my new email address is catherinesilver@ymail.com

FOLLOW YOUR FIST

Follow your fist.


Make a fist and take a good long look at it. That’s about the size of your stomach. No, three pieces of pizza are not supposed to fit in there. Think about what it would take to comfortably fill a bag the size of your balled up hand and eat that much.

RECOMMITMENT

In Greek Mythology, the Three Graces were sisters born unto Zeus & Eurynome. Their names are:
Agaia - Brilliance & Splendor (Brightness), Euphrosyne - Joy & Happiness (Mirth), Thalia - She who brings flowers (Bloom)
They were called the joyful ones, the charities, the goddesses of feasts & dance They were the ever youthful companions and attendants to the goddess Aphrodite.
I have lost a total of 34 lbs and lately there has been a little more of this and a little more of that. Not enough to gain weight but enough to slow down weigh loss. I have to recommitment myself to program, get refocused on my goal, again. Summer has always been a hard time to lose weight, picnics, icecream, cookouts, birthday parties, mothers day, memorial day, 4th of July. Uhhhggg.

May is here, With Spring comes renewal, rebirth, recommitment, turning over new leaves, and all, and all. This has been true for as long as people have been around, The Image is of The Three Graces from Botticelli's Primavera

FOOD ADDICTIONS

Scientists are finally coming around to see that certain foods can be addicting to certain people. High fat foods such as fast food and bacon alter the brain chemistry to cause compusive over eating.

Most people who are ex smokers or ex drinkers know that they cannot have one. If they have one, they are back into their addictions.

I have always believed that Weight Watchers approach to eat anything you want but count your points was crazy. If we could do that and be successful, we wouldnt be overweight. Best way to lose weight is to elimate certain foods and intoduce them in smallest amounts possible (bite) if you have to.

FIRST A THOUGHT THEN AN ACTION.

I screwed up this week. I had a two pound weight gain. I know it was because I drank too much wine. Wine has always increased my appetite. There was this voice of reason that said, you been working too hard to blow it on wine and then there was the other voice. This week the other voice won. I have to monitor my thinking. Not let the voice of desire override the voice of reason.

THOUGHT EXERCISE CAN KEEP YOU THIN

DIETING IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD
THOUGHT EXERCISE can get and keep you thin.

"Researchers...gave a day of purely psychological training to 43 people who'd repeatedly tried to lose weight. An other group (control group) received no instruction. The group who received the psychological training group lost significantly more weight, sustained weight loss more effectively over three months, and became happier overall than the control group.

These chronic dieters became far more successful at weight loss after A SINGLE day spent learning to think differently."

BUDDY SYSTEM

THE BUDDY SYSTEM IS MUTUAL SUPPORT DURING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS. MY BUDDIES DITCHED ME A FEW WEEKS INTO JANUARY. FIND YOUR BUDDIES WHERE YOU CAN.

WEIGHT LOSS OF 1.8 FOR A TOTAL OF 33 POUNDS.

WALKING

Walking is believed to step up your heartbeat to strengthen that blood-pumping muscular organ. A Harvard study also said that a daily moderate-paced gait for half an hour can cut heart disease risks up to 40% among women. The simple exercise is as good as aerobics or jogging. You may also reap the health advantages of walking including better blood circulation and normal breathing. As with any type of exercise, walking may also be a natural anti-depressant and an alternative to curing osteoporosis, diabetes, and obesity.

