The Christmas bounty

I'm a cheat. A weakling. No self control whatsoever. That can of Dad's peanut brittle was sitting there tempting me all afternoon. Upon my arrival at the folk's house I quickly dispensed with the usual greetings and pleasantries. "Yeah, so where is the peanut brittle?" I asked Mom - interrupting her Merry Christmas greeting. Christmas kindness could wait - I was on a mission.

Well, wouldn't you know it? Before even reaching that most highly sought after of Christmas goodies I encountered along the way some of my sister's delicious little chocolate balls. In the house two minutes and I've already consumed several hundred calories in chocolate balls. Then I found it - neatly tucked away in the middle of the table. Dad's golden brown peanut brittle. A sugary delight without peer on this magical day. Forget the eggnog. And the Christmas cookies. Mom's Christmas fudge can wait. I was in heaven - or as close as I'll probably ever be. I was savoring a piece of Dad's famous annual Christmas candy.

So now its back to reality, Eating Healthy and setting my sights on next year's goals. Time to get with it. Time to exercise and lose weight fast Here is a cool video I found from one of our favorite nutrition experts - Natalie - on eating healthy. Hope your Christmas was Merry and your New Year will be Happy!

The Joy of Christmas

God is so good to us. The sights and sounds of Christmas are so enjoyable. They seem to have their own uniques sense of wonder and joy. An almost indescribable, heartwarming feeling. Last night as I laid my head down an got one last glimpse of our Christmas tree with all the children's gifts tucked neatly around I felt a joy that only comes during this special time of year.

Today I overheard one of the boys saying "This is my best Christmas ever". And I thought how lucky I am to hear those few wonderful words. How lucky I am to have little ones to love.

Last night our little Church had a candlelight service - filled with scripture and some of the most beautiful songs I've heard all year.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:10-14)

A dear loved one shared this video with me today. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas

" And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:7-14

Simple is good, or Keep it Simple Silly

Found another great exercise video today on YouTube. This guy has some great advice for those of us seeking to improve our shape and overall health. My first serious weight loss adventure included lots of push-ups. They're easy to do. Great stress relievers and you can do them practically anywhere - like your living room while your favorite TV show has gone to commercial.

Or, what a great way to start your day - with some simple exercises in the comfort of your own home. You really can exercise and lose weight fast!

Now check out this guy's excellent advice and enjoy your workouts -

Only twenty weeks

Sitting in my easy chair savoring every bite of the delicious fudge my neighbor brought over today I look back on this wonderful year. Lots of great memories, many blessings, and another inch around my waistline. I know how this happened - too many days filled with sweet, sugary snacks and not nearly enough physical activity to burn off the resulting calories.

In just 22 weeks pools will be opening. We hope to get back to Florida and the lovely beaches. If I have any hope of getting back in anywhere even close to decent shape I'm going to have to burn more calories than I consume.

Life really is simple. The good news is I have the time - over 20 weeks - and the tools to accomplish this much needed goal. Sitting at my desk and in front of the TV at night simply don't allow me to burn the calories I need to burn.

So what is the most efficient way to shed the pounds? The answer seems simple enough - burn twice the calories.

Check this out -


Buy a TreadClimber and burn calories twice as fast!

Exercise time in Winter

It is Friggin Cold out tonite. Please excuse my language - but I was hoping to emphasize the severity of the cold. I know I don't want to even go out to my car to drive to the nice warm gym. Besides, once I'm done at the gym I'd just have to go back to my ice cold car, and drive home. No Thank You. Tonight I'll just hit the extra room and spend some time on the TreadClimber!

Check out this video - you can change your body!

The butt splash

I almost landed on my butt this morning. Insisting on walking outdoors in the falling snow on slippery sidewalks was not a wise choice today. "It will do me some good to get out" I thought as I laced up my walking shoes and put on four layers of shirts. It took almost as long to dress for the cols as my brief walk lasted.

Oh, sure, the cold air on my freezing cheeks felt exhilarating at first. But on the cold slippery sidewalks I kept slipping around like i was walking on an ice rink. Getting any sort of speed was both a challenge and potentially dangerous. It didn't take long to realize the outdoor walk today was something of a waste. Then as I slipped and lost my balance for the fourteenth time - almost landing on my butt - it finally hit me.

