ZZzzzzzzzzz.......

Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast...
~ Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene II

And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~ D.H. Lawrence

O bed! O bed! delicious bed!
That heaven upon earth to the weary head.
~ Thomas Hood, Miss Kilmansegg - Her Dream

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.
~ E. Joseph Cossman

Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep, by any stealth:
So do not let me wear to-night away.
Without thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!
~ William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"

Finish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two. This you cannot do without temperance. ~ ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Come, cuddle your head on my shoulder, dear, your head like the golden-rod, and we will go sailing away from here to the beautiful land of Nod."
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Sleep. That most wonderful time of the day when you get to lie down on your bed, snuggle up with your pillow and blankets, cozy up to your spouse and cuddle with your cat....it's wonderful :)

But did you know that a good night's sleep also helps with weight loss?

Check out this article:

Lose Weight With a Good Night's Sleep?
Sleepers Getting Less Than 6 Hours of Sleep a Night Tended to Be Heavier Than Longer Sleepers in Study
By Caroline Wilbert
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

If you are trying to lose weight, a good night’s sleep might help.

A new study found a link between sleep and weight. Study participants who were so-called short sleepers (meaning they got less than six hours per night) tended to have on average a higher body mass index, or BMI, than long sleepers.

The small study, presented at the American Thoracic Society’s International Conference in San Diego, was conducted with 14 nurses at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Nurses received counseling on nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep improvement through the program.

The participants wore armbands that measured total activity, body temperature, body position, and other indicators of rest and activity.

The average BMI for short sleepers was 28.3. That compares to an average BMI of 24.5 for long sleepers. The BMI range for normal weight is considered to be 18.5-24.9 and for overweight 25.0-29.9. BMI is calculated from a person's weight and height and is an indicator of body fat.

Surprisingly, the overweight participants were significantly more active than their normal-weight peers. The overweight participants took an average of 13,896 steps per day, compared to 11,292 for normal-weight participants. The overweight participants also burned nearly 1,000 more calories per day on average than their normal-weight peers.

“We found so many interesting links in our data,” lead researcher Arn Eliasson, MD, says in a written statement. “Primarily, we want to know what is driving the weight differences, and why sleep and weight appear to be connected."

There are several possible reasons, Eliasson says. Lack of sleep may disrupt natural hormonal balances, triggering overeating. Stress could also be a factor -- contributing to less sleep and more eating in the same people.

He says that "higher perceived stress may erode sleep. Stress and being less rested may cause these individuals to be less organized than normal-weight individuals, meaning they would have to make more trips and take more steps to accomplish the same tasks. This might add to their stress and encourage other unhealthy behaviors, like stress eating."

Eliasson and colleagues are planning more studies to investigate the link between stress, sleep, and metabolism.

So make it a priority to get to bed a little earlier and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. You'll not only feel refreshed, you'll also be healthier!

Salads! Yummy, Delicious Salads!

I love salads! Red and green leaf lettuce, Romaine, asparagus that's been lightly blanched, carrots, red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers, jicama, red onion, kidney and garbanzo beans, black olives, fresh peas and corn, lemon cucumber, basil and tomato feta cheese, pecans, avocado, all topped with a delicious vinaigrette...summer doesn't get much better than that :)

Salads are also a great option on those hot summer days. You don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen even hotter. Instead, just pull the ingredients out of the refrigerator and the cupboard, assemble everything, add a whole-grain roll on the side, serve this with your favorite drink, and voila! A refreshing dish that's good for you.

You can also bake or grill chicken ahead of time and have it ready to add to your salads. Just marinate the raw skinless and boneless chicken breasts with a low-fat Italian dressing or vinaigrette for a few hours, cook thoroughly, chop then place into a container and refrigerate. When you're preparing your salad, just pull this out and add it to the salad for a filling meal.

Be adventurous. If you're used to iceburg lettuce, try some of the other lettuces instead. Red and green leaf lettuces are particular favorites of mine. The ruffled edges of both and the dark red color of the red leaf lettuce add wonderful color and texture to a salad. Fresh spinach doesn't only add iron, it adds another layer of flavor. The bagged lettuces are another great option. It's usually easy to find a bag of spring greens. Adding those to your salad makes for a gorgeous visual treat. The different shades of green, the frilly edges, the unusual shapes...mmmmmmm....it's a feast for the eyes!

