I’m not going to even write much. The pics of my official Kingdom Running Club training shirt says it all. Woooo Hoooo!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Thursday, June 30, 2011
I Earned It!
I’m not going to even write much. The pics of my official Kingdom Running Club training shirt says it all. Woooo Hoooo!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Kitten Heels Recommends.......
I just found out a week or so ago that one of my favorite authors recently released a new book. The book club that I’m in actually chose the book for our next reading selection. The author is Tayari Jones and the book is entitled SILVER SPARROW. This is the third book by Ms. Jones. Her other books THE UNTELLING and the critically acclaimed debut LEAVING ATLANTA were excellent reads. I really enjoyed both books. I expect to also enjoy this new book. Here’s the synopsis:
With the opening line of Silver Sparrow, “My father, James Witherspoon is a bigamist,” Tayari Jones unveils a breathtaking story about a man’s deception, a family’s complicity, and the teenage girls caught in the middle.
Set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s, the novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s families– the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other’s lives.
At the heart of it all are the two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characers with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.
A few years ago, my book club hosted an event for Ms. Jones where she discussed and read from THE UNTELLING. We really enjoyed meeting her. As I prepare to read this new book, I stopped by Ms. Jones’ website www.tayarijones.com and found a reader’s guide for the book. In the guide, the author discusses the book in her own words and also includes discussion questions. I fully expect to enjoy this book because Ms. Jones is a very talented writer. This is another for the summer reading list!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Monday, June 27, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday
It's summer time and that always opens up more options for working out. Maybe swimming is your thing, if so this next article is perfect for you!
The Water Workout by S. Kirk Walsh courtesy of WeightWatchers'
This basic water workout for the swimming pool is the perfect exercise solution for the heavy heat of summer.
There's no better way to escape the summer heat than with a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. But a pool's not just a great place to cool down; it can be the perfect spot for a workout.
"Water is a natural air-conditioner," explains Jane Katz, swim expert and author of Your Water Workout (Broadway Books), "and it makes it feel like less work while you're exercising."
Here's a water workout specially designed by Katz, with moves adapted from her book. She notes that during the workout, you should rest when needed and breathe normally.
Warm-up
Water walking
Walk a slow and relaxed gait in the water. Depending on the depth of the pool, you can walk along the black-painted lane lines on the pool's floor. Walk for 5 minutes.
Mountain pose
Stand with your hands in prayer position in front of your chest. Extend your arms overhead with palms pressed together. Check your posture: Back, neck and chin should be in a straight line; shoulders should be down and back; pelvis should be neutral; weight should be evenly distributed over both feet. Focus on squeezing your arms toward each other, trying to touch your ears with your inner arms. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.
Workout
Leg circles
Stand in chest-deep water with left side next to pool wall, holding the pool's edge with left hand. Lift right leg 90 degrees. Move leg in 5 to 7 counterclockwise circles. Then, rotate leg in 5 to 7 clockwise circles. Switch sides and repeat.
Warrior
Stand in waist-deep water with feet approximately 3 to 4 feet apart. Turn right foot 90 degrees to the right and left foot 30 degrees to the right while keeping hips squared forward. Bend right leg until shin is at a 90-degree angle to pool's bottom. Right thigh should approach parallel position to pool's bottom. Extend arms horizontally at shoulder level with palms facing downward and gaze at the middle finger of the right hand. Torso should remain centered over hips, vertical, and squared in the same direction as the hips. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Switch sides and repeat.
Swing
Stand in chest-deep water and place your hands together in prayer position. Swing your hands under water from right to left. For more resistance, grip a flotation device, such as a Styrofoam pull-boy or paddle, in your right hand and repeat motion. Repeat exercise with left hand.
Water running
Stand in water and jog as you do on land. Move right hand forward with left leg and left arm forward with right leg. Lean forward slightly. In deep water: Wear a floatation device, such as a "noodle," and move your legs as if you are riding a bike. Run for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cool-down
Aqua lunge
Face pool wall and grasp the edge of the pool with both hands, shoulder-width apart. Place feet against wall in a straddle position, beyond shoulder-width apart. Shift body weight to right, bending knee and keeping left leg extended. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Switch sides and repeat 5 times on each side.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
The Water Workout by S. Kirk Walsh courtesy of WeightWatchers'
This basic water workout for the swimming pool is the perfect exercise solution for the heavy heat of summer.
