Tuesday, January 31st 2006
And in process of time (Gen 4:3)
posted @ 2:40 am in [ Overeaters ]
calories: 1481 *Weight loss: 9 pounds
How true is that? Sound all too familiar? This comment was posted in the
Weight Loss that Works discussion here on ThirdAge. Why is it that life seems to run us instead of the other way around? When did our schedules start telling us—no…make that demanding—that we should be doing something every second of our day that we’re awake?
It’s like I tell people about regaining control of their fork; it’s up to us. So, I’ve decided to regain control of my schedule in ’06. Are you with me?
One of the ways that I’m doing this is to schedule in time for me in my weekly planner. I make appointments for this ‘me-time’ just like I do for all of my clients. This time can be used to work out, read, meet a friend, whatever—it’s up to me. The big hurdle is NOT allowing anyone or anything to steal away that time. After all, I wouldn’t shuffle around my clients’ time, would you?
So why do we feel guilty, as if we’re not allowed this time? Maybe I’m asking myself that too. Why do we feel guilty about caring for ourselves? After all, don’t most of us care for everyone else as well? My nature as a health professional is to care for everyone else’s health because it’s my passion, it’s what I do. But, I’ve finally realized that to be the best at doing that means doing the same for me.
Are you tracking with me? So, it’s time to rewire our ‘work till we drop’ attitudes with a line from musician James Brown “I feel good-do da do da do da do—I knew that I would now”—if I only give myself some time.
What’s working for you in the hunt for more free time? Share your secrets with us.
Dr. Susan http://blog.thirdage.com/?p=390
That is sure me. Little time devoted on myself. Guilt if there is. In over 1 1/2 years of caregiving for MIL, DH has only watched her twice for me. I flew to visit my granddaughter on her birthday. I am going again this year. And if you think about it, I am really doing it for this sweet girl. Another time was my annual visit to the beauty shop. I am a low-maintenance woman. 
If I could figure out what to do that would be just for me, I would be glad to start penciling me in the day. Perhaps you can give me some suggestions. What is your private time like? What do you do to unwind? And most importantly, tell me why you are worth it!
Monday, January 30th 2006
Forgive, I pray thee now (Gen 50:17)
posted @ 2:31 am in [ Overeaters ]
*1200-1300calories: *9 poundsweight loss:
Have you done this before?
You have set your weight loss goals and mapped out your plan to lose all those excess pounds that you have been dying to get rid off.
In your mind, you have psyched yourself up — this time you are going all the way out to lose all those pounds! “Nothing can stop me,” you tell yourself.
Then, you rationalize that…
1) In order for you to succeed in your weight loss goals, you must follow a super-strict diet and exercise routine.
and/or
2) If you happen to go off track in your diet or exercise routine by eating your favorite high-calorie junk food and skipping your exercise session, this means you have totally blown off your plan altogether.
Sound familiar?
I sure hope not!
This train of thought can be very detrimental to your weight loss efforts, but it’s all too easy to fall into this trap. And not only is it very harmful to your body, it actually lowers your self-esteem too.
Here’s what you should do instead…
1) Get rid of the word “DIET” from your thoughts
Firstly, you must shake off the idea that you absolutely have to follow an extremely restrictive diet in order to lose weight successfully.
In fact, most people who are able to lose their unwanted weight successfully DO NOT diet. What they do is simply change their lifestyle such as practicing portion control, moderation, cutting back on calories and curbing their
emotional eating bouts.
It’s time to change your focus from weight loss to weight management. It is not just losing weight, it is about changing your lifestyle so that you can maintain your weight loss.
And do you notice how most women like to use the word “diet” every time they want to lose weight? We “go on” and “go off” diets after every holiday season; we say “I start on Monday” only to go off it by the weekend. Nobody says “I start my new way of life on Monday.” But that’s exactly what we need
to do. An effective diet isn’t just for Christmas or just a very special occasion, it’s for your whole life.
We need variety not only for our nutritional reasons. It is also to satisfy ourselves, and to take care of our “wants.” So, you need to create your own healthy lifestyle… the lifestyle that you want, and one that’s sustainable for the long term.
Be wary of any plan that restricts entire food groups, or if it relies on just 1 type of food (e.g. soup or salad) as its mainstay.
Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. If you go on a diet that requires you to eat all the food that you hate or totally omits your favorites, you are going to dread your
meals and are bound to fail. Even if you manage to lose the weight, all your pounds (and probably more!) will creep back once you are off the diet.
2) Do NOT give up your favorite foods
Another thing that most women would do initially is severely limiting their food intake. Or they completely cut off their favorite foods.
This is one thing that you should never do.
“Why?”
Well, by doing that, it sets you up for binges and your temptation for these foods would definitely increase.
Instead, you should reduce your consumption slowly. For example, you always have desserts after dinner. Instead of cutting off totally, you start by reducing your portion size to half. Thus, the temptation becomes much less powerful
when you have just the taste of something “bad” now and again instead of telling yourself that it is off limits for good.
After a while, you will find yourself accustomed to the new portion sizes, and you’ll be able to satisfy your craving with just a small amount of your “super sinful” foods.
3) Forgive and move on…
So, you decide to keep your favorite foods in your weight loss plan. You allow yourself a chocolate cookie everyday. But, you could not resist the temptation and you finish half of the pack. Next day afternoon, you finish the remaining half of the chocolate cookies pack for your afternoon tea.
Gee, have you blown your weight loss plan again? Does that mean you should just give up the idea of losing those extra pounds and go back to my old eating habits?
Well, not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can ever make. Seriously.
Having this all-or-nothing thinking is a way to let you off the hook. It is an escape route that you create for yourself. In your mind, you could be telling yourself, “Oh well. It is all gone. I guess I don’t have to bother anymore. Give me my cookies.”
There’s an old saying that goes, “No matter how far along you are down the wrong path, it’s never too late to turn back.” So don’t think just because you made bad choices today, you can’t start over tomorrow.
Everyday is truly a new beginning. You do not have to wait until a new year, a new month or a Monday to start all over again.
You can’t erase last night’s binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!
4) Create a lifestyle you want
Many times, when you want to lose weight, you will plan up a very strict diet and exercise routine for yourself. Well… there is a high chance that you would not be able to execute it successfully. To make things worse, you hate it.
Why not aim to create a healthy lifestyle you want so that you do not give up your favorite foods?
You must create a realistic and achievable weight loss plan. After all, you want to plan to SUCCEED, not to fail, right?
If you find difficulty in creating a good plan for yourself, or if you can’t seem to discipline yourself to stay true to your plan, I suggest that you engage a personal trainer to help you.
Or alternatively, you can sign up for an online program to help you. I recommend that you check out Dr. Smoot’s Success System. It teaches you the critical “15 Daily Success Activities” that will help you attain all the goals you have set. Go check out the Success System at…
http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/t/success2
5) Celebrate your small victories
Every time you achieve a small milestone, go ahead and reward yourself.
But do not over-indulge. For example, you can reward yourself a small ice-cream once you have managed to complete your first week of exercise routines. Or when you lose your first 3 pounds, you can treat yourself a slice of cheese cake.
Remember, it is alright to reward yourself for the small challenges you have overcome so that you won’t give up so easily. Let it be something you look forward to every time you surmount a challenge.
If you set up your rewards properly, they’ll motivate you on a daily basis and you’ll find it easier to follow your weight loss plans!
And here’s one more tip: Don’t stress yourself. Take it easy on yourself as you’re learning how to be a new, improved and healthier you. After all, you’re only human… a soon-to-be- much-lighter human! Cheers, Tracy
(c) Copyright weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com.
This past week, it appears I was not in the minority by blowing off a day or too. And like this article says, I was waiting for Monday to re-start. Old habits die hard. This article has no nonsense, forgive and forget advice. Read it over and start today anew. Don’t beat yourself up. Someone will always stand in line before you to do that! By the way, how was your past week? What will you do differently this week?
Sunday, January 29th 2006
Sunday’s Funnies & Oddities
posted @ 3:09 am in [ Funnies & Oddities ]
Limiting Flavors May Be Key to Weight Loss
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Wed Jan 18, 2:54 PM ET
CHICAGO - Forget counting carbs and calories. Obesity researcher Dr. David Katz says the way to lose weight is to limit flavors.
Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, says people stop eating when the brain’s appetite center registers “full.” But eating lots of flavors promotes overeating because different sensors must register full for appetite to subside, Katz says.
