It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true.
TOXINS & CANCER: information to think about
Studies have shown that BPA can mimic the actions of estradiol (a type of
estrogen) in the body, contributing to, among other symptoms, the following changes in mice and rat studies:
Early puberty
Increased fat formation
Abnormal sexual behavior
Disrupted reproductive cycles
As exposure to estrogen from external sources has been linked to breast cancer
in the past, the above results are consistent with previous findings on this topic.
The disruption of your hormone system, and all of the consequences resulting from it, is a typical way that environmental toxins negatively impact your body.
Cancer has many contributing factors, so it is important to appreciate that prevention is not necessarily dependent on a single item. While there are many steps you can take to strongly influence your chances of avoiding this extremely common killer, reducing your exposure to toxins is an important step in the
right direction. And, while for most of us it may be next to impossible to
completely avoid all toxins, the following tips can certainly be helpful:
Tips to Avoid Toxins
First and foremost store your food in glass containers whenever possible,
as it is the most inert container you can use.
Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic foods. If you can only purchase one organic product it probably should be free-range organic eggs. Fortunately, most grocery stores now have these available. If they don't, contact
the store manager and encourage him or her to carry them. Additionally, I
believe raw milk products are a key to staying healthy. They are best obtained locally but many people have a great challenge finding them. To find a raw milk distributor in your area, try the by-state and by-country locator at: http://www.rawmilk.org.
Rather than eating fish, which is largely contaminated with PCBs and mercury, consume a high-quality, purified fish or cod liver oil. Contact your favorite health food store to find it or another high-quality brand, or use our store for your convenience. Another option is to have your wild-caught fish lab tested to find out if it is a pure source (we've found a delicious, wild Alaskan salmon that is free from harmful levels of mercury and PCBs).
Avoid processed foods--remember that they're frequently processed with a variety of chemicals!
Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.
Switch to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources as above for these, either your local health food store or you can search online.
Remove any metal fillings, as they're a major source of mercury. Be sure to have
this done by a qualified biological dentist. Although nearly any dentist is technically qualified to replace your amalgam fillings, far less than 95 percent
have any clue on how to do it properly so your risk of mercury exposure is minimized. Please avoid the mistake I have seen THOUSANDS of patients make of having your fillings replaced by a non-qualified dentist. I made this mistake myself nearly 20 years ago. Do it right the first time and save yourself the expense and grief. If you don't personally know a qualified biological dentist, many people find one by contacting several of the health food stores in their area and asking the employees who they know. This is typically an excellent resource as they are usually networked quite well in the local health community.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances as they can pollute the air you are breathing.
Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
Get plenty of safe sun exposure to boost your vitamin D levels and your immune system (you'll be better able to fight disease).
limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your
body over time.
Cleansing is very important to your over all health and for removing toxins
from our body.Please check out my web pages for more info on this. We need
to be responsible for doing something for our over all health.
Shannon Allen
www.getcleansing.com
www.allinonebottle.com
www.weightlosshalloffame.net
estrogen) in the body, contributing to, among other symptoms, the following changes in mice and rat studies:
Early puberty
Increased fat formation
Abnormal sexual behavior
Disrupted reproductive cycles
As exposure to estrogen from external sources has been linked to breast cancer
in the past, the above results are consistent with previous findings on this topic.
The disruption of your hormone system, and all of the consequences resulting from it, is a typical way that environmental toxins negatively impact your body.
Cancer has many contributing factors, so it is important to appreciate that prevention is not necessarily dependent on a single item. While there are many steps you can take to strongly influence your chances of avoiding this extremely common killer, reducing your exposure to toxins is an important step in the
right direction. And, while for most of us it may be next to impossible to
completely avoid all toxins, the following tips can certainly be helpful:
Tips to Avoid Toxins
First and foremost store your food in glass containers whenever possible,
as it is the most inert container you can use.
Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic foods. If you can only purchase one organic product it probably should be free-range organic eggs. Fortunately, most grocery stores now have these available. If they don't, contact
the store manager and encourage him or her to carry them. Additionally, I
believe raw milk products are a key to staying healthy. They are best obtained locally but many people have a great challenge finding them. To find a raw milk distributor in your area, try the by-state and by-country locator at: http://www.rawmilk.org.
Rather than eating fish, which is largely contaminated with PCBs and mercury, consume a high-quality, purified fish or cod liver oil. Contact your favorite health food store to find it or another high-quality brand, or use our store for your convenience. Another option is to have your wild-caught fish lab tested to find out if it is a pure source (we've found a delicious, wild Alaskan salmon that is free from harmful levels of mercury and PCBs).
Avoid processed foods--remember that they're frequently processed with a variety of chemicals!
Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.
Switch to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources as above for these, either your local health food store or you can search online.
Remove any metal fillings, as they're a major source of mercury. Be sure to have
this done by a qualified biological dentist. Although nearly any dentist is technically qualified to replace your amalgam fillings, far less than 95 percent
have any clue on how to do it properly so your risk of mercury exposure is minimized. Please avoid the mistake I have seen THOUSANDS of patients make of having your fillings replaced by a non-qualified dentist. I made this mistake myself nearly 20 years ago. Do it right the first time and save yourself the expense and grief. If you don't personally know a qualified biological dentist, many people find one by contacting several of the health food stores in their area and asking the employees who they know. This is typically an excellent resource as they are usually networked quite well in the local health community.
Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances as they can pollute the air you are breathing.
Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
Get plenty of safe sun exposure to boost your vitamin D levels and your immune system (you'll be better able to fight disease).
limit your use of drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) as much as possible. Drugs are chemicals too, and they will leave residues and accumulate in your
body over time.
Cleansing is very important to your over all health and for removing toxins
from our body.Please check out my web pages for more info on this. We need
to be responsible for doing something for our over all health.
Shannon Allen
www.getcleansing.com
www.allinonebottle.com
www.weightlosshalloffame.net
DRS APPTS FRIDAY
FIANLLY! we (craig and myself) have drs appts. set up for early friday am.
i didnt expect to be taken so quickly, seeing as its already the start of the new week, i had figured they were already booked. but we were lucky and got appts.
now this is essential to my weightloss plan.
my ultimate goal is to have some kind of surgery, preferably gastric bypass, or even mini-gastric bypass.
in order to be approved i have to have a physician for 6 months...were starting that today (well friday).
there are a few things i need to discuss with the dr, and im ready to see him/her.
im not anxious to have the physical, but anxious to get the ball rolling on the surgery for me at any rate. id love to be able to get it done BEFORE 6 months. but i doubt thats going to be possible at the rate they process a paitient.
there are several tests they preform, and alot of things to do to make it to that final step, im ready..im wanting to be rid of it all..be a new person. i have dreamed of being the person i see inside myself, the person no one else sees when they look at me..i see her, i am her, but she isnt anything to anyone one else except a phantom, a ghost, a whim of fancy ..in MY mind. i want her to come out and show the word she exists and she has an important role to preform for others...
shes going to be an influence....a visual aid for others to see the dramatic change associated to the steps taken to get her to emerge...
this insurance covers that proceedure and im ready to have it done...
so, friday we start the task of the first of MANY MANY other things to do...
MICHELLE
i didnt expect to be taken so quickly, seeing as its already the start of the new week, i had figured they were already booked. but we were lucky and got appts.
now this is essential to my weightloss plan.
my ultimate goal is to have some kind of surgery, preferably gastric bypass, or even mini-gastric bypass.
in order to be approved i have to have a physician for 6 months...were starting that today (well friday).
there are a few things i need to discuss with the dr, and im ready to see him/her.
im not anxious to have the physical, but anxious to get the ball rolling on the surgery for me at any rate. id love to be able to get it done BEFORE 6 months. but i doubt thats going to be possible at the rate they process a paitient.
there are several tests they preform, and alot of things to do to make it to that final step, im ready..im wanting to be rid of it all..be a new person. i have dreamed of being the person i see inside myself, the person no one else sees when they look at me..i see her, i am her, but she isnt anything to anyone one else except a phantom, a ghost, a whim of fancy ..in MY mind. i want her to come out and show the word she exists and she has an important role to preform for others...
shes going to be an influence....a visual aid for others to see the dramatic change associated to the steps taken to get her to emerge...
this insurance covers that proceedure and im ready to have it done...
so, friday we start the task of the first of MANY MANY other things to do...