I also like to experiment with fresh herbs. Watercress is delicious on a salad, and if you like cilantro (I don't) try that. If you're making an Italian flavored salad, add some fresh basil. Let your imagination run wild!

Fresh and dried fruits can be a tasty addition. Fresh strawberries, grapes, peaches, oranges, or dried cranberries, raisins, dates...again, the possibilities are endless.

Experiment with some of the unusual store-bought salad dressings. Look in the health-food department of your favorite grocery store or be bold and daring and venture into a health-food store. You can also do a search on your favorite recipe website and make your own dressings. This is particularly handy if you need to have sugar-free dressings.

Here are a couple of delicious looking sugar free salad dressing recipes to get you started:

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
½ cup sliced strawberries
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic is even better, but carb counts vary, so be careful)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweetener to taste (depends on sweetness of strawberries; you might not need it)

Preparation:
Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Blend, then add olive oil. Blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Makes 8 servings of about 2 tablespoons each.

Sweet and Sour Lime Dressing

Ingredients:
1 T lime juice (from a bottle is fine)
1 t water
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings to taste
Sweetener to taste

Preparation:
1. Put lime juice and water in bowl. Add sweetener to the tanginess level you want. (I like using liquid sucralose.)
2. Add salt and pepper. Or use a blend, like homemade seasoning salt. Whisk together to dissolve the salt.
3. Whisk in the olive oil.

Get even more daring and try edible flowers. You can find these at farmers' markets and at specialty gourmet grocery stores, or do some research online and grow your own.

We've always known that a healthy salad is good for you, but the latest research shows that salads are an essential part of a healthy life:

4 Healthy Reasons to Eat a Salad Today
Making one simple change to your diet – adding a salad almost every day – can pay off with plenty of health benefits.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Have you had your salad today? Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt -- and one of the simplest, experts say.

Eating salads is a super-convenient way to work in a couple of servings of vegetables and/or fruit. Green salads are on the menu of almost every restaurant. You can even buy a side salad (with Romaine lettuce, carrots and tomatoes, available with fat-free or reduced-calorie salad dressing) for a buck at many fast food chains these days. And you can make a green salad at home in 5 minutes, armed with a bag of pre-washed salad greens, a few carrots or other veggies, and a bottle of light salad dressing.

Not only that, but salads are cool, crunchy, and fun to eat (lots of textures, colors, and flavors). Most people enjoy eating salads--even kids! You can customize them to include the fruits and vegetables that appeal to you the most, and whichever ones you have on hand.

Here are four health reasons to reach for a salad today:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber
It's hard to believe that something we can't even digest can be so good for us! Eating a high-fiber diet can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation.

Not only that, says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan, eating more fiber can help you feel fuller, eat less, and ultimately lose weight.

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables
Many experts agree that Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables (especially dark green and orange vegetables) and legumes -- all popular salad ingredients. David Jacobs, PhD, professor of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, says in an email interview that there is plenty of evidence that nutrient-rich plant foods contribute to overall health.

If you frequently eat green salads, you'll likely have higher blood levels of a host of powerful antioxidants (vitamin C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and alpha- and beta-carotene,) especially if your salad includes some raw vegetables. Antioxidants are substances that help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For years, researchers have noted a link between eating lots of fruits and vegetables and lower risks of many diseases, particularly cancer. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute suggests that people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing cancers of the head and neck -- even those who smoke and drink heavily. Foods found to be particularly protective include beans and peas, string beans, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, apples, nectarines, peaches, plums, pears, and strawberries.

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction
If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.

Rolls, lead researcher of the study, suggests that "bigger is better" as long as the salad is bigger in volume, not in calories - which means more veggies and less dressing and other fatty add-ons.

"We saw reductions in consumed calories when people ate salads that were 1 1/2 cups and 3 cups in volume but around 100 total calories," she says. The 3-cup, 100-calorie salad reduced the total calories consumed at the meal by about 55.

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats
Eating a little good fat (like the monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts) with your vegetables appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables.