Go home and hit the treadclimber. Burn some real calories. Get a decent workout instead of this frozen ill fated attempt at getting any level of cardio in the great outdoors today. Even in the cold of winter it is possible to eat healthy, exercise and lose weight fast!

Dreams do come true

As I sat there in my two room dump eating my favorite brand of potato chips and girl scout cookies I started reading the book. A guy at work - who was always in much better shape than I had ever enjoyed had suggested this book. I don't even remember the name of it - or the author.

I didn't take long before I realized those favorite treats of mine would have to go. Or at least drop way down in my own food chain. I was taking a night class at the local university that semester - trying to escape from the painful realities everyone experiences in their first divorce. Or so I imagine. The college had a great big health facility which was open to all students.

I soon became a daily visitor to that great big building. Their tiny little weight room was not very busy - I hardly ever had to wait. And if I did i could hit another station on one of the two big weight machines. I learned a lot that semester - about love, and divorce and lawyers and some really useful lessons about working out. I eventually worked up to jogging three or four miles in that huge gymnasium five days a week and using the weight machines every other day.

And the diet - I discovered many healthy and simple meals that even a novice in the kitchen could easily prepare. Between February and June I lost around 35 pounds and gained a decent upper body. My overall health was probably the best it had aver been. Even after years of smoking.

If I can do it - so can you. Watch this video and help your self to a new start. A new you. You can exercise and lose weight fast. You could start before Christmas and be looking good before summer.

the best Christmas present

Why not give yourself the best Christmas present? After you've got all those gifts for your little loved ones and the big ones too, its time to treat yourself. Give yourself the gift of good health. Exercise and lose weight fast

Bowflex Success Story: Anisa Rocchi

Its all about Him

Christmas time is such a wonderful time of year. You can feel the excitement in the air. Children enjoying the last few weeks before the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. All the Christmas music filling the airwaves enables us to remember the good old days and to appreciate these good days we have this Christmas season. Rich or poor, old or young, we can all find much enjoyment in this special time of year.

And hopefully remember the reason we get to share all this fun and merriment. Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Many Christians associate this second Sunday of Advent with a theme of Love. How fitting that we should think of Love in this wonderful time of year. Christmas is, after all, an ultimate expression of God's love for us - the day he gave us the Messiah - his son, Jesus Christ.

I hope I will always strive to love others in my own simple, human way - in some semblance of the way our Lord loves us.

Christmas Treats

Christmas Eve is such a fun day in our home. There always seems to be some last minute gift wrapping on the dining room table. Lots of tasty Christmas treats set out on the buffet for everyone to enjoy. Dad would have some old Christmas hymns playing on his trusty tape player or some oldies radio station. The Christmas tree seemed to fill the living room with that unmistakable smell of only a real tree can offer. For some reason Dad always bought a real tree. And we grew up loving that smell every year.

Mom would bake cookies and let us help! That was a special treat for us - we got to help decorate the Christmas cookies with all those little red and green sugary toppings. Cookies shaped like little Christmas trees or wreaths.

And she would make her fudge.

Mom's Christmas fudge was so darn good - I'm probably gaining weight just writing about it. I don't know how she managed to make that rich chocolate treat so well. She'd use her best stainless steel and copper cookware to warm up her condensed milk and chocolate chips and butter and sugar and toss in those chopped up walnuts and pecans and somehow end up with the most heavenly tasting chocolate fudge I ever introduced to my taste buds.

Waiting for Christmas day to arrive was always half the fun of Christmas. The anticipation, the fellowship, the family time. And Mom's wonderful Christmas fudge.

The Christmas treats

We watched eagerly as Mom carefully placed the fresh greenery on the table and added the four candles. "These candles represent the four weeks before Christmas she explained. Each of the four Sundays before Christmas we'll light a candle" she explained. We were getting excited at the thought of Christmas. Let the anticipation begin!
Mom would always enlist our help with the decorations. That well used old nativity set and my perennial favorite - the green ceramic Christmas tree. That beautiful little tree with its multi-colored lights could always bring a smile to my face and a warm feeling in my heart.
December meant Saturday and Sunday afternoons filled with heart-warming aromas emanating from our tiny little kitchen. Chocolate and peanut butter fudge, all kinds of cookies, and of course, Mom's annual fruit cake. Dad would deploy our best stainless steel cookware and copper cookware on the stove-top filled with his own special blend of corn syrup and peanuts. The resulting mix was then spread out on the table top marble slab to cool.
Dad's peanut brittle was one of my favorite treats of the Christmas season. I don't know how he made that delicious concoction. Christmas in our house just wouldn't have seemed complete without several cookie tins full of Dad's thick, sticky peanut brittle. And another with some of Mom's chocolate fudge. Christmas eve was cookie day. We'd make dozens of sugar cookies and spread green and red colored sugar on top.

