The Yo-Yo Dieters Connection

Surf & Turf for Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

We are having a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal of surf & turf to celebrate my 27 pound weight loss...mmmmmmm....good....

New Blog...

2011-10-26T23:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the new blog folks...

Laura Diamond Wise...

Balancing on ball...

2011-10-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

After all the work I've been doing the past few months...I deserve some bragging rights.

Aretha Franklin...RESPECT...

2011-10-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

(oo) What you want
(oo) Baby, I got
(oo) What you need
(oo) Do you know I got it?
(oo) All I'm askin'
(oo) Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)
Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home
(just a little bit) mister (just a little bit)

I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gonna do you wrong (oo) 'cause I don't wanna (oo)
All I'm askin' (oo)
Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)
Baby (just a little bit) when you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)

I'm about to give you all of my money
And all I'm askin' in return, honey
Is to give me my profits
When you get home (just a, just a, just a, just a)
Yeah baby (just a, just a, just a, just a)
When you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)

------ instrumental break ------

Ooo, your kisses (oo)
Sweeter than honey (oo)
And guess what? (oo)
So is my money (oo)
All I want you to do (oo) for me
Is give it to me when you get home (re, re, re ,re)
Yeah baby (re, re, re ,re)
Whip it to me (respect, just a little bit)
When you get home, now (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB

Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)
I get tired (just a little bit)
Keep on tryin' (just a little bit)
You're runnin' out of foolin' (just a little bit)
And I ain't lyin' (just a little bit)
(re, re, re, re) 'spect
When you come home (re, re, re ,re)
Or you might walk in (respect, just a little bit)
And find out I'm gone (just a little bit)
I got to have (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)

2011-10-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

For centuries women have been raised with the understanding that they are here to get married and make babies for the men; I've said it before, it is a mans world. However, the last century has seen the fastest and most profound changes in women's suffrage; a change that was so fast, that the assimilation process is still lagging way behind. Marriages were once arranged by parents, in fact, arranged marriages were still around in the 20th century. The United States and Canada were probably the first countries to introduce the idea of marriage for love, and yet we still don't completely understand what that means...we want to be taken care of, but we also want to be independent and free of the need for men...then desire raises its head...it's all so convoluted.

2011-10-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

“Nobody dies from lack of sex. It's lack of love we die

from.”

unknown

2011-10-17T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is not dedicated to anyone...I just like the song...

"Rolling In The Deep"

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare
See how I'll leave with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do

There's a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And it's bringing me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

Baby, I have no story to be told
But I've heard one of you
And I'm gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there
As mine sure won't be shared

The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless
I can't help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hand
But you played it with a beating

Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in time and reap just what you sow

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
We could have had it all
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
It all, it all, it all
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
And you played it to the beat
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You could have had it all
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)
Rolling in the deep
(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
You had my heart inside of your hand
(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

But you played it
You played it
You played it
You played it to the beat.

Honesty counts...

2011-10-15T01:56:00.000-07:00

...,but, where did it go?

I'd rather lose a man to honesty, than to win him with lies.

The clitoris is bigger than the penis...Right on!!!

2011-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I've heard it said that women enjoy it more:

Thigh Squeeze Masturbation

Sex burns a good many calories...masturbation is no exception.

2011-10-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

"The Rose"

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.

I don't belong here...

2011-10-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

I don't belong here...this world holds nothing for me...it is a dead heap of nothingness...full of cruel, disgraceful, and vile people. I do not belong here...if anyone reads this...relax, I am not suicidal...I work out, and I work out hard, I watch what I eat...I am not trying to expedite the inevitable...I am not trying to make my body catch up to my mind; in fact, I love my body...that is why I take such good care of it...next to my son, and perhaps my pets, it is the one other thing that has remained loyal to me...even so, this is not the place for me...this is not a place for me...this world is dead...it's not the place for someone who wants to live or love...it is just dead...

Need to come up with a new blog...

2011-10-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

This blog has taken a different turn in just the last couple of months. I had started it with the intention of helping people who have always struggled with weight, but lately I have used it to dish about my personal life...I need to come up with something else...another blog about life in general I guess....Sorry for the confusion folks...wait a minute...who I am apologizing to...I don't have any followers here....LOL!!!

