One Fab Fit Mom - Weight Loss Success!

Fascinating article

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over here:

Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri compared a 35-pound (16 kg), floppy-eared mutt named Sparky with AIBO, a far-from-lifelike robot dog, to see how residents of three U.S. nursing homes would respond.

"The most surprising thing is they worked almost equally well in terms of alleviating loneliness and causing residents to form attachments," said Dr. William Banks, a professor of geriatric medicine who worked on the study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

Banks said pets have been shown to help older people feel less isolated. "It really improves loneliness considerably," he said in a telephone interview.

But many senior citizens are too frail to care for a pet or have had to give up their own animals when they went to the nursing home. "They really miss that bond," he said….MORE….

The article goes on to say, both Sparky and the robot dog gave virtually equal the amount of comfort.

This can be a boon for nursing home residents, but truly….their families should show up as well to dispel the loneliness too. 

Barbara

ps - Want a robot dog?

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Morning,

Check out

Can you believe this woman is considered a Plus-Size Model?

over at  Back in Skinny Jeans.   To wit: 

This woman does not look Plus-Size to me at all. I saw these ads for Marina Rinaldi inside O magazine, and thought wow what beautiful outfits. I had never heard of Marina Rinaldi before so I Googled the name.

I honestly was shocked to discover that Marina Rinaldi is the Plus-Size division of Italian designer Max Mara. This woman in the ad is supposed to be Plus-Size? Marina Rinaldi’s sizes run from a 10-22 US, and the clothes can be found at upscale department stores like Bloomingdale’s, Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. There are also Marina Rinaldi stores around the world.

They consider a size 10-12 Plus Size! Are you kidding me ?!?.….MORE….

Doesn’t look plus-sized to me whatsoever!  Fashion is truly sad.

Data points,

Barbara

ps - speaking victoria secret:

Victoria Secret PINK WOMEN’S JUNIOR’S Flannel Dress SZ; X- SMALL PRE-OWNED

3 Pink Bottle Cap Magnets VS inspired Victoria Secret handmade glitter gift

victoria secret pink BLING SWEATS LIMITED EDITION NWT! SMALL

victoria secret pink SUPERMODEL ANGEL ROBE WRAP NWT! WOW!!!

victoria secret BLING SUPERMODEL ESSENTIAL HOODIE & SWEATS SET NWT LARGE

victoria secret pink LEOPARD PULLOVER NWT! SIZE SMALL

Victoria Secret Pink Lounge Pants Size Meduim

Morning,

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I’ll admit it myself, I adore Korean food (especially the beef cooked directly at the table, not to mention Kimchi, the food of the gods).  Here’s a neat news report about the Korean food diet:

Samhui “Sam” Mitchell needs no coaxing to eat all her vegetables. Mitchell, a native Korean, says her Asian-based diet isn’t centered on meat.

Mitchell is inspired by her homeland when it comes to preparing food. She moved to the United States in 1984 and takes pride in sharing Korean culinary traditions with her family, which includes her husband, Edward, and sons, Ben, 16, and Joseph, 8.

Residence: Stilwell in Johnson County

Occupation: Korean book translator and cosmetologist

Special cooking interest: Korean food

Are you a vegetarian? I am not a vegetarian, but I do make more dishes with vegetables than I do with meat. In Korea, meat is used more as a seasoning. My Korean heritage has taught me to eat lots of vegetables. I also cook with seafood, not only fish, but also sea vegetables including seaweed. We also eat fresh fruit without dipping it into any sauces.

What are the biggest differences between how Americans and Koreans eat? Americans have taste buds that like meat, cheese, sugar and fried foods. Food is so plentiful here with so many choices.

I have found when I eat more fresh vegetables, I feel better. I try to pass along good eating habits to my children and get them to develop a taste for vegetables. We don’t indulge in sweets too often.

Is dinner the largest meal in Korea, as it typically is in America? In Korea, traditionally, the biggest meal was at breakfast. When I was growing up, most social gatherings in Korea were at breakfast and people would eat a protein, vegetable, fruit and soup in the morning. But nowadays, Koreans also have social gatherings in the evenings and they can have big dinners like here.