Happy Thanksgiving

I was happy to get a serving of Mom's special stuffing. Then a small serving of mashed potatoes and gravy made my meal complete. I didn't care if about eating anything else - I had my two favorites. Rare treats - real mashed potatoes with homemade turkey gravy - simmered over a low heat and stirred continuously until it was time to put it on the table. Family traditions help make this special day even more so.

The leftovers are all tucked away in the ice-box by now. And the pumpkin pie is long gone. Mom's best stainless steel cookware has been lovingly washed - by hand - and put back in the cupboard. The football games are over. All the preparation, all the excellent dishes, and BAM - the feast is over. The day's fun and fellowship remind us what this great holiday is all about - gathering with loved ones. Sharing and giving Thanks.

Eating healthy was somewhat of a challenge today. It is Okay to cheat - every once in a while isn't it? That big scoop of whipped cream on top of that extra large slice of pumpkin pie could probably add an inch to my waistline! And it sure tastes good. How often do we get to enjoy such delicious deserts with the people we value most?

We have so much to be thankful for here in the USA. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Blessing

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Psalms 95:1-2

The next couple days will find many of us hurrying around to gather all the ingredients for another unforgettable Thanksgiving feast. We'll pick up last minute spices. Visit our favorite bakeries for all kinds of delicious goods. Last minute Turkeys and hams will practically fly out of the stores. Some of us will take the easy route and pick up a store-bought pie. And we'll be getting ready to prepare all of our family favorites.

Family tables are decorated with beautiful Thanksgiving decor. Many a table will soon be filled with great food and surrounded with good cheer. Family and friends enjoying this wonderful time of year. Giving Thanks for our countless blessings. We have so much to be grateful for - children to love, families to enjoy, and hopefully - good health.

This Thursday many a foodlover will get out our best stainless steel cookware and whip up delicious sauces, cranberries and vegetables, yams and mashed potatoes, delicious gravy. I'm anxiously awaiting all the fun dishes we get to cook in just a couple of days.

Eating healthy will be a challenge to many of this weekend. The plethora of pies, and goodies, and rich foods will please many a hungry palate. If this Thanksgiving finds you watching your waistline try drinking a tall glass of water before you eat. Some experts suggest eating an apple right before your meal. You'll eat less and feel better later. No worries - your favorite Pumpkin pie will still taste great on Friday! And who can pass up a nice big turkey sandwich made from leftovers while watching all the great football games this weekend?

Choices

How can parents teach their children healthy habits? Eating Healthy and getting plenty of exercise should come naturally to both parents and children alike. I wish I had never bought that dreaded video game console he so enjoys. I wish I could get him to spend as much time playing outdoors as he does playing his video games. Maybe my expectations are out of whack. And taking him to the dreaded fast food giants sure was a prudent move. Why is it so easy to succumb to the ease and convenience of the fast food giants?
In the good old days - before fast food joints became so prevalent families actually ate at home every night. A home cooked meal - usually including some kind of meat and potatoes. There was always a green or yellow vegetable - unless we had spaghetti and meatballs! Or, unless it was Friday night and we got to choose the night's menu.
I loved Fridays. When my turn came around I would sometimes choose pancakes. I loved the maple syrup. And a few of Mom's pancakes would fill my little tummy enough to make me a happy camper. Who cared about too many carbs or the glycemic index?
The folks were young and active enough to burn off the calories from whatever Mom served. And, of course, us kids usually had burned up the calories gained at supper before bath time. I don't remember many overweight children in our school. Eating healthy was not really forced on us. ( Unless you count Mom's repeated reminders to eat our peas, or carrots ) The choices our parents made just turned out to be healthy for us.
Last Friday night I let my oldest choose what we would have for supper. He chose fish fillets. While the fillets were in the oven I steamed some broccoli and peas. Fifteen minutes later the boys were eating. He got his fish - which hopefully didn't contain too much mercury from a contaminated waterway. And Dad got to sneak in some healthy vegetables, vitamin rich and full of beneficial antioxidants. I guess eating healthy doesn't have to be too difficult.

