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Here’s a point worth considering: if you want to prevent wrinkles, visit your friendly neighborhood acupuncturist. Promoters of facial acupuncture claim this procedure can literally take years off your face since it eliminates facial lines, eye bags, and other skin problems. Known for its pain-relieving properties, acupuncture is also widely used in China to prevent the onset of wrinkles. Proponents say regular treatments can stimulate the flow of blood and energy through the skin and delay... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

If you have been looking in the mirror and thinking about a face lift, you might worry about the pain, the cost, the long recovery time. What you might not know is there are options for you that shorten the time it takes to get the benefits of a face lift and that can either provide no recovery time or a very short period of recovery. There are two ways to enjoy the benefit of a three-day face lift: either surgically, or through diet. Let's look at the nutritional method first. 1. Three-day... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Awhile back I posted a list of 1 point tortillas that I found and I've been meaning to update it now for over a year. A YEAR! Well, I finally got my act together. Now this list is not a list of the only tortillas I use. Frankly, I'm a tortilla fanatic and anytime a new brand shows up at the grocery store I get excited and eye it up. I only take home the ones that are either 1 point or completely whole grain. What I've found is the “low carb” brands are your best bet for the lowest points and calories because they have the highest fiber. The 100% whole grain ones are usually 2-3 points and range from 100-150 calories. This list is only focusing on the 1 point brands... Tumaro's Soy-full Heart 8-Inch Flatbread Just found these recently at Giant. Being soy, I was worried about an aftertaste, but they deliver. Warm or cool out the fridge they work for anything, hot or cold and hold up very well. Tam-X-ico's Lo-Carb Wheat Tortillas I can't remember where I picked these up but they were a great all purpose tortilla anbd worked well for Tortilla Pizza. Trader Joe’s Reduced Carb Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas These are little a very similar to traditional flour tortillas.  Only 50 calories a piece!  My husband even loves them. They are my favorite for taco night! La Tortilla Factory - Low-Carb/Low Fat Large Size These are HUGE! Perfect for lunch size sandwich wraps.  In the summer I fill them with my skillet veggies, spinach leaves, a little cheese and  salsa! La Banderitas Low Carb tortillas (this product not on their web site yet) I only found these once and I can’t remember where.  They were good but fell apart rather easy, not good for warm wet fillings.   Canyon River Low Carb These are my absolute favorite, they work for everything. Unfortuanly, they are only avaiable at Weis, a local grocery store. I actually go there just for them and get so mad when there are out of stock! They do not have them listed o ...

I can NOT stop eating, seriously. All I want to do is munch munch and munch! I'm done, I am NOT hungry, I'm just eating for eating sake an it's stupid. Enough said. Food Points Mommy and Me Omelets made with onion, zucchini and baby spinach 2 large crab cake and side salad from restaurant 8 handful of pretzels 2 watermelon 1 Skillet Veggie Wrap (new video coming soon) 2 fat free hot dog with baked beans 4 Blueberry sundae made with Breyer's Free vanilla, fresh blueberries and Hershey’s Lite Syrup 2 popcorn popcorn and more popcorn - don't ask 8 handful of M & M's 3 Activity   Nothing, I need to start getting back on track. Tomorrow walk, no excuses. 0 Total 32

I'm asking this weeks question out of pure curiosity. If you are regular reader you may know I have varying degrees of food journalism (food journalism?? not sure if that makes sense, but that's how it came out of me and I'm going to run with it.)These levels have evolved over the last 3 years of losing and maintaining a weight loss. Level 1 – In my head. I don't think I'll ever not at least be conscious of what I'm eating ever again. When I'm in level 1 it's normally when I'm feeling in control, having consistent weigh ins and overall just living in the weight maintenance zone. Level 2 – Just Food. When the bites, tastes and licks are getting out of control and I'm noticing an increase in 'between meal' eating I start to at least jot down a basic food journal, no points, calories or anything just a running list of everything I ate that day. Level 3 – Food with Points. The scale's gone up a bit and I need some accountability. That's when I full out and start to weigh and estimate points while food journaling. Level 4 – Weekly Commitmet. (AKA full blown Weight Watchers). The scale is up and I need some serious accountability. This is when I make a weekly commitment. Track my points daily and use/track my weekly allowance point. I also call this level my “weight loss mode”. Level 5 – Pre-planned Weekly Journal. This is Food journaling to the max. In the morning I plan lunch and dinner, estimate the points, calculate how many I have left for breakfast and snacks. It's really a daily way to plan each day and have points accounted for before I eat them. This is the way I journaled for the majority of my weigh loss. I may be a little fanatical about the food journaling but for me it really was/is the only way. So I'm real curious what works for you. Do you Food journal? and if so, How do you do it?