A recent study from Ohio State University measured how well phytochemicals were absorbed by the body after people ate a salad of lettuce, carrot, and spinach, with or without 2 1/2 tablespoons of avocado. The avocado-eaters absorbed eight times more alpha-carotene and more than 13 times more beta-carotene (both of which are thought to help protect against cancer and heart disease) than the group eating salads without avocado.

If you dress your salad with a little olive oil, there may even be some additional years in it for you. Italian research on people aged 60 and older has suggested that a diet that includes plenty of olive oil and raw vegetables is linked to reduced mortality.

Sabotaging a Healthy Life

I got this article in my email today and thought it worth sharing.

It's so easy for me to make some of these mistakes. I think that right now I'm most guilty of gulping down extra calories - those sugar free chocolates do add up if I have more than 1 or 2 a day - and lots of meal-skipping on the weekends. Oh, I'm so guilty of that! I find it easier not to eat at all over the weekend. How crazy is that???

I have to seriously address my weekend eating habits. One of my solutions has been to buy an electric timer. After eating breakfast I set it for a 2 hour countdown, and when it goes off it's time for a snack. I set it for another 2 hour countdown, then it's lunchtime. I do that the rest of the day, making sure I'm eating appropriate meals and snacks.

I do somewhat object to calling these 'dieting' mistakes...I'm not on a diet, I'm choosing to change my lifestyle, so I'd rather look at these as ways to sabotage a healthy life.

How to Avoid Six Dieting Mistakes
By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

Diet mistakes can keep you from getting to your goal weight. But you're not alone; many of us are guilty of one -- if not several -- of these dieting faux pas. Here is some simple advice on how to avoid six common diet mistakes.

Mistake: Gulping Down Extra Calories
Do you start each morning with a couple glasses of orange juice? How about a frothy coffee drink on the way to work? Was that you hitting the vending machine for a sports drink at the gym?
If this sounds familiar, take note: What you drink can be as important to weight loss as what you eat.

Some beverages provide as many -- if not more -- calories than a full plate of food. Liquid calories don't satisfy you like food does, and many beverages bring no nutrition benefit. Even if you were to drink 1,500 calories of beverages a day, you would still feel hungry and then overeat.

Solution: Cut Liquid Calories
Just say no to the followng: sugar-sweetened sodas and other sweetened canned and bottled drinks; flavored and sweetened coffee beverages, such as frappes, lattes and frozen coffee; sweetened tea (hot or iced); and smoothies.

While juice is healthier than all these choices, whole fruit is preferable to a glass of juice; it has fewer calories and more fiber and is more filling. Water and herbal tea (without adding sugar) are ideal replacements for high-calorie beverages.

Mistake: Depriving Yourself
So you've sworn to lose weight this time around. You rid your pantry of your favorite fattening foods. You sweep the fridge and all bad foods make their way to the trash can. You do okay for a few days. Then, one night, you lose it and eat everything left in the house that isn't a fruit or vegetable.

No matter how resolved we are to lose weight, we crave treats (especially sweet ones) we are accustomed to. You will eventually get the urge to indulge no matter how well those first few days go.

Solution: Giving in ... a Little
Swearing off foods you enjoy is a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. It's like a form of torture: Everyone else can eat the things you love while you can't even taste them. How's that going to help you stick to your diet? It won't. Allow yourself a special treat every now and then. Keep your portion sizes in check and you can still have your favorite foods in moderation.

Mistake: Believing Your Genes are to Blame
You take a look in the mirror and you see your mom. It's not her hair or even her eyes. It's your body. And there's nothing you can do about it. After all, it's hereditary.

The Solution: Get Real!
Genes do play a role in some cases of obesity. Often you will see family members who share the same body type. But for many of us, the most important factor in weight loss is calories in vs. calories out ... how many calories we eat and how much exercise we get. Even if family members are heavy, there are steps you can take so that you do not share their fate. Working out and strength-training will build muscle and give your metabolism a boost, both of which will help you head off the propensity for weight gain your genes might bring.

Mistake: Meal Skipping
It only stands to reason: If the key to losing weight is cutting calories then why not cut a bunch at once by skipping a meal? If you skip meals when you're trying to lose weight, you're doing yourself more harm than good. Meal-skipping can cause your metabolism to nosedive. That will set you up for sluggish calorie-burning all day long and ravenous hunger and overeating at night.