The Neighborhood

When we were kids, our Dad would pile us all into the station wagon one warm and sunny summer day and off we'd go to the peach orchard. Once there we would all climb on to a trailer pulled by an old tractor and head out into the orchard. The tractor guy would give us a couple bushel baskets and point to a few trees full of the juiciest, ripe peaches.

An hour or so later we'd have a couple bushel baskets full of beautiful, yellow and red peaches fresh off the tree. And the itch. Anyone who has picked peaches know that itch. Those tasty summer treats and the thrill of riding on a trailer out into an orchard made that temporary inconvenience just a minor nuisance.

Summer was always a time for fresh tomatoes, watermelons and peaches. All grown right in this area. Cucumbers, radishes, and peppers adorned many a summer salad. We ate well. Locally grown produce was plentiful and always reasonably priced.

When I go into a market today and buy some salad fixins I have no idea where these vegetables are grown. Or how long they sat on a truck in order to reach our local market. While we can't always buy locally grown produce it sure seems like an ecologically friendly way to get good, nutritious food.

Can we help save our planet - even just a little - by getting more locally grown food? And eliminating all the pollutants generated by transporting food from heaven only knows where?

The experts - whoever they are - say that a global economy is a good thing for everybody. I just wonder why so much stuff comes from countries half way around the world? Our country grew to be a world leader long before we imported all this stuff.
A trip to your local superstore or discount store will undoubtedly result in a purchase of stuff made in (pick a country). The gasoline that gets us to our destination store comes from a part of the planet that most likely hates Americans.

As we prepare to celebrate and give Thanks this Thanksgiving I think I'll cook my supper with cookware Made in the USA. I'll choose the same cookware many of the pros like to use. I'll cook with the best stainless steel cookware available. The same pots and pans made by American craftsman for generations. Made in the USA!

The Morning Walk

A morning walk is one of my favorite habits. Of all life's pleasures surely walking has to rank in my top five. Right after - well you know - and playing with the kids, and quiet time with the little lady and eating and... OK, call me a dork - my kids do! My morning walks help kick start my day. Those twenty or thirty minutes spent walking refresh my spirit. Walking in the cool morning air allows me to visualize my day. It is an excellent time to think on the goals and tasks for the day ahead. My morning walk is good for the soul and gives me added energy throughout the day.
Many a new idea can pass thru my little brain during my morning walk. Many a pleasant thought or memory. And the occasional bad ones too. Walking somehow helps me suppress those unhealthy negative thoughts. Why waste time on thoughts you'd really rather not entertain in the first place? When one of those unfriendly memories enters my mind I try to change the course and think of something more pleasant. Or pray!

As an added bonus, I'm burning calories. OK, call me lame again - I'll freely admit it. I could just as easily be burning twice the calories on my TreadClimber and listening to some motivational tracks or watching a good video. But who can pass up a crisp, beautiful autumn morning to enjoy some quiet time in all of God's splendor? Or better yet to share with your spouse, children, or favorite walking buddy.

November is such a wonderful month for getting outside. The cool, crisp morning air refreshes our senses and feels so good to breathe. November reminds us to enjoy the great outdoors while we can. Before long many of us will be wishing for mornings in the 40s or 50s. That walk at lunch in your shirt sleeves or light jacket on a pleasant autumn day will soon be just another nice memory.

Why not eat a healthy lunch and slip outside for a pleasant half hour of stress relief and enjoy a brisk walk? Some experts suggest even as few as fifteen minutes will make a big difference in your energy level for the rest of the day.

Healthy Living

Good Health is not an accident. In our youth many of us are ( or were ) blessed with mostly good health. Maintaining the body we are blessed with is not always easy. The Human body was not really designed to sit behind a desk for 9 hours a day. Or to spend countless hours watching a TV while in a sedentary position. Our bodies are designed to be active.

It is up to us to take action and do all we can to keep slender or at least maintain a healthy weight. Eating right and exercise are critical to our level of health. Where we are today - in terms of our overall health - is frequently the result of the choices we've made up to this point in our lives.