I LOST ANOTHER 5 POUNDS THIS WEEK

30 POUNDS LIGHTER

JANUARY 1, 2010 I STARTED MY WEIGHT LOSS EFFORTS WITH TWO OTHER CHUBBS. BOTH HAVE FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE. ONE TO PUMPKIN CHEESE CAKE AND THE OTHER TO NOT BEING ABLE TO FOCUS BECAUSE OF OTHER MORE PRESSING COMMITMENTS. THIS MONDAY IT WILL BE 12 WEEKS AND 30 POUNDS LIGHTER.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED.
1. WEIGHT LOSS NEEDS TO BE MONITORED TO MEASURE SUCCESS. IT IS TOO EASY TO HAVE THE ME TOOS. WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY GO TO WEIGHT WATCHERS OR ANY OTHER PROGRAM. YES IT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT YOU ARE WORTH IT.
2. BE PATIENT, YOU DIDN'T PUT IN ON IN ONE DAY, IT CAN'T COME OFF IN ONE DAY. ALTHOUGH I CAN GAIN IT MUCH FASTER THAN LOSING IT.
3. BE PERSISTENT. EXPECT PLATEAUS AND SET BACKS IT IS ALL PART OF THE PROCESS
4. REWARD YOURSELF IN OTHER WAYS THAN EATING. IT IS A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU SEE THE RESULTS OF WEIGHT LOSS AND CHANGING EAT BEHAVIORS ARE NOT EASY OR PLEASANT. GET YOUR HAIR DONE, NAILS DONE, NEW SHOES, PERFUME, HAND CREAM, NEW MAKEUP, JEWERLY. YOU WILL NOT ONLY BE THINNER, BUT YOU WILL BE LOOKIN GOOD.
5. BE EVER CONSCIOUS OF OVEREATING. IT IS EASY TO SLIP BACK INTO OLD EATING PATTERNS. A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IS ALL THAT IT TAKES TO GET YOU BIG AND FAT.
6. WATCH OUT FOR SABBATOGERS,
7. EAT QUALITY FOODS WITH VARIETY. ADD FRESH FRUIT LIKE WATERMELLON, STRAWBERRIES, DIFFERENT RAW VEGETABLES. HAVE SOMETHING SPICY ONCE IN A WHILE LIKE HOME MAKE CHILI TO SHAKE YOUR TASTE BUDS UP.
8. EXERCISE A LITTLE. A NICE WALK IS REFRESHING.
9. KEEP YOURSELF BUSY.
10. SPEND TIME TAKING CARE OF YOU. YOU MAY NOT BE AT THE WEIGHT YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT NOW BUT IT DOESNT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK LIKE A SLOB. DITCH THE SWEAT PANTS. WEAR A DRESS, PUT ON MAKE UP AND GET YOUR HAIR DONE.
11. FOCUS ON SMALL 5 POUND GOALS.
12. IMAGINE YOUR FUTURE POSITIVE SELF. IMAGINE LOOKING INTO YOUR CLOTHEST AND ALL OF YOUR CLOTHES FIT WELL. PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN REACH THEIR GOALS, ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
13. REMEMBER THE 2 FOR 4 ITEMS A MCDONALDS/WENDYS MEANS IF YOU EAT THEM YOUR EATING FOR 2 AND WILL BE 4 SIZES BIGGER.
14. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GIVE CERTAIN FOOD ITEMS UP FOR A WHILE. NOT FOREVER, JUST UNTIL YOU CAN GET THEM UNDER CONTROL
15. BE KIND TO YOURSELF, A BAD DAY IS NOT A REASON TO QUIT. START OVER.GET BACK ON TRACK.

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

My dear departed friend, who really knew how to have a good time

GETTING ATTENTION

It is amazing how much attention you get from men when you are in shape. They can't help themselves, they are such visual creatures. Maybe it is the confidence we exhude when we are feeling good about ourselves. I notice that when I am in shape I want others to see it. I dress better, pay more attention to my hair, nails and makeup. I can hold a look longer, say no thank you to advances, I dont have to settle for good enough. Looking your best -- you can demand the best in how people treat you and what you are willing to do for others. Putting yourself first has its advantages. Nothing comes before my program. me first, no games, no manipulations, I am in control.

I am celebration 25 pounds of weight loss this week.

FOOD ADVERTISEMENTS

We are bombarded with food advertisements daily on tv, coupons, billboards by the food industry. We can be driving down the road and we come across our favorite fast food restaurant. We are not even hungry but we see the 2 for $3.00 meal and have a second breakfast.

After the promotion ends, what do we do, we order 2 because we are used to eating two. I'd say the advertisement was a success. Food advertisers spend billions and billions manipulating us emotionally through our stomachs.

