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 Still Ranks #1 on Google!

Three and a half years after The FAT Lady Blog posted a humorous story about an airport mishap and delay she is still triumphant with a first-place ranking in Google. A frequent search finds this blog top ranked, followed by 2,199,999 posts collected after a web visitor types the ever popular keywords "blogger boobs."  My older son tells me that "this information is useful trivia you do not need to share with my friends," so I ask my readers to keep this little nugget of information just between us!

Web analytics point to similar results with "plus size boobs" and also some traction in languages that I cannot identify!

Still, it makes me proud! LOL

Makeover Task: Category Cleanse MLM Links!

Despite the fact that I still get web site visitors coming through keywords like "Goji" and "Freelife" I am going to go through my archves and remove category links to those crummy multi-level marketing links. I think that Freelife makes good vitamins, but my present-day thinking has changed about a business built upon juice that is marked up a gazillion percent.

So, I will eschew the nutaceuticals and the "cleanse" products that are hawked without scientific study. I am going to stick with research-based information and clinical studies over at DrWeil.com. I expect to complete a blog category "cleanse" this week!

Makeover Underway at The FAT Lady Blog;And Then The FAT Lady Goes Out for a Walk and Swim!

WELCOME to the NEW skin of The FAT Lady Blog!

The long overdue makeover of this poor, neglected blog commences today. I kept a shot of the old skin (shown at right)for posterity. I think I like the blue template and the wider text column width. I LOVE the ease with which I can accomplish this. I have to work on a header for the top of the page, but I think that this is a good start. I have to work on some of my other blogs, work on a Clean Sweep -- remove some old links, and bring them up to speed.

This blog is going to get a lot of my bloggy attention in the days ahead as I focus on health and wellness and fitness, and it needs a fresher appearance.

What do you think about the color? I welcome all ideas and suggestions about format AND health!!!

I am going to blog at one of my other blogs and then I am going out for some exercise!

Get Ready for Extreme Makeoverfor The Fat Lady AND Her Blog!

I got a wake-up call last week. I learned that my cholesterol reading is 278. My weight is back up to 248 and that also needs to come DOWN!

The doctor wants me to take Lipitor, a cholesterol reducing drug but I have decided to pursue another plan of action for the time being. I am gong to commence a 60-day plan to reduce my cholesterol naturally by 20%.If that plan works, I will continue the plan in 60-day increments and check my blood levels at the end of each of those periods. Here is the plan:

1. I will exercise for TWO HOURS each day for five days a week, concentrating on low-impact aerobic workouts.
2. I will be highly intentional about each morsel of food that I place in my mouth with thought about the nutritional consequences of each bite.
3. I will check in daily on The FAT Lady Blog and commence a blog makeover at the same time.
4. I will add large measures of prickly pear to my diet. There is much discussion about the cholesterol reducing properties of the prickly pear in books and scientific research. This appears on Care2.com:

"A daily dose of 5 to 9 grams per day of prickly pear fruit pectin may be effective in the prevention or reversal of a hypocholesterolemic condition, though some studies showed that lower doses of 2.50 g of prickly pear pectin demonstrated effectiveness.

"Bulk: The average-sized fruit contains approximately 3.60 g of dietary fiber. Eating 3 fruits per day would double the minimum treatment requirement. This dosage would then not only help to satisfy daily vitamin and mineral nutritional requirements, but would also serve up a healthy dose of flavonoids."