I am still losing weight though...and my endurance threshold has increased by about 2% since January...Yea!!!

2011-10-10T00:12:00.002-07:00

Licking the blood of the demon

From my cold warm lips...

Its heart I hold in my hand...

Still pounding against the flesh of my palm...

Death came too easy for this evil villain...

Not so easy for its darkened soul...

I am clearly in a macabre mood tonight...

2011-10-10T00:12:00.001-07:00

Licking the blood of the demon

From my cold warm lips...

Its heart I hold in my hand...

Still pounding against the flesh of my palm...

Death came too easy for this evil villain...

Not so easy for its soul...

Still at it...

2011-09-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Still trying to get settled in to new place...got a few things that I still need to gather from the old house...we're getting there...I am so tired...feeling expendable...trying to get Laurance set up for tutoring, and getting settled in at the same time...it's too overwhelming...just feel like crawling into a hole, curling up going to sleep, and not waking up...lots of emotional diarrhea, not enough tissue...boy what visual that is...LOL!

2011-09-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Feeling expendable...shut down...shut down...shut down...

2011-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's a good life if you let it be...
Hold to the good memories...
Discard the bad...

2011-09-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

My mind goes back everyday...
Thinking, remembering, and a smile clears my face...
My heart is warmed by memories of love.

2011-09-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

You do not have to believe in God to have a connection to a higher consciousness; just open and clear your mind, and you will see what is already there; has always been there. You don't have to call it God, you don't have to call it anything, just be; because IT is you, and you are IT.

2011-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Life and death should be equal and free...

