Main Blog Updated: Paul Jaminet, Matt Stone, Dr. Thomas Bryan at Paleo Summit--and worth listening to for varying views. Note: If you even mildly suspect or wonder about GLUTEN sensitivity, listen to Dr. Bryan's segment.

Paul Jaminet, Matt Stone, Dr. Thomas Bryan at Paleo Summit--and worth listening to for varying views. Note: If you even mildly suspect or wonder about GLUTEN sensitivity, listen to Dr. Bryan's segment.

Not Impressed by Five Pound Loss of Recent Diet/Exercise vs Relaxation Study

While I totally believe that stress screws your body and mind up, and destressing and learning to do things that involve quietness and meditation are healthful (they prove so to me), I can't get too excited about that study recently reported all over the diet world online. You may have heard about it, the one that says that destressing with meditation and Yoga and such is better for weight loss than diet and exercise.

The destressors kept off the five pound weight loss for two years, while the nutrition info and the diet/exercise groups didn't lose or keep off.

When you're big like me and five pounds barely registers, this is not big news. If the women in the study had lost and kept off 25+ pounds (just with destressing), I might perk up.

But I've struggled to keep off 25 lbs. I had lost 29, then regained, then lost, then regained a bit, then lost. After my last bout with asthma (3.5 weeks of ickiness), I'm up again. For me, 25 pounds is an ongoing battleground. Makes me nuts. So, excuse me if a five pound loss after two years doesn't make me go yippee for Yoga.

Five pounds. This is gonna solve the obesity epidemic? I think not.

I still think that it's a holistic thing that's gonna get us there--ie, dealing with sedentary habits and moving into movement; dealing with excess calories and outsized portions and learning to eat less; cutting down or out the junk and non-nutritive foods and snacks and focusing on whole and clean foods; working with internal/emotional issues and learning how to tap into the self-control we all have to some extent; tapping into our spiritual power (if we believe in such); creating support systems in and even beyond our family/friendship circles; committing to a lifestyle change that is lifelong; changing the societal landscape so that it is fashioned and structured to support healthful living; encouraging employers to make room for exercise at work and offer healthful snacks instead of junk on the jobsites; incorporating stress management techniques; eliminating all junk from schools; adding penalty taxes to junk foods and using that money to offset health care costs for obesity; tax deductions for gym memberships and buying at-home health gear (bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, etc); making health a top family and personal priority for life.

Destressing, as you see, imo is part of that holistic approach. But without diet and exercise and support, etc, I'm sorry, the very overweight and obese and superobese can't be satisfied with losing five pounds doing yoga. That's not gonna cut it.

So, I'll take the study for what it's worth. Yes, I'll continue to incorporate mind-body/destressing times and activities into my life. But that will not solve my obesity problem--or the nation's. Or the world's. Life is stressful, no matter what we do. Destressing helps, but when you'r mom is dying or your husband leaves you or your kid gets a major illness, or your car is totalled or your country is at war or your house is foreclosed on or someone robs you at gunpoint or a hurricane is coming--stress is hard to eradicate. I think the researchers who de-emphasize or pooh-pooh (or seem to) the role of diet and exercise ain't helping us as much as they might think.

They probably just make us worry about destressing enough. :)

Eating Mostly Vegetables Does it Again

Just go see what it did for Cranky Fitness.

~~

Once Upon A Diet A-Store

I've set up a Once Upon A Diet A-Store, for those who like shopping at amazon.com.

Enjoy browsing and, maybe, buying.

~

A Near-Year's-End Goal Assessment

There are 65 days left to 2008, and that's 9.28 weeks left in the year. That's all. Then...a whole new year.

I have not been happy with how I've handled goals this year. I've not met as many as I wished. A look at the good and the not so good:

I have made progress in a couple areas this year. One: I'm exercising regularly, strenuously, and am getting stronger and more flexible. Two: I am consciously eating more whole, unprocessed foods and organic foods. Three: I'm eating out less. Four: I'm maintaining a sound mood, with fewer dips into the dark cloud. Five: My thyroid has not gotten worse (ie, requiring an increase in dosage).