The typical American diet “is a mad cacophony of flavors,” Katz said this week during a book-tour stop in Chicago.
Instead, Katz advocates flavor-themed meals — an apple day, for example, or a sesame day, even an occasional chocolate day.
The idea is perhaps less boring than it sounds. For example, pineapple day features pineapple juice and cereal for breakfast; pineapple-walnut chicken salad and crackers for lunch; pineapple shrimp, bulgur, sauteed peas and tossed salad for dinner; and caramelized pineapple rings for dessert.
The theory and practice are detailed in Katz’s new book, “The Flavor Point Diet,” based on a little-publicized phenomenon called sensory-specific satiety. That is the term used to describe the way food becomes less palatable when enough of it is eaten. Adding a new flavor renews the process, numerous studies have shown.
Katz, 42, the trim, youthful medical contributor to ABC News and a nutrition columnist for
Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, tested the diet on 20 people for 12 weeks and said they lost an average of more than 16 pounds.
Jonathan Link, a 34-year-old information services specialist from New Milford, Conn., was one of them. Link — who was 5 feet 9 inches and 183 pounds, with high cholesterol — was skeptical at first.
“I thought, `Oh, that’s disgusting, you have to eat peaches all day,’” Link said.
But Link said the diet was surprisingly varied. He lost about 20 pounds early last year and has kept it off by permanently changing his eating habits.
“By week two, I started getting stuffed. I couldn’t even finish dinner because I was feeling so full,” Link said.
Katz recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days. His flavor theme builds on the diets many nutritionists advocate — lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts; fish and poultry for protein; limited fat; and healthy snacks.
Brown University researcher Hollie Raynor, who has studied sensory-specific satiety, said many diets are based on a more extreme interpretation of the concept, including ice cream diets, soup diets and diets that severely restrict carbohydrates.
Whether Katz’s diet works because it limits flavors, or because it promotes healthy eating and exercise, is unclear, Raynor said. “If you’re eating healthy and exercising, you’re going to lose weight,” she said.
Susan Burke, chief nutritionist for ediets.com, a weight-management Web site, said there is some validity to Katz’s flavor theory. “Jumbling flavors at any one meal can trigger you to eat more,” Burke said.
“Whether or not the science will bear out that this actually is the cause of the weight loss” is unclear, Burke said. But she added: “At the very least, this program you can be assured is going to be nutritious.
Saturday, January 28th 2006
Changes and warfare are with me (Job 10:17)
posted @ 2:13 am in [ Overeaters ]
* 1200-1500 calories daily *weight loss: 9.5 pounds
WEIGHT LOSS: 25 tips for dropping 10 pounds in the new year
In the end, it’s all about numbers
By Amy Bertrand
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sometimes simple changes can bring about big results.
When it comes to losing weight, more often than not, it’s all about numbers.
It takes 3,500 calories to build a pound. If you have a deficit of 100 calories every day for a year - either by eating less or exercising more - you can lose 10 pounds in a year.
But going on a diet where you give up everything you love is not going to work forever. Katie Duggan, a dietitian at St. Louis University School of Public Health, said teaching people to make small changes often is the only way to bring about results.
She says she often tells her clients to write down everything they eat and drink; then they start looking at small changes they can make in that pattern.
“Over the course of a year, a small change easily can add up to 5, 10, even 15 pounds,” she says.
So, with the help of wire services, health experts and our own experiences, we’ve come up with a list of 25 ways you can lose 10 pounds in 2006.
• 1. Switch from whole-milk products to skim-milk products. If you consume three servings a day, you can save up to 200 calories a day. That’s 20 pounds you can lose next year.
• 2. When you go to a restaurant, ask for half of your portion to be put in a doggie bag right away. Even if you only go out twice a week, you’ll easily save enough calories to lose 10 pounds a year.
• 3. Reduce the use of butter and margarine. Use applesauce in recipes instead of oil. Try fat-free, butter-flavored spreads or sprinkles (unless you’re watching your salt). Just eliminating a pat of butter on your morning toast will let you drop 10 pounds.
• 4. Chill soups, gravies and stews, then skim off the fat that floats. Doing this can save you up to 100 calories a serving.