Not one preserved and one feared,

But both respected and revered....

~~~Me

2011-09-12T14:43:00.001-07:00

Moving is so frustrating...but we're almost completely out of the old place and into our new one...just a little more to go.

2011-09-11T23:56:00.001-07:00

There is so much confusion in this world that we have created. We are taught from a very young age, not to speak, but to listen to the voice of authority; to do as we are told. Parents become angry when their children voice their own opinion, they tell them not to talk back. The time that we are allotted for a lifetime on this plane, passes so quickly; one day we wake up and we realize that we're half way through our lives, and most of that time was spent working and trying to get things done in a material world that cannot be satisfied.

2011-09-09T12:57:00.001-07:00

If there's something that I have learned about personal happiness it's that it should never depend on the approval or affection of another; that is what feeds the emotional and sexual addiction. If we are of the personality type that depends on another person for our personal happiness, then where is our personal identity? It's wrapped up in the other; therefore, you know not yourself, so how can you know another? If I can turn to me and say that I love myself as deeply as I would any other human being, then I have freed myself, and I have alleviated that other person of a huge responsibility, that of my personal happiness; now they can take care of their own happiness. Do you see what I mean?

2011-09-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

I believe that the people we meet come into our lives for a reason. I also believe we have a choice in who we fall for; although, in some cases that may not seem true, but I believe we always have a choice, it just comes down to a yes or no. Even so, when powerful emotions are involved that choice may not seem so obvious, but we always have a choice.

2011-09-08T00:45:00.001-07:00

As of today I have lost 26lbs...and I am surprised to say that it was pretty easy.

2011-09-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

I am not sorry for having loved a man, just sorry that he may think I hate him for not loving me back.

Powerful Video...

2011-08-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

One does not have to be an atheist to appreciate what he is saying...

"Through Godless Eyes..."

Change takes time.

2011-08-30T17:42:00.001-07:00

One drop in a moving ocean will not change the current.~~~Sandra Smith

Do I know what I want?

2011-08-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

If I get what I want, will it be what I want when I get it?

Too much to do for one person...

2011-08-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling anxious today; too much to do and too little time to do it in. Still working on that grant proposal, which is due on Friday, and seems to have stalled everything else. We still haven't learned our lines for our play, and rehearsals start next weekend, the same week we are supposed to move in to our new place. I feel like I'm doing everything on my own, I get very little help. My son is great, but he needs constant redirection. I hate feeling so alone.

One more week...

2011-08-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

We are almost out of here...one more week before we get the keys to our new place...

Tucson Rental Homes

Gym...

2011-08-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm on my way to the gym; I can't stand when I get there late, but better late than never.

I love philosophy...

2011-08-20T19:53:00.001-07:00

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. ~ Epictetus

Remember woman power...

2011-08-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

Married couple in their 60's are visited by a fairy who grants them both a wish. "I want to travel round the world with my darling husband" says wife, two tickets for a luxury cruise magically appear in her hand. Husband says:"Sorry but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me." Fairy waves wand and husband becomes 92 ... Moral of story - men who are ungrateful should remember fairies are female!!!. ..pass it on girls

To thrive is to live

2011-08-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

What is sin?
Denial of the right to thrive.
~~Whitley Strieber

Time at the gym...

2011-08-16T18:46:00.001-07:00

It was a good day at the gym. I did 30m on the treadmill, 20m on the rowing machine, 15m core, and 15m in the pool......I feel good!

My life, my self-worth, my responsibility...

2011-08-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have discovered in recent weeks, that if I place my personal worth upon the approval or acceptance of another individual, be they male or female, I am setting myself up for some serious heartbreak. All attachment, whether it be on a person, place, or thing, is still emotional attachment, but if I can release that emotion and be accepting and comfortable with the current moment, regardless of the situation, I have now taken responsibility for my own self-worth. Then, and only then, will I know real happiness.

20 lbs...

2011-08-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

As of this morning, I have lost 20lbs....rockem' sockem' I feel good.

19 lbs down...

2011-08-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

I have now lost 19 lbs., and still counting. Yay!!!!

Exercise addiction

2011-08-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to say that my exercising has gone from the point of effort to the point of addiction...YAY!!!!

Expectations

2011-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

"The only person in this world you have a right to expect anything from is yourself." by Me

If there is anything in this life that I have learned, it is that the one person who will let you down the most, is the same one that will be there to save you in the end, and that person is YOU.

No appetite

2011-07-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

I've been so focused on my move, and my stomach has been in knots for weeks. I just don't have any appetite to speak of. I have to remind myself to eat, and then it's juice, yogurt, chips. Today I forced myself to eat a sandwich, and not a very good one. I do better when Laurance is here because then I am cooking for him. I'm just not hungry.

I've lost 17 lbs...

2011-07-23T13:27:00.001-07:00

...where did they go? If you find them, please don't send them home.

Just my thoughts...

2011-07-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

GOD is not a person; therefore, it is fair to say that IT does not think or feel as a human would. Whatever that being is IT is vast and immeasurable, and beyond any form of real definition.IT is the universe, the galaxies, the stardust, the moon, and the sun. The atomic matter of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen that make up the universe, galaxies, the stardust, the moon, and the sun are the same elements that make up human kind, and yet IT is not a person.
The sole impetus of this natural force is evolutionary, IT exists in all form of matter.

Life the Unsuspecting Captive

2011-07-20T22:42:00.001-07:00

Life, the unsuspecting captive
Of a million dreams,
Chains of desire bind so fastly to the earth.
Seeing the attachment formed
From knowing all those things;
Being alone and at one with the joys of rebirth.

Doesn't freedom look good?
Would you go if you could?
Fear keeps you locked up for good without keys.
But do not you suppose
That you could be among those
Standing in the shadows of release?

For Life is an unsuspecting captive
Of a million dreams,
Chains of desire bind so fastly to the earth.
Seeing the attachment formed
From knowing all those things;
Being alone and at one,
Being alone and at one,
Being alone and at one,
Being alone and at one,
Being alone and at one with the joys of rebirth.

~~~~By Michael Nesmith

Monsoons

2011-07-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

It is raining like cats and dogs outside. Laurance is up in the mountains; of course, I am worried.

Even so, I love monsoon season in Arizona, and it is in full force tonight.

Israel dig sites helps scientists understand Bible's 'bad guys'

2011-07-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

I found this article in the Arizona Daily Star. I found it rather interesting, in as much as it provides a good nucleus for further study. I hope you all enjoy it. Just click the link:

"Israel dig sites..."

share

Glad to be leaving this house...