On the bad side are some key things. One: I am still not mastering portion control. Two: I still am not being consistent about water intake. Three: I've slipped back into giving into more than the occasional/rare sweets temptation. Four: I am still keeping a wacky and unhealthy sleeping schedule.

I feel better. I walk with more spring. Good.

I sleep erratically. I let myself get dehydrated. I buy cookies. Bad.

As it stands, I need to assiduously attack the weaknesses in order to end the year with a loss, and not a maintain (or, Heaven forbid, a gain).

65 days. 9 1/4 weeks. If I were to be a very good Princess starting TODAY, I could end the year with an 18 to 20 pound loss.

That's my goal. As of today. End 2008 at or under 255.

Cause time is always, always, always running out on this body. And your body.

What are your goals for the rest of this year. The end cometh...of 2008.

Onward and DOWNWARD!

Did Ya Have a Perfect Day? If Not, TRY AGAIN!

Lyn posted about working at it one day at a time, aiming for a perfect day.

I decided to take the one-day challenge. One perfect day. Well, okay, nearly perfect. I exercised for 50 minutes and I ate within my self-selected points count (38 pts, which is 1900 calories). It would have been perfect had I had more greens and slept 8 hours. I only slept 5 and a half.

The scale was .6 pounds down.

I'm aiming for another perfect day today. :)

One day at a time...because like it or not, you will have those days, and you can make them good or bad, better or worse, best or worst...or even perfect.

As Lyn said beautifully:

One perfect day, you can do. And if you can do it once, you can do it again. Don't think about the other days. It is ONE day. You only have to do it for ONE day. Then at the end of your perfect day, hug yourself, go to bed, and get back up in the morning committed to doing ONE perfect day. Again.

One day leads to another. Like the momentum of footsteps taking you to a goal, the days carry you forward. They are going to carry you, regardless. In a month you will be a month older. Will you be a month heavier? More miserable? Or will you be a month lighter and happier? Because believe me, the good days string together and create something more masterful and wonderful than weeks and months. They create joy. They become peace and clarity. They lead to a new you.

If you have a hard time visualizing a perfect eating day sort of meal plan, how about some of these to spur you on?--

Women's Health's meal plan for steady blood sugar

Men's Health's meal plan for craving control

High Fiber meal plan

A vegetarian meal plan at 1500 calories

A low-carb meal plan

Vegan meal plan

Oprah's Seven-Day meal plan

High Calcium Meal Plan

A 1200 calorie meal plan with meal replacements

Take 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise-- a bracing walk, an energizing DVD, some yoga, a refreshing swim, a hike in the woods or desert, a jog through the park, a spell on the trampoline, some focused weight-lifting, a bit of dancing in your living room to salsa music--and add several glasses of water to a good, calorie-controlled meal plan, and, presto, a perfect fatfighting day!

Then utter thanks for being able to breathe, move, and for having food at hand to nourish your body. These are great gifts in a world where many go hungry and many are unable to walk or run or jump or just do one abdominal crunch.

Always be grateful for being able to enjoy a day of becoming that new you.

Have a perfect today!

~

Diet Blog: Why Diets Fail

Good blog entry over at Diet Blog called "Why Do Most Diets Fail?". If you're on a weight-loss quest, I suggest STRONGLY that you drop by and read it. And maybe weep a bit before getting on with the tough work.

Sniff.

Still Sick...

Sorry for the absence. I got worse, and my asthma exacerbated. I'm still pretty much snorting, coughing, gasping, and staying as still as possible. (When I move, the gasping gets way worse.) I have very, very low energy levels, and just poop out super fast, no matter what I do--even fix a something light like tea and soup and toast.

Haven't been shopping, cooking, or weighin-in. Have pretty much been sleeping odd hours (when I get tired, I drop off) and lying in bed or on the couch. The one day I got dressed and went out was cause there was a death in the family, and I went to visit and pay my respects. I ended up feeling worse and having a bit of a setback.

So, I'm in limbo until I get over this bug and my breathing normalizes.

Hope you all are doing much better than I am. God bless. Hope to have better health--and diet--news next week or so.

What Four Habits Extend "Youth" and Life?