• 5. Use extra-lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey. Instead of bacon, use Canadian bacon or prosciutto, a lean Italian ham. Buy beef labeled “select” instead of “choice” or “prime” (select meats have less fat). Trim all fat from meat cuts.
• 6. Is a tall glass of juice your morning ritual? Swap that 20-ounce OJ for a real orange and you not only save more than 100 calories, you also get some fiber while you’re at it.
• 7. Meatless products, such as imitation hot dogs, bacon, burgers and sausage are available at many grocery stores. They often have half the calories of their meat counterparts.
• 8. Eliminate that daily coffeehouse run. Switching from a 16-ounce cappuccino to regular coffee with artificial sweetener can save you well over 10 pounds a year.
• 9. Switch from fried potato chips to the baked ones. Doing so saves 90 calories. If you do this every day, that’s your 10 pounds.
• 10. Learn how to add 10 minutes of exercise a day. The goal is 30 minutes a day. If you walk for just 30 minutes - even just three 10-minute walks a day - you will lose 13 pounds this year.
• 11. Cut back on egg yolks. It’s the yolk that contains virtually all of the fat and cholesterol. Try using egg substitutes. Or, in most recipes, you can use two egg whites instead of one whole egg.
• 12. If you love microwave popcorn, you don’t have to give it up. Just switch to the light kind and save tons of fat and calories, enough to lose 10 pounds if you eat it every night.
• 13. Use sugar substitute instead of sugar in all your baking. If you use a couple of teaspoons in your iced tea and a couple on your morning cereal, you easily could lose 10 pounds by switching to a substitute.
• 14. Switch your afternoon soda to a diet soda to save 150 calories (per 12-ounce can) a day.
• 15. If you can’t take diet soda, just downsize your soda portions. If you usually pick up a 44-ounce soda in the morning, switch to a 24-ounce size and save about 200 calories a day. That’s about 20 pounds this year.
• 16. Switch from 100-plus calorie sandwich bread to the light whole-wheat bread. You save 100 calories per sandwich, and you get the benefit of good-for-you whole grains.
• 17. Swap out your cheese. Replace the 1½ ounces of cheddar or American cheese on your sandwich with one ounce of nonfat mozzarella and lose 11 pounds next year.
• 18. Switch from two tablespoons of regular mayonnaise to two tablespoons of low-fat mayonnaise on that sandwich.
• 19. Portion control is essential when it comes to eating meat. A portion of meat is 3 ounces - about the size of a deck of cards. Most people eat two to three times this. Try putting just a portion on your plate at meals.
• 20. Replace your regular beer with light beer and save about 50 calories per bottle.
• 21. Forgo regular bottled salad dressing (2 tablespoons, about 150 calories) for an equal portion of fat-free dressing (about 40 calories) for a net savings of at least 100 calories.
• 22. Take the stairs every day at work. If you go up and down often enough (say up and down five flights three or four times a day) you’ve got your 100 calories.
• 23. Don’t supersize anything. Switching from the 6-ounce fries at McDonald’s to the 2-ounce size saves you about 300 calories. So doing that just twice a week can lead to a big weight loss.
• 24. Remove the skin from a chicken breast after cooking and save 100 calories each time.
• 25. Instead of topping ice cream with crumbled cookies, crushed chocolate candy or hot fudge, top it with 2 tablespoons of fresh berries and save about 100 calories.
I am very pleased that a great deal on this list I have changed over to. Some don’t pertain to me, others I will adapt. The point is I am a work in progress. My latest tip was given to me by Toni. It is an I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray that has 0 calories. That is a big saver and it was worth buying on sale. The portion control is definitely my biggest obstacle yet to conquer. How about you? Anything useful on this list? Anything you might try? Any tips you can add?
Friday, January 27th 2006
If you think good (Zec 11:12)
posted @ 3:20 am in [ Overeaters ]
*calories 1200-1500 per day * weight loss: 9.5 pounds
you ARE what you think!
Greetings!
In this journey, we often are told “you are what you eat”, that is true, but it is also true that we ARE what we think–or we become what we think.
I heard a very sharp, interesting and engaging woman speak last weekend, I hung on every word she had to say, she commanded the stage–very dynamic.