MICHELLE
Monday, January 22, 2007
E-INSPIRATION: PARABLE OF THE PENCIL
PARABLE OF THE PENCIL"
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in someone's hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No
matter what the condition, you must continue to write."
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access
you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger
person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No
matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a
special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born
to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your
life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
~AUTHOR UNKNOWN~
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.
"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."
"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in someone's hand."
"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."
"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."
"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."
"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No
matter what the condition, you must continue to write."
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access
you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger
person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No
matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a
special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born
to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your
life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
~AUTHOR UNKNOWN~
Sunday, January 21, 2007
I WEIGH 285 NOW!!!
yup, ive lost 15 pounds from my original weight of 300 pounds when i
weighed myself .
my scale read 285 yesterday!!! WOO-HOO!! GO ME!!!
not sure how long this will last.
and..i dont feel any different, clothes fit the same, and i have the
same amount of energy. i notice nothing different in this loss.
perhaps i need too lose something like 50...to notice any energy levels
increase, i know a few more pounds and ill notice clothes becomming
looser.
i think it has been the extreemly cold weather we have had for the past
week and a half.the weathers all gone, everything ecept now and i hope
they dont call for more this comming weekend, 2 weeks is enough already
..im glad the suns out today.
MICHELLE
weighed myself .
my scale read 285 yesterday!!! WOO-HOO!! GO ME!!!
not sure how long this will last.
and..i dont feel any different, clothes fit the same, and i have the
same amount of energy. i notice nothing different in this loss.
perhaps i need too lose something like 50...to notice any energy levels
increase, i know a few more pounds and ill notice clothes becomming
looser.
i think it has been the extreemly cold weather we have had for the past
week and a half.the weathers all gone, everything ecept now and i hope
they dont call for more this comming weekend, 2 weeks is enough already
..im glad the suns out today.
MICHELLE
THE SCIENCE OF ADDICTION (ive added OVEREATING asan addiction)
The Science of Addiction
by Elaine Gottleib
The United States is a nation of addicts. According to a 2001 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are 16 million drug users, 13 million heavy drinkers, and 66 million smokers in the United States. That doesn't include the overeaters, gamblers, compulsive exercisers, and the sex obsessed. Yet most people are able to eat, drink, and exercise without becoming addicted to those activities. Why?
Defining Addiction
Neuroscientists define addiction in medical terms as "a brain disease….a chronic, relapsing disease." Addiction is considered a brain disease because it alters the brain in fundamental, long-lasting ways. That's not surprising when you consider that the brain changes constantly in response to our everyday experiences. For instance, when a student learns that the Pilgrims landed in 1620, the brain is affected by just that simple piece of information. Imagine the more dramatic changes produced by powerful substances like alcohol and heroin! (food too!)
Neuro-imaging techniques like PET scans and MRIs have documented actual changes in the size and shape of nerve cells in the brains of addicts. Networks of nerve cells determine our feelings and behavior. Drugs influence behavior by transforming the way these networks function, according to Dr. Stephen Hyman, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Dopamine Connection
The biological link among all addictions is dopamine. This brain chemical is released during pleasurable activities ranging from sex and eating to more detrimental behaviors such as drinking and drug taking. "If a drug or an activity produces a sharp spike in dopamine, the odds are phenomenal that people will like it, they'll experience it as pleasurable, and it will be addictive," says Alan Leshner, PhD, of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A powerful drug like crack cocaine elevates dopamine levels much faster than normal pleasurable activities. It creates the classic drug-induced feelings of exhilaration and power. In a landmark 1950s experiment, scientists stimulated rodent brains and found that the animals kept returning to the place where they received the stimulation.
Getting—and Staying—Hooked
Coming down from a drug high is caused by a decrease in dopamine levels. If you force brain cells to produce excessive dopamine on a regular basis, they become stressed and produce less dopamine. Over time, addicts become depressed and need drugs just to stimulate dopamine to normal levels. They become trapped in a cycle of cravings and addiction to avoid withdrawal symptoms and depression.
Leshner believes that once a person crosses the line from user to addict, the brain is so changed that he can no longer control his behavior. "... the truth is, addiction is not a voluntary behavior. It's actually a different state," he explains. "It's hard for people to understand that, but if you take drugs to the point of addiction, functionally you move into a different state. A state of compulsive, uncontrollable drug use."
This transformation helps explain why it's so difficult to break an addiction. "There is no motivator more powerful than the drug craving and the need for them," says Leshner. Cravings are more significant than physical withdrawal in keeping an addict hooked. Drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, unlike heroin and alcohol, don't produce intense physical withdrawal symptoms, but they do produce overpowering cravings. These cravings can be aroused by external or internal stimuli that are as innocuous as walking by a pub or feeling sad, according to Patricia Owen, PhD, director of Research and Development at the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota.
An Addictive Personality?
Although researchers have tried to determine the type of person who becomes an addict, they have failed to identify an "addictive personality," according to Owen. It is only after people become addicts that certain common personality traits emerge, like "difficulty delaying gratification, self-centeredness, lack of concentration and impatience," says Owen.
Sol, a former alcoholic and drug addict turned addiction counselor and administrator at a major treatment facility, feels that using a term like addictive personality "paints a hopeless picture. Some people are very compulsive but they can change," he says. Indeed, according to Owen, 60% of addicts use both alcohol and drugs and 80% of alcoholics also smoke.(wonders how many are also overeaters??)
Many addiction professionals believe addiction stems from a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. "The Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book' describes alcoholism as a physical, emotional and spiritual disease. They were aware of the physiological affects before we were able to do PET scans to actually see the changes," says Owen.
The progression to addiction can develop this way: Sue may have a genetic or biological predisposition to an addiction. If she grows up in a family and environment without addiction or stress, she may never begin even casual use. However, if Sue grows up in a stressful family or an environment where substance abuse is common and encounters more stresses as an adult and over time, she may move from casual to regular use to full-blown addiction.(hmmmm, the second sounds VERY familiar to my own story, food being the addicition)
We know that children of alcoholics have a four times higher risk of becoming alcoholics themselves than the offspring of non-alcoholics. Scientists are also studying whether addicts are born with inadequate endorphins, the brain chemicals that regulate stress.
Quitting
To be an addict means that addiction has overwhelmed your entire existence. "When you speak to drug addicts about their experiences, they'll tell you that there is nothing in their life but drugs," says Leshner. So breaking an addiction often involves major lifestyle changes. For Sol, it meant losing most of his friends who were also addicts. He also had to cope with feelings that he had suppressed for years with drugs. "Using drugs prevents you from learning to handle emotions. You don't go through the maturation process," he explains.
Willpower is not a factor in quitting since addiction also impairs that faculty. That is why Leshner calls it a "relapsing disease." Most addicts who seek treatment relapse several times before they kick the habit.
New Treatments
For years, heroin and narcotics addictions have been treated successfully with methadone, which eases withdrawal and blocks the effect of drugs. Naltrexone is another drug commonly used for alcohol and narcotics addiction.
A new experimental drug, buprenorphine, has shown promising results in tests on narcotics addicts. Scientists are also working on a cocaine "vaccine," which could be used to inoculate addicts who relapse.
It is unlikely, however, that a magic pill will ever be found that "cures" addiction. "No matter what you do with medication, I believe that you will always need psychological treatment to provide support and manage behavior," says Jan Kaufman, Director of Substance Abuse Treatment at the North Charles Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On the other hand, aerobic exercise offers a simple and natural way to help combat addiction. During aerobic exercise dopamine levels are increased in the areas of the brain involved with addiction, and feelings of depression and anxiety are decreased. (greeeat back to exercise....food addiction is so waaaay different than drug addicition....and besides, im elergic to exercise..lol)
Diagnosing Addiction
Drug and alcohol problems can affect every one of us regardless of age, sex, race, marital status, place of residence, income level, or lifestyle.