When healthy, middle-aged men and women in a study scored high on all four of these important health behaviors, the combined effect was a four-fold reduction in mortality risk -- an outcome equal to being 14 years younger!

The answer is HERE.

Ever Eaten a Raw Fruit Pie? Ever Eaten Mamey Sapote?

If you answered no to one or both of the above questions, you're in for a treat.

If you can get hold of one at a Whole Foods near you, try the Glaser Organics raw fruit pies. I bought one because the colors were so fresh and beautiful--the intense deep pinkish orange of the mamey, the gold of the pineapple, the green of the kiwi. It was just a gorgeous looking pie.

And reading the ingredients was uplifting: all raw, all organic, all fruit and fruit juice and nuts. No white flour. No preservatives. No crap.

The one I bought was a Mamey Raw Fruit Pie. It has mamey, mango, pineapple, kiwi, dates, orange juice, bananas as well as almonds, pecans, walnuts and coconut (making up the really surprisingly delectable crust). Spices, too.

If eating raw tastes like this, sign me up for more raw gourmet food.

I'm gonna try their other flavors. I've already bought their spinach pesto raw sauce for pasta. (I'm so digging the Dreamfields lower-carb impact pasta. Hubby loves it, too.)

I try eating something raw at every meal and, ideally, at every snack. I figure that way I get the nutrients and enzymes undamaged. But I liked cooked food too much to be an all-raw enthusiast. (And I ain't eating raw meats of any kind ever!)

So, that's my food discovery for this week. Visit Glaser Organics site and see what other lovelies they have that you can order if your Whole Foods or organic gourmet shop doesn't carry this brand.

Try making one for yourself. Here's a beautiful array of raw food photos and recipes.

Happy healthful eating!
~~

Scale Tale: No Change

After a wobbly week of some okay days and some bad days, Mr Tanita reported:

275.6

No change. Holding pattern. Maintaining.

This makes a total loss of 6.8 lbs since the Tales from the Scales challenge began. I get the right to display this:



This is not bad, maintaining. I am feeling pretty calm and okay about it. I had a salty soup at lunch and some salty almonds at night yesterday--let's not even go into the chocolate mousse that was to die for--and I was worried the salt bloat and dessert indulgence might mess things up. But the papaya and milk and apple--the potassium in those--maybe helped.

Next week, unless perimenopause wackiness ensues, should be my PMS time. So, I better enjoy the stability of this weigh in.

Five Days? Man, Time Flies! Especially When You're Stuffing Your Face With Pizza and Italian Foods

Hubby has been taking it easy at home with me all weekend and today. Tomorrow, we're gonna go, weather permitting, to see the special exhibit of Goya art at the Freedom Tower in Miami. I loves me some my art!

So, really, man, I've been a bad Princess about posting. Life intruded. (And I'm not alone. Teale's life intruded, too.)

On the eating front: There must be a bug going around that got me and Lyn and Zanitta--thanks for checking on me, girl!--cause I wasn't so great Friday or Sunday. Friday, I had one of my trigger foods and I binged. Pizza! Italian! Same deal Sunday.

Here's what I had, and why I was a doubly bad Princess:

Friday--the band came over for music practice (hubby is a very, very good drummer and an okay bass player. He plays for the church band.) We ordered pizza for the hungry musicians, and I had THREE, yes, THREE slices. Well, 2 and 2/3, since I left some of the third on the plate. I had two servings of salad. I had two cups of pasta e fagiole soup with sprinkled parmesan on top. It was a cheesetravaganza of calories. And then I topped it off with a cup of Cherries Cordial frozen yogurt with 6 maraschino cherries. Eek.

Yes, that was a bona fide binge.

Saturday I was fine. Whew.

Sunday I had lasagna and chicken parmigiana and some salad with balsamic vinaigrette. And I had three cookies. And more frozen yogurt. Strawberry this time. But this time, half a cup, not a whole cup. No maraschino cherries.

Today, I've been fine.

Now, the scale isn't going down, but, thankfully, it hasn't gone UP. I was at 275.4 when I weighed in today. Just .2 lbs less than last Wednesday.