There's no better way to escape the summer heat than with a refreshing dip in the swimming pool. But a pool's not just a great place to cool down; it can be the perfect spot for a workout.
"Water is a natural air-conditioner," explains Jane Katz, swim expert and author of Your Water Workout (Broadway Books), "and it makes it feel like less work while you're exercising."
Here's a water workout specially designed by Katz, with moves adapted from her book. She notes that during the workout, you should rest when needed and breathe normally.
Warm-up
Water walking
Walk a slow and relaxed gait in the water. Depending on the depth of the pool, you can walk along the black-painted lane lines on the pool's floor. Walk for 5 minutes.
Mountain pose
Stand with your hands in prayer position in front of your chest. Extend your arms overhead with palms pressed together. Check your posture: Back, neck and chin should be in a straight line; shoulders should be down and back; pelvis should be neutral; weight should be evenly distributed over both feet. Focus on squeezing your arms toward each other, trying to touch your ears with your inner arms. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.
Workout
Leg circles
Stand in chest-deep water with left side next to pool wall, holding the pool's edge with left hand. Lift right leg 90 degrees. Move leg in 5 to 7 counterclockwise circles. Then, rotate leg in 5 to 7 clockwise circles. Switch sides and repeat.
Warrior
Stand in waist-deep water with feet approximately 3 to 4 feet apart. Turn right foot 90 degrees to the right and left foot 30 degrees to the right while keeping hips squared forward. Bend right leg until shin is at a 90-degree angle to pool's bottom. Right thigh should approach parallel position to pool's bottom. Extend arms horizontally at shoulder level with palms facing downward and gaze at the middle finger of the right hand. Torso should remain centered over hips, vertical, and squared in the same direction as the hips. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Switch sides and repeat.
Swing
Stand in chest-deep water and place your hands together in prayer position. Swing your hands under water from right to left. For more resistance, grip a flotation device, such as a Styrofoam pull-boy or paddle, in your right hand and repeat motion. Repeat exercise with left hand.
Water running
Stand in water and jog as you do on land. Move right hand forward with left leg and left arm forward with right leg. Lean forward slightly. In deep water: Wear a floatation device, such as a "noodle," and move your legs as if you are riding a bike. Run for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cool-down
Aqua lunge
Face pool wall and grasp the edge of the pool with both hands, shoulder-width apart. Place feet against wall in a straddle position, beyond shoulder-width apart. Shift body weight to right, bending knee and keeping left leg extended. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths. Switch sides and repeat 5 times on each side.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Minnesota Lynx
I went to a WNBA basketball game the other night. Minnesota Lynx vs. Indiana Fever, it was awesome!! Didn't know if I would like it at first because I don't really follow the WNBA but this past college season with Maya Moore graduating and being drafted by Minnesota has been very exciting!!
Minnesota ended up losing but it was a great game.....it went right down to the wire.
If you live in a city that has a WNBA team I encourage you to check them out, it's well worth it!!
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Minnesota ended up losing but it was a great game.....it went right down to the wire.
If you live in a city that has a WNBA team I encourage you to check them out, it's well worth it!!
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Old School.....
This weekend I decided to take a trip down memory lane....Hope you enjoy!!
Courtesy of YouTube
Courtesy of YouTube
Saturday, June 25, 2011
PPP's Tip of the Week
What Makes a Password Stronger by Stu Woo provided by
With concern about hackers, tools for remembering so many codes; no more pet names or 123456.
For all its benefits, the Internet can be a hassle when it comes to remembering passwords for email, banking, social networking and shopping.
Many people use just a single password across the Web. That's a bad idea, say online-security experts.
"Having the same password for everything is like having the same key for your house, your car, your gym locker, your office," says Michael Barrett, chief information-security officer for online-payments service PayPal, a unit of eBay Inc.
Mr. Barrett has different passwords for his email and Facebook accounts -- and that's just for starters. He has a third password for financial websites he uses, such as for banks and credit cards, and a fourth for major shopping sites such as Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN - News). He created a fifth password for websites he visits infrequently or doesn't trust, such as blogs and an online store that sells gardening tools.
A spate of recent attacks underscores how hackers are spending more time trying to crack into big databases to obtain passwords, security officials say. In April, for instance, hackers obtained passwords and other information of 77 million users in Sony Corp.'s (NYSE: SNE - News) PlayStation Network, while Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG - News) said this month that hackers broke into its email system and gained passwords of U.S. government officials.