Solution: Don't Be a Skipper
Most meal-skippers forgo breakfast. It seems to be the easiest meal to do without. But in reality, breakfast may influence weight loss more than any other meal! If you aren't hungry first thing in the morning, have something small. Do you actually forget to eat in the a.m. hustle and bustle? Set an alarm to go off some time after you normally rise to remind you to stop, take a breath ... and eat.

Mistake: Giving in to a Food-Pusher
You've met her. She pushes doughnuts on unsuspecting office mates. She brings cupcakes for the bookgroup while only tasting the icing herself. She hands you the takeout menu when you've already told her you brought a brown bag. Who is she? She's a pusher! A food pusher, that is.

Solution: Put Yourself First
Whether office baked goods temptress or the well-meaning Mom who suggests seconds of her best dishes, some people just refuse to take "no" as an answer. They probably don't even realize they are making your weight loss efforts that much harder. Learn how to say no in a way that works. You may have to distance yourself from the "pusher" for the time being. Sometimes it's better for all parties concerned.

Mistake: Giving Up On Losing Weight Your Way
Sometimes, telling your friends and family you are on a diet can actually backfire. If they don't understand your diet or think they know a better way to lose weight, it can lead to unwelcome input or even arguments. You get to the point that you want to throw in the towel.

Solution: Keep it Under Wraps
Only you know what works for you. So keep doing what works for you. There's no rule that says you have to tell friends or family that you're trying to lose weight. Weight is a personal issue. It's your prerogative to keep it that way.

Why Isn't This Working???

I subscribe to Family Circle magazine. It's one of my favorites along with Better Homes and Gardens. I've never been into entertainment and gossip rags, I don't particularly care who's dating who, who's pregnant, who's cheating, what the latest scandal is, or anything else like that. Now, I will admit that an infrequent guilty pleasure is Weekly World News. Is that still being published? I enjoy the hilarious stories about aliens and the like, the writing is quite clever and is littered with puns.

But back to Family Circle...in the August edition I came across a very interesting article: "8 Reasons Your Diet Isn't Working". Here are some excerpts (Be sure to buy the magazine for the full article):

Reason 1:
You follow the plan that worked for your friend.
Forget about the latest fad diet. Even if your best friend swears she found the secret to weight loss, it might not work for you. Truth is, different methods work for different people.

"The trick to losing weight and keeping it off is finding a diet you like - that way you'll be able to stick with it," says Elizabeth Ward, M.D. author of "The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids".

Reason 2:
You eat a small breakfast.
When it comes to your morning meal, size matters - a lot. A recent study found that eating a substantial breakfast can help you lose some serious weight. Ninety-four women were put on a low-calorie diet. But half the women had a big breakfast (610 calories) and the other half a more modest (290 calories) morning meal. The surprising discovery: in just eight months the larger-breakfast group shed, on average, 40 pounds, while their smaller-breakfast counterparts dropped a mere 10 pounds.

Aim for roughly 500 calories. A breakfast made up of a whole-wheat bagel with a tablespoon of trans-fat free margarine, a scrambled egg and an 8-ounce glass of calcium-fortified O.J., or two slices of whole-wheat toast topped with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a sliced banana fit the bill. Not hungry in the A.M.? It's likely you're eating too much or too late at night. To get your appetite in sync, close your kitchen by 8 P.M.

Reason 3:
You're clueless about calorie counting.
Overeating during meals isn't the only way to pack on weight. Did you know that nibbling on just one extra slice of cheese a day translates to 10 extra pounds a year? Add on that one can of regular soda you treat yourself to every afternoon (just for a quick pick-me-up) and you're up another 15 pounds. Every bite and swallow counts, not just the ones you take when you're sitting down to a meal.

Get a grip on what you're really eating by keeping a food diary. "Food logs are perfect for people who are all-day snackers," says Sari Greaves, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association in New York City. "When you write down what you eat you become much more aware of what you put in your mouth, helping you identify problem areas in your diet." In fact, a 2008 study found that recording what you eat can double the amount of weight you lose.