ONE thing that she did also stood out to me, but in a very negative way. She called herself “chubby” and made the point twice that she was overweight and had ‘let herself go a bit’.
First off, I didn’t think she was chubby. She was well dressed and covered up any figure flaws beautifully–it wasn’t until SHE pointed it out that I took inventory of those flaws, almost subconsciously as though to agree with her and validate what she was saying?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Life richly rewards action and ruthlessly punishes inaction!”
So, first rule, DON’T draw attention to your pounds.
You don’t need to! If you are morbidly obese–
everyone saw it already before you told them, and, if you are just a bit overweight why point it out? Either way, it isn’t a point worthy of conversation and it shouldn’t be more of an issue than what you have to say!
Another thought along this line, is if we call ourselves “fat” or “chubby” and declare it publicly, it is my opinion that the ONLY reason we do that is to somehow excuse it and give ourselves a permission slip or pass for the next unhealthy action we decide to do!
If you tell the room, your coworkers, your family, or even yourself, that you are “chubby” and you laugh about it, then when they see you eating a banana split later, it’s OK, right?! But, if you stood up there all dynamic, vibrant and exuding confidence–they just might expect more healthful choices from you? Or most importantly, YOU might expect them from yourself!?!
Get my point?
One scenario gives you a license to eat “chubby” foods, the other holds you accountable to higher standards.
Are you setting yourself up for mediocrity or magnificence?!Just to be on the safe side, choose your words as carefully as you choose your foods!
Sincerely,
Julia Harvey
Weight Loss by Julia
When I started blogging here I admitted it wasn’t only weight loss as a goal for this year that I wanted to achieve, but also to become more positive with my self-esteem. If I never lose another pound but can quit berating myself and believing in negativism, then that might just suffice for my goals accomplished this New Year.
My DH has been verbally abusing me for years now. This did not occur before the advent of his brand of Christianity–”once saved always saved.” He was a better husband and person when I married a non-Christian (for those of you that think your life will be enhanced IF only your spouse were saved).
Every weight loss commercial on TV he asks me if I have tried the product yet? (I have never taken a pill before). Every dramatic before and after weight loss photo he sees, he comments on how fat the person was and what is the normal weight for a woman? (the worst is a photo of a woman at 172 pounds at her tops–I got to 225 pounds). If this is not enough to bully and destroy confidence, his latest kick is Botox, moisturizers and non-surgical remedies (scams) for any “product” that restores your youth. His latest ravings after these commercials, and I do quote, “Your jaw line is sagging;” “You have so many wrinkles now that you never had when I met you;” and “Your face is all broke out and red”. (I won’t even dignify the crows feet ones). I simply reply, “All these symptoms are from stress because I married you.” He comes back with, “Could be, but life is choices and you chose me.”
It is just a vicious cycle that goes no where. I guess he is just being honest with his feelings. I do credit him for being true to his own self. But I do not confront him. I let it ruin my self-esteem. David declared, Psa 55:12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him: Psa 55:13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend. Psa 55:14 We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.
Are you battling low self-esteem, negativism, criticism, or does it only come from within? Would you have a snappy comeback? Can two walk together unless they are in agreement? Am I making excuses for an inevitable failure? Day in and day out without relief it is wearing on me. That is what this tell-all blog is for. A safe spot for me, and perhaps you?
Thursday, January 26th 2006
In the beginning God created (Gen 1:1)
posted @ 3:52 am in [ Overeaters ]
* calorie range:1200-1500 * weight loss: 9.5 pounds
BEGINNING TODAY
~Author unknown~
Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday.
It is in the past and the past will never change.
Only I can change by choosing to do so.
Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow.
Tomorrow will always be there,
waiting for me to make the most of it.
But I cannot make the most of tomorrow
without first making the most of today.
Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will
see a person worthy of my respect and admiration.
This capable person looking back at me is someone
I enjoy spending time with and someone
I would like to get to know better.
Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life.
I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and
I will unselfishly share this gift with others.
I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.
Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the
beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I encounter.
I will face challenges with courage and determination.
I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder
my quest for growth and self-improvement.
Beginning today I will take life one day at a time,
one step at a time.
Discouragement will not be allowed
to taint my positive self-image,
my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.
Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness.
Regardless of what has gone before, I believe there
is hope for a brighter and better future.
Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart.