2011-07-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be getting out of this house, after 5-years I have gotten nothing accomplished with the work that needs to be done. It has been a waste of time, money, and life. Getting out of here makes me feel invigorated, but the packing...eh...not so much.

Another week of camp...

2011-07-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Laurance's camp counselor contacted me today saying that he wanted to stay an extra week; she was so astute that she found him a sponsor at the last minute, so if he wants to stay an extra week he can. I miss him so much, but I am so glad that he is having so much fun. I can hardly wait to hear the stories he will have.

In the meantime, I plucked the first cantaloupe from our garden today, and it is a beaut.

I hear an echo, but...

2011-07-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

I am okay with that. Posting to an empty blog with no followers, talk about privacy. Just get to listen to my own echo.

Out with the old...

2011-07-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

...and in with the new, but not so fast...we always tend to get rid of stuff when we move, but this time I am getting rid of things that I have had for years. It is so cathartic, but I am finding that I am more detached than I was before. Just get rid of the old stuff, and move on to clearer ground.

More weight loss...

2011-07-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

15 lbs. down since February this year. YAY!!!!

Christopher Moore, as per Lori Moreno

2011-07-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Love is not something you think about, it is a state in which you dwell ~ Christopher Moore

I got this from Lori Moreno, a friend I am following on Twitter. Thank you, Lori. Love from within not without; let's face it, that is the only real love there is. I can live with that. :)

Still healing a broken heart...

2011-07-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

I don't understand how a man can feel that he is doing a woman great favors by using her sexuality as a weapon against her; in essence, teasing her. I don't understand why a woman has to play games in order to win a mans affections. Why can't a woman just love a man? Why can't a man just appreciate that love? Why do we have to lie, bat our eyes, play hard to get? How is it that honesty has had to find its way into the dark corners of love? Why is it that love has become a game to be won?

2011-07-16T23:40:00.000-07:00

I will keep posting to these blogs until I can get my web site up. Please stay tuned...

2011-07-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

Laurance heads off to camp tomorrow. It's going to be a lonely week, for mom, but a great week of fun and games for him.

Hearts get broken everyday...

2011-07-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

...then they heal, and rebuild.

Things have been moving so fast the last couple of weeks. First we decided to leave this house, and within two days we had a new place picked out, within a week I was signing the lease. We move out September 2nd.

The next 8-weeks are going to be very busy. We will be starting rehearsals for "A MidSummer Nights Dream" in mid August, for a tentative opening on September 8th. In addition to the play and the move, I've just become a member of the Tucson Roscommon Sister Cities, and I will be their unofficial grant writer. We have a dance performance with the Sister Cities group on August 28th. It is going to be a busy end to Summer. I still have to get Laurance to Kitt Peak.

2011-07-09T23:16:00.000-07:00

Signed the lease today; move in on September 2.

We are out of here....

2011-07-08T01:23:00.002-07:00

Broken hearts and moving are good for the waistline.

Check out our new place:

Tucson Rental Homes

Christmas again...Oh the pounds

2008-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Well it is Christmas again. Laurance and I were going to go to New Mexico for the holidays but I am still too sore from my accident in July, so we opted to stay home this year. Now, I am stressing to get our home together for the day. I used to love Christmas, but anymore I find it to be so frustrating. Every year I constantly find myself struggling to strike everyone off of my gift list; like so many others I always tend to put everything off to the last minute. Given the financial crisis I am doing a lot of baking this year, which makes me a pretty sorry example for weight management/loss, but I love to bake and cook; I do not know what is more fun creating it or eating it.

Stress can be very fattening around this time of year; therefore, I have developed a process for dealing with all of it.

Before I start the cooking process, I make sure that I have done at least 10-minutes of exercise, even if I am just doing some simple yoga stretches, it is very helpful in getting my focus in place and keeping it there. Secondly, I try to make sure that I eat something healthy to fill me up, so that I will not nibble; a smoothie is a great way to go when you are busy and trying to avoid making a mess. Third, I make sure that my cooking space is clear and clean, and the dishwasher is empty; this helps me to avoid a huge mess later on. Fourth, I gather together the necessary equipment for my baking process. Fifth, I measure all of my ingredients ahead of time; believe it or not this fifth step makes the process go much faster, and makes clean up a breeze. Not to mention, I have found that by gathering everything first, I nibble less. Organization really does make for a great appetite suppressant.