Reason 4:
You skip meals.
"Many women go without breakfast or lunch because they have a special occasion later or overindulged the night before," says Ward. "Then by 3 P.M. all hell breaks loose." The proof: A USDA Economic Research Service report released earlier this year found that stretching the time between meals from four to five hours causes you to overeat. Waiting six hours makes matters even worse. When you finally do eat, you'll consume substantially more and also choose less healthy options.

"Try to go no more than four hours without having a little something to keep you satisfied," says Elizabeth Smythe, R.D., president of the New York State Dietetic Association. "That way you're not setting yourself up to overdo it at the next meal."

Reason 5:
You load up on superfoods.
Don't be duped. Even good-for-you items like nuts, avocados and dried fruit can undo your diet if you consume too much of them. "To lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you burn," says Greaves. "It's that simple. It's total calories - not the type of calories - that makes or breaks your weight loss efforts.

No matter how carefully you choose your foods, you still must practice portion control.

Reason 6:
You're cancelling out the benefit of your workouts.
Think that hour-long run entitles you to a couple extra slices of pizza? Not so fast. "So many of us rationalize, 'I just did all this exercises, and now I'm entitled to a little splurge,' but it doesn't work that way," says Smythe. The reason? We underestimate how many calories we eat yet overestimate the number we burn exercising. So if you think you've earned a snack after your workout, think again.

If you're genuinely hungry after the gym, by all means go ahead and grab something. The ideal foods for refueling combine protein and carbs, such as 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt with fruit, or 2 tablespoons hummus with 3 whole-grain crackers. "Reward yourself for exercise but not with food," suggests Smythe. Instead, after a certain number of workouts, schedule a manicure or movie marathon Saturday.

Reason 7:
You watch what you eat only Monday to Friday.
"During the week our lives are usually scheduled and organized and so is the way we eat," says Greaves. On Saturday and Sunday that structure goes out the window. And so do our diets, according to a 2008 study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. When researchers tracked dieters' eating habits, they found that people ate the most on Saturday and Sunday (at ate more fat on Saturday than any other day of the week), bringing their weight-loss efforts to a screeching halt.

Make a game plan that allows you to sensibly splurge. Before the weekend starts (say, Thursday night), think about what you'll be doing and where you'll be eating. Then plan where you want to spend your calories and where you want to save. That does not mean skipping some meals. Rather, cut here and there to leave some wiggle room for your favorite weekend indulgences.

Reason 8:
You don't plan for stress.
Even the best diet doesn't account for insane deadlines, fights with your husband or run-ins with your teen. Yet for many of us, eating is the way we unwind at the end of a hard day.

Go ahead and indulge. "The stress of trying to fight it is worse than just giving in," says Ward. Having a small treat like a mini candy bar, single serving container of pudding or low-fat ice cream bar right after dinner can keep you from spending the whole night fighting the urge to splurge. But that's only half the battle. You need other outlets for stress too. Make sure you get some exercise during the day or talk to a friend when you're frazzled - you'll burn off steam and be less likely to want to soothe yourself with snacks.

Criminey! I need to get back on track!!! Talk about a huge eye-opener!

All-or-Nothing Thinking

As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that I suffer from all-or-nothing thinking. A friend of mine once told me that I was a perfectionist, and I laughed until she explained that I was the type of perfectionist who completely gave up trying at all if I couldn't do it perfectly.

What a bondage! Perfection or nothing at all...and so I ended up doing nothing at all, seemingly giving up while anger and frustration seethed deep inside.

This thinking has affected every area of my life, keeping me from trying new things (if I can't do it right the first time, I wasn't going to do it at all), keeping me from being myself with people I didn't know well (hey, if they don't know who I really am, their rejection won't mean as much), keeping the house clean (it didn't stay clean, and I was easily overwhelmed so it was easier to ignore it than to fight what seemed to be a losing battle), and more obviously, this thinking kept me from living a healthy life.

All or nothing...I didn't give myself room to make mistakes, to recover from those mistakes and move on, learning from them. I buried my anger and disappointment in food and an attitude of "why bother?" It wouldn't make a difference anyway.

Over the past few years I've slowly been learning to let go of this and to take those risks and make mistakes. The truth is, I don't have to be perfect to be liked, and even to be loved. I simply need to do my best and give myself grace when I mess up.