That's right, Fun-derwear! As in fun-underwear. Can you tell I have a toddler? :~) Funderware is my made up term for the day we moved to “big boy” underpants. That's right ladies and gentleman we are in the midst of potty training! Taking the advice of many a mom, I scheduled a day. I've been building up Funderware for over a week now. We wrote it on the calender and every night we've been counting down. Last night, we picked out our fun pair. The toddler? Diego. Mom? Flowers & stars. Dad? Shamrocks. This morning the family proceeded to put on their selected underwear and the festivities began. By 10AM we were on our 4th pair and I was regretting my decision. But by lunch two successful trips to the potty and by dinner he was telling me “No potty now, later, I'll tell YOU!”. LOL “I'll tell you”?!? He never did, but he started to go every time I took him. Right now he's diaper-less and sleeping. *sigh* I shutter to think what I have in store for me tomorrow morning. :~) Sorry for my parenting detour, it was just a big part of my day. On the diet front, I'm doing OK. Being home has it's pros & cons. On the good side, I can grab a healthy snack when I'm hungry. On the bad side, I can grab an unhealthy snack when I'm hungry. Today I chose healthy. I do LOVE the fact that I get to eat breakfast with the toddler (the husband has a hard time getting up), then lunch and dinner is with the whole family. We sit and eat healthy food together and it's nice. I mean real nice. So nice it makes me smile. :~) Even with all the Funderware Day festivities, I made great strides on the new site. I think I'll be ready in two weeks but don't hold me to that! :~) I also got ahead on a few client projects. However, now my inbox is a mess. I seem to be able to tackle one or the other at any given time, email OR project work. Today I chose work. Tomorrow I'm at my client's office again, so it's off to bed for me. I have a busy morning! Oh! and ...

I did, I really did it! Even with the tire place taking twice as long as they said they would I completed all of my Sensational Sunday tasks. The down fall, now I have no energy to post. Let's just say it was a GREAT day on all fronts, food, activity, family, I even got a nap in! Oh! and Wall-E was FABULOUS! The three of us really liked it. Here's my walk today – I can't wait till I can run again- but this felt AWESOME! Let's have a great week! Are you ready? Food Points Some mango and apple slices split with the toddler 1 leftover Oven Fried Food Fest 4 banana 2 grilled turkey breast cutlet and corn on the cob (my healthy BBQ fest) 4 SMALL movie pop corn split with the toddler 3 cold corn on the cob (a favorite snack on mine in the summer) 1 Veggie wrap made with Skillet Veggies (recipe to come) .5 oz cheese, 1 point wrap and a bit of green chili sauce 2 2 servings of LesserEvil Black & White Kettle Corn (I measured out s serving baggies so I can't grab the bag and go) 4 Activity   20 minute walk - 1.12 miles (my first real activity since the surgery) -1 Total 20

Good Morning! What a weekend! Yesterday was a super busy day yet I didn't get anything accomplished. Don't you hate that? We had a morning birthday party, then I took a nap with the toddler (I haven't been sleeping well at night so I'm taking sleep when I can), the toddler had his 3 year pictures taken, and then we went to the Drive Ins to see Kung Fo Panda and the Hulk! So much fun! I, of course, ate too much and now feel yucky but overall the three of us had a blast. The evening couldn't be complete without a minor catastrophe so at 1:30AM we got a flat tire. It was very exciting and the toddler was quite interested in the whole ordeal. We finally made it home at 3AM to get some sleep. Even with the tire incident we had a good day but I've been feeling a bit out of control on a few levels. I'm really missing the gym. I mean I'm REALLY going through workout withdrawal big time and I think it's affecting my mood. My diet has been horrendous. I start every day off great but by late afternoon I'm snaking when I'm not hungry, eating lots of sugary snacks and just, well, for lack of a better term, being “bad”. The house is in disarray. Did you ever notice how your surroundings effect your mood? Well I'm living in the middle of tornado alley after a category 5. I need to get this place organized! SO, I'm going to do what I do best, PLAN! It will help me get through this day with a feeling of control and give me the power to stay on track. I want to weigh in this week and if I keep going at the pace I am, that scale is going to start to be quite the evil un-motivator. I'm not prepared to see the numbers that I am expected. Here we go, the plan... Breakfast: Fresh fruit (I ate enough to choke a horse last night and need something light just to get me started – I used to skip breakfast in these situations and thats the worse thing I can do) Run to get the tire fixed and bring laptop. This way I can accomplish two things at once and while I'm waiti ...

