Lighten Up! Laughter Helps You Lose

Always save room for the most enjoyable abs workout there is: laughter. Let's face it, exercise can be downright hilarious. The good news is that in order to get in shape, everyone is in the same boat. Jumping around from side to side, flexing muscles and sweating out aggression is all part of the fun. Before you get too serious lifting those heavy weights, remember to stop and have fun with your workout. A good laugh is a great way to boost energy levels and help you release stress.

PLEASE Read. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Your Help is Needed!

My friend's 19 month old granddaughter needs your help. Her name is Alexis Harding. Here is her story.

I am 19 months old and I have a seizure disorder which has not yet been diagnosed. I started having seizures at 24hrs old, I am hypotonic, developmentaly delayed and also failure to thrive. My seizures are a variety of different ones. My head and eyes deviate to the right or left and I have clusters which last sometimes for hours. I also have staring and drop seizures. After I have a seizure I cannnot use my right arm sometimes for minutes, sometimes for days. I have been on 8 meds that have not worked and the ketogenic diet. The meds that failed to work are phenobarb, lamictal, topimax, kepra ,clonopin, clobazam, acth and trileptal. I am currently taking 3 of these meds all at once to try and get some control on the seizures without any success. Because of my size and age the doctors are limited on what they can give me. My seizures used to come once in a while but the older I get the worse they get. I am having anywhere from 5 to 30 seizures a day for periods of 4 to 5 days in a row. Sometimes they will stop for a few days for whatever reason and then they will start again. I have been hospitalized once a month since I was born, this month being the worst I have been in the hospital 16 out of 24 days so far. I have had 6 MRI's, a spect scan, pet scan, spinal tap and tons of genetic testing all of which has come back normal. I have been through weeks of video EEG's which have showed spikes coming from the left side of my brain and they have captured 3 of the 5 types of seizures I have. If anyone has any information that might help us find out what is wrong with me please comment or email us. Please help my Mommy and Daddy help me.

How You Can Help

First, if you do have an answer or any helpful information her email address is alexisharding01@yahoo.com

Second, leave your supportive and encouraging comments and prayers in the comment section below. Her parents and grandparents will appreciate it.

Finally, share this story with others. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone... You can click on the share button and share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, etc. Also, you could post her story in a blog post of your own.


Thank you so much for taking the time to help this child.

A New Perspective for a New Year

As the New Year arrives, it is customary to make New Year’s Resolutions. The question is how you are going to be one of the people to keep your New Year’s Resolution. I found I needed to change my perspective when trying to achieve my goals of weight loss and being physically able to accomplish more activities. I had to make the commitment to these goals. This time around, I am achieving a lifestyle change not just being on a diet until I lose the weight. I know the choices I make when deciding what foods to eat and choosing to exercise will determine if I will achieve my goals. I know once I have achieved the weight loss I desire, I will have to maintain this lifestyle change if I am going to be successful in keeping the weight off. Otherwise, I will regain the weight just as I have so many times in the past.

I am motivated and determined to make this lifestyle change. I have changed my views about food. It is the fuel my body needs in order to sustain life. It is not like I can quit eating all together in order to lose the weight. Although food can be an addiction, and I believe it is an addiction for me, I cannot expect to quit it like smoking cigarettes or using drugs. It is unhealthy to stop eating all together in order to get a quick weight loss. It never works. You end up gaining all the weight back and a few extra pounds on top of the ones you lost. It is better to lose it slowly.

I have also used food as a reward or to celebrate some event like Christmas and New Years. We all have gone out to eat for a birthday, a holiday, a graduation, or a promotion. It always seems like there is something to celebrate and our culture has planted food into our celebrations. There are many other things we could do to celebrate. We could go to the movies, a sporting event, a concert, or a play. We could reward ourselves with gifts like clothing in our smaller size or that pedometer that talks we have our eye on. We could plan a day at the park, go for a stroll on a nature trail, or spend a peaceful day of fishing on the lake. There are many rewards and celebrations out there for us to choose from which do not involve food and can be done for little or no cost. Just let your imagination run wild.

One of the things I have done to achieve my goals is to plan for success. I exercise daily. I like to get up early in the morning and exercise outside. When it is too cold outside I use my living room instead. I alternate by working out my upper body one day and my lower body the next. I like to take a walk every other day in the evening. I have been able to increase the distance I walk little by little over time.

Also, I keep track of the foods I eat. If I am going to go out to dinner, I plan for the meal by looking up the restaurant on the internet and deciding my meal before I leave. I plan for the foods I love to eat. I plan for a couple of cookies every now and then. I keep healthy foods on hand so I will not be tempted to eat the high fat/calorie foods. If I am going to eat something I have not planned for then I add extra exercise to make up for that food.