So-called brute force attacks, by which hackers try to guess individual passwords, also appear to be on the rise, Mr. Barrett says.
PayPal says two out of three people use just one or two passwords across all sites, with Web users averaging 25 online accounts. A 2009 survey in the U.K. by security-software company PC Tools found men to be particularly bad offenders, with 47% using just one password, compared with 26% of women.
Another PC Tools survey last year showed that 28% of young Australians from 18 to 38 years old had passwords that were easily guessed, such as a name of a loved one or pet, which criminals can easily find on Facebook or other public sites. Other passwords can be easily guessed, too. Hackers last year posted a list of the most popular passwords of Gawker Media users, including "password," "123456," "qwerty," "letmein" and "baseball."
"If your password is on that list, please change it," says Brandon Sterne, security manager at Mozilla Corp., which makes the Firefox browser and other software. Hackers "will take the first 100 passwords on the list and go through the entire user base" of a website to crack a few accounts, he says.
People typically start changing online passwords after they've been hacked, says Dave Cole, general manager of PC Tools. However, "after a relatively short time, all but the most paranoid users regress to previous behaviors prior to the security breach," he says. He and other security experts recommend people change or rotate passwords a few times a year.
To come up with a strong password, some security officials recommend taking a memorable phrase and using the first letter of each word. For example, "to be or not to be, that is the question," becomes "tbontbtitq." Others mash an unlikely pair of words together. The longer the password -- at least eight characters, experts say -- the safer it is.
Once people figure out a phrase for their password, they can make it more complex by replacing letters with special characters or numbers. They can also capitalize, say, the second character of every password for added security. Hence "tbontbtitq" becomes "tB0ntbtitq."
No matter how good a password is, it is unsafe to use just one. Mr. Barrett recommends following his lead and having strong ones for four different kinds of sites -- email, social networks, financial institutions and e-commerce sites -- and a fifth for infrequently visited or untrustworthy sites.
Even the strongest passwords, however, are useless if criminals install so-called malware on computers that allow them to track a person's keystrokes. Security experts say people can avoid this by keeping their antivirus and antispyware software updated and by avoiding downloading files from unknown websites and email senders.
Some security experts recommend slightly modifying passwords within each category of site. Companies such as Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) offer free password-strength checkers, but users shouldn't rely on them wholly because such strength tests don't gauge whether a password contains easily found personal information, such as a birthday or a pet's name.
It's especially important to have a separate password for an email account, says Mozilla's Mr. Sterne. Many sites have "Forgot my password" buttons that, when clicked, initiate a password-recovery process by email. Hackers who break into an email account can then intercept those emails and take control of each account registered using that address.
Some websites, such as Google and Facebook, now let people register a phone number along with their account. If a person forgets his passwords, the sites reset the passwords by calling or sending a text message to that person.
Mr. Barrett says people should be able to remember four or five good passwords. If not, they can write them down on a piece of paper and stick it in their wallet, and then throw the cheat sheet away once all the passwords are memorized.
People who still struggle to remember them all can use a password manager. Several, such as LastPass, are free. LastPass prompts users to create a master password and then generates and stores random passwords for different sites. Some security experts warn against using managers that store passwords remotely, but LastPass Chief Executive Joe Siegrist says hackers can't access the passwords because all data is encrypted.
The worst thing that people can do after creating their different passwords: Put it on a sticky note by their monitor. "That defeats the entire purpose," says Mr. Sterne.
Heather O'Neill, a 27-year-old tech-company employee in San Francisco, had her Google email account broken into earlier this year. She says she used the same password for several sites, and that it was a weak one. "I can't have one password for everything," she says. "Everything is going to be different."
Pumps, Purses & Positivity
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
With concern about hackers, tools for remembering so many codes; no more pet names or 123456.
For all its benefits, the Internet can be a hassle when it comes to remembering passwords for email, banking, social networking and shopping.
Many people use just a single password across the Web. That's a bad idea, say online-security experts.
"Having the same password for everything is like having the same key for your house, your car, your gym locker, your office," says Michael Barrett, chief information-security officer for online-payments service PayPal, a unit of eBay Inc.