Take time to consciously think about what we are eating and how much. New York requires that calorie contents be disclosed on the menu while ordering. You would be suprised at the amount of calories you consume in the 2 for $3.00 deal

SEEING THE FINISH LINE

A lot of weight loss programs purely focus on points, calories, or what we can and cannot have in our daily diets. Everyone knows what we can and cannot have after a few weeks. I believe where these programs fail is they dont get our minds focused on our goal, whether is it getting healthier or fitting into a certain size. Unless you are a virgin to dieting, everyone gets that we have to eat less to weigh less.

Visualization is one step in achieving our goal. Imagining your future positive self. A lot of thought is given to what we miss when we are dieting. Give some thought to what we will feel like when we reach our goal, how good we will look, the compliments we will receive, how we won't be wearing black, or long jackets to cover us up, shorts in the summer, cute tank tops, not layers and layers of clothes.
It takes the focus off the negative and puts it on a positive.

Dieters who believe that they will reach their goal are more successful. It is like seeing the finish line. Nobody quits when they see the finish line.

TAKE SOME TIME TO SEE YOUR FINISH LINE.

HEIGHT WEIGHT CHART.

Ever wonder what you should weigh?

IM LOOKING SO GOOD TODAY

SLENDER BY SUMMER

I guess I am realizing that there are certain foods I simply cannot eat in any portion amount if I am going to maintain a good weight. Despite the Weight Watcher's diet with an emphasis on portion control, I just doesnt work for me. Even small amounts of refined carbohydrates simply put me on edge. It is like a smoker, no amount is safe to avoid readdiction.

WEIGHT LOSS IS 20 POUNDS THIS MONDAY. I AM BEGINNING TO SEE MY SUCCESS ON ME.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE

It is hard to make changes in our diet and weight. It is easier to quit and find something else to take up our focus. I love Cathy. She is always fighting the scale, she is in the day to day struggle with the rest of us.

To be successful, we have to keep our EYE ON THE PRIZE. What is our prize? Being able to walk without pain, to stop taking high blood pressure medication, look hot in our clothes this summer, the class reunion or the summer wedding.
If we believe our goals are attainable, then we will work harder to succeed.
So fellow dieters, KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE. STAY FOCUSED.

TAKING CONTROL OF OUR APPETITE

I am reading a book The End of Overeating" by David A. Kessler, M.D." Weight Watchers makes a fortune with their weight loss program. They know most people who lose weight cannot sustain the weight loss and gain it back. The food industry specificeally and purposefully engineers their products to overeating by placing salt, fat and sugar into their products make their products more than irresistable to eat. Very interesting to read.
You think you are getting freshly cooked foods in Franchise Restaurants, it would make you sick if you knew what they do to food before you eat there. Good Bye Franchise Hello small restaurants.

Its is more than just will power, portion control and group support. Managing our eating behavior depends on our ability to alter automatic responses to food cues and gain conscious control over them.

THE TODDLER MIRACLE DIET

The Toddler's Miracle Diet...
People are always on the lookout for a new diet. The trouble with most diets is that you don't get enough to eat (the starvation diet), you don't get enough variation ( the liquid diet) or you go broke (the all-meat diet). Consequently, people tend to cheat on their diets, or quit after 3 days. Well, now there's the new Toddler Miracle Diet! Over the years you may have noticed that most two years olds are trim. Now the formula to their success is available to all in this new diet. You may want to consult you doctor before embarking on this diet, otherwise, you may be seeing him afterwards. Good luck!

DAY ONE----
Breakfast: One scrambled egg, one piece of toast with grape jelly. Eat 2 bites of egg, using your fingers; dump the rest on the floor. Take 1 bite of toast, then smear the jelly over your face and clothes.

Lunch: Four crayons (any color), a handfull of potato chips, and a glass of milk ( 3 sips only, then spill the rest)

Dinner: A dry stick, two pennies and a nickel, 4 sips of flat Pepsi.

Bedtime snack: Throw a piece of toast on the kitchen floor...........

DAY TWO----
Breakfast: Pick up stale toast from kitchen floor and eat it. Drink half bottle of vanilla extract or one vial of vegetable dye.