Applying this truth to my physical health is giving me the room to live my life and the freedom to make those healthy choices.

I found this article on About.com's Weight Loss Channel. I found it to be extremely helpful and hope it's the same for you :)

5 Steps to Banish All-or-Nothing Thinking
Take the middle ground when it comes to losing weight.
By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

When you want to lose a significant amount of weight, it's easy to fall into all-or-nothing thinking ...

You rationalize: 1. ) You have to follow a super-strict diet to succeed and/or 2.) If you fall off the wagon and eat junk for a day or two, you've blown it altogether.

This train of thought can be very detrimental to your weight loss efforts, but it's all too easy to fall into. So what's a "loser" to do?

Step One: Loosen Up
The first way to avoid all-or-nothing thinking is to shake the idea that you must follow an extremely restrictive diet to lose weight.

The fact is, most people who successfully maintain weight loss don't diet. They make healthy, permanent lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on calories, practicing portion control, and reigning in emotional eating.

Successful "losers" focus on weight management, not just weight loss.

Step Two: Give In... Just a Little
Severely limiting your food intake or completely cutting out your favorite foods sets you up to binge. Temptation becomes much less powerful when you can have just a taste of something "bad" now and again instead of telling yourself it's off limits for good.

This can be daunting at first. But you will become accustomed to satisfying your craving with a smaller amount of your trigger foods and you'll learn "when to say when".

Step Three: Stop Saying the "D Word"
We "go on" and "go off" diets after every holiday season; we say "I start my Monday." only to be off it by the weekend. Nobody says "I start my new way of life Monday." But that's exactly what we need to do. An effective diet isn't just for Christmas, it's for life.

To find a way-of-eating that works for the long haul, be leery of any plan that restricts entire food groups or that relies on one type of food (e.g. soup, pre-prepared entrees) as its mainstay.

We need variety not only for nutritional reasons, but also to satisfy ourselves. Believe me, because I've been there: Go on a diet that requires you to eat foods you don't like -- or completely omits your favorites -- and you will eventually dread every meal.

Step Four: Forgive Yourself
So ... you've decided to give Step Two a try and allow yourself your favorite treat, chocolate chip cookies. But you don't stop at a couple ... you eat half the package. Then, for breakfast tomorrow morning ... you polish off the other half.

Have you completely blown your diet again? Does that mean it’s time to give up altogether? Do you think, "Maybe I'm just not cut out for this." and go back to old eating habits?

Not allowing yourself to make mistakes is the worst mistake you can make. Seriously.

Here's some food for thought: All-or-nothing thinking is a way to let yourself off the hook. It's an escape route. ("Oh, now I've screwed up. Glad I don't have to bother anymore".).

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.

It sounds trite, but every day truly is a new beginning. You can't erase last night’s binge, but you can aim for a much healthier today!

Step 5: Celebrate Small Victories
Go ahead: Praise yourself for the small challenges you surmount; you won't give up so easily if you do.

Yes, choosing 2-percent over whole milk is a victory. Doing an exercise video on Friday is a triumph, even if it’s the first day you've exercised this week.

Take it easy on yourself as you're learning how to be a new, improved, healthier you. After all, you're only human... a soon-to-be-much-lighter human!

Introducing....

our new kitten, The Mighty Diesel Thunderpurr!   So named because his loud purr is remiscent of a diesel engine :)  We'll be calling him Diesel.

I don't have any photos handy, but here are a couple of videos:

I hope you enjoy his antics as much as we do :)

Moving Forward

It's been a difficult couple of weeks dealing with Riley being sick and then having him put to sleep. I put my focus on following South Beach, exercising and blogging aside so I could spend time with Riley and then give myself room to mourn his loss.

Friday evening I went to look at a kitten and ended up taking him home with me. He's an adorable little guy, still nameless as my husband and I debate different names, but we're getting closer :)

I still miss my Riley, but this kitten is helping to ease that loss and bring my focus onto the present. I know this might sound a bit extreme to some of you, but Riley was that one special pet so many people dream of having, my loyal and loving companion. I'd had him since he was 3 weeks old, and he bonded with me as his mom. He would sleep on my back at night, lay on the computer desk in front of me when I was online, come running when I called him, play fetch with me, sit at my feet and meow at me to pick him up and then let me carry him around the house as he observed everything from this new vantage point with a lively curiousity and intelligence. He would begin to purr the moment I touched him, and when I came home he would almost always come to greet me. Riley was sweet-natured, loving, playful, curious, intelligent, soft and cuddly, gentle, and so affectionate with me. He really was my baby cat, and a true gift of love from God.