I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people.
I will not expect perfection from myself nor
anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world.
But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.
Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness
and I will do things that make me happy . . .
admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to my
favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath. . . pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.
Beginning today I will learn something new; I will
try something different; I will savor all the
various flavors life has to offer.
I will change what I can and the rest I will let go.
I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.
Beginning today. And every day.
The Diet funk has hit me this week. Time to start renewing the mind. What do you do for a frankly, I don’t give a darn attitude?
Wednesday, January 25th 2006
The righteous shall live by his faith (Hab 2:4)
posted @ 3:23 am in [ Overeaters ]
Leap of Diet Faith
Odds are, you’ve been on a few diets in your life. Most of us end up losing our current weight many times over - losing weight, gaining weight, losing weight, gaining weight. It’s a never-ending circle OR it can be if we allow it to be.
Think about this question: ’While you were on your last diet, what would have happened if you had stayed on the diet?’
Simply put, you would have reached your weight loss goal! Un-simply put - IT’S NOT THAT EASY!!!!
Dieting is one of the hardest things to do in life. There’s Goody Temptation at every corner.
Before beginning that next diet - you know the one: YOUR LAST DIET, try taking a huge leap of faith. Begin strong and have faith that this diet will indeed be your last diet.
When you reach that point in your diet where you can either crawl forward and meet your weight loss goal OR run backwards into the safety of your former, unhealthy daily diet, then reach in and grab that beacon of faith.
By sticking to your diet plan and remaining steadfast, and having faith that you will succeed - you’re already there in your mind. You simply need to give your body a bit of time to get there too!
Have faith because yes - you CAN do this!
from: http://www.thelostvineyard.com/
This will be my last diet. I will take is slow and steady. I will learn from my past mistakes. I will never forget that God is a God of second chances. I will not let my memory grow dull of how much work this is. I will not let my body deteriorate to the point of unnecessary health issues again. I will continue to weigh-in for maintenance, track my portions and spring to action at any more than a 2-4 pound gain. This is my covenant to God for future reference. How about you? Can you make a contract with Him?
Tuesday, January 24th 2006
His disease was exceeding great (2 Chr 16:12)
posted @ 2:35 am in [ Overeaters ]
* 1199 calories * 9.5 pounds total weight loss
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than 1 billion people in the world are overweight and, if current trends continue, that number will reach 1.5 billion by 2015.
Of the current total, more than 300 million already rank as obese, putting them at substantial risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, respiratory problems and some cancers.
Worryingly, the problem is also starting to spread rapidly in developing countries, including parts of Africa, and the western Pacific islands of Nauru and Tonga hold the dubious distinction of having the highest percentage rates of obesity in the world.
If we returned to Biblical days and this was an outbreak of leprosy, as a nation we would take action. If we returned to pioneer days and this was an outbreak of plague we would take action. If we returned to our the first 1/2 century of our life and this was smallpox, as a nation we would take action.
What has dulled us so over the epidemic of obesity?
Monday, January 23rd 2006
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy (Psa 126:5 )
posted @ 3:18 am in [ Overeaters ]
How Spiritual Unrest is a lot Like Diet Unrest
“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” ~ Psalm 30:5
Diet Struggles Can Reap Great Joy!
Spiritual Unrest is one of the most troubling situations in life. It’s stressful, it lies in a Valley of Unsurety, and when a person is experiencing such, it’s virtually impossible to concentrate on anything else going on in life. But when God gives the answer, there is suddenly great joy to be found.
Struggling with your diet mirrors Spiritual Unrest. While dieting, you may be filled with great joy and success as you are accomplishing great strides in reaching your weight loss goal. Then suddenly, something goes haywire. You find it extremely difficult to remain true to your diet.
You’re miserable; on one hand you want to continue your diet and on the other hand, you just want it all to go away.
The stress and bother of the situation suddenly outweighs the benefits that you hope to receive. You find yourself completely obsessed with thoughts of your diet and there’s just no almond joy - WAIT…..I mean, JOY - there is no JOY to be found.
When you reach this low point in your diet, stick with your diet and become stronger and more committed than ever to your plan.
It’s generally at this point, if you remain steadfast, you’ll see a tremendous jolt to your scales. Think of what might have been lost if the diet hadn’t been tossed by the wayside!!
