tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71899659439572773192024-03-18T20:37:18.293-07:00Cherry BlossomsHealthy Bodies, Healthy HomesLynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-80803449976749628722011-03-16T12:26:00.000-07:002011-03-16T12:59:02.761-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5c5D2TRG61-sBE5ulxTdnrJqKV5zZGh80T-5w84pVZQkC2_7tnFCGC1AqKAJ-ij08OWbuHy3kzmGYFqqVqSIG5-4FLZwBjq_GxNBhe8ZXB6m4pwHO271t-Aq3BybNZEUyHRYmsJQgzKd/s1600/rainbow.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 109px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5c5D2TRG61-sBE5ulxTdnrJqKV5zZGh80T-5w84pVZQkC2_7tnFCGC1AqKAJ-ij08OWbuHy3kzmGYFqqVqSIG5-4FLZwBjq_GxNBhe8ZXB6m4pwHO271t-Aq3BybNZEUyHRYmsJQgzKd/s320/rainbow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584765589882051874" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Remember the Rainbow song from pre-school?<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />♫♪ ♫♪Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue♫♪ ♫♪</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"> ♫♪ ♫♪I can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing </span><span style="font-size:78%;">a rainbow too.♫♪ ♫♪</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of the challenges I hear from clients is that they are getting bored,<br />you can only eat chicken and broccoli for so long until rebellion sets in!<br />Your challenge is to eat the rainbow!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"> ♫♪ ♫♪Red and yellow and pink and green,<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvNnlUxPJZeFRmnFIIjfcF3ltDT5JNFfHBrawOKSwaSwUc_sNg7XQGXCsxiruF-JDPwotL8OnzMzXdljXBvFPcXP-66fGXYsw-g-nqt9Vz7Hwg8D7IgMvnJ49tnqe4ybnbldmiqNsMu0a/s1600/Farmers+Mkt2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvNnlUxPJZeFRmnFIIjfcF3ltDT5JNFfHBrawOKSwaSwUc_sNg7XQGXCsxiruF-JDPwotL8OnzMzXdljXBvFPcXP-66fGXYsw-g-nqt9Vz7Hwg8D7IgMvnJ49tnqe4ybnbldmiqNsMu0a/s320/Farmers+Mkt2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584768634922801570" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-size:78%;">Purple and ora</span><span style="font-size:78%;">nge and</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> blue♫♪ ♫♪</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpxCxUGWGalBJkkBt3R5PYRo4PB7IeEhrMgFfC-mq2J4cb-e4aL0DYsmeOiX585lRLFMNYigrmDTbUZ8vbZmpE_h12viR5Aovnw58w2wBt59vtByhzVih7b6uN0_JsraaZ2NtlIy65YRy/s1600/IMG_0079.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpxCxUGWGalBJkkBt3R5PYRo4PB7IeEhrMgFfC-mq2J4cb-e4aL0DYsmeOiX585lRLFMNYigrmDTbUZ8vbZmpE_h12viR5Aovnw58w2wBt59vtByhzVih7b6uN0_JsraaZ2NtlIy65YRy/s320/IMG_0079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584768398014601522" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"> ♫♪ ♫♪I can eat a rainbow, eat a rainbow</span><span style="font-size:78%;">, </span><span style="font-size:78%;">eat a rainb</span><span style="font-size:78%;">ow too</span><span style="font-size:78%;">.♫♪ ♫♪</span><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcKj1WVMRfJe9LjR1bDxKjb_cploOy17vruFOC4i6XZdgEUO0A3RsQhxTmgM8b0PKNaM72CxuU8DQjhgtZXnZLjtig_5sZaaYRqEvA3UQEnB5w2-YCxrVa3BUWX1Xvt3QChDSWnJIXF7y/s1600/Farmers+Mkt3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcKj1WVMRfJe9LjR1bDxKjb_cploOy17vruFOC4i6XZdgEUO0A3RsQhxTmgM8b0PKNaM72CxuU8DQjhgtZXnZLjtig_5sZaaYRqEvA3UQEnB5w2-YCxrVa3BUWX1Xvt3QChDSWnJIXF7y/s320/Farmers+Mkt3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584769262072737074" border="0" /></a></span><br /></span></div><table style="border: medium none; border-collapse: collapse; width: 497px; height: 200px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <colgroup><col width="*"><col width="*"><col width="*"><col width="*"><col width="*"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="min-height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> <span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Red</span></span></p></td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Orange / Yellow</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Pink / Purple</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Green / Blue</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >White / Brown</span></span></p> </td></tr><tr style="min-height: 0px;"><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Radishes</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Red Peppers</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Red Leaf Lettuces</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Tomato</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Spaghetti Squash</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Summer Squash</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Sweet peppers</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Yellow tomato</span></span></p> <span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" ></span></span></td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Red Cabbage</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Turnips</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Eggplant</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Scallions</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Celery</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Greens: Collard, Mustard, Kale or Turnip</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Cucumber</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Lettuces: Green Leaf, Butter, Iceberg, Romain</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Spinach</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Broccoli</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Asparagus </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Green Beans</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Watercress</span></span></p> </td><td style="border: 1px dotted rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding: 7px;"><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Endive</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >White Asparagus</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Mushrooms</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Cauliflower</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Wax beans</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Mung beans</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Alfalfa sprouts</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Fennel bulb</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;font-family:Arial;" >Jicama</span></span></p> </td></tr></tbody></table>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-1208616321319714792011-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:002011-03-16T12:24:19.280-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQl7RsNg6WfMm0MUrPi7fzIfJdQ5RBJc3R87kHPcC_Vi6f7s65g5DuKF6u3DEJRbCoWky9AGMMWM8e9QhFheirf-7CK4kUK5cgSAlv2xiq9avI7HhxzSO6KoCyrvVj3juqDg-sCdDeKiz/s1600/Scale.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQl7RsNg6WfMm0MUrPi7fzIfJdQ5RBJc3R87kHPcC_Vi6f7s65g5DuKF6u3DEJRbCoWky9AGMMWM8e9QhFheirf-7CK4kUK5cgSAlv2xiq9avI7HhxzSO6KoCyrvVj3juqDg-sCdDeKiz/s320/Scale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584760698261548194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >Yes, there is an art and etiquette to a proper weigh in</span><br /></div><br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Weighing yourself first thing in the morning is usually best. </b>Because of variations in food and fluid consumption, we often "gain" different amounts of weight throughout the day. It's also best to do it wearing the same thing, be it your jammies or your birthday suit.<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><ol style="text-align: left;" start="2"><li><b>If you're weighing frequently, remember that daily fluctuations in weight are common. </b>Just because you're heavier today than yesterday doesn't mean your weight control program isn't working. Don't become a slave to the numbers. You want the overall trend to be downward. A few days of an upward trend can serve as a wake up call!<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><ol style="text-align: left;" start="3"><li><b>Monthly variations in weight are also common in menstruating women. </b>Don't get discouraged when the relatives come to town!!<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><ol style="text-align: left;" start="4"><li><b>"Plateaus" in weight loss aren't necessarily bad.</b> If you're exercising a lot, your weight may remain constant for a time even though you're still decreasing your body fat content and getting healthier. Remember it's not a true plateau unless you have been at the same weight for at least 2+ weeks and have been 100% on plan. If you think you may have hit a plateau call your coach immediately!!<br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><ol style="text-align: left;" start="5"><li><b>Finally, cues other than the numbers on the scale are equally important. </b>How do you feel? Are your clothes getting looser or tighter? Do you feel stronger, healthier, leaner? Your own perceptions can be the most valuable tool to help you track your weight control progress.That's why it's important to not only weigh but measure, using a tape or a snug pair of pants.<br /></li></ol>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-67687829597756548632011-03-16T11:49:00.000-07:002011-03-16T12:09:55.398-07:00Albus Dumbledore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkfsHR9NAHYLx3AUW3iV5S7KKz6TcUGkcJ7QIrVZHsF9KK7HX6n-cak_wRTsv5VtmMOtzcYnQHTAFBWTDkeS8eQLnybYK7mZLesxorm4gkK7Sat9m6PNsZWvN3_fJWYJIFKvdsjCQNVNB/s1600/Dumbledore.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 117px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkfsHR9NAHYLx3AUW3iV5S7KKz6TcUGkcJ7QIrVZHsF9KK7HX6n-cak_wRTsv5VtmMOtzcYnQHTAFBWTDkeS8eQLnybYK7mZLesxorm4gkK7Sat9m6PNsZWvN3_fJWYJIFKvdsjCQNVNB/s320/Dumbledore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584757081342366034" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.</span></span></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-2901589513480802142011-03-16T11:45:00.001-07:002011-03-16T11:49:16.974-07:00DASH<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FyiKjqIXrOBztgbMZ9j7NHzhU-8LGFlmcBpDe9RXiyyznRK86w-YYAKbQlqP55UNG5MjGYG7tRoFNTygU83hQrBV9mD6FnEszHzShHJmdGP1wfx9RdeQALHkPXyvpWkMeWJnHBDApiAt/s1600/Dash.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FyiKjqIXrOBztgbMZ9j7NHzhU-8LGFlmcBpDe9RXiyyznRK86w-YYAKbQlqP55UNG5MjGYG7tRoFNTygU83hQrBV9mD6FnEszHzShHJmdGP1wfx9RdeQALHkPXyvpWkMeWJnHBDApiAt/s320/Dash.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584750999443720034" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A young man named Steven was talking in church today about playing on the US Junior Mens Team Handball Team. Team Handball is like playing soccer only with a small handball. Steven was a goalie and during an important international game [the equivalent of a World Cup game] he got a little cocky and made a rookie mistake - he took his eye off the dash.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Steven explained that as goalie you are the only person allowed in the goal area [marked in yellow above] and because your back is to the goal you need to keep your eye on the dash. In front of the goal line is a small 1 meter long mark or dash used as a penalty throw line. The goalie uses this dash as his reference point as it marks the center of his goal behind him and it lets him know where he is in relationship to the goal at all times. He can't be constantly turning around and looking for the goal he has to know where it is based on his reference point - the dash.