Through positive thinking and determination we will be able to achieve our New Year’s Resolutions. We can live a healthy lifestyle if we look at it from a new perspective. We must stay motivated and reward our successes. Remember our diet consists of the foods we eat to fuel our bodies. It is not something we are on; it is a part of our life. It does require a lifestyle change to be successful. We may slip and fall from time to time but we cannot let that get us down and kill our motivation. We just need to do the things necessary to get back on track. We can achieve the weight loss we desire. We will accomplish our goals. We can make our resolutions last the whole year.

“With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mathew 19:26

Blurt: Love is…

… Caring for yourself
… Caring for your health
… Paying attention to what you eat
… Journaling
… Reading nutrition labels
… Giving your family healthy choices
… Exercising
… Setting a good healthy example
… Setting goals for yourself
… Not beating yourself up when you make a mistake
… Living a happy life
… Smiling and sharing it with others
… Being positive
… Surrounding yourself with positive people
… Leaning on your friends for support
… Hugging
… Doing your best
… Being kind to others
… Sharing your life story
… Forgiving others
… Showing love as you wish to be loved
… Family moments and quality time
… Allowing and planning for the things you enjoy

And the most important of them all…

Love is… God’s Grace, Mercy and Love for YOU!

Thank you for showing me your love and support!
Have a Happy Healthy and Successful Love Filled New Year

Merry Christmas!

Conquering the Binge Monster

Are you gorging on foods at night? Do you grab a bag of your favorite chips to watch TV? Do you overindulge on your favorite snack? Do you splurge and overdo to satisfy that feeling of depression? Do you find that after you open a bag of cookies it is gone or almost gone before you go to bed? During this time of year when goodies and treats are everywhere we turn, it is easy to overeat if we are not careful and not paying attention to our behavior. I know certain foods I must avoid completely or be very careful to make sure I do not go on a bender. If we follow a few simple guidelines we can achieve and maintain the weight loss we desire. It is possible to live a healthy lifestyle but requires our commitment to our success. Here are a few guidelines to help you overcome binge eating.

• Eat properly throughout the day where your body will not go into starvation mode and make you hungry and want to eat everything in sight. If you eat a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner and healthy snacks in-between you will be less likely to overindulge at night.
• Drink cold water or unsweetened tea to keep that hand to mouth movement habit satisfied.
• Eat your meals at the table not in front of the TV or computer. If you are concentrating on your meal you are less likely to overeat and you more likely to eat healthier.
• Avoid eating anything while you are doing something else like watching TV, using the computer or reading.
• If you must have a snack, pre-measure the serving instead of eating out of the bag or container. It will let your brain see what you are eating and help satisfy that feeling of hunger.
• Do not purchase your favorite high calorie and high fat foods. If you are buying them for the rest of the family put them out of sight and request they not eat in front of you while you are adjusting to your lifestyle change. I’m not saying to deprive yourself and never have your favorite, just be sure to plan for that special occasion.
• If you are eating due to feelings of depression, loneliness or some other emotion concentrate on why you are eating and deal with those emotions of stress in another way that is healthier. You could take up a hobby like cross stitching, wood carving, needlepoint or crocheting.
• Brush your teeth after your meal to give you a fresh clean feeling and make you not want to eat anymore for the night.
• Go for an evening walk to help relax, relieve some stress and change your evening habits.
• Put up a kitchen is closed sign. A friend of mine told me this helps her stay out of the kitchen at night. She actually has a rope that she hangs to block the entrance.

We must remember it is a lifestyle change not a temporary fix or we will fall back into old habits. We can achieve our weight loss goals if we plan for our weak moments. If you are not eating properly throughout the entire day you are more likely to binge eat. We must eat in moderation and avoid overindulgence. I have had difficulty with binge eating in the past but by planning for success I am achieving my goals. I am sure you can also achieve victory and together we will be successful in our journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle. God Bless and Take Care.

Note: Binge eating disorder is a newly recognized condition. Most of us overeat from time to time, and many people feel they frequently eat more than they should. Eating large amounts of food, however, does not mean that a person has binge eating disorder. For more information about this disorder visit:

HealthGuide.org
MayoClinic.com

100 Push Up Challenge

I have started the six week training program which is designed to increase your strength in order to be able to do 100 consecutive push ups. I believe I can do it and I challenge you to participate as well. After you complete an initial test to determine your current level, the program is designed to achieve this goal over a six week period. It states, "All you need is a good plan, plenty of discipline and about 30 minutes a week to achieve this goal!" Of course there are some of you who can already do many push ups but most people aren't able to manage 20 and if your like me when I took my initial test, 10 is difficult. However I'm determined to achieve this goal and I believe you can too. Just click the image or this link to start the hundred push ups training program. Good luck to all of you and please report back and let me know how you're doing.