Lunch: Half a tube of "Pulsating Pink" lipstick and a handfull of Purina Dog Chow (any flavor). One ice cube, if desired.

Afternoon Snack: Lick an all-day sucker untill sticky, take outside, drop in dirt. Retrieve and continue slurping until it is clean again. Then bring inside and drop on the rug.

Dinner: A rock or an uncooked bean, which should be thrust up your left nostril. Pour grape Kool-Aid over mashed potatoes; eat with a spoon.

DAY THREE----
Breakfast: Two pancakes with plenty of syrup, eat one with fingers, rub in hair. Glass of milk; drink half, stuff other pancake in glass. After breakfast, pick up yesterdays sucker from rug, lick off fuzz, put it on the cushion of your best chair.

Lunch: Three matches, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Spit several bites onto the floor. Pour glass of milk on table and slurp up.

Dinner: Dish of ice cream, handfull of potato chips, some red punch. Try to laugh some punch through nose, if possible.

FINAL DAY----

Breakfast: A quarter tube of toothpaste (any flavor), bit of soap, an olive. Pour a glass of milk over bowl of cornflakes, add half a cup of sugar.. Once cereal is soggy, drink milk and feed cereal to dog.

Lunch: Eat bread crumbs off kitchen floor and dining room carpet. Find that sucker and finish eating it.

Dinner: A glass of spaghetti and chocolate milk. Leave meatball on plate. Stick of mascara for dessert.

WE MAKE TIME FOR WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES

"I gotta work out. I keep saying it all the time. I keep saying I gotta start working out. It's been about two months since I've worked out. And I just don't have the time. Which uh..is odd. Because I have the time to go out to dinner. And uh..and watch tv. And get a bone density test. And uh.. try to figure out what my phone number spells in words."
-Ellen DeGeneres

WEIGHT LOSS REQUIRES CHANGE

Weight Loss requires change. Buying books, going to Weight Watcher Meetings, buying a gym membership does not make successful weight loss. Weight Loss requires action,

PORTION CONTROL

I look at that picture and see portion control means small portions. Who would be satisfied with that but the truth is that we are served double sized meals when we eat out. If we got a meal like this at a restaurant, we would not go back.
One way that my diet starts to fail is when I forget portion control. I am eating the right food but slowly I start eating a larger portions until my weight loss starts dwindling and then I stop because I am not lozing weight.

PORTION CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL IN WEIGHT LOSS

ME TOO

ME TOO has been getting me into trouble all my life. Persuasion by temptation. I was out a dinner and firmly resolve to have only one glass of wine. I know that if I have more than one glass of wine, the diet goes out the window and it becomes a disaster. I ordered one glass and a friend ordered a bottle. I firmly said no to her the first and second offer of more but eventually gave in and said ok "ME TOO". I am glad I didnt throw away the diet that night, but I realized that I don't have enough control yet to not give into the 'ME TOO"S.

MANY SMALLS MAKE A GREAT

CHUBBY CHICK

Chubby Chick is a nice cute birdie. But it is not fun being the chubby chick. They don't make nice clothes for chubby chicks. Nothing looks good. I am tired of wearing the slimming black or the jacket to cover fat areas. Most men are not attracted to chubby chicks. They want the hot babes. Chubby Chicks are not arm candy.

I want to look good in my summer clothes. Winter you can wear sweaters, and coats but summer is coming and all of the outer clothes come off. When I am in shape I flirt because I am not self conscious of myself and have more self confidence.

I fit in.

TAKING A GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR

What do we see when we look in the mirror. Do we go out the door looking like we spent time putting ourself together or do we go out the door looking like we just threw on clothes. Sometimes with all the demands of our life, we just get into the routine of always putting ourselves last and never having any time left for ourselves. We loose touch of we need. and end up with no time to take care of ourselves. Young girls spend hours putting on makeup, combing their hair, picking out just the right outfit, then they stare at themselves in the mirror for another ten minutes looking at themselves. Their appearance comes first. We need to take the time to take a good look in the mirror.