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Back to our story, Steven bated an opposing player to take a shot, but because he had taken his eye off the dash he didn't realize he was out of position which allowed the opposition to score on him. That 1 meter mark, so small in comparison to the other court markings made the difference.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You have a dash. Each of you is defending a goal and handballs are flying at you left and right. Life is a full contact sport and taking your eye off your dash, even for a moment, can make the difference between mounting a successful defense of your goal or being taken out by the opposition.</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-41410104344894967762011-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:002011-02-10T13:18:59.900-08:00An Affair to Remember<p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">by Health Coach Pat</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">February - the month of LOVE - Valentines Day = hearts, flowers, kisses, chocolates, fancy dinners. Who do you love? WHAT do you love?</p><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeOoZNwmHl85Dsan3lBnTnXhvyRJERhjBHO7DC-caADQeg6nTep-6jdDiUmM6cqV_zag7RplvFVB_uC-ydQtYhirm7jo4mnty6H6QvmJuqNjXk1YcSqhIwBiS6KKIcETcnOi2pYnUb-NL/s1600/Cake.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeOoZNwmHl85Dsan3lBnTnXhvyRJERhjBHO7DC-caADQeg6nTep-6jdDiUmM6cqV_zag7RplvFVB_uC-ydQtYhirm7jo4mnty6H6QvmJuqNjXk1YcSqhIwBiS6KKIcETcnOi2pYnUb-NL/s200/Cake.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572172968895173570" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">My post today is about our love affair with food and how to nurture ourselves in ways other than through our mouths. For centuries, the message for women to show their affection to those they love has been through FEEDING them, and many have internalized this idea and applied it to nurturing themselves as well. For men, eating the food and goodies showed that they care in return.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">After all, food, means love in most cultures, and in America we have taken this idea to new heights. Hasn’t it <u>felt </u>true that a hot-fudge sundae won’t lie to you, reject you, is easily accessible and affordable? Yes and no. Remember, when it comes to food, feelings come and go. It is easy to be entangled in a love affair with food. The problem with affairs is that they hurt those involved, are short-lived, almost always blow up in your face, and produce shame. The affair with food is no exception.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">The affair with food begins with the courting phase. You remember it… when the chocolate melts in your mouth and provides a temporary moment of exhilaration. Never mind the fact that when sugar is ingested it raises serotonin levels in the brain creating similar chemical effects of, you guessed it, being in love. It isn’t long before the remorse and guilt, the “I shouldn’t have’s” kick in and you realize you’re hurting someone again. In the torrid affair with food, the one we most deeply injure is ourselves. As it is with a harmful love affair, the positive attention food initially provided becomes more sporadic. It literally adds excess baggage and over time the nurturing feelings are more difficult to achieve. Finally, the self-loathing becomes so great the participant gets honest and knows it has to end.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:-1;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So how do we transform this love affair with food into a healthier long-term balanced nurturing relationship? It begins with learning to nurture ourselves in ways other than food. It begins with re-framing our thinking of what it means to eat healthfully. Tell yourself that choosing substances to put in your body that add <u>to</u> your health, rather than detract <u>from </u>it is not a punishment. It is in fact one of the most practical declarations of self-love we can make. This means taking the time to cook yourself healthy meals, stopping at restaurants you know have choices that will work for your body long term rather than provide a quick fix. </span> </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Notice what feeling is underlying your desire to eat a particular food and seek out a life-affirming way to get this need met. Many turn to food first when really wanting physical nurturing. Treat yourself to a massage, hug your spouse, buy yourself a teddy bear and hug it, pet your dog, If you’re stressed at work, instead of going to the vending machine to “give yourself a break,” take a walk, call a friend and vent your feelings, go to the bathroom and get quiet for a few moments. If you eat to quell loneliness or sadness, invite a friend over for a healthy meal, go to a movie, or curl up on your couch with your favorite blanket and a good book. Light a candle and listen to your favorite music, and by all means cry if you feel the urge. (OK guys - you don't have to cry!) </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">Although you may initially grieve giving up the highs and lows of the rush of your familiarly intense but chaotic relationship with food, over time you will begin to appreciate and even prefer the consistency of a nurturing, balanced relationship with food and with yourself. </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">If you are overweight, chances are that you indulge in some form of comfort eating. Figure out why you comfort eat and you will be well on the way to a <span style="font-weight: bold;">D-i-v-o-r-c-e</span> from your thoroughly unsuitable love.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:100%;">You'll be much happier once it's all over.</span></p>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-27656686325291060402011-01-17T09:19:00.000-08:002011-01-17T09:31:51.330-08:00Operation!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A funny thing happened on the </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">way to the </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">operating room! </span></span><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 114px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa6ohbhcoB29rrTsmbhqjfVMhUgMrFokz1RIWgPhnfVGJXURNUQcWg4uk13l8YbOwijjXR7Mvj73v42gVNEhmQXjYqKjMHDVdLYXxsu3Phwl9ZHE_VgAyzpyL0rZ8yHqp_fBJz6wV-YNz/s200/operation_game.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563207474715542562" border="0" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa6ohbhcoB29rrTsmbhqjfVMhUgMrFokz1RIWgPhnfVGJXURNUQcWg4uk13l8YbOwijjXR7Mvj73v42gVNEhmQXjYqKjMHDVdLYXxsu3Phwl9ZHE_VgAyzpyL0rZ8yHqp_fBJz6wV-YNz/s1600/operation_game.jpg"></a></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >I had surgery on Friday to repair a torn meniscus in my left knee. Don't know how I injured it, but it was a pain - literally - and it really impacted my daily life - yes I too thought walking was overrated until th</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >is happened!! LOL!!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >However, I had a really fun NSV [Non Scale Victory] happen while being prepped for the surgery. I had been dressed in my gown that drow</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ned me [NSV #1 - loved that one!], my "lunch lady" hairnet, fuzzy ugly brownish non-skid socks and compression stocking that was a little big [NSV #2] and I was waiting for the doctor to "sign off" on my knee [I had a magic marker "YES" with his initials on the correct leg]. When in walks the doctor who plops down in the chair, looks at me and says,<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >"I'm SO GLAD y</span><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >ou're little!"<br /><br />I about fell out of my rolly chair!!<br />WHAT? ME? LITTLE?????</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span> <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >It seems his patient before me was a very "large" man. In fact he was so large that the scrub nurse said she was struggling to get him moved on and off the table and the doctor remarked about how hard is was to work on large patients - </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >his words, "It takes a lot out of me!".<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Needless to say I drifted off to LaLa Land with a big huge smile on my face!</span><br /><br /></span> </div> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Some times when we're in the trenches it's hard to see where we've come from. My mental image still has not aligned with my physical image. Others may view me as "little" but I still see myself as the "Big Momma that bakes cookie</span><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">s". And it's only when I have these NSV's that my mental image starts to align. I still fight the scale everyday - it NEVER shows me the "Magic" number I so want to see [stupid scale!] but it does show me my reality. It's only when I put the two together that I can see the "big picture" - where I've been, where I am, and where I will be:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ71AVMq2RIowEwQuZcAN2JZfFRtWUqD1hrh1v4D6IrTpBrLIUTiK7f9K0Ulg6ip37gL2UR8vjkY1EG3rCTIUit3ocvJXCSNIw8M4TZNjhLfBIDeBsSy5Z48lOUOk8RrwnaB6NpeH_xG1Q/s1600/GetTicker.aspx.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 57px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ71AVMq2RIowEwQuZcAN2JZfFRtWUqD1hrh1v4D6IrTpBrLIUTiK7f9K0Ulg6ip37gL2UR8vjkY1EG3rCTIUit3ocvJXCSNIw8M4TZNjhLfBIDeBsSy5Z48lOUOk8RrwnaB6NpeH_xG1Q/s200/GetTicker.aspx.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563206441683960066" border="0" /></a></span></span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Take a few moments today to thank yourself for fighting the good fight! Thank yourself for staying on plan one more day! Thank yourself for being a blessing to someone else [like my doctor and his nurse] because you loved yourself enough to lose the weight! We can do it - together!</span><br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"></span></span></div></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-17674982058960034712010-12-06T00:00:00.001-08:002010-12-06T00:05:49.632-08:00Setbacks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8a0pWHD6DfX-8InWL1hQNiBOFKHsPef3CR4XrBOyJvKa3d-fv44h8PPz8nxE8O18vslUJcB_3cahfRDpwMZnbMXPFol8IX3BSoXEDIPHox5qmwJZmloUTD2szj9RnYqTj-uHrZYQgMzsX/s1600/act_michael_jordan.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8a0pWHD6DfX-8InWL1hQNiBOFKHsPef3CR4XrBOyJvKa3d-fv44h8PPz8nxE8O18vslUJcB_3cahfRDpwMZnbMXPFol8IX3BSoXEDIPHox5qmwJZmloUTD2szj9RnYqTj-uHrZYQgMzsX/s200/act_michael_jordan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547476365906812690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I've never been afraid to fail.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> winning shot and missed.