Okay. Considering my last few posts it almost sounds like I am bashing weight loss products but I’m really not. I just know how commonly they are abused. I’ve been an abuse in fact. But that doesn’t mean they should never be used. It just is just very important to be familiar with the pills and supplements you put in your body and the risks associated with them. If you want to learn more about weight loss pills you absolutely need to talk to your doctor, not research them online and make decision about what is right for your body based on the reactions of someone else’s. Okay? End of lecture.
Monthly Archives: February 2010
Mind over Matter
Well apparently I am on a diet pill kick. Once i get started on this subject I’m usually stuck for a bit. It’s such a hot topic! It’s oneo fthe most researched matters online and it is a hot button issue for me too. here’s the thing. I am an addict I think. I love diet pills like Fastin and Adipex and if I had one in front of me right now I’d probably take it just for the energy factor.
I never feel like I have enough hours in the day but the truth is even if I had more hourse I woulld still poop out around 3pm – so what’s the point in wishing for longer days? To combat that I used diet pills, relying on their even long lasting energy to make it through the day. This is not good.
If you can relate to what I am saying and you are using diet pills for the same reason, it’s time to admit that you know it’s not heathty. You need more sleep, you need to eat better, and you need to be kinder to yourself. They you’ll enjoy a healthier, vibrant feeling body with sustaining energy to help you meet all your goals for each day.
Alli Scares Me
And speaking of weight loss supplements, the Alli reviews I’ve heard are ridiculous! Have you heard much about it? Most the other high profile diet aids kill your appetite and give you energy. The way I understand it, Alli does that too, but takes it a step farther by punishing you if you break the rules and eat something bad. I heave heard so many reports of people being sent running to the restroom- at work, at the mall, at dinner- after eating the wrong type of food. That scares me! Have you heard the same stories? Have you tried Alli? Share your experience!
The Best Weight Loss Supplement is Not Found in a Pill
I’ve said it before but I think it is important enough to say it again- although I believe there is a place for diet pills this crazy world of over indulgence and metabolic challenges, the best weight loss supplement is useless without your commitment, hard work, and good attitude. No diet pill in the world will deliver the results you want without exercise. And any weight you lose while on supplements will return when you go off them if you don’t make the necessary healthy lifestyle changes. Just a quick reminder prompted by a conversation I had with a friend today. Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
You Don’t Need the Flat Belly Diet to Reduce Belly Fat
A fellow blogger recommended I look into the MUFA diet for one of my other blogs. I have barely begun to research it but since I am loving what I have learned so I am going to give you a glimpse of it. I am a recovering fad dieter and am not at all interested in the actual “diet” involved here, but I am intrigued by the idea. If you are struggling with how to reduce belly fat you should be interested too! Here is how Prevention Magazine describes monounsaturated fatty acids…
” There are five major categories of MUFAs: (1) oils, (2) nuts and seeds, (3) avocado, (4) olives, and (5) chocolate. Eating one serving of any of these foods at every meal will help reduce your accumulation of dangerous belly fat; control your calorie intake and you’ll lose inches and pounds, too–especially around your waistline. These mouth-watering recipes make it easy. Each portion contains high levels of MUFA, plus serving suggestions that allow you to create a meal that contains around 400 calories–enough to control your hunger and boost your energy without exceeding your daily needs. You can easily fit these meals into the Flat Belly Diet menu plans, but even if you’re not following the diet, you can still enjoy the rich flavor of MUFAs and their numerous health benefits. For centuries, these foods and fats have been hard to resist.”
Avocados and chocolate are good for me? Count me in! But on my terms, not theirs.
I looked at some of the recipes for the diet and they are too involved for me. For a minute I considered developing my own menu incorporating their rule of 4 meals of 400 calories and a MUFA at every meal with my new meat free design but it’s too much work. Instead I am going to just try adding a MUFA to each of the small meals I eat every few hours currently.
Am I the only one crazy about the 5 MUFA foods? Can anyone think of a better way to reduce belly fat than by eating chocolate and avocados?!
Ding Dong. It’s Your Doorbell.
I am a writer by night but a realtor by day. You know what that means? Yes, I am broke, but that’s not all. I hear a lot of doorbells. Home buyers like to turn on the faucets, flush the toilets, and ring the doorbell to see how they all work. I thought I had heard all the doorbells there were to hear. I was wrong. Did you see the doorbell skit on Saturday Night Live at Christmas time? It’s been two months and my family is still imitating it. Think you’ve heard every door bell imaginable? Ding dong… play the clip.