My husband and I are having a time of it trying to come up with a name for the new kitten, but we'll find one eventually.

I began walking again last night after work, and will be continuing to walk on a daily basis at least 5 times a week. As soon as we get our living room uncluttered this weekend, I'm going to begin the core exercises outlined in "Never Say Diet" by Chantel Hobbs, using an exercise ball. I'll begin doing those 2-3 times a week for 20 minutes a day.

I haven't done too poorly with healthy eating choices, but I wasn't following my plan very closely. I allowed myself some less healthy choices here and there, and am actually quite pleased that as of today I'm at 233.2 lbs! That's great news, all things considered :)

I do have some recipe reviews which I'll be posting in a few days, as well as an article I've found about how pets contribute to our emotional and mental well-being. Yep, they're part of a healthy life as well!

A Sad Day

We had to have Riley put to sleep this morning.  He was unable to walk and seemed to be in pain.  I'm going to miss my little cat so much!

Beloved Riley
May 1999 - July 8, 2009
My gift of love from God

My husband purchased this memorial photo frame from the pet cemetery where we had Riley buried:

A Rainbow of Color

One of the joys of healthy eating is the wide variety of colorful and healthy foods. Nothing is more appealing than a plate filled with nutritious brown rice, colorful vegetables and a lean meat cooked in a light sauce, then covered with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds....mmmmmm!

A wide variety of colorful foods is essential for a healthy diet, and as this article shows, it's easy to do.

The Color Me Happy Diet
How can you make sure you're eating a balanced diet? Forget frantically calculating the relative benefits of bananas, tomatoes, spinach, and kale. Just think in technicolor. The compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color also have unique nutritional properties, so by eating a wide array of colors, you can maximize these benefits. A colorful diet protects your body against a multitude of ailments: cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and vision loss, among others. Here's a handy color-coded food guide:

Raging Red
Fruits with a red hue, such as tomatoes, guava, and papaya, contain lycopene, a reddish pigment and nutrient. Large studies indicate that this substance protects against a variety of cancers, including that of the prostate, stomach, and lung. As an antioxidant, lycopene protects cell structures and DNA against the nefarious effects of free radicals—small particles that damage healthy cells and allow tumor cells to develop. Indeed, one study in Nutrition and Cancer showed that lycopene was better than two other antioxidants—alpha and beta carotene—at stopping uterine, breast, and lung cancer cells from developing in test tubes.

Orange Crush
Carrots, mangoes, apricots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, are brimming with cryptoxanthin and beta-carotene—two substances that reduce the risk for a variety of mental and physical ailments. For example, cryptoxanthin protects against arthritis and cancer, while beta-carotene keeps the mind sharp. In a 2005 study from the Archives of Internal Medicine, cryptoxanthin protected individuals from developing rheumatoid arthritis, even as other antioxidants did not; other studies suggest it reduces risk for lung cancer. Beta-carotene, for its part, kept cognition and memory from declining in a group of doctors who took part in an 18-year study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Green Giants
Spinach, salad, and other leafy vegetables protect the eyes and the heart, among other important body parts. Lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients found in these foods, keep us from going blind by reducing the risk of cataracts in old age. Even better are the effects that greens have on the heart. For every daily serving you eat, you reduce your risk for heart disease by 11 percent, found a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Leafy greens also contain vitamins A and C, which help keep the body from creating oxidized cholesterol—the stuff that sticks in the arteries and clogs them.

