TheFATladyBlog

Developing New Eating Habits Is Adventuresome;Following Advice of My De Facto Health and Wellness Coach

My sister Linda may be the most outstanding nurse on Planet Earth. (She is shown at right on her son's arm at his recent wedding. His dad, Linda's husband, walks alongside.) I've decided to start listening to her. It's silly to disregard the advice of a fantastic coach!!!

She suggeest some changes to my diet. These changes include:

• Morning shake with skim milk, three tablespoons of flax seed, and a cup of blueberries
• 10 almonds or walnuts (more than that in one day is a diet buster)
• Substitute egg whites for whole eggs.
• Brisk, low imact exercise each day
• A baby aspirin each day

I think it is funny that this all makes such good common sense and yet it is so profound on so many levels after such a long period of neglect. Better late than never.

I see the doc tomorrow and we are going to review a plan for betterness ... I feel great ... better will be awesome!!!

The FAT Lady Hears the Magic Click

There is a part of me that has been waiting for a magic "click" that would make weight loss an easy thing to accomplish, make me immune to temptation, and make exercise a natural part of the day. I lost 65 pounds a couple of years ago and managed to maintain my present weight, but I'm still a long way from my ideal weight.

The magic click is possible ... I heard it 10 years ago when I was smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. On June 1, 1998 my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. I heard the click that day and ceased that awful habit forever.

I heard the click again this week and I am fully confident that I will reach my ideal weight in 2008 and maintain that weight forevermore. I am very excited! Here's the story:

Monday: I attended Joeann Fossland's Relax and Attract teleseminar based on the Law of Attraction. We are working with a 30-Days-to-Turn-Your-Life-Around workbook. Joeann is offering a free download of the book at the registration page ... it's worth a click! I worked with this book a bit following a business planning retreat in Hawaii, but did not finish the work and I did not focus on weight previously.

Tuesday: I commenced Day One of the program. There is a "Placemat Exercise" that asks, "What I intend to do" and "For the Universe to handle."  This exercise gave me some trouble the last time I worked with this program. The following is a copy of an e-mail exhchange that followed the first class:

Fran: "This was a very good call … quite interesting…  still don’t quite get that give-it-to-the-Universe thing. Stumps me every time."

Joeann: "Are there any parts of your life you'd envision differently ( perhaps weight, the web tech situation..those kinds of things)?  Intentionally asking the universe to handle it can get it handled without you needing to pay attention.

Fran: LOL …I am happy to let the Universe handle the sucky tech issues. Good idea!!! Weight is definitely in MY column.

Joeann:  Hmmm...what if it wasn't?

Fran: That would be called “denial.”

Joeann:  OK, that is one possible way of looking at it, but is it working? It feels sorta upstream. What if letting go that it is your job and giving the universe the instruction of how you envision it in a perfect world. I love today's quote...

Fran:  "Where is that quote? I’ll bookmark the web site. I’ll take your advice and turn the weight thing over to the Universe … The Universe can’t screw it up any more than I have. call it a leap of faith …"

Joeann: "The quote I was referring to was the Day 1 quote from Abraham.  'The Universe can’t screw it up any more than I have.' (This sounds a little upstream!!!!)"

Following this e-mail exchange I put the word "weight" on the line marked "For the Universe to handle." What happened after that stunned me. I heard the click! I have a new consciousness about every morsel of food that I place in my mouth! I have renewed energy! I am walking more, and I am FEELING thinner.  I puzzled about these things last night and here is my conclusion:

The Universe is perfect. We let perfection rule that part of the day that we subordinate to the care of the Universe. We become partners with Perfection!

I think that I am going to start turning more things over to the Universe!

Blog My Key to Weight Loss?

I need a new photo ... with all the blogs and social networking I am doing I need a good photo ... more than that I need a photo with a thinner face ... elongating a photo is one option, but weight loss is probably the best idea ... I have a feeling that attaching a diet regimen to a daily blogging regiment may be the ticket here! This is a new Day One!

On The Lighter Side...

"We all get heavier as we get older because
there's a lot more information in our heads."

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So, I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent
and my head couldn't hold anymore
so it started filling up the rest of me!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

10 Delicious Daily Habits Game

Practice week is over. Joeann Fossland's game starts in earnest today. Here's my list:

1. Prepare a meal or cook SOMETHING.
You may think this is easy, but sometimes a whole week can pass without using the oven or range.
2. Eliminate 1 problem.
I've accomplished this task five times already today.
3. Drink 120 oz. of water.
It's only 3 PM and this one is done. I am VERY hydrated.
4. Swim or exercise 1 hour.
I had my Hydro class first thing this morning. Great way to start a day!
5. Talk to Jens and/or Andreas.
I had lunch with Jens today. He was in town from State College. Talk about a good day!
6. Write or blog for at least 60 minutes.
This post counts toward that goal.
7. Listen to a real estate interview online.
I listened to an Allan Dalton (REALTOR.com) interview on Broker Agent News Online.
8. Read a book at least 1/2 hour.
I'm still reading Ellen Gustafson's Silver Wheel. I'm not linking because her publisher is not coming through with royalty payments and there are lots of people selling this book online. I'll do a link at a later date. (Update: Heck, Ellen just posted a comment with the link, so here it is. Ellen and I have been best friends since early days in grade school.)
9. Speak personally with a Real Estate Blog Squad member.
Great folks! I'll be speaking with Jane Bustad later today.
10. Write or edit real estate book 1 hour.
I'm in the final edit phase of a real estate how-to book that will be available very soon.