My parents really believed in a big breakfast, and I am trying to hand that tradition on to my kids. I like to make a big breakfast for my family to help them get their day started right….MORE….

And if the above intrigues you, here are some great Korean recipe sites:

• Korean Recipes
• Cook Korean
• Korean Eats

Enjoy!

Barbara

ps - want to enjoy Korean music while eating Korean food?

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You know

I’m always big on holding strong on boundaries and making kids follow their responsibilities. 

But now that my kids are getting older, they’re realizing there’s one way to compel Mom to soften on her stance. 

It all happened this afternoon.  I was ready to get the kids to karate (advanced and sparring), when one of my kids suggested, hey Mom, let’s do the circle walk instead!

Now, this is a 2.4 mile walk.  It was raining and very windy outside; my kids know I adore walking in such weather.

But no, I was going to be tough with responsibilities!  Until, that is, said kid tickled the back of my neck.

It’s my weak spot!  I just can’t think straight when they do that.  :)   And I figured, okay, well, hmmm, a 2.4 mile circle was IS exercise, and we could always go to karate tomorrow, and and and …. and the end result: we went on the walk. 

Oh that was nice - the wind was fierce and the rains were lashing and my kid and I had a great conversation to boot.

Karate tomorrow - I promise! 

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - want some nifty umbrellas to boot?

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Morning,

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I just came across this clever compilation of 10 guy types that are guaranteed to make your life seem worse than the Black Death. It includes:

… One guy is needier than quicksand. Another is jealous of your cocker spaniel. A third quietly hates all womankind. Here’s a list of men you should put in your rearview mirror, ASAP.

Certain clues in the way a man acts may be a hint that you need to ditch him.

Joe No-Show
You meet in a city where neither of you lives, at a convention or a wedding. The calls and e-mails are making the phone lines sweat; two months later, he’s begging you to visit.

You tell the woman next to you on the plane that, after years of searching, you think you’ve met The One, and the two of you giggle with anticipation all the way to baggage claim.

Thirty minutes later, when the carousel stops going around, she looks at you with deep pity and asks if she can give you a ride somewhere. That’s the moment to go straight back to the ticket counter.

Mr. Jealousy
At first, he’ll get a little short with a waiter who flirts with you. Then he’ll be exasperated by how long you and the postmaster discuss the rising price of stamps. When he points out that you and your brother hug too long to be appropriate or that your gynecologist is a lesbian and obviously has the hots for you, it’s time to give him his walking papers.

However flattering his jealousies may seem in the first five minutes of your relationship, they’ll get old and confining more quickly than you can imagine, and when you do finally break up with him, he will hang the scarves you left behind on your trees like nooses and follow you and the next man you date all over town.

The Bully
This is the man who sits you down, grabs your arm, pulls your hair, or pokes your chest. While most of us know better than to let ourselves get socked in the mouth the way Ralph Kramden was always threatening to do to Alice (but even then never following through), there’s a whole universe of more “minor” infractions in the violence department that should disqualify your new beau instantaneously (but all too often does not).

The Two-Timer
For the first time since you’ve been dating, he’s too sick to make a date. You try to ignore the fact that it happens to be your birthday, and you assemble the ingredients for your famous chicken soup. You drop it off inside his door.

Two days later, he’s still sick, but you’ve been invited over. You ask if you can heat up some soup for him, and he says, in a small, congested voice, “That would be wonderful.” You pour the soup from the Tupperware into the pot, and you see that there are mushrooms in it. Your famous chicken soup doesn’t contain mushrooms. Conclude that this man has another source of soup and will continue to cheat on you for as long as you give him the chance….MORE….

I can add my own - the guy for whom his toys are not only life, they’re the reasons for being. Unless you’re a toy-girl too.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - want some love?