You may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, if (lets just say..addiction, an addict is an addict no matter the "drug" haroine, cokaine, meth, alchol, gambing, sex, or food...addctions addiction..and i am a food addict):
* You can't predict whether or not you will use drugs or get drunk.( or want to eat when your not hungry)
* You believe that you need to drink and/or use drugs in order to have fun. (you use food as a reason to have fun--thas me!)
* You turn to alcohol and/or drugs after a confrontation or argument, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings.(or food, yes..i go to the fridge to consolodate my feelings.)
* You need to drink more or use more drugs to get the same effect as previously.(you may feel the need to "binge eat".)
* You drink and/or use drugs by yourself.(you eat alone, often in front of the tv, or PC.)
* You have periods of memory loss. (not sure this applies to overeating, but it may)
* You have trouble at work, in school, or in your personal relationships because of drinking or using drugs.(food effects every part of your life.)
* You make promises to yourself or others that you'll stop getting drunk or using drugs but are unable to keep them.(you keep promising too lose weight, start and almost always fail..unsucessful more times than sucessful.)
* You feel alone, scared, miserable, and depressed.(depressed is me)
Adapted from "Just the Facts" published by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.\
RESOURCES:
Drug Abuse: How to Break the Habit
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/
National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
www.health.org
References:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/. Accessed on June 20, 2003.
by Elaine Gottleib
The United States is a nation of addicts. According to a 2001 survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are 16 million drug users, 13 million heavy drinkers, and 66 million smokers in the United States. That doesn't include the overeaters, gamblers, compulsive exercisers, and the sex obsessed. Yet most people are able to eat, drink, and exercise without becoming addicted to those activities. Why?
Defining Addiction
Neuroscientists define addiction in medical terms as "a brain disease….a chronic, relapsing disease." Addiction is considered a brain disease because it alters the brain in fundamental, long-lasting ways. That's not surprising when you consider that the brain changes constantly in response to our everyday experiences. For instance, when a student learns that the Pilgrims landed in 1620, the brain is affected by just that simple piece of information. Imagine the more dramatic changes produced by powerful substances like alcohol and heroin! (food too!)
Neuro-imaging techniques like PET scans and MRIs have documented actual changes in the size and shape of nerve cells in the brains of addicts. Networks of nerve cells determine our feelings and behavior. Drugs influence behavior by transforming the way these networks function, according to Dr. Stephen Hyman, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
The Dopamine Connection
The biological link among all addictions is dopamine. This brain chemical is released during pleasurable activities ranging from sex and eating to more detrimental behaviors such as drinking and drug taking. "If a drug or an activity produces a sharp spike in dopamine, the odds are phenomenal that people will like it, they'll experience it as pleasurable, and it will be addictive," says Alan Leshner, PhD, of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
A powerful drug like crack cocaine elevates dopamine levels much faster than normal pleasurable activities. It creates the classic drug-induced feelings of exhilaration and power. In a landmark 1950s experiment, scientists stimulated rodent brains and found that the animals kept returning to the place where they received the stimulation.
Getting—and Staying—Hooked
Coming down from a drug high is caused by a decrease in dopamine levels. If you force brain cells to produce excessive dopamine on a regular basis, they become stressed and produce less dopamine. Over time, addicts become depressed and need drugs just to stimulate dopamine to normal levels. They become trapped in a cycle of cravings and addiction to avoid withdrawal symptoms and depression.
Leshner believes that once a person crosses the line from user to addict, the brain is so changed that he can no longer control his behavior. "... the truth is, addiction is not a voluntary behavior. It's actually a different state," he explains. "It's hard for people to understand that, but if you take drugs to the point of addiction, functionally you move into a different state. A state of compulsive, uncontrollable drug use."
This transformation helps explain why it's so difficult to break an addiction. "There is no motivator more powerful than the drug craving and the need for them," says Leshner. Cravings are more significant than physical withdrawal in keeping an addict hooked. Drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, unlike heroin and alcohol, don't produce intense physical withdrawal symptoms, but they do produce overpowering cravings. These cravings can be aroused by external or internal stimuli that are as innocuous as walking by a pub or feeling sad, according to Patricia Owen, PhD, director of Research and Development at the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota.
An Addictive Personality?
Although researchers have tried to determine the type of person who becomes an addict, they have failed to identify an "addictive personality," according to Owen. It is only after people become addicts that certain common personality traits emerge, like "difficulty delaying gratification, self-centeredness, lack of concentration and impatience," says Owen.
Sol, a former alcoholic and drug addict turned addiction counselor and administrator at a major treatment facility, feels that using a term like addictive personality "paints a hopeless picture. Some people are very compulsive but they can change," he says. Indeed, according to Owen, 60% of addicts use both alcohol and drugs and 80% of alcoholics also smoke.(wonders how many are also overeaters??)
Many addiction professionals believe addiction stems from a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. "The Alcoholics Anonymous 'Big Book' describes alcoholism as a physical, emotional and spiritual disease. They were aware of the physiological affects before we were able to do PET scans to actually see the changes," says Owen.
The progression to addiction can develop this way: Sue may have a genetic or biological predisposition to an addiction. If she grows up in a family and environment without addiction or stress, she may never begin even casual use. However, if Sue grows up in a stressful family or an environment where substance abuse is common and encounters more stresses as an adult and over time, she may move from casual to regular use to full-blown addiction.(hmmmm, the second sounds VERY familiar to my own story, food being the addicition)
We know that children of alcoholics have a four times higher risk of becoming alcoholics themselves than the offspring of non-alcoholics. Scientists are also studying whether addicts are born with inadequate endorphins, the brain chemicals that regulate stress.
Quitting
To be an addict means that addiction has overwhelmed your entire existence. "When you speak to drug addicts about their experiences, they'll tell you that there is nothing in their life but drugs," says Leshner. So breaking an addiction often involves major lifestyle changes. For Sol, it meant losing most of his friends who were also addicts. He also had to cope with feelings that he had suppressed for years with drugs. "Using drugs prevents you from learning to handle emotions. You don't go through the maturation process," he explains.
Willpower is not a factor in quitting since addiction also impairs that faculty. That is why Leshner calls it a "relapsing disease." Most addicts who seek treatment relapse several times before they kick the habit.
New Treatments
For years, heroin and narcotics addictions have been treated successfully with methadone, which eases withdrawal and blocks the effect of drugs. Naltrexone is another drug commonly used for alcohol and narcotics addiction.
A new experimental drug, buprenorphine, has shown promising results in tests on narcotics addicts. Scientists are also working on a cocaine "vaccine," which could be used to inoculate addicts who relapse.
It is unlikely, however, that a magic pill will ever be found that "cures" addiction. "No matter what you do with medication, I believe that you will always need psychological treatment to provide support and manage behavior," says Jan Kaufman, Director of Substance Abuse Treatment at the North Charles Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
On the other hand, aerobic exercise offers a simple and natural way to help combat addiction. During aerobic exercise dopamine levels are increased in the areas of the brain involved with addiction, and feelings of depression and anxiety are decreased. (greeeat back to exercise....food addiction is so waaaay different than drug addicition....and besides, im elergic to exercise..lol)
Diagnosing Addiction
Drug and alcohol problems can affect every one of us regardless of age, sex, race, marital status, place of residence, income level, or lifestyle.
You may have a problem with drugs or alcohol, if (lets just say..addiction, an addict is an addict no matter the "drug" haroine, cokaine, meth, alchol, gambing, sex, or food...addctions addiction..and i am a food addict):
* You can't predict whether or not you will use drugs or get drunk.( or want to eat when your not hungry)
* You believe that you need to drink and/or use drugs in order to have fun. (you use food as a reason to have fun--thas me!)
* You turn to alcohol and/or drugs after a confrontation or argument, or to relieve uncomfortable feelings.(or food, yes..i go to the fridge to consolodate my feelings.)
* You need to drink more or use more drugs to get the same effect as previously.(you may feel the need to "binge eat".)