Bill Clinton Leads Anti-Obesity CrusadeTo Create A Healthier Generation

President Bill Clinton is shown at left with children in Harlem during a recent event launching a campaign to reduce childhood obesity levels. The former President's Clinton Foundation is partnering with the American Heart Assn. in an effort to curb and reduce obesity. President Clinton says that he wants to make sure all children are healthy and reverse the growing rate of obesity in the United States. Today, more than twice as many children – and almost three times as many teens – are overweight as in 1980, according to a trimmer, more fit Bill Clinton. The foundation site has an excellent video (48 minutes) that is excellent, educational. viewing. The clip features Bill Clinton, Republican Governer Huckabee of Arkansas (who recently lost 110 pounds), educators, and leaders of the AHA.

The foundation will work with educators to expand students' horizons about making good lifestyle decisions, eating good nutrition, and exercising. It will encourage schools to remove vending machines from elementary schools or stock them with healthy snacks instead of the unhealthy fare many machines now offer. The group will also launch initiatives to drive food companies and the fast food industry to offer healthier choices. They point out that food industry growth is in the healthy food market.

How Fat Is Obese?

days left to the wedding and I need to be focused on this wellness project. My Body Mass Index (BMI) is 32.1. That puts me in the Obese (30.0-34.9) category, which is one step closer to normal weight than the Severely Obese (35.0-39.9) category that I filled until recently. Morbidly Obese (40.0-50) and Super Obese (over 50) are the highest obesity measures. When I reduce to 208 (16 pounds more), I will fall into the Overweight category and lose the Obese rating altogether and once and for all for all eternity so help me, God! Where's that pool? Hand me a belt and some water barbells. It's time to get to work! Here's a BMI calculator for you, courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Incredible Shrinking Blogger

Slowly the poundage melts or burns away or does whatever it does and goes wherever it goes. Physics was never my strong suit (neither was sensible eating and exercise for the last 20 years). The bottom line is the number on the scale. It looks like I am achieving a steady  two-pound-a-week weight loss. I have my eyes on some nice mother-of-the-groom fashions but I have several sizes to lose before I can order anything. With 345 days left to Jens and Becca's nuptuals, I have lots of hard work ahead, thousands of aquatic jumping jacks, miles of underwater cross country skiing, tons of weight lifting, and lots of stretching and flexing and water aerobics. I may take it up a notch and try some private water workouts on the weekend in addition to the classes Monday through Friday at the YMCA.

Water Workout Is Effective;Minimizes Wear And Tear On Joints

  Hate exercise? Envy those gym regulars with bodies beautiful who seem to thrive on sweaty physical exertion? What's the first step for a fatty when more than 10 steps in a row makes the knees scream, "Stop!"?

I can happily report that water aerobics may be the ticket to liberate the couch potato from lazy-bones fiefdom. I enrolled in two water exercise classes at the YMCA--Hydro is a deep water class with a belt and styrofoam barbells; Aquablast is a shallow water aerobics class that also makes some use of the barbells. The programs are 45 minutes to an hour long, with constant movement for cardio fitness. Additionally, the exercises are geared to cover every muscle group--abs, biceps, triceps, legs. There are stretching exercises, water calisthenics, weight training. And to top it off, its downright FUN! I'm starting to make significant progress with increased mobility, added strength, endurance, and elimination of pain (knees and hip). Of course, I'm also eating more sensibly and using nutritional supplements.

The Beach Boys Have Good VibrationsFrom Flower Child To Golden Girl

It is the summer of 1970. The Beach Boys take the stage at The Schaeffer Music Festival in Central Park, NYC. A flower child, 18 years old, blond hair to her waist, rocks and rolls to cheerful melodies born in Southern California. There is a faint perfume of sweet cannabis and the crowd dances on chairs and in aisles. Fast forward to the summer of 2005. The flower child's tresses are barely shoulder length, with blond highlights straight from a bottle, and the surfing sounds of Brian Wilson and company come from a boom box CD in the cavernous swimming pool of a local YMCA. A determined group of aquatic calisthenics disciples includes silver haired gentlewomen, portly females, and otherwise weight sentient ladies. There is a faint perfume of chlorine and the crowd lifts Styrofoam barbells and consummates jumping jacks in rhythm with the music. Some things never change. Music is a universal balm that stills the restless spirit and kindles merriment.