Mr. Barrett has different passwords for his email and Facebook accounts -- and that's just for starters. He has a third password for financial websites he uses, such as for banks and credit cards, and a fourth for major shopping sites such as Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN - News). He created a fifth password for websites he visits infrequently or doesn't trust, such as blogs and an online store that sells gardening tools.
A spate of recent attacks underscores how hackers are spending more time trying to crack into big databases to obtain passwords, security officials say. In April, for instance, hackers obtained passwords and other information of 77 million users in Sony Corp.'s (NYSE: SNE - News) PlayStation Network, while Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG - News) said this month that hackers broke into its email system and gained passwords of U.S. government officials.
So-called brute force attacks, by which hackers try to guess individual passwords, also appear to be on the rise, Mr. Barrett says.
PayPal says two out of three people use just one or two passwords across all sites, with Web users averaging 25 online accounts. A 2009 survey in the U.K. by security-software company PC Tools found men to be particularly bad offenders, with 47% using just one password, compared with 26% of women.
Another PC Tools survey last year showed that 28% of young Australians from 18 to 38 years old had passwords that were easily guessed, such as a name of a loved one or pet, which criminals can easily find on Facebook or other public sites. Other passwords can be easily guessed, too. Hackers last year posted a list of the most popular passwords of Gawker Media users, including "password," "123456," "qwerty," "letmein" and "baseball."
"If your password is on that list, please change it," says Brandon Sterne, security manager at Mozilla Corp., which makes the Firefox browser and other software. Hackers "will take the first 100 passwords on the list and go through the entire user base" of a website to crack a few accounts, he says.
People typically start changing online passwords after they've been hacked, says Dave Cole, general manager of PC Tools. However, "after a relatively short time, all but the most paranoid users regress to previous behaviors prior to the security breach," he says. He and other security experts recommend people change or rotate passwords a few times a year.
To come up with a strong password, some security officials recommend taking a memorable phrase and using the first letter of each word. For example, "to be or not to be, that is the question," becomes "tbontbtitq." Others mash an unlikely pair of words together. The longer the password -- at least eight characters, experts say -- the safer it is.
Once people figure out a phrase for their password, they can make it more complex by replacing letters with special characters or numbers. They can also capitalize, say, the second character of every password for added security. Hence "tbontbtitq" becomes "tB0ntbtitq."
No matter how good a password is, it is unsafe to use just one. Mr. Barrett recommends following his lead and having strong ones for four different kinds of sites -- email, social networks, financial institutions and e-commerce sites -- and a fifth for infrequently visited or untrustworthy sites.
Even the strongest passwords, however, are useless if criminals install so-called malware on computers that allow them to track a person's keystrokes. Security experts say people can avoid this by keeping their antivirus and antispyware software updated and by avoiding downloading files from unknown websites and email senders.
Some security experts recommend slightly modifying passwords within each category of site. Companies such as Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) offer free password-strength checkers, but users shouldn't rely on them wholly because such strength tests don't gauge whether a password contains easily found personal information, such as a birthday or a pet's name.
It's especially important to have a separate password for an email account, says Mozilla's Mr. Sterne. Many sites have "Forgot my password" buttons that, when clicked, initiate a password-recovery process by email. Hackers who break into an email account can then intercept those emails and take control of each account registered using that address.
Some websites, such as Google and Facebook, now let people register a phone number along with their account. If a person forgets his passwords, the sites reset the passwords by calling or sending a text message to that person.
Mr. Barrett says people should be able to remember four or five good passwords. If not, they can write them down on a piece of paper and stick it in their wallet, and then throw the cheat sheet away once all the passwords are memorized.
People who still struggle to remember them all can use a password manager. Several, such as LastPass, are free. LastPass prompts users to create a master password and then generates and stores random passwords for different sites. Some security experts warn against using managers that store passwords remotely, but LastPass Chief Executive Joe Siegrist says hackers can't access the passwords because all data is encrypted.
The worst thing that people can do after creating their different passwords: Put it on a sticky note by their monitor. "That defeats the entire purpose," says Mr. Sterne.
Heather O'Neill, a 27-year-old tech-company employee in San Francisco, had her Google email account broken into earlier this year. She says she used the same password for several sites, and that it was a weak one. "I can't have one password for everything," she says. "Everything is going to be different."
Pumps, Purses & Positivity
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Friends of the Parks’ L.A.T.E. Ride:
For me, biking season is well under way. Now that I am a member of Active Transportation Alliance, I have been finding out about all sorts of bike events, trails, cool bike gear and discounts on shopping for bike gear.