* You drink and/or use drugs by yourself.(you eat alone, often in front of the tv, or PC.)
* You have periods of memory loss. (not sure this applies to overeating, but it may)
* You have trouble at work, in school, or in your personal relationships because of drinking or using drugs.(food effects every part of your life.)
* You make promises to yourself or others that you'll stop getting drunk or using drugs but are unable to keep them.(you keep promising too lose weight, start and almost always fail..unsucessful more times than sucessful.)
* You feel alone, scared, miserable, and depressed.(depressed is me)
Adapted from "Just the Facts" published by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.\
RESOURCES:
Drug Abuse: How to Break the Habit
American Academy of Family Physicians
http://familydoctor.org/
National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
www.health.org
References:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/. Accessed on June 20, 2003.
Friday, January 19, 2007
E-POEM: WE CHANGE!
When I was in my younger days,
I weighed a few pounds less,
I needn't hold my tummy in
To wear a belted dress.
But now that I am older,
I've set my body free;
There's comfort of elastic
Where once my waist would be.
Inventor of those high-heeled shoes
My feet have not forgiven;
I have to wear a nine now,
But used to wear a seven.
And how about those pantyhose--
They're sized by weight, you see,
So how come when I put them on,
The crotch is at my knees?
I need to wear these glasses
As the prints were getting smaller;
And it wasn't very long ago
I know that I was taller.
Though my hair has turned to silver
and my skin no longer fits,
On the inside, I'm the same old me,
Just the outside's changed a bit.
~Author Unknown~
IVE LOST 10 POUNDS!!!!
ive lost 10 pounds!!! GO ME!!!
im not sure HOW i did, but i did.
well, i kinda know how...or, maybe i should say i think i know how...
i have been drinking water, or milk (2 % only),
eating lower fat foods, ie: instead of ground beef (even at its leanest) we choose ground TURKEY (same price.),
VEGGIES!!, and..im trying to eat alot of smaller meals.
i try to adhear to these rules as a basic foundation....but i have to be honest here and state, i have fallen off my own wagon...several times since the first.
another contributing factor could be...helping to move these dern boxes..from one room to the other....i call it exercise, my body hasnt felt like this in a LOOOOONG while. its, by the way, the ONLY exercize im engaged in right now....
and then theres the winter weather as well, that COULD be playing a factor. in the winter, my body goes into a self-premoted hibernating state. and what i mean by that is: i eat less because my body slows down.
thats all i can say for an explination....
but hey...WHATEVER WORKS...RIGHT?!?!?!?!
MICHELLE
im not sure HOW i did, but i did.
well, i kinda know how...or, maybe i should say i think i know how...
i have been drinking water, or milk (2 % only),
eating lower fat foods, ie: instead of ground beef (even at its leanest) we choose ground TURKEY (same price.),
VEGGIES!!, and..im trying to eat alot of smaller meals.
i try to adhear to these rules as a basic foundation....but i have to be honest here and state, i have fallen off my own wagon...several times since the first.
another contributing factor could be...helping to move these dern boxes..from one room to the other....i call it exercise, my body hasnt felt like this in a LOOOOONG while. its, by the way, the ONLY exercize im engaged in right now....
and then theres the winter weather as well, that COULD be playing a factor. in the winter, my body goes into a self-premoted hibernating state. and what i mean by that is: i eat less because my body slows down.
thats all i can say for an explination....
but hey...WHATEVER WORKS...RIGHT?!?!?!?!
MICHELLE
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
E-HOLIDAY: HAPPY IVGLDSW DAY!!!
Happy IVGLDSW Day!
Today is International Very Good Looking, Darn Smart Woman's Day, so please send this message to someone you think fits this description.
Please do not send it back to me as I have already received it from a Very Good Looking, Darn Smart Woman!
And remember this motto to live by: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!" Have a wonderful day!
__________________________________________________
To the Girls !!
Inside every older person is a younger person -- wondering what the hell happened.
-Cora Harvey Armstrong-
Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut the bitch up with cookies.
(Unknown)
The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
-Helen Hayes (at 73)-
I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray eyebrows.
-Janette Barber-
My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first one being -- hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.
-Erma Bombeck-
Old age ain't no place for sissies.
-Bette Davis-
Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
-Caryn Leschen-
(sorry, image wouldnt load correctly.)
If you can't be a good example -- then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.
-Catherine-
I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.
-Roseanne Barr-
Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.
-Maryon Pearson-
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt-
Send this to five bright women you know and make their day.
MICHELLE
6 WORKOUT WRECKERS
Six Workout Wreckers
To get the most out of your workout — and avoid an injury — make sure to avoid these six common mistakes, say experts from the American Council on Exercise:
1.)Jerking to lift weights: Make sure your lifts are slow and controlled. Use your muscle to hoist the weight, not momentum.
2.)Leaning on the handrails of the stair climber, elliptical trainer, or treadmill: This makes the workout less challenging and can injure your wrists and back. Stand up tall and instead barely brush the handrails for balance.
3.)Not getting enough rest: Working out when you're fatigued can lead to sloppy technique and an injury. Make sure to get your rest before working out.
4.)Locking your knees: Always keep your knees slightly bent to prevent an injury.
5.)Not warming up: Don't try to shave time off your workout by skipping the warm- up or you could end up on the bench.
6.)Getting stuck in a rut: If you're just going through the motions during your workout, shake things up by trying something new! Change will challenge your mind and your body!
To get the most out of your workout — and avoid an injury — make sure to avoid these six common mistakes, say experts from the American Council on Exercise:
1.)Jerking to lift weights: Make sure your lifts are slow and controlled. Use your muscle to hoist the weight, not momentum.
2.)Leaning on the handrails of the stair climber, elliptical trainer, or treadmill: This makes the workout less challenging and can injure your wrists and back. Stand up tall and instead barely brush the handrails for balance.
3.)Not getting enough rest: Working out when you're fatigued can lead to sloppy technique and an injury. Make sure to get your rest before working out.
4.)Locking your knees: Always keep your knees slightly bent to prevent an injury.
5.)Not warming up: Don't try to shave time off your workout by skipping the warm- up or you could end up on the bench.
6.)Getting stuck in a rut: If you're just going through the motions during your workout, shake things up by trying something new! Change will challenge your mind and your body!
ODE TO THE MAKER OF RAMEN NOODLES
a few days ago, craig sent me an email with a poem id call: AN ODE TO RAMEN NOODLES.
the gist of the ode is to express the sorrow that so many feel towards the creator of the products death recently...
heres the poem:and his name really IS momofuku (its not a BAD name, even tho it could be construde as such)
the gist of the ode is to express the sorrow that so many feel towards the creator of the products death recently...
heres the poem:and his name really IS momofuku (its not a BAD name, even tho it could be construde as such)
E-CARD: A COOKIE EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU
im not crazy about sweets, including cookies. its relativly safe to say..im not endowed with much of a "sweet tooth".
sorting thru emails..this was one of the many i have to read and determin weather its oriented towards any of the groups i own to send out to the masses of ppl that are members of such said groups....
well, i didnt think applied to those, but to my personal blog?...sure!
so here ya go: an e-card just for those ppl who happen to have a "sweet tooth" and arnt in denile about thier personal issues in life..
ENJOY!!
sorting thru emails..this was one of the many i have to read and determin weather its oriented towards any of the groups i own to send out to the masses of ppl that are members of such said groups....
well, i didnt think applied to those, but to my personal blog?...sure!
so here ya go: an e-card just for those ppl who happen to have a "sweet tooth" and arnt in denile about thier personal issues in life..
ENJOY!!