Not doing any form of exercise at all can be the cause that your back pain gets worse after some time, with the right type of exercises you can prevent this from happening. Most of these you can do in the comfort of your own home. Always know the limits of your own body and never push it harder then it can take. When you start with these exercises for back pain management do it slow and only start the next, more strenuous, step when you feel comfortable with the present ones. Examples of... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

WOW it's almost 3AM, a charlie horse work me and I can't fall back to sleep. So I got up, poured a glass of water and peeled my last banana. I need to ask the doctor about this tomorrow. Of course I hopped on my computer as I can't fall back to sleep and my video was ready. SO here it is, 6 questions and all. Let me warn you, it's LONG. I'm really going to try to curb the babble. I'm SUCH a chatterbox! No laughing at my sappiness, certain things really choke me up and I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. One thing I've learn getting older is to accept myself for who I am and I'm a crier, plain and simple. ;~) Topics Covered: Accepting Compliments Hypothetical: lost your sense of smell and taste? Protein Carb Ratio Get over the "I'm still fat" thoughts (this is the one that got me-I didn't really even finish answering as it got a little emotional. how did I not hit any plateaus? Tips for losing after having a baby? Ok, here it is. Now, I'm going to try and get back to sleep. You need JavaScript enabled to view the video Jounral Post mentioned at the end of the video

It's amazing what a little distraction does for me. I had my first day at a client site for a new project I have. It's a long term deal and (you're going to think I'm crazy) but I'm looking forward to the 2-3 days in an office. I never really realized how much “work” suits me. Not teaching but project work. I like solving problems and being creative and that's what I'm allowed to do on web projects (and boy this one is a doozy!) So the toddler had a day at camp and I had a day in the office. I started my morning with a filling breakfast (Grapenuts and berries), brought a few snacks (pineapple and Kashi bar) and hit a salad bar for lunch (added some protein with tuna and chick peas). Dinner, well, I was just NOT in the mood. Me, not in the mood to cook. SEE it happens! ;~) So we got Chinese and I enjoyed my steamed chicken with veggies, and split a spring roll order with the toddler. For dessert some fruit and a little bit of ice cream, again, split with the toddler. Then I took my own advice and the family went out for a post dinner walk. I couldn't go too far, I'm still quite sore and VERY swollen but it felt good to get moving. After the toddler went to bed, I recored a (not very) quick video answering some questions. It's long, it's sappy and it's shaky but I'll post it anyway. You can decide not to watch it. ;~P All in all, though, a great day! I just cannot wait to get real active again! Never in my life, NEVER, would I magine in my wildest dream that I would MISS the gym as much as I do. I mean really, I'm craving a workout. OH! and I drank 128oz of water! It didn't help much with the swelling though. :~(

Yes, you NEED to recover. Yes, it was like this after the tummy tuck. Actually it was worse, you just don't remember. Yes, you are and will be swollen and none of our clothes will fit for awhile. It is NOT FAT but it will be if you keep eating the way you do. No, sucking down a calorie laden milkshake did't make you feel better. No, baking a cake (albeit 'healthier') and scoffing down 3 pieces didn't make you feel better. No, sneaking those 2 slices of cheese while making the toddlers lunch for tomorrow didn't make you feel better and they DID count even though nobody saw it. Just remember.... You will be able to workout soon. I know you miss running and lifting but you can start small again like taking a walk tomorrow. Go back to basics. Start a fresh week tomorrow and journal. Count points like you used to. When in doubt find comfort in your ability to adapt, learn and grow even if it means going backwards for a bit. Do NOT find comfort in food. NOW SNAP OUT OF IT! P.S. You started the day off great, what went wrong?