My process may not work for everyone. I follow to keep me from gaining weight over the holiday season; I have never found it very useful in helping me to lose weight, but it certainly helps me to keep from packing on pounds before the day of the feast. One thing I still enjoy about the holidays is the festivities. I love to eat; therefore, I am going to gain weight. Nonetheless, if I can manage to keep from gaining any up to the day, then I am more apt to be able to take it off within a few short weeks after.

Good luck to everyone this Christmas, and remember resolutions are just around the corner...

Stretch Kelly fat cat poster was designed by Lowell Hererro, and is available at All Posters.com

Pushing Daisies

2008-12-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

I tried to leave this under the widget, but it wouldn't stick, so I am placing it here:

Pushing Daisies is one of the most original shows you will ever see. My son and I love it. However, ABC has announced plans to cancel it, and we the fans are rallying for its survival. If you have never seen it, please take the time to vist ABC.com and view an episode; you will be hooked immediately.

Blog Under Re-Construction

2008-12-14T11:56:00.000-08:00

Well I'm working on coming back since my accident, and I am working on jazzing up the site a little more. I know that I have not given much to this site, but I still believe in it. I am reorganizing, and restructuring to make it livelier, more attractive and a lot more fun. I want to start including videos, as well as Skype and chat capabilities, but right now I am working on the recipe section, then exercise should follow. If you have visited this site, please do not give up on it yet, it will come alive. Of course, suggestions are always welcome.

Laura

Broken Ankle

2008-08-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not ignoring my blog, I have a broken ankle. I went skating with my son. I thought that I would get some good cardio in, and I ended up breaking my ankle in several places. Now, I am in a cast and operating from crutches and a wheel chair, and it is driving me crazy. I want to get up and walk, and exercise, and clean house...I want to do the things that I do. Of course, I cannot, I must allow myself time to heal. So, I will be checking back as I can and I will be posting as I can.

When life gives you lemons...

2008-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

...you can either suck on a sour lemon, or turn it into lemonade. You know I think the plain sour lemon gets a bad rap. Did you know that lemons cleanse the bloodstream and the liver? Additionally, they have been proven to be a helpful digestive aid, and they can help to prevent heart disease and cancer, while also lowering blood pressure. The health benefits of lemons are enormous, and I'm not just talking about the juice, the zest and the pith is where lemons get most of their healthful qualities. In fact, the pith has been proven to help prevent bleeding of the gums when rubbed on them. Not to mention, lemons have also been proven to keep blood vessels from hardening, and they may even help in dissolving gallstones (1). Yet, we want to dilute these qualities in an over abundance of sugar, call it lemonade, and say that this is good.

Don't get me wrong I like lemonade too, but I appreciate being healthy even more. If you must sweeten your lemons consider a healthier alternative such as maple syrup, or agave syrup, or even blackstrap molasses.

I guess the moral of this little quip is, when life gives you lemons, suck on them.

(1) Prescription for Dietary Wellness; Balch, Phyllis A.; pg. 65

I am so tired...

2008-05-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

...and bored...and frustrated...and did I mention tired.

I have spent the last few months trying to get my house in order, getting my son, Laurance, ready for middle school, since he is autistic I have more hoops to jump through than average. You can find more information about Laurance at our blog Laurance's World .

On top of all of that my computer harddrive suffered a meltdown. I did not have all of my files backed up, and I found out it is going to cost me anywhere from $500.00 to $2,700.00 to retrieve my data. Good grief I could buy a good used car for that.

Nonetheless, we are talking 5-years worth of data. Obviously, I do not have that kind of money on hand right now, not since I have purchased a house. So, my old hard drive is sitting on a shelf, and that is where it will stay until I either get the money to do the data retrieval, or until I come to terms with my loss.

As far as loss goes, I have not lost any weight. In fact, in the last month I think I have gained 3 pounds, and I had lost 5 pounds right before the holidays.

I consider it interesting how in life we never want to lose anything until it comes to weight or wait. I can't stand extra pounds anymore than I can handle a long wait in line. Let's face it both forms of weight/wait have a tendency to put our lives on hold.