LONGEVITY CALCULATOR..link at bottom for you to take as well.
i am a member of several groups online, most of them are groups that have stationaries for email programs, or groups associated to programs that you manipulize to create all kinds of tags, staionaries, and various other graphical images.
most of the time, the posts are image related...occasionaly, theres a post that filters thru that one of the members thought the others might want to know about, and utilize, or simply..enjoy.
sometimes its an e-card, sometimes its a prayer request, often, its information.
such is the case with this post...
it came thru and i thought to take the quiz..
its a LONGEVITY CALCULATOR QUIZ...take it and it will assess (i call it guessing) your base average life expectancy..
mine..82 years old! and thats WITH being plus sized!!! go figure..lol
(not exactly sure i want to live to be 82, but i just realized if i did, im MIDDLE AGED RIGHT NOW!! **SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY** sniff sniff , i havnt even started to live yet!)
heres what the questions look like:
Longevity Calculator
Select your answer for each of the questions then click on the "Calculate" button at the bottom of the form to display the life expectancy derived from your responses. The "Score" column is to display the score for each of your responses. No entry is required in the "Score" column. About this Calculator
Select Answer Score
1 Do you smoke or chew tobacco, or are you around a lot of secondhand smoke?
Yes
No
2 Do you cook your fish, poultry, or meat until it is charred?
Yes
No
3 Do you avoid butter, cream, pastries, and other saturated fats as well as fried foods (e.g., French fries)?
Yes
No
4 Do you minimize meat in your diet, preferably making a point to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and bran instead?
Yes
No
5 Do you consume more than two drinks of beer, wine, and/or liquor a day? (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or beer, one wine cooler, one five-ounce glass of wine, or one and a half ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
Yes
No
6 Do you drink beer, wine, and/or liquor in moderate amounts (one or two drinks/day)?
Yes
No
7 Do air pollution warnings occur where you live?
Yes
No
8 Do you drink more than 16 ounces of coffee a day?
Yes
No
9 Do you drink tea daily?
Yes
No
10 Do you take an aspirin a day?
Yes
No
11 Do you floss your teeth every day?
Yes
No
12 Do you have a bowel movement less frequently than once every two days?
Yes
No
13 Have you had a stroke or heart attack?
Yes
No
14 Do you try to get a suntan?
Yes
No
15 Are you more than 20 pounds overweight?
Yes
No
16 Do you live near enough other family members (other than your spouse and dependent children) that you can and want to drop by spontaneously?
Yes
No
17 Which statement applies to you?
A “Stress eats away at me. I can’t seem to shake it off.”
B “I can shed stress.” This might be by praying, exercising, meditating, finding humor in everyday life, or other means.
A.
B.
18 Did both of your parents either die before age75 of nonaccidental causes or require daily assistance by the time they reached age 75?
Yes
No
Don't Know
19 Did more than one of the following relatives live to at least age 90 in excellent health: parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents?
Yes
No
Don't Know
20 Are you a couch potato (do no regular aerobic or resistance exercise)?
Yes
No
21 Do you exercise at least three times a week?
Yes
No
22 Do you take vitamin E (400-800 IU) and selenium (100-200 mcg) every day? Yes
No
23 Please indicate your gender.
Male
Female
Your life expectancy based on the above responses: 82
About the Calculator
This Calculator is based on a quiz Harvard Medical School researchers Thomas Perl, M.D. and Margery Hutter Silver, Ed.D. developed to help you calculate your life expectancy. The quiz was developed after a rigorous study of 150 centenarians.
To compute your life expectancy, the calculator sums all of the individual score points together. The result may be negative, zero, or a positive number. The calculator program then divides the result by 5. The result of this division is then added to 84 if male or 88 if female, producing life expectancy in years.
i didnt show the answers i chose in case any of you might want to do the test and could be swayed by my answers.
heres the link to take the test for yourself..
http://www.icmarc.org/xp/rc/planning/tools/retirement/longevity.html
if you do take the test, could you please reply with a comment on YOUR score...id like to know what YOU made. :-)
thanks
MICHELLE
most of the time, the posts are image related...occasionaly, theres a post that filters thru that one of the members thought the others might want to know about, and utilize, or simply..enjoy.
sometimes its an e-card, sometimes its a prayer request, often, its information.
such is the case with this post...
it came thru and i thought to take the quiz..
its a LONGEVITY CALCULATOR QUIZ...take it and it will assess (i call it guessing) your base average life expectancy..
mine..82 years old! and thats WITH being plus sized!!! go figure..lol
(not exactly sure i want to live to be 82, but i just realized if i did, im MIDDLE AGED RIGHT NOW!! **SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY** sniff sniff , i havnt even started to live yet!)
heres what the questions look like:
Longevity Calculator
Select your answer for each of the questions then click on the "Calculate" button at the bottom of the form to display the life expectancy derived from your responses. The "Score" column is to display the score for each of your responses. No entry is required in the "Score" column. About this Calculator
Select Answer Score
1 Do you smoke or chew tobacco, or are you around a lot of secondhand smoke?
Yes
No
2 Do you cook your fish, poultry, or meat until it is charred?
Yes
No
3 Do you avoid butter, cream, pastries, and other saturated fats as well as fried foods (e.g., French fries)?
Yes
No
4 Do you minimize meat in your diet, preferably making a point to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and bran instead?
Yes
No
5 Do you consume more than two drinks of beer, wine, and/or liquor a day? (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or beer, one wine cooler, one five-ounce glass of wine, or one and a half ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
Yes
No
6 Do you drink beer, wine, and/or liquor in moderate amounts (one or two drinks/day)?
Yes
No
7 Do air pollution warnings occur where you live?
Yes
No
8 Do you drink more than 16 ounces of coffee a day?
Yes
No
9 Do you drink tea daily?
Yes
No
10 Do you take an aspirin a day?
Yes
No
11 Do you floss your teeth every day?
Yes
No
12 Do you have a bowel movement less frequently than once every two days?
Yes
No
13 Have you had a stroke or heart attack?
Yes
No
14 Do you try to get a suntan?
Yes
No
15 Are you more than 20 pounds overweight?
Yes
No
16 Do you live near enough other family members (other than your spouse and dependent children) that you can and want to drop by spontaneously?
Yes
No
17 Which statement applies to you?
A “Stress eats away at me. I can’t seem to shake it off.”
B “I can shed stress.” This might be by praying, exercising, meditating, finding humor in everyday life, or other means.
A.
B.
18 Did both of your parents either die before age75 of nonaccidental causes or require daily assistance by the time they reached age 75?
Yes
No
Don't Know
19 Did more than one of the following relatives live to at least age 90 in excellent health: parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents?
Yes
No
Don't Know
20 Are you a couch potato (do no regular aerobic or resistance exercise)?
Yes
No
21 Do you exercise at least three times a week?
Yes
No
22 Do you take vitamin E (400-800 IU) and selenium (100-200 mcg) every day? Yes
No
23 Please indicate your gender.
Male
Female
Your life expectancy based on the above responses: 82
About the Calculator
This Calculator is based on a quiz Harvard Medical School researchers Thomas Perl, M.D. and Margery Hutter Silver, Ed.D. developed to help you calculate your life expectancy. The quiz was developed after a rigorous study of 150 centenarians.
To compute your life expectancy, the calculator sums all of the individual score points together. The result may be negative, zero, or a positive number. The calculator program then divides the result by 5. The result of this division is then added to 84 if male or 88 if female, producing life expectancy in years.
i didnt show the answers i chose in case any of you might want to do the test and could be swayed by my answers.
heres the link to take the test for yourself..
http://www.icmarc.org/xp/rc/planning/tools/retirement/longevity.html
if you do take the test, could you please reply with a comment on YOUR score...id like to know what YOU made. :-)
thanks
MICHELLE
Monday, January 15, 2007
SUNDAY ADDICTION SESSION--CANCELED..due to winter storm
i have benn waiting for today to arrive so i could go to the addicition meeting that my church sponsors every sunday and thursday.
but due to the winter strom, church itself was canceld and so was the counceling sessions.
ill have to go thursday.
i am an addict to food. and i need to learn how not to be an addict to it any longer.
MICHELLE
but due to the winter strom, church itself was canceld and so was the counceling sessions.
ill have to go thursday.
i am an addict to food. and i need to learn how not to be an addict to it any longer.