The latest bike ride to pique my interest in the Friends of the Parks' L.A.T.E Ride in Chicago, http://www.lateride.org/event_info.php. Friends of the Parks’ L.A.T.E. Ride is Chicago's biggest charity bicycle ride! Proceeds from the event benefit Friends of the Parks, a 35-year-old not-for-profit parks advocacy group whose mission is to protect and improve Chicago's parks and forest preserves in Cook County. The ride takes place on July 9th/10th and starts at 1:00am at Buckingham Fountain. Yes, 1:00am! According to the website almost 9,000 people participate and ride around Chicago neighborhoods:
Route highlights will include the South Loop, Chinatown, Greek Town, Chicago’s historic "Emerald Necklace" and much more! A large park on the North side will serve as our rest stop location - plenty of open green space for food and fun - at the half-way mark along the course. You’ll finish your trek along the glorious lakefront trail, which offers stunning skyline views.
At 25 miles - all flat except for bridges - the route is doable for cyclists of all levels. Most participants finish the ride in approximately 3 hours (although some finish in 2 hours and some take up to 5 hours). It's a non-competitive event, so ride at your own pace and enjoy the city. Refreshments will be available at Buckingham Fountain when you finish.
Imagine watching the sun come up over the lake. I haven't done that since my husband and I were dating and could stay up all hours of the night, with no responsibilities. Of course, my sister and I are in and we are actively recruiting people to go with us. The husbands and the kids say they aren't going. Even though this is 7 miles less than Bike the Drive. Anyway, we have talked six of our friends into going. If you aren't doing anything at July 9th/10th, want to see the city at all lit up at night (you don't have to wait for Christmas), just can't sleep or want to know what committed or OCD bike riders are doing, come on down and ride with us. This will totally be a safe time to be out and see some of Chicago's neighborhoods.
Peace and Love,
Sandals,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
The latest bike ride to pique my interest in the Friends of the Parks' L.A.T.E Ride in Chicago, http://www.lateride.org/event_info.php. Friends of the Parks’ L.A.T.E. Ride is Chicago's biggest charity bicycle ride! Proceeds from the event benefit Friends of the Parks, a 35-year-old not-for-profit parks advocacy group whose mission is to protect and improve Chicago's parks and forest preserves in Cook County. The ride takes place on July 9th/10th and starts at 1:00am at Buckingham Fountain. Yes, 1:00am! According to the website almost 9,000 people participate and ride around Chicago neighborhoods:
Route highlights will include the South Loop, Chinatown, Greek Town, Chicago’s historic "Emerald Necklace" and much more! A large park on the North side will serve as our rest stop location - plenty of open green space for food and fun - at the half-way mark along the course. You’ll finish your trek along the glorious lakefront trail, which offers stunning skyline views.
At 25 miles - all flat except for bridges - the route is doable for cyclists of all levels. Most participants finish the ride in approximately 3 hours (although some finish in 2 hours and some take up to 5 hours). It's a non-competitive event, so ride at your own pace and enjoy the city. Refreshments will be available at Buckingham Fountain when you finish.
Imagine watching the sun come up over the lake. I haven't done that since my husband and I were dating and could stay up all hours of the night, with no responsibilities. Of course, my sister and I are in and we are actively recruiting people to go with us. The husbands and the kids say they aren't going. Even though this is 7 miles less than Bike the Drive. Anyway, we have talked six of our friends into going. If you aren't doing anything at July 9th/10th, want to see the city at all lit up at night (you don't have to wait for Christmas), just can't sleep or want to know what committed or OCD bike riders are doing, come on down and ride with us. This will totally be a safe time to be out and see some of Chicago's neighborhoods.
Peace and Love,
Sandals,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday
5 Ways to Keep Your Metabolism Up by Amy Paturel, Healthy SELF, SELF Magazine
courtesy of Shine from Yahoo!
You're eating healthier than ever, but your muscles feel flabby, your energy is sapped and your jeans feel increasingly snug, particularly in the belly, hips and rear.
The sad truth: Metabolic rate (the number of calories we burn in a day) plummets as we age, decreasing about 1 percent each year after we hit 30. But research shows there are things you can do to help combat metabolic slowdown.
"When our metabolisms slow down isn't just age-related," explains Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Body composition, which is determined by genetics, diet and activity, also plays a major role."