Thing is, even these deviations were not the all-out, insane, gluttonously sinful binges of the past.

No, really. I would have had four or five slices of pizza and a whole bunch of greasy garlic rolls and some cake or some other big-calorie sweet treat. I would have gorged on dressing, instead of measuring out and using lemon juice to expand. The fact that in neither case--Friday or Sunday--did I eat as much as I would have in the past or as much as I wanted to THOSE DAYS (yes, I wanted another slice of pizza. Yes, I wanted more lasagna. Yes, I wanted garlic rolls. Yes, I wanted tiramisu or chocolate cake or pie), is a small, but noticeable change. I simply did not let go. I still held SOME control.

I also made up for it with the next meal. I had the Pizza Splurge for lunch. For dinner, I kept to cereal with fruit.

On Sunday, I had just some crispbread crackers with light cheese and an apple for supper to make up for the cheesy Italian feastlet.

I consider those important to note. I didn't lose ALL control. :)

Today, I have some nice chicken breast with spinach and low-fat cheese in a high-fiber wrap ready for lunch. I have some lovely honeycrisp apples to satisfy a need to chew. I have cantaloupe for dessert.


Oh, and I tried this sugarless lemon curd that is so delicious with some almond butter on whole grain toast. It's like having a lemon tart, without the saturated fat or sugar. It's one of my new fave treats. It's very nice with some Almond Breeze (I love the chocolate, and I use the vanilla for smoothies with chocolate protein powder.)


But Zanitta and Chubby Chick are so right. Just having one day of being in control, good, sane about food is so satisfying. Especially after a couple not-so-great days.

I want to be better in the next few days, cause the PMS time will be here soon when hunger makes me a crazy fool. I need to habituate care in selection and ingestion so I'm not all whack come the bloaty heralds of the Red Guest.

Scale Tale: The Viral Effect

Man, was I sick yesterday.

Not that I feel great today, but yesterday was horrible. During my grandniece's birthday party, I picked up the stomach bug that had afflicted my brother and his family. Result: Mucho diarrhea, nausea, headache, and very little eating.

Can we say GROSS?

The havoc shows on the scale:

What I weighed last weigh-in: 277
My weight the Monday after the party binge: 279.6

My weight today after the bug came to visit: 272.6

This is not the best way to make progress, though. I wouldn't recommend it. I had chills and my head still feels achey (but I dare not take anything for it).

I last ate at noon yesterday (which just came right out, if'n ya know what I mean). In a bit, I will attempt some breakfast and see if it'll stay put.

I figure I'm a little low on fluid, so once I rehydrate, that number's gonna bounce up. But, hey, the damage from the party has been negated by a nasty, little virus.

The Princess' pipes are REALLY clean!

Hope everyone has a great weigh-in for this week in the Look Great for 2008 Challenge.

Adding Health To Your Holiday Gift-Giving

I, The Princess Dieter, subscribe to various health/wellness/diet newsletters that are offered online for FREE. It's part of my "stay motivated" plan. Those tidbits in my mailbox can keep me focused on the right things, ya know?

One I get is sent out by the Duke Diet and Fitness program. Today's email newsletter from them recommends buying gifts that encourage a more healthful lifestyle.

Considering how close we are to the big, old, gift-buying season--Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa--I thought that I'd pass their suggestions along for you early shoppers. If you have loved ones who are overweight or unfit, well, maybe some of the following should be on your holiday shopping list--and mine, too:

Healthy gifts include those that make it easier to eat well, exercise regularly (whether indoors or outdoors), or reduce stress. Consider these ideas:

Exercise videos or equipment
A meditation or self-awareness CD
Workout clothing
An assortment of herbal teas and a teapot
Gift certificates for a spa treat such as a massage or pedicure
Tickets to a concert or play
A sports watch with a stopwatch
A pedometer
A colorful water bottle to take to workouts
A yoga mat with a gift certificate to a yoga class
A countertop grill or steamer
A juicer
A backpack or gym bag
A basket of fresh fruit
A portable music player
A soothing tabletop fountain
Aromatherapy bath products
A cookbook featuring healthy fare
An all-weather jacket
Maps of hiking trails, or guidebooks to the outdoors
Sunglasses
A subscription to a fitness or health magazine

~

The Princess Reviews...SOY BITES

I wanted to give y'all a heads up about these absolutely yummynummy, crunchy mini-breaksticks made by Crum Creek. They're called "Soy Bites." And they totally rule!