MICHELLE
Sunday, January 14, 2007
E-INSPIRATION: THE "I CANT" FUNERAL
occassionly as i root thru all my emails i find one that has a special sigifigant meaning to me in one area or another of my life. as i find those that i feel are about the SELF and the EMPOWERMENT of said subject, i want to include it in this blog.
to inspire not only myself, but those of you whom read along in my life struggle.
this was in todays emails, and i felt it appropriate to share as i often get caught up in the phrase myself: "i cant".
as part of the LIFE-CHANGING direction im choosing to take, i have to adopt the new phrase: "I CAN, I WILL".
enjoy:
THE "I CANT" FUNERAL
Donna's fourth-grade classroom looked like many others I had seen in the past. Students sat in five rows of six desks. The teacher's desk was in the front and faced the students. The bulletin board featured student work. In most respects it appeared to be a typically traditional elementary classroom. Yet, something seemed different that day I entered it for the first time. There seemed to be an undercurrent of excitement.
Donna was a veteran small-town Michigan schoolteacher only two years away from retirement. In addition, she was a volunteer participant in a countywide development project I had organized and facilitated. The training focused on language arts ideas that would empower students to feel good about them and take charge of their lives. Donna's job was to attend training sessions and implement the concepts presented. My job was to make classroom visitations and encourage implementation.
I took an empty seat in the back and watched. All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student closest to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts."
"I can't kick the soccer ball pass second base."
"I can't do long division with more than three numbers."
"I can't get Debbie to like me."
Her page was half full and she showed no signs of letting up. She worked on with determination and persistence.
I walked down the row glancing at students' papers. Everyone was writing sentences, describing things they couldn't do.
"I can't do ten pushups."
"I can't hit over the left-field fence."
"I can't eat only one cookie."
By this time, the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on. As I approached her, I noticed that she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt.
"I can't get John's mother to come in for a teacher conference."
"I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car."
"I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."
Thwarted in my efforts to determine why students and teacher were dwelling on the negative instead of the positive "I Can't" statements, I returned to my seat and continued my observations. Students wrote for ten minutes. Most filled their page. Some started another.
"Finish the one you're on and don't start a new one," were the instructions Donna used to signal the end of the activity. Students were then instructed to fold their papers in half and bring them to the front. When students reached the desk, they placed their "I Can't" statements into an empty shoe box.
When all of the student papers were collected, Donna added hers. She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall. Students followed the teacher. I followed the students.
Halfway down the hall the procession stopped. Donna entered the custodian's room, rummaged around and came out with a shovel. Shovel in one hand, shoebox in the other, Donna marched the students out of the school to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to dig.
They were going to bury their "I Cant's!" The digging took over ten minutes because most of the fourth graders wanted a turn. When the hole approached three-foot deep, the digging ended. The box of "I Cant's" was placed at the bottom of the hole and quickly covered with dirt.
Thirty-one 10- and 11- years -olds stood around the freshly dug gravesite. Each had at least one page full of "I Cant's" in the shoebox, three-feet under. So did their teacher.
At this point Donna announced, "Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads." The students complied. They quickly formed a circle around the grave, creating a bond with their hands. They lowered their heads and waited. Donna delivered the eulogy.
"Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of "I Can't." While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. His names, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building - schools, city halls, and state capitols and yes, even The White House.
We have provided "I Can't" with a final resting place and headstone that contains his epitaph. He is survived by his brothers and sisters, "I can, 'I will' and "I'm going to Right Away.' They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet. Perhaps someday, with your help, they will make and even bigger mark on the world. May 'I Can't' rest in peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen."
As I listened to the eulogy I realized that these students would never forget this day. The activity was symbolic, a metaphor for life. It was a right-brain experience that would stick in the unconscious and conscious mind forever.
Writing "I Cant's," burying them and hearing the eulogy. That was a major effort on the part of this teacher. And she wasn't done yet. At the conclusion of the eulogy she turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake.
They celebrated the passing of "I Can't" with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices. Donna cut out a tombstone from butcher paper. She wrote the words "I Can't" at the top and put RIP in the middle the date was added at the bottom, "3/28/80."
The paper tombstone hung in Donna's classroom for the remainder of the year. On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said, "I Can't," Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign. The student then remembered that "I Can't" was dead and chose to rephrase the statement.
I wasn't one of Donna's students. She was one of mine. Yet that day I learned an enduring lesson from her.
Now, years later, whenever I hear the phrase, "I Can't," I see images of that fourth-grade funeral. Like the students, I remember that "I Can't" is dead.
Copyright © Phillip B. Childs
Executive Director, Internet Outreach Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia
All Rights Reserved
Submitted by: Harry Updegraff, Jr.
i find as a human, and it is a human fault, that we limit ourselves by our thinking.
my mother would have loved this story, she would have kept it printed in a folder or a file somewhere and when i myself, or her grandson daniel, or a client she had ever went into the mind-set of "i cant" shed have reminded us of this story and its impactful meaning.
so, to honor her, i am dedicating this to her memory.
mom, you impacted my life in more ways than you realize. you were a hard woman to love, but everyday is filled with your presence in my actions, thoughts and deeds. i am who i am..because you were who you were.
thank you, i love you and always have..and forever will
MICHELLE
to inspire not only myself, but those of you whom read along in my life struggle.
this was in todays emails, and i felt it appropriate to share as i often get caught up in the phrase myself: "i cant".
as part of the LIFE-CHANGING direction im choosing to take, i have to adopt the new phrase: "I CAN, I WILL".
enjoy:
THE "I CANT" FUNERAL
Donna's fourth-grade classroom looked like many others I had seen in the past. Students sat in five rows of six desks. The teacher's desk was in the front and faced the students. The bulletin board featured student work. In most respects it appeared to be a typically traditional elementary classroom. Yet, something seemed different that day I entered it for the first time. There seemed to be an undercurrent of excitement.
Donna was a veteran small-town Michigan schoolteacher only two years away from retirement. In addition, she was a volunteer participant in a countywide development project I had organized and facilitated. The training focused on language arts ideas that would empower students to feel good about them and take charge of their lives. Donna's job was to attend training sessions and implement the concepts presented. My job was to make classroom visitations and encourage implementation.
I took an empty seat in the back and watched. All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student closest to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts."
"I can't kick the soccer ball pass second base."
"I can't do long division with more than three numbers."
"I can't get Debbie to like me."
Her page was half full and she showed no signs of letting up. She worked on with determination and persistence.
I walked down the row glancing at students' papers. Everyone was writing sentences, describing things they couldn't do.
"I can't do ten pushups."
"I can't hit over the left-field fence."
"I can't eat only one cookie."
By this time, the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on. As I approached her, I noticed that she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt.
"I can't get John's mother to come in for a teacher conference."
"I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car."
"I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."
Thwarted in my efforts to determine why students and teacher were dwelling on the negative instead of the positive "I Can't" statements, I returned to my seat and continued my observations. Students wrote for ten minutes. Most filled their page. Some started another.
"Finish the one you're on and don't start a new one," were the instructions Donna used to signal the end of the activity. Students were then instructed to fold their papers in half and bring them to the front. When students reached the desk, they placed their "I Can't" statements into an empty shoe box.
When all of the student papers were collected, Donna added hers. She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall. Students followed the teacher. I followed the students.
Halfway down the hall the procession stopped. Donna entered the custodian's room, rummaged around and came out with a shovel. Shovel in one hand, shoebox in the other, Donna marched the students out of the school to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to dig.
They were going to bury their "I Cant's!" The digging took over ten minutes because most of the fourth graders wanted a turn. When the hole approached three-foot deep, the digging ended. The box of "I Cant's" was placed at the bottom of the hole and quickly covered with dirt.
Thirty-one 10- and 11- years -olds stood around the freshly dug gravesite. Each had at least one page full of "I Cant's" in the shoebox, three-feet under. So did their teacher.
At this point Donna announced, "Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads." The students complied. They quickly formed a circle around the grave, creating a bond with their hands. They lowered their heads and waited. Donna delivered the eulogy.
"Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of "I Can't." While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. His names, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building - schools, city halls, and state capitols and yes, even The White House.