You may have - or known someone who has been on a diet and just quit cold turkey. They were in the situation described above, and just couldn’t ‘wait it out’. A couple of days after going off the diet, you may have noticed that your weight seemed to actually go down!
Keep in mind that when you are fixing to have a notable drop in weight, you’ll generally get depressed, or feel intensely hungry. Simply reassure yourself that by sticking with your plan, you’ll experience great JOY right around the Diet Corner!
From: http://www.thelostvineyard.com/
Friendly, sensible advice to be sure to keep your spirituality filled throughout your diet. When I deal with spiritual unrest, I do not succeed with my diet. I had a weekend with struggle, but I know today Whom to turn to. For others it may be different. What correlation, if any, do you see?
Sunday, January 22nd 2006
Sunday’s Funnies & Oddities
posted @ 2:21 am in [ Funnies & Oddities ]
The Fat Tax: A Controversial Tool in War Against Obesity
By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter
Wed Jan 11, 11:47 PM ET
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) — In America’s ongoing battle of the bulge, one strategy to combat the nation’s obesity epidemic has generated more than a decade’s worth of attention and controversy.
Popularly known as the “fat tax” or the “Twinkie tax,” the concept first gained widespread attention in 1994 when Yale University psychology professor Kelly D. Brownell outlined the idea in an op-ed piece in The New York Times.
Addressing what he called a “dire set of circumstances,” Brownell proposed two food-tax options: A big tax, in the range of 7 percent to 10 percent, to discourage the purchase of unhealthy processed foods while subsidizing healthier choices; or a much smaller tax to fund long-term public health nutrition programs.
“The American food system is set up as if maximizing obesity were the aim,” Brownell told HealthDay. “So the idea was to tax either certain classes of foods — like soft drinks or fat foods — or to just tax specific foods high in calories or low in nutrition. Then you use the income from such a tax to subsidize the sale of healthy foods in order to reverse what is the unfortunate reality now: that it costs more to eat a healthier diet.”
The tax, said Brownell, would be a pro-active response to a food industry and consumer culture that increasingly promotes high-fat/low-nutrition products as the cheapest, tastiest, most convenient and most available dietary options.
Brownell emphasized that, if properly implemented, fat taxes could yield major benefits. For example, slapping a single penny tax onto the cost of soft drinks across the country would generate almost $1.5 billion annually — a figure that far exceeds the budgets of current government-sponsored nutrition programs, he said.
The non-profit Washington, D.C.-based Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports that, in recent years, levies of this kind have, in fact, been imposed — with states such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington creating “fat taxes” on soft drinks sold within their borders.
Other states such as California, Maine and Maryland have also experimented with hefty “fat-tax” legislation, Brownell said. However, all the levies were ultimately repealed, highlighting several practical problems with the fat-tax concept identified by both Brownell and the IOM.
One big problem is that money collected through fat taxes has typically not been earmarked for obesity-prevention programs or healthy food subsidies; instead they were often used to cover budget deficits.
Concerns have also been raised that such a tax is inherently regressive, meaning it punishes poorer people who must spend much of their limited income on food.
And although the fat tax appears to have gained popularity as a theoretical approach to weight management, deciding exactly which products are unhealthy, taxable foods is a tricky practical matter.
Nonetheless, while the IOM has remained neutral on the fat-tax issue, some legislators across the country are moving full-steam ahead to get food-related levies on the books.
New York State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, a Democrat from New York City, is one such proponent of the fat tax.
For three years Ortiz has championed a bill that would ding any foods high in calories, fat or carbs — including perennial favorites such as potato chips, candies and french fries. The bill would also add a one-cent surcharge on video games.
The taxes would generate an estimated $50 million a year, and all the money would be used to augment the state’s $1.5 million budget for the Childhood Obesity Prevention Program. The program, established in 2001, is designed to promote healthy eating habits among children and adults through family physician interventions and after-school dietary and physical activity workshops.
“We have a very chronic epidemic regarding obesity,” said Ortiz. “And we think the food tax is part of the solution. This will be a vehicle to fund the obesity prevention program that can provide the services needed to assure that our children and the working families of the state of New York will get the proper information on healthy lifestyles. It will save lives and the next generation.”