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;">I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Michael Jordan</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The important thing is to realize that temporary setbacks are not permanent failures. Successful people recognize that we all experience temporary setbacks that require us to reevaluate our performance and take corrective action to achieve success.</span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:130%;">They know that adversity is never permanent.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Correct your course, get your act together, put on your big girl panties and do everything it takes to win - that is how you succeed!</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-6166857038787103072010-12-05T23:56:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:09:37.615-08:00Emperor Penguins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WAFX-RU65mrwouWxGyTiqVjLc4E0Ug76b-4OhvRa-1HORDS-B72nIxYYnSY3ZAwAJlRG7ru4P_8wZP3_epiR4cgd42uigNkvyeFOqP_msDzc8wvcwe6PPChuWafWeMjQ83HzZGoWK2ZL/s1600/bigstock_Emperor_penguins_58094421.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WAFX-RU65mrwouWxGyTiqVjLc4E0Ug76b-4OhvRa-1HORDS-B72nIxYYnSY3ZAwAJlRG7ru4P_8wZP3_epiR4cgd42uigNkvyeFOqP_msDzc8wvcwe6PPChuWafWeMjQ83HzZGoWK2ZL/s200/bigstock_Emperor_penguins_58094421.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547475617071641154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxthy0cdNKMOIbb6idPbZcWQNbelHD-agghP4gTOXYFPXo0nDUVoi5E-Whe7OQnjGTHyYHCt09FrGymgZ9_UBdgChtnAw0JHreqZyVPUUeTKnVd7Yse899nRx3BrcHLprp6mzGKrvv1Qk/s1600/Antarctica_-adults_and_juvenile-8.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxthy0cdNKMOIbb6idPbZcWQNbelHD-agghP4gTOXYFPXo0nDUVoi5E-Whe7OQnjGTHyYHCt09FrGymgZ9_UBdgChtnAw0JHreqZyVPUUeTKnVd7Yse899nRx3BrcHLprp6mzGKrvv1Qk/s200/Antarctica_-adults_and_juvenile-8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547475426389989794" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Emperor <span class="il">Penguins</span> are some of the most social and well traveled animals in the world as shown in recent big screen movies like Happy Feet, Surfs Up and March of the <span class="il">Penguins</span>. Their unique habitat and way of life is not duplicated anywhere in the animal kingdom. Once an egg is born an unusual phenomenon occurs. The mothers gently transfer the egg on the top of her feet to the top of the feet of the father.<br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The males then shuffle into groups. Their eggs still tucked above their feet. To survive they must generate their own heat by huddling. Speeding up the action, reveals an unparalleled display of sharing as each penguin works its way to the warmer center. Emperors are the only non-territorial </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="il">penguins</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> and they have to be. If they lose the huddle for even a moment, precious heat escapes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Their greatest test lies ahead—winter blizzards. The temperature plunges to seventy-five below zero. The birds at the edge of the huddle bear the brunt of hundred-mile-an-hour winds and shelter those taking their turn in the middle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="il">penguins</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> huddle together, tighter and tighter in what looks like hump after hump of snow-covered, black, furry mounds in concentric circles. Their senses tell them their personal survival depends on their fellow </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="il">penguins</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. Their instincts tell them the next generation, tucked safely between belly and feet, needs them to endure.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In many ways we are like Emperor </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="il">Penguins</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. We've hatched this egg (our desire to lose weight), and now it's up to us to keep it safe until it hatches (reaching our goal weight). And just like the Emperors we can huddle together to keep our egg safe. Here are ways we can do it:</span><br /><ol style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Keep to the 5&1 religiously - like the Emperors if we step outside the huddle we loose precious energy or face certain "death" of our egg. I like the saying, "Cheating only keeps me fat longer". Each bite we take out of the "huddle" throws us out of fat burn, sabotaging all the work we've done!<br /></li><li>Report in each week to your Health Coach. Reporting each week allows us the opportunity to take our turn in the center of the huddle. All week we've been out in the blizzard and it's time to come in from the cold. Your Health Coach has been where you've been! We've survived the winter blizzards and lived to encourage, strengthen and support you!<br /></li><li>Take advantage of all the support available. </li><ol><li><a href="http://client.powerlosers.com/" target="_blank">Client.Powerlosers.Com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.tsflsupportinmotion.com/" target="_blank">Support In Motion</a></li><li><a href="http://tsfl.com/support.asp" target="_blank">Weekly Support Call Schedule, Support Center Information</a><br /></li></ol></ol><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Working together, taking turns incubating, feeding, shielding, and teaching we can survive the long winter of our "egg's"journey.</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-16324498564573133482010-12-05T23:51:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:09:10.956-08:00Stress<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Ofa8W3TEu4chaG9nwgG6ICYIOv8b8XmGf4Wr6uHDsTG1NvFWqCSollJbvV71-Qr-WX4H-o8xB_Cgqrrgatey8KE-v3LgkiSSPU0w2VepWV5EgRNvTN9NzFH_OHwdNEGlsw3co1lKnsk/s1600/bigstockphoto_desperation_19150181.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0Ofa8W3TEu4chaG9nwgG6ICYIOv8b8XmGf4Wr6uHDsTG1NvFWqCSollJbvV71-Qr-WX4H-o8xB_Cgqrrgatey8KE-v3LgkiSSPU0w2VepWV5EgRNvTN9NzFH_OHwdNEGlsw3co1lKnsk/s200/bigstockphoto_desperation_19150181.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547474072101200530" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style=";font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:130%;" >Ever had one of "THOSE" days?</span><br /><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Maybe a better question is who hasn't had one!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We all have stress - it's how we deal with it that sets us up for success in our weight loss</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I'd like to share with you an article written by one of our team members - Dan Morgan. Dan is a wellness spokesperson for his company and writes a monthly article for the company newsletter. He's given me permission to share it with you. Check out how Dan deals with his stress:<br /></div><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hello again! I have made it another month in my quest toward my commitment goal to lose a total of 114 lbs. by January 31, 2011. This past month it has been a little rocky and a little slow for weight loss. My weigh-in this morning was 220 lbs. My goal still remains at 195 lbs., but I have added a commitment goal of an additional 10 lbs.<br /><br />Occasionally, I find myself wanting to binge eat if my stress level has been above normal for my day. The key to my success is realizing my weakness -- similar to a smoker realizing their weakness -- to use food to comfort me after a bad day. I also know that this is a lifestyle change I must embrace to keep the weight off. I must continually be aware of this moving forward in my quest.<br /><br />Recently, I met with my doctor, who (I must say) was ecstatic about my results. Since my first visit with doctor, I am off two of my medications for high blood pressure. The key to my weight loss is that I eat six small meals per day approximately every 2-1/2 to 3 hours.<br /><br />I am still playing racquetball and have just started playing in a competitive league. Then, in October, I am attending the “Fran Davis Racquetball Training Camp” to increase my ability level. Racquetball is my way of saying NO to the boring treadmill that in the past has lost my interest and become a great clothes hanger.<br /><br />In closing, let me say, I must continually take ownership of this process. This is my healthy lifestyle change, and my will to continue to be happy and healthy for my family, my children and my grandchildren. I wish each of you the WILL to do the same.<br />Kind regards,<br />Dan<br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If you don't have stress it probably means your dead! So learn what your stress triggers are and how you can deal with them. Take ownership of your lifestyle and your choices - no more blaming it on "Mother Nature", hormones or aliens invading your body! Work the plan and the Plan will WORK!!</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-62243457672613301082010-12-05T23:44:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:08:39.884-08:00The Tribbles Tree<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapjuJHBPkNvkWRZJmkHmlkZyq1ST3NJSMmiei7dtnRF6CRjwyyjsvuXYx79Ii3Y2L-GDj3OjkfkBjq6y5zChkvBvrtO9eIz24JXYuJYL3E7LT3omnTRsVOY6-NyNJHaMOZZvi317zU150/s1600/training+wheels.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapjuJHBPkNvkWRZJmkHmlkZyq1ST3NJSMmiei7dtnRF6CRjwyyjsvuXYx79Ii3Y2L-GDj3OjkfkBjq6y5zChkvBvrtO9eIz24JXYuJYL3E7LT3omnTRsVOY6-NyNJHaMOZZvi317zU150/s200/training+wheels.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547472407501141026" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When I was a kid growing up the Tribble Family lived down the street, right on the corner. When I was about 9 or so I got a new bike and started learning how to ride it. I was terrible!! And to make it worse, back in the dark ages and before dirt, they didn't have training wheels! (see the photo of some cool kids with training wheels AND Helmets!)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Like all good parents, mine decided they would teach me how to ride my new bike - btw it was a pink and white Huffy! I had tried it out a little on my own and was moderately successful - meaning I could go about 20 feet before crashing. I figured out that I could balance the bike against the front fence, hop on and start pedaling, go 20 feet then crash - maybe that accounts for some of the loss of brain function I have!! But I digress......</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Back to the parents teaching me how to ride. On that fateful day we all gathered out in front of our house and my dad started pushing me and running along side me to help me learn to balance, then he would let go and let me do it on my own, but catching me if I started to fall. After 3 or 4 tries he decided I was "experienced" enough that he wouldn't go with me this time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Dad gave me my big send off and I started pedaling like mad! With the family cheering me on and screaming "pedal Lynn, pedal faster" I was going to ride this bike by myself or die trying! I made it down the street pedaling my heart out only to come to the end of the street where I knew I had to stop or I would ride into a busy street. I had 2 choices: 1) put my brakes on and try to stop or 2) put my brakes on and turn. The problem with either choice was I hadn't been taught how to do either! We were so focused on teaching me to stay upright and to ride that no one had bothered to teach me how to turn or stop!! Minor detail??