Now, I try to minimize my intake of soy because of thyroiditis. But, sometimes, a product with soy is so amazing that I make room for it. These are one.

Why?

Some days, I need crunchy. I need crunchy bad. And I like my crunch with flavor, not just crispbread (aka healthy cardboard). Especially right before the Red Guest comes, I get mad for something to really challenge my teeth with a solid crunch, something that's savory, not sweet like an apple.

Crum Creek's Soy Bites come in four flavors. I've tried them all. The absolutely, hands-down, thumbs-up best one is the EVERYTHING! flavor, which is crusted with sesame seeds, onion, garlic, and poppy seeds. Ever had an everything bagel? Well, this is like that, only it's really crunchy and it's only gonna cost you 2 WW points per bag. And the bag is not s measly serving. You get a couple dozen pieces plus per bag. Very satisfying portion.

The other flavors are, in descending order of my preference:
Superb Sesame
Outrageous Onion
Remarkable Rosemary and Garlic

Sadly, no fiber. But here's the nutritional info on the EVERYTHING! Soy Bites:

Pieces per Serving: 27
Calories: 105

Calories from Fat: 14
Total Fat 1.5g
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 165mg
Total Carbohydrates 16g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 6g

And here's the ingredients:

Unbleached Wheat Flour, Soy Protein, Expeller-pressed Soy Oil, Yeast, Malt Syrup, Baking Powder, Wheat Gluten, Salt PLUS FOR ROSEMARY AND GARLIC: Dried Rosemary, Garlic Powder FOR SESAME: Sesame Seeds FOR ONION: Onion Powder. FOR EVERYTHING: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Onion, Garlic, Salt, Yeast, Corn And Malt Syrup And Dried Brewer Yeast.

Scale Tale: Checking in for the Challenge

Well, it's been a less than ideal eating week in the interval for the LOOK GREAT IN 2008 CHALLENGE. I only stayed ON PLAN three out of the seven days. Most days, I went over plan by a minimum of 200 calories. One day, it went way beyond. (Owsie on that pint of chocolate yogurt.)

But today, I log for the weigh-in (that I forgot yesterday):

Mr Tanita says... 280.4

Bleh. I've been lower. But last challenge weigh-in was 282.4

That makes a 2 pound recorded change downwards for the challenge.

I hope next week weeks me at 278. Please, please, please.

What else to report:

Still food journaling (that's how I know how badly I did those 4 days). Still not exercising formally.

But I did fit into a swimsuit a size down today. I'm wearing it as I type. It's black and bright orange (like Baywatch orange) and it fits. I'm astounded. I thought I'd have to lose another 10 lbs. And my hairdresser noticed the change. I said, "What, you really notice?" And she says, "Oh, definitely. I can tell you've lost." She said this BEFORE I mentioned I was dieting. :)

I can feel the looseness in my jeans and I've got a few more tops to throw out cause they're too baggy. I dunno why. And some bras don't fit anymore. The last hook is still too loose. :) I haven't lost that much more in the last couple weeks, but the body is doing something. It's confusing, but I like it.

Tonight I'm going to read a few chapters from books on emotional eating. After a couple days of doing that, I put the brakes on it yesterday. Now, I need to get myself some strategies. I'll post anything really good I find.

How is everyone doing this week? I need to catch up with y'all!

My continued thanks for the encouragement and prayers for my friend, Y, and her hubby L. And may God bless all of you richly with health and peace of mind and hope.

Hubby comes back from a business trip tonight, so I'm happy, happy, happy.

~

KTLA Does Part 2 of Kimkins Expose & LCF Regulars Find More Kimkins Fraud

Make sure to catch part two of the KTLA expose on the Kimkins diet and Kimmer aka Heidi Diaz. It's up online.