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This breaks my heart:

…According to a recent survey by M.E. Collins, 42 percent of girls in first through third grade want to be thinner. That’s right, dieting is no longer for those looking to fit into that dress for Prom or even for that first dance in junior high. Being thin is a concern for almost half of all six-year-old girls on the playground.

However, the desire to be thin isn’t confined to a specific age group or gender. Unhealthy body images, eating habits, and eating disorders are becoming more common throughout the country, including on college campuses….MORE…

Truly horrible.

What do you think?

Barbara

Morning,

I read on my BigHugeMinds Diet/Fitness board earlier today the following post about Kimkins - it was posted by a member and went to her blog. The title is:

Kimkins Diet Rolls On Despite Founder’s Excess Poundage

and it discusses the Consumer Affairs article, to wit:

…Waiting in line at your favorite grocery store is a guaranteed way to see the covers of magazines targeted toward women. It’s a real challenge to find just one week of a year where the cover of at least one check-out tabloid doesn’t have blaring headlines about weight loss or the most recent diet sensation.”Better than gastric bypass!” “Kim lost 200 lbs in 11 months!” “Christin lost 100 lbs in 5 months!”

Those very comments appeared on the cover of the June 12, 2007 issue of Woman’s World Magazine. The story was a fascinating look at a weight loss diet known as Kimkins, created by Kim Drake, also known as the “Kimmer.”

The Woman’s World story begins by saying they sent out their spies to gather intelligence about Kimkins. The Kimkins website included numerous before-and-after pictures of not only the “Kimmer, but also happy members that had shed massive amounts of weight.

Woman’s World describes Kim as “smiling” when responding to questions. This implies that the Woman’s World interviewer was personally watching the response of Kim Drake. So, you would think that Woman’s World would have noticed that “Kim” was in fact a 300-pound woman.

Kimkins before & after, according to Woman’s World

The Kimkins website saw a huge increase in memberships due to the flattering Woman’s World cover story. Records introduced in connection with a class action lawsuit against Kimkins show that for the month of June, 2007, Kimkins pulled in over $1,200,000 in membership fees.

Mouthpiece needed

So great was the response that Kimkins needed to hire a public relations spokesperson — and there was no one better suited for the job than Christin Sherburne.

Christin’s picture had been featured on the Woman’s World cover, holding a pair of old jeans next to the headline: “Christin lost 100 lbs in 5 months!”

“I was excited about it,” said Christin. “I’ve been overweight all my life, and even though I had never met Kim Drake in person, I wanted to tell others how they could finally lose the weight as I did.”

Soon the Kimkins machine was in full throttle. Members were reporting faster weight loss than they had ever experienced on other diets, and Christin was in P.R. mode in her new role as spokeswoman for Kimkins. But little did Christin know what would happen next.

Job & hair loss

The job of a spokesperson is to represent your company and answer any questions that might be thrown your way, including those from the media. One day, Christin found herself facing questions that she couldn’t honestly answer … questions concerning medical claims and health issues related to the Kimkins diet.

“As a spokeswoman, people would ask me questions that I couldn’t answer, especially related to the medical safety of the diet,” said Christin.

Christin did the logical thing. She contacted Kim Drake, the founder of Kimkins. Christin sent a letter to the “Kimmer” in which Christin asked about medical claims of the diet.

Is the diet safe? Are medical authorities backing the diet? All reasonable questions that any spokesperson needs to be able to answer.

To Christin’s dismay, instead of getting answers to her questions, she received a pink slip. Kim Drake had removed Christin from her public relations job and offered her a much reduced role moderating the Kimkins forums.….MORE….

This particular article starting to fly about the Internet! Here are just two takes on it:

• Kimkins diet still going, but with weight loss?
• KIMKINS DIET ROLLS ON DESPITE FOUNDER’S EXCESS POUNDAGE !!!

Be sure to alert me here to more!

Personally, I feel that Heidi Diaz, the scamster behind the Kimkins diet, should have the book and the entire library thrown at her. Preying upon the most helpless in our society (people desperate to lose weight) is just plain abominable.

Enjoy,

Barbara

Just came across

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this great post!