A few days ago I received a copy of Body Electric by Margaret Richard to review. I have to be honest, I never heard of Margaret Richard before. Apparently she has been a popular personality on PBS for 18 years, I guess I've been living under a rock! The book is split into two parts. The first is information about getting motivated, building muscle and general information about activity and health. The information is geared towards an *cough* older audience. I don't like that term but I'm not sure how else to say it. Let's just say there is a chapter on menopause an body shape. I appreciated the information but I'm a little out of the demographic and felt that while reading. The second half is an illustrated exercise guide. The chapters are split by body part and Margaret illustrates all of the moves. They are very uncomplicated and use minimal equipment, hand weights, chairs, and an exercise ball. The information was very clear and concise and I liked that variations were offered to increase the intensity. Overall, I have to admit seeing Margaret at age 60 and reading her advice is very motivating. She is very inspirational!

As you may know, the recent change in my employment status has interrupted my routine and one of the things that is suffering is my water intake. Instead of equipping myself with a large water bottle and brining it to work or having a case of water in the office, I'm home all day juggling toddler, client projects, my sites, my house and the array of everyday chores that seems to never end. You would think that by being home everything would be more accessible and I'd more apt to drinking my 8 glasses, but it's not the case. My routine is so out of whack sometimes I don't even realize I haven't had a drop to drink until lunch. So I set out to do what I do, look for motivation online, find a link or an article that would kick me in the arse and post it for me and, coincidently you! Well, what I found surprised the crap out of me! ...drinking “lots” of water apparently is a waste of time (and money if you’re a fan of bottled water) unless you’re an athlete or live in a hot climate. Water may be more essential to life than oil, but tanking up doesn’t necessarily curb hunger pangs, reduce headaches, improve skin tone or keep organs healthy by flushing out toxins, the University of Pennsylvania researchers said in an editorial in a medical journal. That was from an article entitled Those urban water stories are all wet, doctors say. "Hmmmmmmm Interesting" she says, reaching for her recently poured ice cold glass of water. In the same sweep of sites I find this 9 Great Reasons to Drink Water, and How to Form the Water Habit. In-ter-es-ting, very interesting. Now, I realize one is a blog post and one is a published article but still, it cracks me UP that no one agrees on this topic. I don't know who's right and frankly, I don't care. Here's what I observe about myself, learned from experience and my overall thoughts on water... Water does not help you lose weigh in and of itself. If this was the case I would never have had ...

I'm going to hold off on my journal entry tonight. I'm just not in the mood BUT I had to share my experience with the Apple Nike + iPod Thingamajig (I'm really not sure what to call it, can you tell?) I'll start by saying, IT IS AWESOME! For a stat girl like me I can't wait to start charting all my runs and tracking them. The great thing, is it requires no work on your part besides plugging the iPod in. I was amazed. Here's how it works. First, you need aan older ipod nano, like these. They are the ones that have the right sized connection. a Nano. I was wrong, you just need a Nano!, sorry. If you have the right nano you plug in a small device into the iPod. Then you put the little Nike chip in or on your shoe. I don't actually have Nike shoes so I used this shoe pouch and attached it to my laces. That's it! Now go run! When you get back, plug the iPod in to sync, it will ask you if you want to save the data and then viola you get a visual of your run, like this... How COOL is that?!? Now, I added the blue text to point a couple of things out like the ability to name and describe the run. I also loved the fact I could see where I walked for a few seconds. I just think this is really neat. I don't know about you, but I find this very motivating. I just want to run so I can get a new little graph! (I'm such a geek) I know some of you out there have used it, anyone want to share their opinion? Anyone not think it's the coolest gadget ever? Just curious. Honestly, I was quite shocked it was only $29. It seems like a pretty fair price to me considering the ease of use and cool tracking stats. OK, gotta run, it's too late, I shouldn't be up. Throwing a party tomorrow, I'll tell you all about it this weekend. :~)