I try to regard the advice of such gurus as Wayne Dyer and Marianne Williamson, when they say "live your life now; haven't you put it on hold long enough?" Clearly, it makes no sense to put my life on hold, but that is what I have been doing, and thus, I find myself waiting! Here I am wallowing in a world of wait/weight!!

I am waiting until I get my house in order and get out from underneath all of this crud and this debt of mine, which is very reminiscent of the crud hanging onto my body.

Oh, the crap I put my body through too. Pushing it through yoga & pilates and whatever other kind of exercise I can push it through, and then I punish it with a bowl of ice cream. Of course, it does not feel like punishment when I am doing it. We all enjoy a treat now and then, but I must concede that I have overdone the treats as has been evident by the recent scale entries.

Well, I guess I will continue trying and waiting through the results.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-12-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

I apologize to everyone for my long absence from the blog. The holiday season seems to always keep me at a rush. Nonetheless, I ask everyone to remain patient with me as I am working on some new ideas for the blog, which will include recipes, exercise tips, and video. Thank you all for your patience.

Laura

Halloween Candy

2007-10-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who may be checking in. I have not forgotten you. It has been a busy weekend getting ready for Halloween. I am working on a submission on exercise that I think you will all find informative and interesting.

In the meantime, I would like to answer the question about Halloween candy and your quest to get healthy. Enjoy yourself!! It comes around only once a year so enjoy a little treat. I must stress little treat, of course. It's unlikely You will be able to enjoy it if you eat the whole bag. Guilt will take over and you will be kicking yourself for the next several weeks to come. That's not enjoyable.

If you are someone who fears you may eat the designated candy before the big day, then put off buying it until the last minute. Why tempt temptation? Just remember to get the candy out of the house as quickly as you can after the day, and do not forget to keep up your exercises. Feel free to slack off a little bit, but do not stop.

Until next time, keep moving.

Laura Wise

Exercise

2007-10-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

It may be nice to believe that you can lose weight without exercise, but alas, that is not the way things are. The key to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. The only way to do that is to get your body moving. The good news is that you do not have to kill yourself to do it.

The best way to incorporate exercise into your daily lifestyle is find a method that best coincides with your lifestyle. For instance, if you are like most Americans you are getting up in the morning with just enough time to get yourself ready for a long day at work, if you have children you have to get everyone ready. My suggestion, try to wake up 5-minutes earlier and do some simple yoga stretches for your, back, legs, arms, and sides. If all you get is a half hour for lunch, pack a light one, and use the first 10-minutes to walk, I don't care if its around the block, around the building,it doesn't matter, just walk. There are some employers who are starting to give their employee's extra breaks during the day just so they can get out and move. If your employer does not do this, see if you can't suggest it.

When you get home take time to continue your walk up to a 1/2 hour. Make sure that you walk with a relative fast pace with your arms moving. Now, end your day with another 5-minute stretch, and take at least 10-minutes of just plain silence to wind down.

There that is a good 50-minute workout a day to start with, and you don't have to do it all at once.

If you can purchase a membership to a gym, or perhaps get an exercise DVD that is suitable to your method of working out, I would highly recommend it.

A gym is good because it helps to give you an extra push. If you can afford a personal trainer that would be even better.

Peace out all...

What's the best diet?

2007-10-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

The constant barrage of media madness on what's the best diet for the moment can make the whole process of diet and weight loss even more frustrating. As if our chaotic and busy lifestyles didn't give us enough to think about. Now we have to try and familiarize ourselves with the latest diet craze. Which one do I choose? High Carb? Low Carb? High protein? No fat?

Let's face it, anyone who has ever tried to lose weight is going to be very familiar with the popular diets of the time. They all tend to have one common thread: they are restrictive! Not to mention, they cannot agree on what is best for you. The truth be known no one is going to know what is best for you except you. Go ahead and read the popular diets, but do it for the sake of gathering information. Let's face it if we tried to follow all of the most popular approaches to dieting we would not be allowed to eat anything.