Healthy Shade of Berry
The dark red-purple hues of berries, beets, and purple cabbages are derived from anthocyanins. These prevent tumor growth and may have anti-inflammatory properties that reduce pain from arthritis and protect against heart disease. Even in individuals undergoing cancer treatment, berries may be helpful—there is some evidence they aid in chemotherapy by diminishing cancer cells' ability to survive the onslaught of poison contained in anti-cancer drugs, noted Navindra Seeram, MD, in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Full of Brown Beans
Although not technically fruits or vegetables, beans can play an important role in maintaining a healthy diet. Lentils, black beans, and chickpeas are an excellent source of folate, a B vitamin that helps to prevent damage to arteries by reducing homocysteine. Homocysteine, an amino acid, can cause harm to arteries and allow clots to form more easily, which in turn ups the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. By reducing blood levels of homocysteine, folate keeps blood vessels pristine.

and some excerpts from this article: Nature's Bounty: Color-Coding Your Menu:

The foods you eat every day—fruits and veggies, meats and meat substitutes, dairy products and bread—all contain vital nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. But some—particularly, deeply colored fruits and veggies—are superstars. Not only are such foods rich in nutrients needed in specific amounts, they also contain phytochemicals and other functional ingredients for which no minimum amount has yet been established.

Your best bet is to think: color. The natural color of a food can be a reliable indicator of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it supplies. For example, dark green veggies such as broccoli, spinach, and sugar snap peas are high in vitamin C. Red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet peppers, and sweet potatoes are known for their high beta carotene, or vitamin A, content, but they can also be rich in vitamin C.

White fruits and veggies, like mushrooms, potatoes, and bananas, supply B vitamins and many minerals, while white dairy products—milk, yogurt,cheese—provide ample amounts of calcium (and are usually fortified with vitamin D).

Purplish-blue foods, like grapes and blueberries, are best known for their anticancer and heart-helping antioxidants. But like most other fruits and vegetables, they are also high in vitamin C and fiber.

Brown foods in the form of grains, nuts, and seeds supply vitamins E and B, which include folic acid. Brown and white foods like meat, fish, poultry, tofu, and legumes stand out as defining sources of protein and minerals like iron and zinc.

The more colors you toss into your shopping cart, the better chance you have of meeting all your nutritional needs. Choose a variety of superstars from every food group—mangoes and blueberries from the fruit group; spinach, broccoli, and potatoes from vegetables; oatmeal, wheat germ, and a multigrain roll from the grains; skim milk and yogurt from dairy; salmon and lentils from the protein group—all packed into a single day.

Riley Update

It looks like Riley may have fatty liver disease. It's not fatal as long as we can get him to eat. Taht's not been easy, however, because he has no appetite and little interest in eating.

I've resorted to buying baby food and am spooning it onto his mouth so he'll lick it off.  We're getting some food into him that way.

Thankfully he's still drinking.

Your thoughts, prayers and kind words are appreciated.  This is my baby cat, and I love him so much.  It's been hard on me this last week, and I'm taking somewhat of a break from walking and disciplined eating.  I'm not going overboard with poor choices, but I'm giving myself some leeway.

Riley will be going back to the vet this next Saturday, so hopefully I'll have good news then.

Update

It's been a couple of days since I posted.  I've been doing ok with my eating, not so consistent with my exercise, and it's pretty much due to stress. 

My beloved cat Riley is sick, and I'm afraid this is it for him.  My sweet husband is taking him to the vet tomorrow morning as Riley hasn't improved much at all, and I'm prepared for the worst.  I'm hoping for the best, though.

I'm so thankful for my husband...Riley has been in my life for over 10 years, and he's that one special pet of a lifetime.  We bonded when I found him at 3 weeks old, and he's my baby cat.  He's been with me through so much and has always been such a sweet and delightful companion.  I can't face taking him to the vet and hearing bad news, so my husband is doing that for me.  If this is the worst, my husband has promised to hold Riley and love on him while he's being put to sleep.  That's a huge comfort to me.  I know my husband loves Riley and will make his last moments full of love.

I won't be walking tonight, just in case.  I plan to spend as much time as I can with my baby cat, holding him and loving on him.  I've done so much crying over the thought of this the last few days, and I'm tearing up now.

If this is the end of the road for Riley, my husband and I are going to have him buried at a local pet cemetary in their country garden area.  I've never wanted to do this for any other pet, but Riley deserves this.  If we owned a house, I'd bury Riley in the backyard, but we rent, so that's not an option.

I'll be back posting tomorrow with news one way or the other.