</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So here's where the Tribble's tree comes in. Remember the ride or die trying sentence a few moments ago? Well, I was going so fast that when I tried to use my coaster brakes I didn't realize I would end up turning too. And that's when it happened - I killed the Tribble's Tree! Yes, I AM A TREE KILLER!! Mr. Tribble had planted a small sapling in the front yard that ended up breaking my fall. A tree gave it's life so that I, the helmet-less, training wheel-less young bike rider could live!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You're probably wondering why I would tell you about the Tribble's deceased tree. From the story of the tree we can learn:</span><br /><ul style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><li>Weight loss is like learning to ride a bike. You have to learn to balance your life in order to be successful. Eating 6 healthy meals a day is so different from what most of us have done in the past. Yes, we may have eaten 6 (or more) times a day, but it probably wasn't healthy, and no french fries are not a vegetable!<br /></li><li>Using replacement meals, like the ones we use, is like using training wheels. It makes our weight loss "ride" easier. Yes, you can learn it on your own, but it's a lot harder, and you'll find yourself crashing - a lot!</li><li>Having a coach is like having your parent run along side you as you learn to ride on your own<br /></li><li>Like training wheels, at some point you may decide to take them off - and that's ok. My words of caution: make sure you have mastered the fundamentals of riding, like stopping and turning, BEFORE you take them off!!</li><li>If you find yourself crashing because you took the wheels off too early - you can always put them back on</li><li>And finally, watch for the trees in your path. Don't become a Tree Killer!</li></ul><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Some of you are pedaling for all your might right now! Congratulations! Remember, you have more than one set of training wheels you can use if you need them - I'm your training wheels too - and I'm there for you anytime you need me. I've crashed - a lot, and I'll continue to crash, but I've also been successful, I'm having the ride of my life and I'm willing to run next to you and catch you if you fall! BTW: Thanks for riding along with me!!</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-35124231391944624722010-12-05T23:35:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:08:17.689-08:00Biafra and Sirens<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Growing up in the days following the Great Depression and major World Wars my mom made sure we were members of the "Clean Plate Club". She didn't actually call it that, but that's what it was. You couldn't leave the table with food on your plate no matter how much you hated it! I remember one time sitting there crying for what seemed like hours because I couldn't leave the table till I finished my soup - it had cooked tomatoes and celery - which I hated and still to this day have a hard time getting down sometimes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I remember Mom using such motivations as "There are starving children in China who would love to have this to eat". To which I was thinking, "Well send it to them!" or "Why don't you go cook for them then?". Ooh, I was a rebellious soul!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Later on I used the same, less than successful, motivation on my own children, only by then it had changed to starving children in Biafra. Does anyone even remember </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biafra" target="_blank">Biafra</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> and the images of children suffering from starvation and malnutrition caused by the civil war? Let me tell you those images were powerful!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I recently sat down to a beautiful dinner at well known steak house. My tender and juicy fillet, cooked "just right" as Goldilocks would say, surrounded by the roasted asparagus and steamed broccoli. A perfect Lean and Green. I had chosen wisely.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">But there IT was. Sitting innocuously off to the side. Perfectly golden brown. Fluffy. Innocent in it's own simplicity. I hadn't asked for IT and IT certainly wasn't in the description of the meal on the menu card or I would have asked to have IT removed, but there IT was! Granted IT was small, maybe only 2 inches square by 1 inch high, but for the power IT had over me IT could have been the size of an aircraft carrier and IT wouldn't have made a difference!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It was with this internal brain tape of "cleaning your plate because others were starving" constantly running that when I had finished my meal I just couldn't leave well enough alone. IT started calling to me! That siren song [</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:78%;" > <span name="hotword">of</span> <span name="hotword">several</span> <span style="" name="hotword">sea</span> <span style="" name="hotword">nymphs,</span> <span style="" name="hotword">part</span> <span name="hotword">woman</span> <span name="hotword">and</span> <span name="hotword">part</span> <span name="hotword">bird,</span> <span name="hotword">who</span> <span name="hotword">lure</span><span style="" name="hotword"> mariners</span> <span name="hotword">to</span> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u><b><span style="" name="hotword">destruction</span></b></u></span> <span name="hotword">by</span> <span name="hotword">their</span> <span name="hotword">seductive</span> </span> <span name="hotword"><span style="font-size:78%;">singing</span>].</span> </span><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I was about to go under!</b><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">All of us are going to face temptations while we journey our way to being Healthy. For some it's going to be a small IT. For others IT will be huge! What ever IT is for you, identify IT. Plan for IT.</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mDJSA60uugToYWaowuqURygSlUgLAZG_TWCIsmE8M7ZXzCW7AnP9gIw9iyEclRKOYHoqKmUGLYz-5cZQ2TThhyphenhyphenlveXSlGMORjl9I0ViutIIfkt3jzJmNa6YDeUjqDB0Lh_z31Ck8ViZC/s1600/Ulysses.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mDJSA60uugToYWaowuqURygSlUgLAZG_TWCIsmE8M7ZXzCW7AnP9gIw9iyEclRKOYHoqKmUGLYz-5cZQ2TThhyphenhyphenlveXSlGMORjl9I0ViutIIfkt3jzJmNa6YDeUjqDB0Lh_z31Ck8ViZC/s200/Ulysses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547470743487855586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Remember Ulysses, in Homer's Odyssey, who planned for his encounter with the sirens. He had his crew's ears stopped with wax and himself lashed to the mast of the ship in order to survive. No amount of pleading with the crew - who could not hear his cries - would allow them to release him. Yes, people IT can be that seductive.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Take a minute to contemplate how you've been responding to the sirens. Are your ears stopped? Are you lashed to the mast? or have they invaded and you are about to go under? Remember you can change your mind tape!</span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-86011647890761518132010-12-05T23:26:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:07:56.352-08:00A Case of Mistaken Identity<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You've probably heard a version of this fable:</span><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">After touring the barn and the orchard beyond, the two men started back toward the house when the ranger noticed the hen house and chicken coop built against the back of the barn. He couldn’t help but smile at the way several dozen baby chicks were scratching and pecking in the dirt right along with their mothers. There was also a rooster and a couple of half-grown turkeys. Just as he was about to look away and follow the farmer back toward the house, his eye caught the movement of a huge bird just emerging from the shadows alongside the chicken house. At first, the ranger mistook it for a full grown turkey due to its size, but then he all but gasped as he recognized what kind of bird he was looking at. It was a huge bald eagle, one of the biggest and most beautiful bald eagles he had ever seen in all his years in the mountains!</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Seemingly oblivious to everything around him, the eagle was turning his majestic white head from side to side, peering at the ground, first with one eye and then with the other. Every now and then he would stop his awkward gait and scratch in the dirt like a giant chicken, even though his giant talons dug deep grooves in the earth instead of just scratching the surface like the hens around him.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Wha . . . what? It’s an eagle!” he stuttered as the farmer chuckled at his shock.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Yep. Found him in the mountains a couple of years ago, just a chick. Apparently his mother had been killed and the other chick died. We barely saved him, but he pulled through. We brought him home and put him in with the chickens and he’s been living with them ever since.”</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The ranger watched in amazement as one of the hens got upset at the eagle for getting too close to her chicks and flew at him in defense. The giant bird ducked his head and ran awkwardly away from the hen. </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Do you keep his flight feathers clipped to keep him from flying away?” the ranger asked.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Goodness, no,” answered the farmer. “No need to. He’s been with the chickens so long he doesn’t know he can get off the ground any farther than they can. Sometimes he’ll start to spread his wings and all the chickens get frightened and start making such a fuss that he tucks them right back in again. I think it scares him to have them react like that. We’ve never had to worry for a minute about him taking off.”</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“But . . . but . . . what about his instincts, his ancestry, his heritage! He’s an eagle, not a chicken!” the ranger blurted.</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Once again the farmer smiled as he started to turn away. “Well you know he’s an eagle and I know he’s an eagle, but the deal is . . . he doesn’t know he’s an eagle.”</p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Are you like this Eagle - you've been scratching with the chickens so long you've forgotten how to fly?<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When you start to fly and the other chickens raise a fuss do you pull back your wings?<br /></p><p style="margin-left: 80px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Do you really believe you are a chicken even when all the signs say you're not?