IMAGINE YOUR FUTURE POSITIVE SELF.

Weight Loss is hard when you have more than a few pounds to lose. Believing that we can achieve our goals make them closer to us and keep us in forward motion.

Take time to image your future self. Take out an old photograph when you were in better shape and place it on the refrigerator.

IMAGINE OUR FUTURE POSITIVE SELF

SELF SABBOTAGE

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS
I can tell when I start to "fall off the wagon" with my weight loss. It all starts with my thoughts.
Instead of focusing my thoughts on my weight loss program, exercise, keeping track of what weight I am losing, my minds starts to wander to what I am missing. i.e., my Friday night adult beverage, pizza, icecream and sure enough, t he more my thoughts are focused on what I am missing, instead of the rewards of getting myself into shape, the greater the chance I am setting my self up for a fall.

We are in charge of our own thoughts. Redirecting the wandering mind takes practice. No. I will not give energy to my craving, I need a walk, talk to a friend, take a ride, go shopping The fact is we cannot think of two things at once. Give your mental energy to positives. Be Conscious of Self Sabbage. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on your goal.

IF I LOST ONE POUND A WEEK FOR 2010 MANY SMALLS MAKE A GREAT

BY VALENTINES DAY
I'D BE 7 POUNDS, LIGHTER,
I AM LOVING IT

BY ST. PATRICKS DAY
I'D BE 11 POUNDS LIGHTER
AND WITH THE LUCK OF THE IRISH,
I'LL MAKE MY GOAL

BY EASTERS,
I'D BE 16 LBS LIGHTER
AND CUTER THAN A BUNNY

BY MEMORIAL DAY,
I'D BE 23 LBS LIGHTER,
WON'T LET IT RAIN ON MY PARADE

BY FLAG DAY
I'D BE 25LBS LIGHTER
BOY COULD I WAIVE MY FLAG, THEN

BY INDENPENDENC DAY
I'D BE 27 LIBS LIGHTER,
THAT'S A NEAT DECLARATION OF
THINDEPENDENCE FROM OVEREATING

BY LABOR DAY
I'D BE 36LBS LIGHTER
WHAT A WONDERFUL REWARD
FOR MY HARD WORK

BY COLUMBUS DAY
I'D BE 41 LBS LIGHTER
WHAT A JOY TO DISCOVER WHAT I CAN DO

BY HALLOWEEN
I'D BE 44LBS LIGHTER
I DIDN'T THINK I HAD A GHOST OF A CHANCE

BY THANKSGIVING
1'D BE 47 LBS LIGHTER
I'D HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

BY CHRISTMAS EVE
I'D BE 51 LBS LIGHTER
TALK ABOUT BEING MERRY

BY NEW YEARS EVE
I'D BE 52 LBS LIGHTER
IT'S NOT JUST A NEW YEAR
IT'S A NEW ME.

ACTING AS IF ......WE ARE ALL ACTRESSES

A counselor friend of mine said to me, if you want to reach your goal, (Weight Loss, a Happy Person, Attract New Love into your life) , ACT AS IF ....AND YOU WILL BECOME. By acting as if you were .........................and practice living that.................... Your actions will reinforce those skills that are needed to live that life and you will become. When you are a victim, you act like a victim. When you are in love, you act like you are in love. WHAT ARE THE WAYS WE ACT.... WHEN WE ARE IN OUR BEST SHAPE? We go to the gym or work out to keep our selves in shape. We eat the correct foods in the proper portions, count calories, limit those tempting foods to keep our body weight under control. We go out and visit our friends and not stay home and hide, snacking. We go for a walk, keep busy, call a friend We go shopping and try on new clothes. We look in the mirror, comb our hair, put our make up on, give ourselves a second look before we go out the door. We are put together. We wear colorful clothes clothes to flatter our figure and leave the black in the closet. Gone are the stretch pants and the sweat shirts, baggy clothes that make us look even bigger. We may not be where we want to be today, but we can ACT AS IF we are already there. WE ARE --WHAT WE PRACTICE-- ACT AS IF

WEIGHT WATCHERS

TODAY IS WEIGH IN AT WEIGHT WATCHERS. LAST WEEK SEVEN POUNDS. THIS WEEK FIVE POUNDS. ON MY WAY

Weight Loss. First comes the desire to change. Then comes action. Then comes a constant focus and desire to achieve your goal.