We have provided "I Can't" with a final resting place and headstone that contains his epitaph. He is survived by his brothers and sisters, "I can, 'I will' and "I'm going to Right Away.' They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet. Perhaps someday, with your help, they will make and even bigger mark on the world. May 'I Can't' rest in peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen."
As I listened to the eulogy I realized that these students would never forget this day. The activity was symbolic, a metaphor for life. It was a right-brain experience that would stick in the unconscious and conscious mind forever.
Writing "I Cant's," burying them and hearing the eulogy. That was a major effort on the part of this teacher. And she wasn't done yet. At the conclusion of the eulogy she turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake.
They celebrated the passing of "I Can't" with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices. Donna cut out a tombstone from butcher paper. She wrote the words "I Can't" at the top and put RIP in the middle the date was added at the bottom, "3/28/80."
The paper tombstone hung in Donna's classroom for the remainder of the year. On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said, "I Can't," Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign. The student then remembered that "I Can't" was dead and chose to rephrase the statement.
I wasn't one of Donna's students. She was one of mine. Yet that day I learned an enduring lesson from her.
Now, years later, whenever I hear the phrase, "I Can't," I see images of that fourth-grade funeral. Like the students, I remember that "I Can't" is dead.
Copyright © Phillip B. Childs
Executive Director, Internet Outreach Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia
All Rights Reserved
Submitted by: Harry Updegraff, Jr.
i find as a human, and it is a human fault, that we limit ourselves by our thinking.
my mother would have loved this story, she would have kept it printed in a folder or a file somewhere and when i myself, or her grandson daniel, or a client she had ever went into the mind-set of "i cant" shed have reminded us of this story and its impactful meaning.
so, to honor her, i am dedicating this to her memory.
mom, you impacted my life in more ways than you realize. you were a hard woman to love, but everyday is filled with your presence in my actions, thoughts and deeds. i am who i am..because you were who you were.
thank you, i love you and always have..and forever will
MICHELLE
CRAIG FOUND 2 DIET BOOKS HE HIMSELF OWNED
in the 2 other blogs i have, i have mentioned we are moving from one home to another right now, and as we are, craig looks in every box, to see whats in them.
yesterday he came into the livingroom as i was checking emails, and handed me 2 books he has had himself.
FAT BURNING FOODS and other weightloss secrets & FOODS THAT CAUSE YOU TOO LOOSE WEIGHT 2 while you watch tv.
i asked WHY he even had these books to begin with. he has almost NO fat whatsoever and youd never look at him and think he ever thought he needed to loose any weight. hes as skinny as a rail, and im not exagerating. my hubby is VERY skinny.
his reply?
"i wanted to know what foods i could eat besides chessy poofs and beer and still be lazy."
LOL
typical batchelor. :-)
before i came along he existed on frozen dinners, chesse puffs, and an occassional beer.
all of that has been let go of...theres no room for any frozen dinners in our freezer, we have a single top freezer-type fridge.
cheese puff wouldnt last long in the house with a 12 year old, so we dont do any junk-type foods.
and beer...well, thats history as well. he officially gave it up when he joined my church.
both of these books have recipes, ill post as i come to them. so be looking for that in the near future.
so, i have them along with the other DIET books i have in my possestion now. just 2 more to add to the list. im growing a HEALTHY recipe book collection like he has NOVALTY cooksbooks from tv shows and actors and such.
not sure WHY he has these cookbooks, hes not a cook. just another collection he has, i suppose.
at anyrate, i have 2 new books to paruse thru now...sometime after i move ill have those recipes in here.
if your reading this via DIGEST: if you know of any really awsome, HEALTHY recipes, dont hesitiate to share them with my group. right now i have 10 ppl in each group...and many of us are looking for a healthier alternative to the eating habits we already have.
share share share!!!
MICHELLE
ps-
i went looking for images of the books online and found that there is a companion book to FAT BURNING FOODS, called: FAT BURNING COOKBOOK
...and another book, althogether seperate from these 2 called: FAT BURNING BIBLE.
yesterday he came into the livingroom as i was checking emails, and handed me 2 books he has had himself.
FAT BURNING FOODS and other weightloss secrets & FOODS THAT CAUSE YOU TOO LOOSE WEIGHT 2 while you watch tv.
i asked WHY he even had these books to begin with. he has almost NO fat whatsoever and youd never look at him and think he ever thought he needed to loose any weight. hes as skinny as a rail, and im not exagerating. my hubby is VERY skinny.
his reply?
"i wanted to know what foods i could eat besides chessy poofs and beer and still be lazy."
LOL
typical batchelor. :-)
before i came along he existed on frozen dinners, chesse puffs, and an occassional beer.
all of that has been let go of...theres no room for any frozen dinners in our freezer, we have a single top freezer-type fridge.
cheese puff wouldnt last long in the house with a 12 year old, so we dont do any junk-type foods.
and beer...well, thats history as well. he officially gave it up when he joined my church.
both of these books have recipes, ill post as i come to them. so be looking for that in the near future.
so, i have them along with the other DIET books i have in my possestion now. just 2 more to add to the list. im growing a HEALTHY recipe book collection like he has NOVALTY cooksbooks from tv shows and actors and such.
not sure WHY he has these cookbooks, hes not a cook. just another collection he has, i suppose.
at anyrate, i have 2 new books to paruse thru now...sometime after i move ill have those recipes in here.
if your reading this via DIGEST: if you know of any really awsome, HEALTHY recipes, dont hesitiate to share them with my group. right now i have 10 ppl in each group...and many of us are looking for a healthier alternative to the eating habits we already have.
share share share!!!
MICHELLE
ps-
i went looking for images of the books online and found that there is a companion book to FAT BURNING FOODS, called: FAT BURNING COOKBOOK
...and another book, althogether seperate from these 2 called: FAT BURNING BIBLE.
Friday, January 12, 2007
I CREATED 3 GOOGLE GROUPS..and a public THANK YOU to DEB!!
last night (when i couldnt sleep) i was up and rooting around inside this blogger site looking for the area that feeds the email posts to the ppl i have selected to read this blog journal.
and i found i had to create a GOOGLE GROUP in order to do that.
so, i did.
DEB, an LDS friend of mine i know from the net, but feel ive known all my life...i believe were kindred spirits. has accepted the invite and joined the google group!
wanted to tell her publicly, THANK YOU!
so, deb, my sister..in more ways than you can realize, THANK YOU for the support in the deccission to join the group and recieve the email digests of the posts i submit to this blog.
this blog is a personal one.
and its an introspective one.
in here i will dig deep, and talk openly about those demaons i am facing daily.
in here will be news and subject matter of all kinds related to the persuit of weight control.
articls about proceedures, recipes, and thoughts and ideas of all kinds.
alot of hopes are in this blog-journal. and alot of raod-blocks and defeats as well.
thank you for being willing to walk this path with me. it wont be easy. and ill want to quit..ALOT of the time.
ill cry in here, and express alot of frustrations in here.
all im asking is for you to be there. this is like climbing a rock, with little to know strength, or knowledgeof how to do it. all the liturature cant teach you a thing, only expirience can. and im at tthe bottom of the cliff....looking up, and im scared to death.
dont hesitiate to share, encourag, send uplifitng notes, easy recipes....any and all things to motivate and help this struggle.
alot of us, whom i have asked to join in my struggel, are also..struggling with thier own rock walls too. what you share, may help another in this small group.
as i mentioned i have 2 other google groups as well: one about me-persoanl entries of how i view my life and world, and then one about the family and OUR events of life as they happen and occur. if you need a resend of those emails to joj them, let me know.
this is only 1 part of the entire person i am.
again, DEB, THANKS SO MUCH!!
love ya!
MICHELLE
and i found i had to create a GOOGLE GROUP in order to do that.
so, i did.