I have a special needs child, and I struggle with autoimmune problems. The popular diet going for autistic children is a glutten free/casein free diet or the GF/CF diet. For fibromyalgia we're told not to drink coffee, stay away from sugar, etc, etc. While there is evidence that both approaches work, I still have to cook for two different people who present with two different issues. In my quest to find what will work for both of us I have decided to follow certain guidelines that are consistent with the anti-inflammatory diet. I do not follow it completely, but I follow it enough to get the benefit that I am after, which is better health.

The best part of the anti-inflammatory diet is that it is not a diet for losing weight; although weight loss may end up being a side-effect for those of us who need to lose. It is simply a healthy way of eating that includes foods that most of us already eat. The only obstacle that I personally am faced with is that it does not allow for coffee, but it does make allowances for caffeinated teas because of the bioflavonoids associated with both black tea and green tea; a key cancer fighting agent. Even so, I will still enjoy a nice hot cup of Joe in the morning.

This diet does allow for dairy products like yogurt, which is not allowed on the popular autistic GF/CF diet. Nonetheless, it does allow for foods that are of great importance to any growing child's health, such as nuts, cantaloupe, blueberries, tomatoes, leafy greens, and so on. My decision to use basic guidelines from the anti-inflammatory diet is because it is healthy, and it was the easiest one that I could find to work with what I currently have available in my kitchen right now. Now, I am sure that you all want to know how I am able to get my son to eat his leafy greens. Fortunately, he is at an age where he is beginning to appreciate his vegetables. Even so, I have found it helpful to sneak it into his food by mixing it in a soup or something similar. For those of you with younger children I would recommend two cookbooks, Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, and The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine.

Keep in mind that there may be certain ingredients in those two cookbooks that may veer away from the anti-inflammatory approach. Your children may not need to lose weight, and they may be perfectly healthy right now. I hope that they are. However, you want to be able to simplify your life as much as possible. As I stated above, when you are trying to get your own health in order and you are cooking for the entire family as well, you may want to keep everyone as close to the same regimen as possible. Also, for the sake of simplicity, I do not suggest trying to follow any diet too stringently, it is far too easy to become discouraged and give up.

I do not believe in attempting to adhere completely to a particular dietary regimen. It's always best to gather your information first to help find the right approach for you. I stress the word approach because trying to strictly follow a new regimen, is not very practical, especially if you have failed time and again.

Do your research first, and then find your starting point. I recommend two books to start with by Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Mathews. They are SuperFoods Rx and SuperFoods Healthy Lifestyle. Dr. Pratt does not follow the anti-inflammatory diet wholly, but he does use elements from it. I found his method to be a practical starting point for my lifestyle choices, not to mention, my sons.

If you would like to know more about the anti-inflammatory diet, there are several books available on the subject. Dr. Andrew Weil is the most prominent speaker on the subject. He has written several books on it including Healthy Aging, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, Natural Health, Natural Medicine, Eating Well for Optimum Health, and Spontaneous Healing. I recommend his cookbook, The Healthy Ktichen, which he wrote with co-author Rosie Daly.

Yo-Yo's Unite and take up the fight

2007-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have created this blog to help anyone who has ever struggled with taking off weight and keeping it off. This a club with many reluctant members. Although it is easy to find someone in the same boat, it is still difficult to talk about it.

Cheryl Richardson once said, "Life is draining without a support system." Isn't that the truth? Nonetheless, our busy lifestyles tend to make a support system a luxury similar to that of caviar. Additionally, since most people with weight problems tend to be jeered and gocked at by the media and the rest of the onlooking public, talking about it is considered almost taboo, which is a ridiculous notion given the fact that most of us, regardless of size, are yo-yo's.

That's right we all yo-yo. On the average most people will yo-yo between 3 and 5 pounds. It's when you get into the 10, 15, 20 and upwards that it becomes a health threat.

I am a personal fitness trainer and I am a classic yo-yo dieter. I have created this blog for anybody who is looking for a support system that will enable them to take control of their life by taking control of their health.

I love to exercise and I love to cook. Here we can all share our stories of loss and gain as we work toward making permanent changes for a healthier happier future.

I have to go and pickup my son now. I will return later with more information on what has worked and failed for me, and where I am at now.

I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Namaste'
Laura Wise