….Not everyone has the time to make it to the gym during their lunch break. But just because you can’t get out of the office (or your cubicle) doesn’t mean that you can’t get some exercise, or “deskercize” during the day. Here are some suggestions for web workers who want to get a work out and get their work done at the same time.

1. Buns of steel
No, you don’t need a shiny lycra bodysuit or big hair to do this popular glute workout. All you have to do tighten and squeeze your buttocks, hold five to ten seconds, and release. Repeat these squeezes 8-10 times, as many times during the day as you feel up to, and notice your newfound buns of steel in just a few weeks.

2. Upper back stretch
The upper back can be a place where tension accumulates throughout the day. By taking just a few seconds to stretch it out, you can release tension and work your muscles. What you need to do is extend your arms in front of you, grab onto your wrist with the other hand and gently pull your arms forward as you round your upper back. Hold it for twenty seconds and then switch sides.

3. Body lift
This is a really easy one. Just place your hands on the arms of your desk chair and lift yourself up. Repeat (if you can).

4. Chair squats
This is another simple “deskercize” as it simulates a motion we’re all pretty used to: standing up and sitting down. To do the “chair squat”, place a chair behind you and stand in front of it with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and squat toward your chair until you’re hovering just over it. Hold it for a second, then stand back up. You can do this throughout the day, or just try to hover each time you sit down.

5. Cherry picking
This exercise can help release tension in your upper body and looks just like it sounds. Stretch your arms up, one at a time, as high as you can, as if reaching to pick fruit out of a tree. Repeat 10 times, alternating sides as you go along…..MORE…..

Some super ideas there!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - need an ergonomic thingee while you’re at it?

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I still

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cannot fathom the following.

I am a logical, calm, dignified, utterly awesome mom with phenomenal musical taste. After all, Barry Manilow rules! Followed closely by, Maynard Ferguson, Chuck Mangione, the track of West Side Story and the like.

But! My utterly brilliant child….loves hard rock.

I have no idea where her genes got so, ahem, screwed up! While I will not allow rap into my house, I can’t find a real reason to forbid rock….and actually, as said kid uses it as a way to express herself, I’m rather proud that she’s forging her own path.

It would be so easy to try and change her…but if there’s one thing my 4 decades have taught me, it’s:

Better a spirit that rebounds….rather than one that breaks.

This is the kid, mind you, who had her hair streaked red on a whim. The kid whose favorite colors are black. The kid who is a straight A student, and the kid who always is open to learning from my experiences. Talk about a unique combination of qualities.

Parenting….it’s a hero’s journey.

Barbara

ps - want Barry Manilow goodies?

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Did you know that 95%

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of people who go on a diet fail? Are you one of those 5 out of 100 who will succeed? Read these examples below and find out!

7). Your “diet” is less than 1,200 calories per day. Deprive your body of the base calorie requirement to function at your weight, and it will think, OMIGOSH I’m starving, let me embrace every fat deposit I can find.

6.) Your “diet” consists of pre-packaged meals. You’re not learning how to be healthy, you’re simply following rules. When you get tired of the price your prepackaged meals cost, you’ll be back to your bad eating habits once again.

5.) Your “diet” consists of meal replacement shakes. Can you imagine drinking your nutrients for the rest of your life? Once you get off them, the weight will fly back to your hips.

4.) Your “diet” has no foods in it you enjoy. You’re not a masochist; eventually you’ll say, to hell with this!

3.) Your “diet” is severely lacking in needed nutrients. Eventually your body will rebel, you’re crash and burn, and you’ll say, to hell with this!

2.) Your “diet” is only for 14 days or 18 days or 21 days or what have you. What do think will happen once you complete it if you haven’t learned how to eat healthy? You’re right - kiss those pounds a welcome once again.

And the number one reason why your diet will fail:

1). You’re on a diet and not a lifestyle change. If you return back to your previously unhealthy way of eating after your diet, of course you’ll gain back the weight quicker than a toddler scarfs down an ice cream cone

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps - want a diet you can enjoy?

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