<br /></p><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Have you even gone so far as to say I've always been this way, I'll die this way?<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9o4ymt7aclQ5FrOg5NdNRCIiRok0siuzwnfWoqsWy_VGsTiRJXZtjrpFE1id40jC3_0gcDfquxQcMSNaMB-qWUc-MfwI3WfJ3wDft-EI_W-CK2XAj2bWrLSX4KyGu-OSgUeifABZ298Yl/s1600/eagle.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9o4ymt7aclQ5FrOg5NdNRCIiRok0siuzwnfWoqsWy_VGsTiRJXZtjrpFE1id40jC3_0gcDfquxQcMSNaMB-qWUc-MfwI3WfJ3wDft-EI_W-CK2XAj2bWrLSX4KyGu-OSgUeifABZ298Yl/s200/eagle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547468286555094962" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Eagles</b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> soar high above other birds. Therefore, eagles must be willing to fly alone.</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsiwmJ5sfADEbTpeO5q7q3fEOLl2eb3UqHI1jf7dQtHEaAZm_bi0sROj8qmapsYrnZN16DQBZD91GSmnTDkGmJJvjM7pS1K0DR_b-FgLyKaWLcnLxjAyvekKRZEiL1qJ1pmmZyzh5IFAE/s1600/chickens.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsiwmJ5sfADEbTpeO5q7q3fEOLl2eb3UqHI1jf7dQtHEaAZm_bi0sROj8qmapsYrnZN16DQBZD91GSmnTDkGmJJvjM7pS1K0DR_b-FgLyKaWLcnLxjAyvekKRZEiL1qJ1pmmZyzh5IFAE/s200/chickens.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547468531915772306" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>Chickens</b>, on the other hand, are content to scratch along the ground with other chickens.<br /></div><p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-size:180%;"><b>Which will you be?</b></span></p><br /></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-38885270848413331192010-12-05T23:19:00.000-08:002010-12-06T00:07:13.361-08:00A Wise Yogi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cM2PSjkwOMU/TPyPBEX1TcI/AAAAAAAAEXw/58yKJMcaELA/s1600/Yogi.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 248px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cM2PSjkwOMU/TPyPBEX1TcI/AAAAAAAAEXw/58yKJMcaELA/s320/Yogi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547466089529953730" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">A wise Yogi once said -<b> </b></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" ><b>It ain't like football. You can't make up no trick plays</b>.<br /></span><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" ></span></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" > </span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course I am speaking about the great Yogi Berra.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Yogi was also a talker behind the plate. He used to talk to the opposing batters in order to distract them. Hank Aaron tells the story about the 1958 World Series, with Yogi behind the plate. Yogi kept telling Aaron to 'hit with the label up on the bat'. Finally Aaron turned and said "Yogi, I came up here to hit, not to read."<br /><br />Staying on plan ain't like playing football! You can't make up no trick plays! The game is played straight, no fakes, misdirections or "hotdogging". At times you may be blindsided, blitzed and even roughed up. You may even come up against someone trash talking you from behind the plate [or across the plate at the buffet], but like Hank, you aren't here to read [other than your Habits of Health book!] but to hit it out of the park.</span></span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-23270788759635428292010-12-05T23:15:00.001-08:002010-12-06T00:06:37.626-08:00Dr Seuss's Plan for Life<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCrC9mHxQn2ZZFCoN_XLfpmjvzSQu8I7rfl8Jnpn8ouAW_SbZqSqnvvtZ6ACWgEfnblT814AVeGP7N7oyVBH5q5Ep1ltl-F72CVKYf32AzKSdHtV-k7dojpyYUwUBXQ1IdOTlLmZ-aEO3/s1600/Dr.+Suess.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCrC9mHxQn2ZZFCoN_XLfpmjvzSQu8I7rfl8Jnpn8ouAW_SbZqSqnvvtZ6ACWgEfnblT814AVeGP7N7oyVBH5q5Ep1ltl-F72CVKYf32AzKSdHtV-k7dojpyYUwUBXQ1IdOTlLmZ-aEO3/s200/Dr.+Suess.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5547464655460482754" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >You've got brains in your head. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >You've got feet in your shoes. </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >You can steer yourself any direction you choose.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Dr. Seuss' classic book, Oh, The Places You'll Go!, is an incredible allegory* for our weight loss journey. Lets take a closer look at it to find out how we can use those principles to succeed.<br />*[<span style="font-size:78%;"><span><span style="" name="hotword">A</span> <span style="" name="hotword">story</span> <span style="" name="hotword">that</span> <span style="" name="hotword">has</span> <span name="hotword">a</span> <span name="hotword">deeper</span> <span name="hotword">or</span> <span name="hotword">more</span> <span style="" name="hotword">general</span> <span name="hotword">meaning</span> <span name="hotword">in</span> <span name="hotword">addition</span> <span name="hotword">to</span> <span name="hotword">its</span> <span style="" name="hotword">surface</span> <span style="" name="hotword">meaning. Thank You Dictionary.Com</span></span></span>]<br /><br /><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr valign="TOP"><td width="50%"><p align="CENTER"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Dr Seuss' Plan for Life</b></span></span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p align="CENTER"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><b>Your Plan for Life</b></span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Brains in your head and feet in your shoes</span></span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">5 & 1 Plan</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Life gets in our way if we let it</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Un-slumping yourself is not easily done</span></span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Immediately get back on 5 & 1! And remember that it will take about 3 days to get back into fat burn – so choose wisely!</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Just say NO! It's <b>YOUR </b>plan – own it!</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">How much can you lose? How much can you win? </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">The choice really is yours</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Set your goal weight now and don't look back</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Everyone is just waiting. No! That’s not for you! </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You no longer are stuck. You have hope! Yes, you can turn your “inner” skinny self into your “outer” self</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You will get scared. You will have to look yourself square in the facr and ask yourself, “Can I really do it this time?” The answer is YES, if you are a mind-maker-upper!</span></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. </span></span> </p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;">You will always be making choices. Make sure your choice supports <b>YOUR </b>goal</span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size:6px;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:6px;"><span style="font-size:180%;">And will you succeed?</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:6px;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Yes! You will, indeed!</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:6px;"><span style="font-size:130%;">(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Kid, you’ll move mountains!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Today is your day!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Your mountain is waiting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">So…get on your way!</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-54749221314447467452010-08-27T13:25:00.000-07:002010-08-27T14:07:15.049-07:00Diet Food vs REAL Food<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >If given a choice would you rather eat "diet" food or "real" food? I'm asked</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" > this questions a lot and it seems like the follow up</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" > comment is always, "I could never eat powdered food the rest of my life! I want to eat "REAL" food!". To which</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" > I just chuckle to myself and say to them - I understand.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >What people don't realize is that majority of the "real" food they are con</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >suming comes to the retailer in the form of powdered food. To give you an example - I was at Fu</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >druckers for dinner (great place to get a good bison burg</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >er and salad btw) and noticed that you c</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ould buy their rolls pre-made or you could take home a bag of roll "mix" (ak</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >a powdered rolls). My son worked in the bakery</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" > of a large retail chain and all their "fresh" bread and rolls, cookies, brownies, croissa</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >nts, etc. wer</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >e made out of mixes (aka powder) re-hydrated, baked and sold as "fresh baked" to the end consumer. (Silly me - I had vision</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >s of those little baking elves carefully measuring out ingredients like I did at home!) </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Magicall</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >y it had become "real" food to the end consumer! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Our little foil packets come to us as "diet" food and magically we can produce "real" food! </span><br /></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >It's amazing!! </span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >What's really amazing is th</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >at t</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >hese little foil packets can change your life!<br /><br /></span> </span> </div><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >So I thought we'd take a look at a day of "die</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >t" vs "real" food at my house.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Today's Diet Food Menu</b></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >5- Foiled pack</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19EwVaLkJtyBR7roPfmtJL0J_URjY7KNrvvbX6R-YLSGQ6EXyTrX5EV3yiCXvW3F0JNQUxFQvz5u3eFuEzJ29vEU1RYtdfmvzrs1Kd03EHYVQqukPPTifm6DmpR2dlDF7TKzmOOzaDmPh/s1600/IMG_2791-2.