And visit the major anti-Kimkins sites (see my sidebar, far down left) to get the latest, which includes the discovery by several LCF Forum regulars of the pics that Kimmer/Heidi used as after pictures, including the one that was "Kim" in the WW article last June. (It's at HotRussianBrides.Com and she's number 169503.)

Also, at least SEVEN (so far, as of this post) of the "success stories" after pics have turned out to be photos of women/models on Russian bride sites.

Yes, Kimmer/Heidi trolled foreign bride/dating service sites in order to get pictures of attractive women for her after pictures.

I'm guessing she did this because those sites have search databases that let you choose age, weight, height, hair and eye color, etc. That means if she needed, say, a 130 pound brunette with brown eyes and long hair, it would be easy to search for one.

Evil people are crafty, ain't they?

The hunt for the Red Dress Pic continues. We know it wasn't Kimmer's image. And, you know, something about that pic always bugged me. I never could put my finger on it. The answer may lie in the eyeballs. One of the LCF ladies blew it up and the eyes are triangular. Either they were photoshopped to make them look this way for some odd reason, or the original eyes were replaced with a particular set of brown eyes to seem more "Kimmerish." We don't know. But something is definitely odd about those triangular irises when seen in extreme close-up. See below to compare unfreaky eyes on the left and the triangular irises on the "not Kimmer after" pic right:



Maybe it's just a trick of the pixellation, but hey. You decide.

I suspect many people will be using their spare time to hunt down which Russian bride/model was the one Kimmer chose to be her online representation. (Oh, and there is artwork on a t-shirt at one Russian Brides site that is clearly the inspiration for the Kimkins site logo. Heidi Diaz hasn't got an original bone in her body, it seems. She just pilfers the ideas of others.) If you go hunting and find the red dress pic, go to LCF and let them know. The evidence is being compiled.

Another success story that is highly suspect is brought to light at Kimkins Circus. See the before and after, and, if you have any information on the veracity or falsehood, please notify an appropriate anti-Kimkins warrior:



And yes, tis a jest. But hey, it's not that far from what Kimmer herself did. Honest.

As expected from a con artist, Kimmer continues to do the denial thing, insisting she's not Heidi Diaz, even though all doubt has been removed about that matter. And her admins are standing by her side, which means she must be offering them some juicy bonuses. Some Kimkinettes continue to support their scamster leader, which just makes them look like utter nincompoops in my eyes. Sorry, but dang!

~~

The Triumph of Perseverance and the Glory of Never, Ever Quitting

You don't just hurriedly throw a couple rocks on top of each other and call it a castle. You don't just throw a wet paintbrush at a canvas and call it a masterpiece.

At her blog today, Chubby Chick features a great Calvin cartoon (dontcha love Calvin and Hobbes!?) It's an ironic one, and it fits her post topic of persevering in this weight loss journey.

It's funny, cause this time around, I'm out to lose SLOWLY. And that's exactly how it's going. Every other time, I've psyched myself to lose 2-4 pounds a week--really aiming at 3 or more. Haven't you done that? Said, "Oh, one to two pounds a week is great" but inside you were thinking, "No, I must lose it FASTER. This isn't good enough!" Then, once the initial phase (a week, two weeks) of fast fat loss passed, and it settled to the drudgery of the daily discipline and the minimal losses, I'd get dissatisfied, frustrated, negative, and "bored."

I'd give up. Too few immediate rewards.

That's what children do. That's not what mature people do. That's not what artists out to make something that last do. That's not what castle-builders out to save their lives behind those fortress walls did.

If it's worth it and if it's durable, it will require patience, discipline, and persistence.

Well, this time, I've told myself that I must see it differently. My daily mantra: I must be vigilant and eat smaller portions for the rest of my life.

We hear that a lot about weight loss, but it's revolutionary all the same when it registers in one's own brain.

For life. No going off. No, "This is just to get the weight off."

No, it's for life.

I got fat for assorted reasons, but mostly cause I had bad habits in terms of portions and sedentary living.

I am working on the portions and calorie limits. I am still stuck in sedentary.

It's a work in progress. But, unlike Calvin, I can't afford to get bored.