1. Build muscle.
Since fat is burned in your muscle, you want to activate as many muscle fibers as possible. Weight training increases lean muscle mass, which raises the amount of calories your body uses, even when you're at rest. What's more, since there's less fat in your body (and your muscles), blood moves better so you have more energy -- without eating more food. So if you haven't been incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, now is the time to start!
2. Start eating!
"Your body is a 'refuel as it goes machine,' which simply means it needs to be consistently fed to provide energy to live," explains Mark MacDonald, author of the bestselling book Body Confidence. "This type of consistent feeding stabilizes your blood sugar levels and creates internal hormonal balance" -- and that keeps you from packing on the pounds. His advice: Eat within an hour of waking to kick-start your metabolism. Then keep eating every three to four hours ending an hour before bedtime.
3. Nosh on protein at every meal and snack.
Protein has a greater metabolic boost than fat or carbohydrates. Biting, chewing, swallowing and digesting food takes energy -- it's known as the thermic effect of food and it can burn up to 30 percent of the calories on your plate. The more complex the food (think steak, legumes and fibrous vegetables), the more calories you burn as it travels through the digestive tract. Protein also contains leucine, an amino acid that prevents muscle loss when you're dieting. A simple strategy: For a quick and easy snack, keep peanuts in your pocketbook, trail mix in your desk drawer and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge.
4. Get moving.
Interval training with bursts of high intensity cardio will stoke your metabolic rate and keep it humming for hours. So instead of logging in your regular half-hour on the treadmill at a steady 4.5 mph pace, try the interval option or hit the road and take advantage of changes in the terrain. Run in the sand or up hills and use landmarks to signify a change of pace. And squeeze in extra calorie burning whenever you get the chance, advises Gerbstadt.
5. Drink water.
Studies show that people who drink 8-ounce glasses of water eight to 12 times a day have higher metabolic rates than those who drink four. Want to lose an extra 6.6 pounds a year? Drink half a liter of water before breakfast. According to researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., people who downed water before their first meal of the day consumed an average of 75 fewer calories at breakfast than those who didn't drink up first.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
courtesy of Shine from Yahoo!
You're eating healthier than ever, but your muscles feel flabby, your energy is sapped and your jeans feel increasingly snug, particularly in the belly, hips and rear.
The sad truth: Metabolic rate (the number of calories we burn in a day) plummets as we age, decreasing about 1 percent each year after we hit 30. But research shows there are things you can do to help combat metabolic slowdown.
"When our metabolisms slow down isn't just age-related," explains Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Body composition, which is determined by genetics, diet and activity, also plays a major role."
1. Build muscle.
Since fat is burned in your muscle, you want to activate as many muscle fibers as possible. Weight training increases lean muscle mass, which raises the amount of calories your body uses, even when you're at rest. What's more, since there's less fat in your body (and your muscles), blood moves better so you have more energy -- without eating more food. So if you haven't been incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, now is the time to start!
2. Start eating!
"Your body is a 'refuel as it goes machine,' which simply means it needs to be consistently fed to provide energy to live," explains Mark MacDonald, author of the bestselling book Body Confidence. "This type of consistent feeding stabilizes your blood sugar levels and creates internal hormonal balance" -- and that keeps you from packing on the pounds. His advice: Eat within an hour of waking to kick-start your metabolism. Then keep eating every three to four hours ending an hour before bedtime.
3. Nosh on protein at every meal and snack.
Protein has a greater metabolic boost than fat or carbohydrates. Biting, chewing, swallowing and digesting food takes energy -- it's known as the thermic effect of food and it can burn up to 30 percent of the calories on your plate. The more complex the food (think steak, legumes and fibrous vegetables), the more calories you burn as it travels through the digestive tract. Protein also contains leucine, an amino acid that prevents muscle loss when you're dieting. A simple strategy: For a quick and easy snack, keep peanuts in your pocketbook, trail mix in your desk drawer and hard-boiled eggs in the fridge.
4. Get moving.
Interval training with bursts of high intensity cardio will stoke your metabolic rate and keep it humming for hours. So instead of logging in your regular half-hour on the treadmill at a steady 4.5 mph pace, try the interval option or hit the road and take advantage of changes in the terrain. Run in the sand or up hills and use landmarks to signify a change of pace. And squeeze in extra calorie burning whenever you get the chance, advises Gerbstadt.