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19EwVaLkJtyBR7roPfmtJL0J_URjY7KNrvvbX6R-YLSGQ6EXyTrX5EV3yiCXvW3F0JNQUxFQvz5u3eFuEzJ29vEU1RYtdfmvzrs1Kd03EHYVQqukPPTifm6DmpR2dlDF7TKzmOOzaDmPh/s200/IMG_2791-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510199097417171778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ets of</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" > Pancakes, Chocolate Pud</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ding, Banana Pudding, Chocolate Shake, Brownie</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Today's REAL Foo</span></b></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><b><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >d Menu</span><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Breakfast</span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZK1jnONulNEOfiCnJXvz1yRC01necm59pIHLguAodBLmheKXcKQEencD1jwcHulc79_HNPSOXetVZ2cV1ptkCmui5bhJrj2kOfqHcZlWN9CFXWtzMQf1ZHU_Hys0rtgLbvODbLqyPJUH/s1600/IMG_2790-1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZK1jnONulNEOfiCnJXvz1yRC01necm59pIHLguAodBLmheKXcKQEencD1jwcHulc79_HNPSOXetVZ2cV1ptkCmui5bhJrj2kOfqHcZlWN9CFXWtzMQf1ZHU_Hys0rtgLbvODbLqyPJUH/s320/IMG_2790-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510190777564551170" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Chocolat</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >e C</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >hip Crepe with warm Syrup<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Second Breakfast</span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FxSo774XslVgf-HnKU9-Cqo_fpZJ1xAYNkWL7tcWpUNJXY60aNIIZEvhTnNyxjOE7_6Zkxns8HjHbuez0xFsXMeGT5FUH3dRMCaZjyuT1P5FhNbljvpmzsdAA9FNtobQn95xxXw3mGhT/s1600/IMG_2795.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FxSo774XslVgf-HnKU9-Cqo_fpZJ1xAYNkWL7tcWpUNJXY60aNIIZEvhTnNyxjOE7_6Zkxns8HjHbuez0xFsXMeGT5FUH3dRMCaZjyuT1P5FhNbljvpmzsdAA9FNtobQn95xxXw3mGhT/s320/IMG_2795.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510191240508600114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Chocolate Frosty</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Lunch<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcodbZI7qkPY4NblfBnxJKSB6R92kei1VrpS0RBHezv9u-PGmO1Wok_AMzPErfdgHt8jmBFDJs_pSE1ID4_iNmJgEFZuwNwAFPwpj0wtocFuIlI2BBM8E-vSMXxpbxqF9tk-HQoqpC3v-v/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcodbZI7qkPY4NblfBnxJKSB6R92kei1VrpS0RBHezv9u-PGmO1Wok_AMzPErfdgHt8jmBFDJs_pSE1ID4_iNmJgEFZuwNwAFPwpj0wtocFuIlI2BBM8E-vSMXxpbxqF9tk-HQoqpC3v-v/s200/IMG_2796.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510192239789351058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Tropical Pun</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ch Slurpee</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Second Lunch</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhypheno0FEK7cBAmSmqnfFgMFdatLclyGDoumAjhKDC7jdqAYF9Wac5cOx4JYcUFRx_qc9c0ug__BIMY6sP4OhPX3umASNx_bLkmACwgIWGU8zlcwlEDKjqhXoTc5YF0JI3qhoCI1MWGSHx0Y/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhypheno0FEK7cBAmSmqnfFgMFdatLclyGDoumAjhKDC7jdqAYF9Wac5cOx4JYcUFRx_qc9c0ug__BIMY6sP4OhPX3umASNx_bLkmACwgIWGU8zlcwlEDKjqhXoTc5YF0JI3qhoCI1MWGSHx0Y/s200/IMG_2787.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510192224740819906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Chocolate C</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ookie "Ice Cream" Sandwich<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />Ap`eritif</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAzjU8yJv1scW8FA_pMqdZsfop3krOH6brzuZx3uxbqXSoriPLyok966D5IvrZfFKEFG4uRjCGiz7sR39DGmLPI3Nm83fYKXp8p0MWNqQO6Widc-eRmRAnIJAYDEL9b35HUswfg_sc1Ks/s1600/IMG_2794-1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAzjU8yJv1scW8FA_pMqdZsfop3krOH6brzuZx3uxbqXSoriPLyok966D5IvrZfFKEFG4uRjCGiz7sR39DGmLPI3Nm83fYKXp8p0MWNqQO6Widc-eRmRAnIJAYDEL9b35HUswfg_sc1Ks/s200/IMG_2794-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510192236026990898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Raspber</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >ry Limeade<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dinner</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyp442UQHw8En8qlYpZSl1puAHpnNEuoB-Lp8NugutwPxbIpJblWCApZkrt3Y3a3CvJe3NN6Zl7Af3IbJXbcdx9kXqKxvPIkWHvCXlUUu29ix8Rf9kXVd6jBttPbvFXJKr3hHvcv-ZjRD/s1600/IMG_2788-1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyp442UQHw8En8qlYpZSl1puAHpnNEuoB-Lp8NugutwPxbIpJblWCApZkrt3Y3a3CvJe3NN6Zl7Af3IbJXbcdx9kXqKxvPIkWHvCXlUUu29ix8Rf9kXVd6jBttPbvFXJKr3hHvcv-ZjRD/s200/IMG_2788-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510192222470343634" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Beef Shish Kabab's with </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Grilled Romain and Green Beans<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Snack </span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaROSNPPYaJefdQ4LTaMgUOjRC15Cj1gg_lvbdzPJvaM5TaSAmnVMC57gYy8KHCzFYyBVgX8vOKDhRtYZ63h6HTcZtgAbYwzwTqYg-w41zqOClck4iXdVjZ-hUQlVkUIvc9aGm7_mmUDi/s1600/IMG_2789-1.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaROSNPPYaJefdQ4LTaMgUOjRC15Cj1gg_lvbdzPJvaM5TaSAmnVMC57gYy8KHCzFYyBVgX8vOKDhRtYZ63h6HTcZtgAbYwzwTqYg-w41zqOClck4iXdVjZ-hUQlVkUIvc9aGm7_mmUDi/s200/IMG_2789-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510193356451352338" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Banana Pu</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >dding with Chocolate Cookie</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Gastronomic bored</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">om leads to lots of unhealthy eating. </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">If you don't make improvisation and experimentation part of your eating life, </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">you are sure to find yourself in an eating rut. </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> It's as bad as a romantic rut - losing that spark - and just as likely to get you in trouble!</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Mireille Guiliano</span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" ><i>French Women Don't Get Fat</i></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:78%;" ><i><br /></i><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">So, if you're still licking that shaker cup clean and feeling a little deprived, just scoop the pudding into a fancy glass bowl, get out the silver spoon, sit down at the table and enjoy REAL food!<br /><br />BTW - I won't tell if you just mix up the brownies and eat the batter (:</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-39130069946029962692010-08-23T12:56:00.000-07:002010-08-23T12:58:58.561-07:00The Incredible Shrinking Couple<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_iH6rNMd3iTLrD7vmfWcNNPqTxk-tY2faHTfOgMJ9e6MOe7LDMbPBdEMfVU3bULnTERD98o0h5aziQx9o65bYhyphenhyphenO1yOlJWftgRGaRIEQ4jUNDYCw9V3XDlA09r2qzG20BxXG3NTjZFaZ/s1600/Jon+%26+Lynn.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_iH6rNMd3iTLrD7vmfWcNNPqTxk-tY2faHTfOgMJ9e6MOe7LDMbPBdEMfVU3bULnTERD98o0h5aziQx9o65bYhyphenhyphenO1yOlJWftgRGaRIEQ4jUNDYCw9V3XDlA09r2qzG20BxXG3NTjZFaZ/s320/Jon+%26+Lynn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508696875851784978" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Incredible Shrinking Couple!<br />150 pounds lost!<br /></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-18534078855200992432010-08-23T12:42:00.000-07:002010-08-23T12:43:29.764-07:00Priceless<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;">With fire alarms blaring at my mom's apartment complex, she</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> grabbed her favorite bathing suit and ran out.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> "A bathing suit?" I said later. "Of all the priceless things</span></span> <br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> in that apartment, that's what you chose to save?"</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> "Material things come and go," she said with a shrug. But a</span></span> <br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> one-piece suit that doesn't make you look fat is impossible</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"> to replace."</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(<a href="http://kcbx.net/%7Etellswor/" target="_blank">Good Clean Fun</a>)</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:courier new,monospace;">Isn't that the truth! I know you guys out there are shaking your head but just think of it this way - it's like trying to find a really comfortable easy chair. One's too small, one doesn't have a "lounge" feature, one's too flowery and it's not leather or it's "pleahter".....you get the picture.</span><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new,monospace;font-size:130%;" >Finding a weight loss program that works and is easy to do is like finding that perfect swimsuit or lounge chair - truly priceless! Once you find it <b>DON'T LET IT GO!!</b> <b>Hang on to it with all your might!</b></span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-20564147287289707362010-08-16T19:45:00.000-07:002010-08-16T19:50:58.526-07:00Life of Gaga<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:130%;" >My gym uses some really upbeat and fun music in their workout areas and classes. We sweat away to pop divas like Beyonce with her "Single Ladies" and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face".<br /><br />Ah, Lady Gaga what can you say about her.................<br />Words like creative, weird, original, outrageous and kooky come to mind.<br /><br />But I think she's brilliant! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">This is me on a normal day. I wake up in the morning and make my hair bow,<br />and I put my catsuit on, </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">and I call up everybody in the Haus of Gaga, and I say, </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">"How are we going to be brilliant today?"</span></span></span></span><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Lady Gaga</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;">So Wake UP!</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> Get your cat suit on,<br />make that hair bow <span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX1DeCHKPoQ" target="_blank">(tutorial)</a></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:180%;" >And be <b>BRILLIANT</b> today!!</span></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-3752422199476235492010-08-13T10:59:00.000-07:002010-08-13T11:42:55.225-07:00Fillet of Elephant<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDsNEFbU4Ric7nBnznEptsZAL9Gzt7kfAbTQO4RMBQYCJPvwitnPNecqT0RBPY5zRS-teJi9B_xaV5xh1GqqDBpisNho1ORkKx4eBoa0ros2gX0J25gHEcnRrE2xfCEn5UdB24QamdtqM/s1600/elephant.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDsNEFbU4Ric7nBnznEptsZAL9Gzt7kfAbTQO4RMBQYCJPvwitnPNecqT0RBPY5zRS-teJi9B_xaV5xh1GqqDBpisNho1ORkKx4eBoa0ros2gX0J25gHEcnRrE2xfCEn5UdB24QamdtqM/s320/elephant.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504955808236780098" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The best way to eat the elephant standing in your path is to cut it up into little pieces</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >African Proverb </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">How do you drink like an Elephant? An African </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">elephants drink as much as 50 gallons in a single day. They drink at least once a day and in the wild, though they live in a variety of habitats, from thick jungle to open savannas, they are never far from water.