A Stroll From Blog To Blog

So, what's happening out in Fat-Fighting Blogdom? A few things:

1. Zanitta has a new, gorgeous, red, Asian floral lay-out. Go see the purdy new Cakehole.

2. Over at Escape from Obesity, another terrific, insightful, human-interest post that break your heart just a wee bit. "Little Things." That Lyn can write. Once she reaches goal weight, I hope she puts together a book proposal and follows the path of the Pasta Queen (ie. writes a book based on the bloggy and weight loss journey.)

3. Chubby Chick is having a rough time with some stress from visitors and etc, so drop by and hug her a good one.

4. Teale's stressful car accident revealed that she really has changed a bad habit and her new way of eating is becoming a smart way of life.

5. Scale Junkie's a fan of The Pasta Queen, like me. What's more. The Pasta Queen's a fan of Scale Junkie. I'm jealous!

6. Heather's plateau broke, and she's been "set free" of another 2.4 lbs. Good news!

7. The Pasta Queen experiences the horrors of McDonalds salads. (Oh, I'm not even going there, or a rant will ensue.)

8. Lady T, who I am imagining in a majestic and very sexy twirl of joy, has made purchases and is ready for her road trip. May the Lord be generous with traveling mercies. (And may the new sweater bring much hotness.)

9. CCC's going to Paris. Yes, don't I look lovely in this particular shade of green?

10. The Grumpy Chair Dieter is learning from the past. That's one good reason to keep dieting blogs: We can go back, look at where we were, learn from things we'd already gone through, remember what got us spurred to make changes for the better.

11. Lisa learns how painful age regression can be, but it also has a lesson for all of us who've been treated badly in our pasts: We deserved better. And we still do.

12. Connie Jean embarks on her weight-loss journey with a painful weigh-in. We know what that's like, don't we? Let her know she's got good company on the trip. We are NOT alone!

A Meme of Fours

Four Things I've Never Done:

~~Traveled outside of the Eastern time zone
~~Dyed my hair an outrageous color
~~Sucessfully reached goal weight on a diet
~~Enjoyed a sailboat ride


Four Things I've learned in the last year:

~~I have become way, way too reclusive
~~I have become really selfish, and I don't wanna be
~~I am actually, maybe capable of writing a publishable novel
~~I am actually, maybe a pretty decent poet


Four Jobs I'd Love But Will Probably Never Have:

~~Biblical archaeologist
~~feature film director
~~astronomer
~~Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan


Four Jobs I've Actually Had:

~~credit analyst
~~babysitter
~~administrative assistant to prison chaplain
~~medical records abstractor/coder

Hat tip to Chubby Chick for the meme

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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

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Fund Mammograms, Feed the Hungry The Easiest Online Way To Help Others

Not every woman can afford a mammogram. Help women get free mammograms. Click today...and remember to go back and click habitually. You can click once a day. The button below is not the actual click. It will take you to the page with the click button that COUNTS.



Now, wasn't that a really easy good deed for the day? Wanna do another quickie good deed?

Here ya go:



Click daily!

You can find other "click to give" sites, including one for child health, one for literacy, one that gives away Bibles, one for rainforest preservation and other enviromental causes, one for animal care, etc. Click 'em all!

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Tweaks to Blog

I'm an HTML-moron, but I did, after much fiddling, figure out how to add my fairy princess with fat-loss fairy dust to the header. :)

I think she looks good up there. Ideally, I'd like to have her a smidge lower, so her head doesn't bump the "A", but I'd have to fiddle some more and I don't wanna. I also changed some colors/fonts.

Hope you like the update.

Props to Amy's Kitchen

I had blogged previously on my crushed and dented Amy's cans of soups (from an online order).

Well, here's to Amy's. They sent an apology, explained the problem (biodegradable peanuts weren't strong enough to handle the cans), and are sending me replacement soups.

Now, that's good business response.

As I already said, the Light on Sodium Cream of Tomato is delicious. (And it will become a standby in my pantry, cause I'm insane about tomato soup, but don't like the regular levels of salt in any of them. I tried some other brands low-sodium, and they SUCKED. And organic is a plus, right?)

There was no shipping charge for my order (Hungry Girl mentioned this, hence my trip to the Amy's site).

So, thumbs up to Amy's for customer service and yummy Cream of Tomato soup.

9/11: Remembering...Praying...Hoping...

It puts our small struggles into big perspective, no?

May the souls of the departed have found bliss. And may peace come soon to all the living. May we appreciate those around us today, because we have no guarantees...

Lord, help us be better people today. Help us be wise. Help us be caring.

Help us to forgive.

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