DEB, an LDS friend of mine i know from the net, but feel ive known all my life...i believe were kindred spirits. has accepted the invite and joined the google group!
wanted to tell her publicly, THANK YOU!
so, deb, my sister..in more ways than you can realize, THANK YOU for the support in the deccission to join the group and recieve the email digests of the posts i submit to this blog.
this blog is a personal one.
and its an introspective one.
in here i will dig deep, and talk openly about those demaons i am facing daily.
in here will be news and subject matter of all kinds related to the persuit of weight control.
articls about proceedures, recipes, and thoughts and ideas of all kinds.
alot of hopes are in this blog-journal. and alot of raod-blocks and defeats as well.
thank you for being willing to walk this path with me. it wont be easy. and ill want to quit..ALOT of the time.
ill cry in here, and express alot of frustrations in here.
all im asking is for you to be there. this is like climbing a rock, with little to know strength, or knowledgeof how to do it. all the liturature cant teach you a thing, only expirience can. and im at tthe bottom of the cliff....looking up, and im scared to death.
dont hesitiate to share, encourag, send uplifitng notes, easy recipes....any and all things to motivate and help this struggle.
alot of us, whom i have asked to join in my struggel, are also..struggling with thier own rock walls too. what you share, may help another in this small group.
as i mentioned i have 2 other google groups as well: one about me-persoanl entries of how i view my life and world, and then one about the family and OUR events of life as they happen and occur. if you need a resend of those emails to joj them, let me know.
this is only 1 part of the entire person i am.
again, DEB, THANKS SO MUCH!!
love ya!
MICHELLE
LDS CHURCH OFFERS ADDICITION SUPPORT..how cool is that?!?!
i had a really good day at church sunday (soory this is such a late post).
it was an average day, but i felt really good about the day as a whole, especially after i got done with the joint mens and womens meeting.
the speaker that was present (i cant remember his name now) was addressing the congregation about addicition. he was mentioning that there is now a 12 step program set up in the steak center for addicits.
i have been thinking about joining one as i am addicited to food and i know i am.
i was slightly dismayed as he was opening his speach, i assumed hed bypass food as an addicition, because its not really concidered one..to most ppl anyway.
as he began to list the various addicitions the support group covers, food addicition was the first he listed!
meetings are sunday and thursday nights. im going to attend, i need to. im an addicit. im concidering attending the sunday evening sessions.
when i came home i looked online for any OVER EATERS ANONYMOUS groups i may be able to attend as well in my area. the only one within the city im residing in meets on thursdays at noon. in the main city, they have a varied time and day schedule set up for nearly every day of the week.
im not very familiar with the programs routine, and never concidered myslef an addict until i was confronted with the reality i am morbidly obese.
i have watched myself eat when i am not hungry, ill eat for any to no reason. i just eat. and im not sure WHy i do it.
food, IS my friend, and i need to find a new one. the food groups i choose to hang with isnt a good friendship to keep having. its destructive, and harmful.
im like a crack-addict looking for the next hit all the time. when theres food around me, i try to avoid it, but it calls my name..asks me to eat it, enjoy it, be a part ofits lifestyle.
no matter what i try....im still a prisoner to the urge.
i really need help in this area, and these groups may offer some.
MICHELLE
it was an average day, but i felt really good about the day as a whole, especially after i got done with the joint mens and womens meeting.
the speaker that was present (i cant remember his name now) was addressing the congregation about addicition. he was mentioning that there is now a 12 step program set up in the steak center for addicits.
i have been thinking about joining one as i am addicited to food and i know i am.
i was slightly dismayed as he was opening his speach, i assumed hed bypass food as an addicition, because its not really concidered one..to most ppl anyway.
as he began to list the various addicitions the support group covers, food addicition was the first he listed!
meetings are sunday and thursday nights. im going to attend, i need to. im an addicit. im concidering attending the sunday evening sessions.
when i came home i looked online for any OVER EATERS ANONYMOUS groups i may be able to attend as well in my area. the only one within the city im residing in meets on thursdays at noon. in the main city, they have a varied time and day schedule set up for nearly every day of the week.
im not very familiar with the programs routine, and never concidered myslef an addict until i was confronted with the reality i am morbidly obese.
i have watched myself eat when i am not hungry, ill eat for any to no reason. i just eat. and im not sure WHy i do it.
food, IS my friend, and i need to find a new one. the food groups i choose to hang with isnt a good friendship to keep having. its destructive, and harmful.
im like a crack-addict looking for the next hit all the time. when theres food around me, i try to avoid it, but it calls my name..asks me to eat it, enjoy it, be a part ofits lifestyle.
no matter what i try....im still a prisoner to the urge.
i really need help in this area, and these groups may offer some.
MICHELLE
Sunday, January 7, 2007
E-POEM: TWAS THE DIET AFTER CHRISTMAS
T'was The Diet After Christmas
T'was the day after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.
When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).
I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."
As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---
I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"
So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
"Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
I won't have a cookie -- not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.
I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet!
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
TEST-BLINKIEGODDESS IMAGE
checking out the blog features still, seeing if i can add personal interest items in the post such as this BLINKIE. i got to express my blogging.MICHELLE
Monday, January 1, 2007
STARTED THE ROUTINE TODAY..well, kinda
i officially started the "routine" to change my life today.
well,sorta. i got on the wagon, and fell off in less than 24 hours.
im a pure addict to food!
i had asked craig to go get me some chips and dip the other day (when we were still in december 2006). i asked for guacamole specifically. thats all. he and daniel went to the store for some other stuff, and he came home with 3 bags of chips and about every concievable dip walmart carries.
i had 2 days to try to consume it all. and i diodnt succeed in the effort. i STILL have chips and dip to get rid of.
we were supposed to go to a couples home last night (new years eve) to watch the CHUCKY series of movies. but the husband ended up not feeling well.
i was going to take the chips and dip to thier place and let them eat the stuff..just to get it out of my life. well, that was busted and the crap stayed here...calling my name out, wanting me to eat it.
we did go out last night and i was pretty good about NOT endulging to much out of my norm. but yesterday was also the last day of december and i wanst on a "routine" to change my ife then. so what fench fries i ate, DO NOT COUNT today!lol
we did go out to eat today...
to a really neat place i ador called: SOUPER!SALAD! (its a pun: soup or salad or even: super salad) where they have a SALAD BAR, a SOUP BAR, a BREAD BAR,and DESERT BAR.
i had a LARGE saladm and a cup of potato soup, and a cup of lentil soup. NO BREAD. and water. the guy had to refill my glass 3 times!
we had also gone right after that to BARNES AND NOBLE to look for a cookbook advertised on a tv show i was watching eight before we left: THE BIGGEST LOOSER COOKBOOK. we got it.
recipes all look really delicious, and easy to prepare. my kinda cooking!
so im excited about getting that started up as well.
i also got (for christmas) from my mother-in-law a dvd on exercizing..thats really helpful. havnt viewd it yet, but ANYTHING is better than nothing in this quest.
also got brand new walking shoes so i can start to walk around the block, or a park or something. have to get moving...its esential to the effort to loosing weight.
so, the plans set..now all i need is the motivation to DO the plan.
MICHELLE
THANK YOU MALAN BRETON !!!!
last year (seems like just a few days...lol, maybe becuase it was) i was struggling with a title i wanted to call this blog/journal.
i have a friend from the tv show :PROJECT RUNWAY named: MALAN BRETON. and we chat occassionaly thru our MYSPACE accounts we both have. hes an awsome fella! quite the gentleman and charmer. and so very down to earth!
at any rate, hes always so positive in any reply he writes back to me on. and quite prompt most of the time, might i add! and because hes so.....full of life and giving of his "light" within himself, i thought to ask him for a title to this blog. i never thought in a million years hed ever really respond to the question.
he has a fahion buisness to run, and id think my small quibits of life and challenges would simply go unknoticed by him. i was wrong.
he wrote me back, saying he wasnt the best at naming things but thought: THE JOURNEY TO ME was nice.
he was right, it is!
so, this post, goes out to MALAN!
thank you dear friend for setting the foundation for this blogs accomplishments!
i have a name for it, because of you! thanks for being my friend! it means more than youll ever know to me!
MICHELLE in OKLAHOMA
~~a fan~~
if your interested in seeing MALANS fashions, heres his link:
www.malanbreton.com
he doesnt dress for MY body size, but his hearts big enough to hug the world! hes one great fella!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)