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If an Elephant can drink up to 50 gallons a da</span><span style="font-family:verdana;">y, how hard is it to drink our measly 64 oz. (1/2 gallon) of water each day? To me it's like trying to eat an Elephant! It's HUGE and I get very overwhelmed by the thought!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwY1RUP-qr4ynIqDLhwi0je-MaAnSdbt-RE5yVL9XTsUI0nDV20y08pKDMzJ7lD6zAtpiUrWmTuLnEbK2LDDflkELl8wPnhMg-d-cBr-vaiETrzygKySRfwWh_9WgVUO8fu6Nt6TCj3PiS/s1600/IMG_2774.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwY1RUP-qr4ynIqDLhwi0je-MaAnSdbt-RE5yVL9XTsUI0nDV20y08pKDMzJ7lD6zAtpiUrWmTuLnEbK2LDDflkELl8wPnhMg-d-cBr-vaiETrzygKySRfwWh_9WgVUO8fu6Nt6TCj3PiS/s320/IMG_2774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504959528797182978" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;">This is our Elephant - the 2 liter or 67 oz bottle - on the right<br />1 of these a day in addition to our shakes, soups and other meals with water</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />It's the big Elephant in the room and no one wants to talk about it!</span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To conquer my Elephant I've discovered my<br />"Fillet of Elephant"<br />That small, tender and juicy morsel -<br />the 8 oz water bottle - on the left<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">12 swallows and I'm done! 8 of those a day - easy peasy! I can enjoy fillet 8 times a day!</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"> And to make it even easier I freeze just a little water in them to make them cool and crisp each time I reach for one. To do that I lay them on their side in the freezer. The ice melts quickly and keep it "just right" as Goldilocks would say - oh, sorry for mixing my proverbs and my fairy tales.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05btsHpCYkP1TjUyekIvydVVwv3LBzQN0KNoppMxcUVca4J0JQhSinPN2P5SnlUtl0pzeEMhS1sgGLlSioxDvw6-b__pPFQ-o5dYUClg3nOhFe0kICkO2ZeDrWAmmsx2VCJiBiVlgsEjS/s1600/IMG_2773.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05btsHpCYkP1TjUyekIvydVVwv3LBzQN0KNoppMxcUVca4J0JQhSinPN2P5SnlUtl0pzeEMhS1sgGLlSioxDvw6-b__pPFQ-o5dYUClg3nOhFe0kICkO2ZeDrWAmmsx2VCJiBiVlgsEjS/s320/IMG_2773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504955806053932066" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yes, that's a chocolate shake getting ready to be a "frosty" in a few hours</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />To spice up your fillet of Elephant, try sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime. Perrier or my favorite San Pellegrin</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">o are wonderful served with dinner - it turns a Tuesday ho-hum into to a Tuesday hummy (humming+yummy)! Buy low or zero sodium seltzer or soda water and sugar free syrups like Torani or DiVinci brands. I fill a large glass half full with crushed ice, add a splash of sugar free raspberry syrup and fill with seltzer water and I think I'm in heaven!</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">No matter how you serve it<br />you really can</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:78%;">Eat [or in our case] Drink an Elephant!</span><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span><br /></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-40184005665322343272010-07-29T09:14:00.000-07:002010-07-29T09:43:56.926-07:00Don't Put Your Finger In Your Eye!<h3 style="font-weight: normal;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="UIStory_Message" style="font-size:130%;">Ouch!! I was working on a new Chili Relleno recipe so I cleaned some fresh chilies for dinner and didn't wear any gloves - gloves are for sissies! Later on I forgot and then rubbed my eye - DOH!!! What was I thinking??</span></h3><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Well, I was thinking that for a born and bred Arizona girl chilies are a way of life and we use them all the time. Sometimes we get a little slack in handling them.<br /><br />Boy was it a wake up call! What I really learned was we can't be slacking in handling our lives. Especially in regards to our weight loss goals.<br /><br />So my take away from this experience is - be aware of everything. Wear your "gloves" when you handle something toxic - like a party, family gathering or dinner out.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">You may save your eye!!</span><br /></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-24265594126090424482010-07-21T21:13:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:16:54.428-07:0016 Laps Doing a Dead Man Float.......<span style="font-size:85%;">yohoho and a bottle of diet root beer!! 15 laps doing a Dead Man's Float, yohoho.....................................You get the idea even if it doesn't rhyme.<br /><br />It all started the year they built the new pool for the high school. It was a beautiful facility with a kiddies pool and a ginormous laned pool with a roped off "deep end" for the low and high dives. Best thing about it - they were going to offer free swimming lessons to the public!<br /><br />Up until this time we had been swimming in a stock tank my dad had brought home. There it sat on our back porch - this huge round metal tank about 3 feet high filled with water and the neighborhood kids splashing and having fun. Our favorite part was to get everyone to the side and then we would all swim or run around the edge which would start a swirling motion with the water and we'd all stop together and get carried by the swirling current of water! That was the best!<br /><br />So the year the pool opened my mother signed my sister and I up for the free swimming lessons. Every morning for two weeks my sister and I would put on our swim suits, grab our towels, put on our zori's* and walk over to the pool for our lessons.<br /><br />Did I mention it was in Phoenix, in the summer where the pavement was so hot if you stopped your zori's would melt to it? Did I mention that we had to walk about 3/4 of a mile to the pool and that part of that walk was across a vacant lot where "sticker" plants covered the ground and every time you stepped on one it would stab your foot through your zori? Sorry I digress.<br /><br />Once at the pool we would go through "testing" to find out which group we would be assigned. I hated testing! It was during testing that I learned a few things about myself:<br /></span><ol><li><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm afraid of water</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">I'm claustrophobic and water on my face terrifies me</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">That because of #1 & 2 every year I was put into the beginners group.</span></li></ol><span style="font-size:85%;">Well, spending so much time in the beginners group all those years I learned some very valuable skills. No, I never learned to do a front crawl or a butterfly, but </span><b>I was the best darn floater in that pool!!</b><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Turtle float? Childs play! Treading water? Oh please - can we say beginner!! Back stroke? Easy peasy! Dead Man Float? There's no one better! See I figured if I was ever in a situation where I had to save myself in water I'd better have a backup plan - since by "their" definition I couldn't "swim".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Which brings me back to today. Today I did 16 laps (1/4 mile) in the gym pool! Ok, I admit I "wrupfl'd" them - a combo of walk, run, <span class="il">paddle</span> & <span class="il">float</span>, but I did it! No, it wasn't pretty, no it wasn't really "swimming" by "their" standards but it worked! It got the job done.<br /><br />Today you may have to "Wrupfl" it. You may have to make adjustments. You may have challenges. You may have fears and anxiety about going off plan or succeeding on the program. The key will be to just do it. Do it even if it isn't pretty. Do it even if "they" say it's not regulation. <b><span style="font-size:100%;">Even if you have to stay in the beginner class every day for the rest of your life - JUST DO IT!! What ever it takes. By doing it you just might be able to save your life!!</span></b></span><br /><br />*<span style="font-size:85%;">Originally flip-flops were called zori's after the Japanese sandal style</span>.<br /><br />Original Post Date: Jul 20, 2010Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-31853688029120210962010-07-21T21:06:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:17:42.960-07:00Free Cake Tomorrow<div id="ctl00_phMain_repeaterPostsList_ctl01_divPostContent" class="myBlog_PostContent"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" ><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" >Free<img goomoji="962" style="margin: 0pt 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle;" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/962" />Cake<img goomoji="962" style="margin: 0pt 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle;" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/962" />Tomorrow!</span></b></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I bet that caught your attention didn't it! My brother had a sign in his pizza restaurant that read, Free Beer Tomorrow. It always made me smile, especially when the college kids would ask what day the free beer would be available ~ not comprehending that tomorrow never came. </span></span></span><br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><br /></span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">So make a sign. Put it up in your kitchen, on your fridge, in your cupboard or where ever it needs to be to remind you that if you stay on plan TODAY that you can have free cake, cookies, beer, pizza ~ whatever you want ~ TOMORROW.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:85%;">See the key is we want it now! Not tomorrow, not next week, but Now! It's that inner BRAT screaming to get out. And often times we give up our tomorrow, our hopes and dreams of an ideal weight or optimal health, so that we can have it NOW.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Which reminds me of a story that they used to tell us in Vacation Bible School.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> I loved Vacation Bible School! I would go with our neighbor Mrs. Patterson and her kids each summer, and I remember the story they told us of Esau and Jacob </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">(Gen 25:31-34) </span>where Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage (lentils). The reason he sold it ~ he was hungry. HE WAS HUNGRY??? He gave it ALL up, all the future had to give him, for food! Talk about a food addiction!!!</span><br /><br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><b>He sold his future of</b> <span style="font-size:78%;">(</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:78%;" >fill in your word here like happiness, health, no medications, ideal weight</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:78%;">)</span> </span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><b>for a bite of</b> <span style="font-size:78%;">(</span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:78%;" >fill in your word here like pizza, bread, cake, beer</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-size:78%;">)</span><b>!!