5. Drink water.
Studies show that people who drink 8-ounce glasses of water eight to 12 times a day have higher metabolic rates than those who drink four. Want to lose an extra 6.6 pounds a year? Drink half a liter of water before breakfast. According to researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., people who downed water before their first meal of the day consumed an average of 75 fewer calories at breakfast than those who didn't drink up first.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
What Friends Do
No matter how sad you feel
a friend makes your sadness heal.
Just them being there is all it takes
for all the hurt inside you to break.
Friends brighten up your days
Friends chase those fears away
Friends help you through all the stress
when a friend is around there is no need to distress
Friends give you an inner strength
to help you battle life's mysterious ways.
A friend makes you feel like you belong
even when life isolates you inside its walls.
A friend is unique and forever true
a friend makes you smile any time of the day
that is what friends do they always brighten up your day!
(by Crystal moonlight)
Hobo Bag,
Real Women, Real Talk, Real Life
No matter how sad you feel
a friend makes your sadness heal.
Just them being there is all it takes
for all the hurt inside you to break.
Friends brighten up your days
Friends chase those fears away
Friends help you through all the stress
when a friend is around there is no need to distress
Friends give you an inner strength
to help you battle life's mysterious ways.
A friend makes you feel like you belong
even when life isolates you inside its walls.
A friend is unique and forever true
a friend makes you smile any time of the day
that is what friends do they always brighten up your day!
(by Crystal moonlight)
Hobo Bag,
Real Women, Real Talk, Real Life
Monday, June 20, 2011
Father's Day at the Morton Arboretum
Yesterday was Father's Day and we took the men in our lives to The Morton Arboretum http://www.mortonarb.org/ for a day filled with biking, walking and great food. Fed up with spending a million dollars for Mother's Day and Father's Day brunches, we decided to try something different and spend the day at The Morton Arboretum.
If you have never been to the Morton Arboretum, you owe it to yourself to go. There is something to do for everyone, young and old. With 9 miles of biking trails, 16 miles of walking/running trails, along with a Children's Garden, maze, Weds, Woods and Wine, and many of the most beautiful plants and trees from all over the world. Also, there were lots of romantic nooks and time for lazily looking at the water, spots for laying a blanket down and reading a good book.
Luckily for us, the rain held out and we all had a great time. Seven of us biked and four stayed behind to walk trails, find the sculptures and visit the Children's Garden. We took our our own food and had a picnic in the Biking Grove. Before we knew it, we had been there 6 hours and there wasn't a complaint in the bunch. Of course the children didn't want to leave and the husband's declared it one of the best Father's Day ever.... As for the wives, we got great kudos, had a great day and found something for everyone to do.
We know that Chicago is a great city, but sometimes we forgot all the jewels it has to offer. If you don't do anything else, you owe it to yourself, significant other, family and friends to spend at day the Morton Arboretum.
Enjoy the first day of summer, tomorrow.
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
If you have never been to the Morton Arboretum, you owe it to yourself to go. There is something to do for everyone, young and old. With 9 miles of biking trails, 16 miles of walking/running trails, along with a Children's Garden, maze, Weds, Woods and Wine, and many of the most beautiful plants and trees from all over the world. Also, there were lots of romantic nooks and time for lazily looking at the water, spots for laying a blanket down and reading a good book.
Luckily for us, the rain held out and we all had a great time. Seven of us biked and four stayed behind to walk trails, find the sculptures and visit the Children's Garden. We took our our own food and had a picnic in the Biking Grove. Before we knew it, we had been there 6 hours and there wasn't a complaint in the bunch. Of course the children didn't want to leave and the husband's declared it one of the best Father's Day ever.... As for the wives, we got great kudos, had a great day and found something for everyone to do.
We know that Chicago is a great city, but sometimes we forgot all the jewels it has to offer. If you don't do anything else, you owe it to yourself, significant other, family and friends to spend at day the Morton Arboretum.
Enjoy the first day of summer, tomorrow.
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day!!
Wishing all Dad's the most fabulous Father's Day ever!!!
What Makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad
~~Author Unknown.~~
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Saturday, June 18, 2011
PPP's Tip of the Week
6 bad reasons to date someone by Laura Schaefer courtesy of match.com on Yahoo!