I've made some pretty unhealthy choices. Smoking has to top the list of my poor decisions. Letting my exercise habits slide has been bad choice number two. I love donuts. And candy and sugar laden breakfast cereal. If it has sugar in it - I probably like it. That is OK when you're ten and you are outside running around the schoolyard or your front yard every evening after school.

Coming home from my nice comfy cubicle to my nice comfy recliner and an evening of TV is just not enabling me to burn the calories and maintain a healthy weight. The older we get the harder it is to keep up healthy levels of activity. The human body can naturally see a decline in the metabolism rate over the years. If we don't exercise regularly after age thirty or so we can see a gradual growth of the old waist size. I really admire those guys my age who don't have 40 inch waists.

If they can keep their waistline in a reasonable range, so can we! Small, simple changes can, in time, lead to a much healthier you. This time of year is an excellent time to get outside and enjoy the beauty of autumn while walking off the pounds. Or running if you're so inclined. If you smoke - quit today. Don't wait. Your body will thank you. Your loved ones will thank you. And you'll soon be glad you did.

Hopefully you will find the information in these pages useful in your quest to live a healthy (and long) life.

A Healthy Halloween

Mom rolled out the tattered, old table cloth. It was my favorite. It had little holes in it and was torn up a bit on the edges. The Orange background and traditional Halloween artwork meant only one thing. Halloween night was finally here! Mom served up bowls of beanie weenies - baked beans with cut up hot dogs mixed in. We had a growing family - so Mom learned how to feed our seemingly insatiable appetites on a tiny food budget.

I didn't care about budgets or how much food costs. I loved that meal. It tastes great and filled our little tummies as we excitedly asked "Can we leave now?" We weren't thinking about food. The annual night of Trick-or-Treating was foremost on our minds. For some reason Mom always insisted that we finish our meal before could get our costumes on and prepare to hit the street!

Little did we know that Mom was making sure we had a full stomach of decent food. ( I don't know if anyone except the folks who actually made the hot-dogs suspected how bad those popular little links really are. ) Then, when we returned from our night of fun we could safely enjoy some of our treats without making ourselves sick with a candy overload.

We didn't go far - up a block or two and back. Maybe around the block if we were lucky. Somehow we came home with more candy and goodies than our little eyes could even imagine. Candy corn, popcorn balls, caramel apples, and sticks of gum. Tootsie Roll Pops, Bubble gum, lollipops that look like jack-o-lanterns and the occasional big treat - a big, full sized candy bar!

So on this most popular Autumn Holiday I hope many a loving parent will feed their little Trick-or-Treaters a healthy meal with a balance of vegetables and protein. Then, after a night of fun they can rest assured that a few pieces of the bounty won't cause the dreaded upset stomachs and sugar rushes. It is possible to eat healthy on this wonderful night of treats, spooks and ghosts. Healthy eating can easily be a part of your Halloween fun.

Wishing you a safe and Happy Halloween!

Exercise and Lose Weight Fast

Why do I fret so over my appearance? Why am I so critical of how i look in the mirror? I wonder if others are equally as hard on themselves. What is a person to do?

Like the old adage - Just Do IT. Whatever "IT" is. The secret is nothing happens, there is no change, until we take action! I can watch every fitness show, rent or buy every exercise video in sight and still, nothing happens until I get off my rear and move!

I know I need - and want - to lose weight, and fast! One of the ladies at work told me I was starting to look like a donut. ( I love donuts! ) Carrying around these extra 15 or twenty pounds can't be healthy. I'm tired of wearing pants which seem to get tighter around the waist every month. ( Thank heaven for those expander waist pants! ). I looked at suits last month and the sales lady asked me what size i needed. When I replied 42 she ever so diplomatically pulled out her tape and measured my chest. My size 48 chest!!

What happened to that skinny little kid who loved to run around the park and the tennis courts? What happened to that guy who loved walking 18 holes and even enjoyed going another 9?
The short answer is easy - age and inactivity. As we age our metabolism naturally tends to slow down a bit. If we don't burn the calories we consume we can easily see our torso begin to transform to something less than our ideal. ( Okay..... Way less than ideal. )

The fix - Eat right, Exercise and Lose weight fast .

Or, I guess I can buy a whole new wardrobe.