</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-family:Georgia;font-size:130%;" >The past is history,<br />The future a mystery,<br />Today is a gift,<br />That's why they call it the Present</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><br /><br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">Don't sell your future for a bowl of pottage or a bite of cake or pizza today! Take the gift of TODAY and keep it safe, knowing the future will bring you many more gifts if you hold tight to the Present.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Original Post Date: Jul 14, 2010</span><br /></span></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-89472626333068199742010-07-21T21:04:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:47:42.722-07:00My Italian Job<div id="ctl00_phMain_repeaterPostsList_ctl02_divPostContent" class="myBlog_PostContent"><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >I <img goomoji="B0C" style="margin: 0pt 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle;" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/e/B0C" /> <span style="font-family: arial;">movies filmed in Italy! Beautiful sports cars driving down beautiful winding Italian roads. Shots of Venice, Rome and the Italian Alps. So the 'Italian Job' moves to the top of the list along with some of my other 'set in Italy' favorite movies like Oceans 12, Only You and Roman Holiday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">As with all great movies there are some quotes that make it into our everyday communications. Like, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a d**m!", "</span><i style="font-family: arial;">You talkin' to me? </i><span style="font-family: arial;">You talking' to me? You TALKIN' to me?" and who can forget "I'll be back!"? But I really love this quote from the Italian Job:</span><br /><br />John Bridger: I feel so optimistic. How do you feel?<br />Charlie Croker: [<span style="font-style: italic;">shrugging</span>] I'm fine.<br />John Bridger: Fine? You know what "fine" stands for, don't you?<br />Charlie Croker: Yeah, unfortunately.<br />John Bridger: Freaked out...<br />Charlie Croker: Insecure...<br />John Bridger: Neurotic...<br />Charlie Croker: And Emotional.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Every time someone asks me how I am and I answer - fine, or when I hear some one say they are fine I think of the Italian Job's F.I.N.E.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">So I found myself struggling lately with being F.I.N.E. - freaked, insecure, neurotic and emotional about my weight loss. I had taken some time off from active weight loss and had been maintaining for about 3 months, but I wasn't happy about it. Then I realized I really hadn't made it to my goal yet. Yes, I was down 60 pounds, which in my former life would have been goal and then some, but my final goal was really still about 25 pounds away. And I knew I really needed to get there.</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">So I kept asking myself, why aren't you getting motivated? You can do this! You know the plan works! Why aren't you doing it? Everyone else is doing it! I'd really lost my mojo! When it finally dawned on me the other day that I was struggling with my inner B.R.A.T. Yes, I was beign a BRAT!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Me: Why are you struggling?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Myself: Because I want to! I'm being a BRAT!</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Me: You know what BRAT stands for don't you?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Myself: Yeah, unfortunately.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Me: A Belligerent...</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Myself: Rebellious...</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Me: Antagonistic...</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Myself: Twerp Throwing Temper Tantrums!<br /><br />I didn't want to give up my comforts! I had worked so hard to loose the weight that I thought it would be okay to just cruise for awhile. A little "treat" now and then wouldn't hurt. Where have you heard that one before?!!<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bottom Line: I wanted what I wanted and I didn't want to be told no!</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"No! You can't have those mint filled chocolate chips on your brownie!" You know fruits are not on plan during weight loss phase, even though it is summer time and the only time watermelons are good. Or, I love this one "Just this one bite (of bread, or cheese, or nuts, or whatever non-plan food) won't hurt".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't get done in by being F.I.N.E. or a B.R.A.T.! If your weight loss is not going as well as you'd like, you've hit a "plateau" or you're struggling with perceived deprivations, take a minute and ask yourself -</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >AM I BEING A B.R.A.T?</span><br /></div><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Original Post Date: Jul 3, 2010</span><br /></div> </div></div>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-91721165217096682442010-07-21T21:02:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:04:45.632-07:00Floyd's Island<span style="font-size:85%;">I was at a recent family gathering where one of the men started showing a video of a Scout trip he'd taken over spring break to a little known place called Floyd's Island.<br /><br />As we oohh'd and awehed over the beauty of the flora and fauna in the video it dawned on me that reaching Floyd's Island is a lot like reaching our goal weight. It's a beautiful and idyllic trip when viewed from afar, but up close...............oh baby! <br /><br />Did I mention that Floyd's Island, this beautiful idyllic place, is in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp? Yep, I said SWAMP! Gators, Skeeters, Snakes and even Bears live on the "island".......... and it's not even a real island, but a "hammock" - an "elevated tract of land rising above the general level of a marshy region" (thank you Dictionary.com). Did I mention that the only way to get there is by canoe? Did I mention that you have to paddle through gator infested water? - OK I guess you figured when I said swamp that meant gators. Did I mention that there is no electricity, plumbing or other "modern conveniences" (yes, there is a "bio-toilet" for all you eco-people, which by the way the "bio" part is maggots - just a little FYI).</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />So, here's our analogy of our Trip to Floyd's Island:</span> <br /><br /><table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0"> <col width="128*"> <col width="128*"> <tbody><tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Only access in is by canoe - 35 miles round trip </span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Weight is not lost overnight – it's an ongoing pursuit – and once in, there should be no turning back!</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Permits Required</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">The 5&1 Plan, Eating 6 times a day using only plan approved foods</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">You pack it in, You pack it out</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Open, Shake, Rinse, Repeat</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">No modern “conveniences”</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Lean and Green – it doesn't get any more basic or "old-school" than that!</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Alligators, laying in wait</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Saboteur's, Nay-sayers, Denigrator</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Yellow Flies, worse than mosquitos<br /></span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Nagging thoughts of self doubt that continually plague us</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Bears</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Sudden unplanned events that throw us off plan</span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Insect Repellent</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Knowledge and understanding of how the plan works, why it works and how you can be successful! </span></p> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Sun Screen</span></p> </td> <td width="50%"> <p><span style="font-size:85%;">Planning your meals. Being prepared for meals away from home or in social situations</span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">These Scouts had a once in a lifetime trip. Something they will never forget.<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;">It was a lot of hard work on their part, canoeing 35 miles through the swamp is not for the wimpy! There was no one there to bail them out when it got rough or dangerous - and there's no one to bail us out when it gets rough. If it's going to be - it's up to me!</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">The video shows them going in with abandon and glee (oblivious to the rigors ahead) and then coming out dragging their tails - but with the biggest smiles on their faces! They DID IT!! And you can do it too!<br /></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;">So today while you're slogging through the "swamp" just remember how great it will feel when you can also say "I DID IT!!" <br /><br />Original Post Date: Jun 5, 2010<br /></span>Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7189965943957277319.post-13638951647844308802010-07-21T21:00:00.000-07:002010-07-21T21:02:34.322-07:006-Pack Arriving Soon!I got myself some great shorts for my trip to Arizona next week. Yes, my friends and family are going to be blown away - but not because of my weight loss, but because I'm an ALBINO!! My legs are so white the reflected glare is going to blind them!!! But that's another blog!<br /><br />What I was excited about was the shorts are a size 12!! Not a "relaxed" fit 12 but an actual off the rack in the "designer" section of Kohls 12! YEAH!! I also noticed I didn't have a "muffin" top or a "Michelin" either! I started this journey as a 20+ (okay I'll admit it was a 22 - darn it all)! Now a 12 - and doing the happy dance!!<br /><br />So when I got out of the shower this morning I thought "lets see what's really going on here". Usually I run really fast past the mirror in the morning!! Great exercise!<br /><br />OK - TMI is about to be revealed - click back if you don't want to read anymore!!! WARNING!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!<br /><br />So I was checking it out in the mirror and I actually have ribs! If I stand up really straight and I suck it in a little and I've got 2 ribs! If I really hold it in I can begin to see the 3rd rib beginning to emerge! WOO HOO!!! Guess those Pilates and Yoga classes are starting to pay off!!<br /><br />Now as for the 2 fried eggs hanging over the cloths line - I think all hope is lost! I think I need a wonderbra intervention - AND FAST!!!<br /><br />Original Post Date: May 11, 2010Lynn Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01291272504762383321noreply@blogger.com1