REWARDING OURSELF FOR POSITIVE BEHAVIOR

When my daughter was little and she had to do difficult things, like going to the doctor, I would reward her behavior with a "Good Girl Gift". So at the conclusion of a doctor's visit, she would decide what exactly her Good Girl Gift would be. Going out for Lunch, a present while waiting for a prescription. The whole point was to have something positive in a difficult situation. We need to give ourselves Good Girl Gifts. Positive non food rewards for staying focused and on track. While telling ourselves no to extra portions, no sweets, no to the food that keeps us overweight, we say yes to rewarding our selves for positive behavior. While we are awaiting visual success of weight loss, we can reward ourselves in a personal way. A perfume, hair cut, a new pair of shoes or something for self-beautification. It is not easy in a food rewarding society to say no. We may have to avoid seeing people or going places that may sabbotage our suceess, but we can yes a reward ourselve with a Good Girl Gift. STAYING FOCUSED AND ON TRACK

TEMPTATION AND RESISTANCE:

TEMPTATION AND RESISTANCE.

YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR OLD BEAU'S OR KEEP CHOCOLATE IN THE HOUSE IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU

Nordgren’s study of Tempation and resistance has has implications for all corners of our personal lives, For instance, can a recovering alcoholic attend booze-saturated parties and stay sober? Can a dieter frequent his favorite dessert buffets and refrain from binging? Can a committed husband have drinks with a past fling without fear of infidelity? "The answer is probably 'no,'" Nordgren said. "People have less self-restraint than they think, a false belief that often leads people to expose themselves to more temptation than they can handle." In addition, he added, the study results suggest people often can’t predict how they will react in a given situation. "It's not just about eating and addiction, but the 'cold self' has a really hard time understanding what you're capable of in a moment of despair, in a moment of rage," Nordgren said

ME FIRST - THEN YOU

Saying no can be a most difficult task. We know that doing too much can be hazardous to our self esteem and personal health. When we constantly put ourselves last, we are setting a pattern of neglecting ourselves and then we unconsiously believe that if we are not serving others, we are not a good mother, wife, girlfriend and more importantly we forget that we were not put on this earth to serve others. When finally get some time to spare, we don't know what to do with ourselves. What was it that made me happy; what was life like before all these demands. More often, we take on more that we are supposed to and while others rest on their laurels, we are killing ourselves to take up the slack.

Me first, then you. Taking care of ourselves makes us a better person. We are not cranky, sloppy, tired, exhausted, worn and feeling used. Taking time to focus on our diet program, what we wear, and our personal needs is saying yes to me. How resentful and resistent others can be when you start making insists on more from them.


Today I say to me. I will pamper myself a little.

PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE

I was watching a diet segment on tv and the moderator said that it takes 10 weeks to create a new habit such as eating well or creating an exercise routine. I need to have patience and persistence in my weight loss.

Patience and persistence can work for all aspects of life.

I will have Patience and Persistence in my Weight Loss

SABOTAGERS

Friends can be sabotagers. The moment you tell them you are on a diet they are threatened. They start buying the icecream, desserts, favorite goodies, want to go to the all you can eat restaurants, wine, etc.

Sometimes you have to distance yourself until you are under control.

WHAT YOU EAT IN PRIVATE SHOWS IN PUBLIC

We have three dieters.

One is on Atkins

One is cutting back and counting calories

One is Weight Watchers

LEAVE A LITTLE BEHIND TO HAVE A LITTLE BEHIND

Decided to join weight watchers. There is something motivating about paying to lose, a supporting group and the check in weekly system to keep you on track.

New love always is a GREAT motivator too. All that sexercizing



Diet thought of the day from Weight Watcher Lecturer:

LEAVE A LITTLE BEHIND TO HAVE A LITTLE BEHIND.