I can't see this as a sprint. It's a marathon. A marathon that may last decades, depending on how long I live. And I've no doubt my bad habits and obesity robbed me of life. Things of value--like fitness, good health, weight loss--take time to do right, to do so it lasts. Anything that stands the test of time takes hard work and time: Castles, Cathedrals, raising kids, creating the Sistine Chapel...

We're works of art.

While I was in the bathroom after waking up, reaching for the t.p., I was telling myself, "It's for life."

While I got on the scale, I told myself, "It's for life, not just this week or today."

So, it was cool to see Chubby Chick's post. And her small, shimmering motto: "It's not a diet. It's a life-changing commitment."

I can't go back to huge portions of Italian food. Of emptying bread baskets in restaurants. Or eating half a pizza. Of snarfing down a slice of chocolate cake that could easily feed two. Of eating a foot-long sub. Of eating several ounces of cheese at a pop. Of generously dousing salads with dressing. Of eating the whole chocolate bar. Of having three tacos instead of one or two. Of having humongous bowls of cereal instead of measuring out a sound, sane portion. Of drinking 16 ounces of OJ instead of 6 or, at most, 8. Of forgetting to count the calories in the sides, like cranberry sauce. Of double portions of fatty gravy. Of thinking that if I share that oversized, American restaurant portion, that it's suddenly a virtuous, low-calorie entree. Half of a triple portion is still half a portion too much.

I can't just follow my appetite, cause it leads to destruction.

No. I gotta keep working at that work of art that will be called "The Triumph of Perseverance" when the labor delivers its fruit. That will be renamed "The Continued Triumph of Perseverance" when the loss is maintained.

It's for life.

And we gotta keep telling ourselves that. We don't get to go off the diet. The diet is a lifestyle, must be a lifestyle, or we will fail, cause we won't persevere.

I'm only in the earliest phase of this artwork. It's gonna be a while here, with the dust and chiseling and sketching and all those fumblings of the brush and the hammer. Inspiration is variable. The muse is often out doing errands. Still, the work goes on: If it's a pound a week, or a half-pound, then I'll say goodbye to 26 or 52 pounds next Columbus day. The scale is my friend. The scale lets me know it's ups and downs, but there's progress in the big picture.

Art takes time. Put on some music to help you keep going. We're all of us dancing and drawing and painting and sculpting our way to a better day, and we're not dancing alone. The smells of marble dust and colorful oils and metals shaped in the fire fill the air. Smell it? Nice to have company, yes?

For more on perseverance--though she might tag it "never, never, never give up-ing"--visit the terrific blog Escape from Obesity.

Chicken Tacos: Mmmmmmm and Bran Muffins

Nicole has posted a Chicken Taco recipe that's EASY--for the cooking-impaired like The Princess or the harried, busy gal or guy--and that looks yummy. (Yep, there's a pic.) It looks to be about 3 WW points and not a whole lot of calories.

But before you get to the taco-ey delight, read her "vision" list. Maybe you have visionary things in common.
~~

Edited to add: Setting Her Free's Heather has a Bran Muffins recipe on her blog today. They've got one of The Princess' favorites: BLUEBERRIES!

I Dub Thee, Sir Tea, Defender of the Realm

Crabby McSlacker wrote the following in an archived post from June:

Tea, though it seems a refined beverage, is nonetheless a scrappy bad-ass cancer fighter. Antioxidants, those nutritional Superheroes, are the reason.

I love tea, but this will definitely color my reaction next time I whip up some home brewed. I mean, will my cuppa have a little cape around it. Will my iced tea fly right to me?

No, really, I love the term "scrappy bad-ass"

So, go drink some more tea, and if anyone is artistically inclined, consider creating the "Hot and Cold Adventures of SuperTea and his BadAss Brew-Crew."

I'd read it.

Hey, do you take lemon or milk or do you like your hot tea plain?

Me, I'll drink my hot tea sweet, no milk. (I add milk when I need comfort reminders of childhood, but not often.) I like my iced tea sweet with lime, or lemon if no lime is about. And I like to make my own iced tea, rather than use a powder formula. And I like Sweet n Low in my iced tea and Splenda in my hot. Do not ask why? I am not even sure myself. Habit.