Ever since I saw the movie NIGHTS IN RODANTHE I have been daydreaming about lazy days spent tending to a big old cottage on the ocean, and evenings spent sipping chamomile and reading in an Adirondack chair on the patio. I know it kind of sounds like an old lady way of life, but things have gotten so hectic in the last years since the adoption. Then the economy took its plunge creating more stress not only for me and my family but everyone across the country. In light of all the stress, NIGHTS IN RODANTHE has become my happy place, in my mind. The story, of course, of love FINALLY found then abruptly taken away is heartbreaking and I don’t think about that. I just think about the house, the beach, and the ocean breeze. Lately I have even been browsing Outer banks foreclosures to familiarize myself with what kinds of poor neglected houses are out there, waiting for me to find my way to the perfect one. Some day…
Why I Love Facebook
I love Facebook. I am a little bit antisocial but that doesn’t mean I am not interested in people’s lives or don’t want to keep in touch. It just means I have let obligations and responsibilities get in the way of getting out there. I think everyone goes through it at some point to varying degrees, right? Facebook has kept me in the loop so I didn’t turn into a complete recluse.
For awhile there, before I facebooked, I had gotten into a place where I didn’t want to leave the house and sometimes didn’t even want to get out of bed. Life had become so responsibility heavy with not enough joy to balance that I had no desire or motivation to leave the house for any reason. I was sparked by no curiosity, no concern for others… just overwhelmed with what had to be done in my household. Then I started Tweeting to promote my articles. Followed by Facebook. Soon, though, people from high school and such were finding me. At first I was irritated. Facebook was purely a work thing. But then I started feeling… excited by their company. Interested! Curious! Warmed by pictures of their children and updates on what they’ve been doing. I still don’t got out a lot … but I WANT to! and that’s huge.
In addition to reconnecting with peeps from the past I have met new people who’ve become real friends. I’ve started running and being healthy again as a direct result of a friendship that began on Twitter and grew on facebook. I am going out to movies and other social situations. I have FB friends all over the country that I’d love to see and even a friend in the U.K. that I like so much I would actually visit if I had the chance. So I am going out for little things, meeting new people, thinking about London vacations, contemplating going back to school… all because Facebook.
Do you Facebook? Do you find it to be a time waster or have you found a way to use it to your advantage?
Accelerated Online Education
So I am still trying to get back to school. I have a feeling I could say, “I don’t have time” and “I can’t afford it right now” forever. It’s like having kids. You can never afford them. You just start your family and adjust, right? I stumbled upon a new online degree program that sounds really rewarding and affordable.
On one hand, an online degree is a no brainer for me. I am comfortable here, I enjoy doing things online. It does not take any time away from my family and I can attend class at any hour to suit the needs of my family.
HOWEVER
I think I am suffering from not enough real live human interaction. Am sure of it in fact. When I originally decided a few months ago that I wanted to go back to school it was for three reasons…
- to fire up my brain again to the world & topics outside of family and parenting
- to have to leave the house, sit in class, and mingle with people
- maybe to get a degree, although that was not really all that important to me
HOWEVER
A few months have passed and having been considering going back to school as a real possibility, the idea of a degree has become more appealing. That’s where WGU got my attention. It is a fully accredited and ACCELERATED program. The accelerated part dazzled me when I read it. You don’t receive your credits according to time spent and tests passed… but by assessment… and you can complete as many credits in one term as you are able all for the price of one term! What?! I know! That means you could get your masters degree online in a fraction of the time of a traditional program, and a fraction of the cost as well!
Now I say YOU could. I am sure I would be using the maximum time to get through. But the point is… no wasted time and money covering stuff you already know. Tuition is roughly $3,000 per semester regardless of how many credits you complete. WGU is a non profit school so which is why it is so affordable. Students can start at the beginning of any month and are matched up with their own mentor to help them along.
For a degree driven desire to go back to school I think this is a great program. But I don’t know… I still think I would benefit from getting away from this computer and interacting with students and faculty. What do you think?
Traveling Abroad for Health Care
When my parents first told me about going to Mexico for some of their medical needs I thought it was a little crazy. When they brought me back medicine from Mexico that I had been prescribed by my doctor but had to jump through hoops in the form of repeated appointments and copays to get, I was thrilled. I have since learned that there has been a real surge in medical travel to other countries. How odd is it that people with insurance go to Mexico for health care because they cannot get what they need in the United States? What do you think about this?