Let me start by saying, I don't know what's up with me. I really have had NO desire to write, journal, eat good, or even get out of bed for the last few days. I'm just NOT motivated. As everyone knows, especially those with kids, you just gotta deal but boy I've been kinda miserable. I just feel off and in a funk. That's about the only way I can describe it. Let's see, what's been going on? We had a little get together on Saturday for the toddlers 3rd birthday. For the food spread I stuck with mostly healthy options of Simple Homemade Hummus (I added some roasted red pepper – YUM), fresh cut veggies, cut up whole wheat pitas, baked tortillas, salsa, a cold cut platter with with whole wheat buns, and to wash it down, my healthy party punch! The hummus and punch were both big hits which made me SO happy, the only thing that competed with them was the chicken nugget platter I ordered from Chick-Fil-A. It really was the hit of the party! The toddler and I posted a fun chicken salad video this week on GreenLiteBites, and I've been loving the leftovers! Speaking of GreenLiteBites, the cookbook is in full production! My plan is a small photo filled book with about 35 recipes, separated by meals. I have another meeting on Tuesday to brainstorm the design a bit more. I'll keep you posted on that! I didn't make it to weigh in this week and I won't be able to make it again this week. I probably should but I really have no desire with this funk I'm in. That should be a sign to go, shouldn't it? *sigh* BlogToLose is now over 600 members! I have a few ideas for scheduled chats and more activities. I just wish I had more time to get in there! I had my first experience running in the heat tonight. Oh my WORD, this crazy heat wave is nuts! I missed the gym this morning as I took the toddler to the movies and I really wanted to get some activity in. So I took it nice and easy and stayed close to home, getting a mile and half in. Of course I used my new favorite gadget! ...

A few days ago I wrote a post about how my water consumption has dropped since being home most of the day. To help solve the problem, and consequently help get me out of this funk that I've been in, I came up with the water pitcher idea. Take a nice sized pitcher, fill it with ice and water and keep it out in plain site. Sounds SO simple doesn't it? But, for me, this seems to be working. It allows me to instantaneously pour or refill my glass and seeing the pitcher reminds to drink the water in the first place. Stay tuned for other “Fight the Funk” posts today. I'll be looking for things to help inspire me today. P.S. Yes, yes, my pitcher is really a vase in disguise. I really like it and it's pretty, so why not? :~)

If I had to eat boring salads everyday or “diet” foods, I'd go nuts. One way I find motivation is by getting creative in the kitchen and turning my trigger/nemesis foods into healthy fun options. My choice today, pizza, of course! I love pizza, I mean I really LOVE it. It's the one food item I have the hardest time saying 'no' to and if I say 'yes', I have a hard time stopping. Lost on a desert island? It's my choice hands down. On death row, my request? York Style pizza with extra cheese. I think you get the point. Well today I decided on a cross between my Provolone Pita Pizzas and Tortilla Pizza. I used a large whole wheat pita, leftover sauce, short cuts chicken, diced colored peppers and 1oz fancy shredded cheese. It was crispy, cheesy, yummy pizza goodness! I'm starting to feel better, can you tell? Notice the water jug, it's going down!

OK, This Fighting the Funk Series is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered. I am starting to feel fabulous again! I am really getting a renewed sense of motivation. I got an email from an online friend of mine that said... DO ONE THING THAT SCARES YOU EVERY DAY. I think Eleanor Roosevelt said it and it's genius (of course)! If I sit back and think about it, I do do things that scare me every day! Let's see.... I walked into Weight Watchers, started running, took a spinning class, tried mangosteen (have you seen that scary fruit), climbed the wall, write/wrote this blog, walked into the free weight room, quite my job, embarked on the cook book adventure, I really could go on and on. Some of these decisions scared the $hit out of me! But I did them! So when I read her email it clicked. I just need to scare myself today! What a GREAT idea! That'll pull me out of the funk! I've been considering redesigning WeightWatchen for sometime. I feel as though I'm growing out of it. The server is slow, the navigation doesn't meet my needs as much. I have a lot of ideas but, honestly, I've been too scared to make a change. This site is comforting, I know the system, I'm in a flow and change is scary. BUT New could be fun too! It's exciting, it's a fresh start, a chance to begin again. These things are all motivating for me. So I took the leap and started designing today, I can't promise when I'll be ready to launch the new digs, but as always I'll keep you posted! Thanks MizFit for giving me a little shove today.

OK, my “Fight the Funk” day is coming to a close. I'm not going to lie, I'm still in a bit of a funk. I started the day better then I'm ending it. I didn't make it to the gym, I wasn't up for a run, so I took a nice long walk alone with my headphones. It was great! AND much better then watching TV for that half hour (which would have made the funk a lot worse!) I realize my blog has turned into a self help outlet but boy did I need it. I'm taking 3 days off this week and heading to the beach with the toddler. I'm hoping a few days away will snap me out of the 'you know what'. I'm not going to even say it again. Tomorrow I plan on posting the question of the week and then I'll be signing off until the weekend. Hope you all had a funk-less Monday!