Of all the endeavors you can pursue, dating can be one of the most enjoyable. It’s entertaining, it provides companionship, and it can lead to lasting love and partnership. But as you decide whether you’re ready to date, make sure you are doing it for the right reason: You have a full life that you’d like to share with another person. With that in mind, here are a few bad reasons to date someone…
1. Your friends want you paired off. Just because your friends are married or coupled up doesn’t mean you have to find “your other half.” If they are pressuring you to date, be firm. You need to date people because you want to, not because everyone else in your life thinks it’s the right thing to do.
2. You can’t stand to be alone. If you approach dating with the desperation of a person who is uncomfortable spending any time alone, you might not choose a suitable partner. Learn to enjoy your own company and that of your friends and family before embarking on new romantic relationships.
3. Well, he/she did ask me out… It’s wonderfully flattering to be asked out on a date, but you don’t owe anyone a thing. Remember, you’ll have a more satisfying romantic life if you choose whom and when to date. Don’t just say yes to the next person who comes along because it’s less work that way.
4. You’re “that age.” Who knows what “that age” even is these days, but sometimes we feel pressured to date because others (and the youth-obsessed media) are telling us that time is slipping away for finding a mate. Pshaw! You can fall in love at any time in your life, and the experience will be that much richer if you’re emotionally ready. Whether you’re 25 or 75, there is no “right age” for dating or commitment. Listen to your heart and date when you feel ready.
5. You want someone to fix your life. You’ve heard it a million times before, but that’s because it’s true: you are in charge of your own happiness and your life’s circumstances. Please don’t date someone in order to find motivation to quit smoking, pay the bills on time, get out of the house, etc. Take care of yourself now in order to be a good partner later.
6. You want to further your career. Try not to mix business with pleasure by using dating as a way to make professional contacts. People might get hurt and your reputation could be compromised. Be honest with yourself about your goals. If you’re much more concerned with work than with being a good partner, perhaps you should put your love life on hold for a few months.
~Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor: The Best and Worst Personal Ads of All Time.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Of all the endeavors you can pursue, dating can be one of the most enjoyable. It’s entertaining, it provides companionship, and it can lead to lasting love and partnership. But as you decide whether you’re ready to date, make sure you are doing it for the right reason: You have a full life that you’d like to share with another person. With that in mind, here are a few bad reasons to date someone…
1. Your friends want you paired off. Just because your friends are married or coupled up doesn’t mean you have to find “your other half.” If they are pressuring you to date, be firm. You need to date people because you want to, not because everyone else in your life thinks it’s the right thing to do.
2. You can’t stand to be alone. If you approach dating with the desperation of a person who is uncomfortable spending any time alone, you might not choose a suitable partner. Learn to enjoy your own company and that of your friends and family before embarking on new romantic relationships.
3. Well, he/she did ask me out… It’s wonderfully flattering to be asked out on a date, but you don’t owe anyone a thing. Remember, you’ll have a more satisfying romantic life if you choose whom and when to date. Don’t just say yes to the next person who comes along because it’s less work that way.
4. You’re “that age.” Who knows what “that age” even is these days, but sometimes we feel pressured to date because others (and the youth-obsessed media) are telling us that time is slipping away for finding a mate. Pshaw! You can fall in love at any time in your life, and the experience will be that much richer if you’re emotionally ready. Whether you’re 25 or 75, there is no “right age” for dating or commitment. Listen to your heart and date when you feel ready.
5. You want someone to fix your life. You’ve heard it a million times before, but that’s because it’s true: you are in charge of your own happiness and your life’s circumstances. Please don’t date someone in order to find motivation to quit smoking, pay the bills on time, get out of the house, etc. Take care of yourself now in order to be a good partner later.
6. You want to further your career. Try not to mix business with pleasure by using dating as a way to make professional contacts. People might get hurt and your reputation could be compromised. Be honest with yourself about your goals. If you’re much more concerned with work than with being a good partner, perhaps you should put your love life on hold for a few months.
~Laura Schaefer is the author of Man with Farm Seeks Woman with Tractor: The Best and Worst Personal Ads of All Time.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Friday, June 17, 2011
Way to go Bruins!!
So, my Patriots couldn't do it....my Celtics couldn't do it....but dog on it my Bruins said this year is ours!!!!
Congratulations to the Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup. This has been a long 39 years since the last win but sooo worth it. It was an awesome series and they did an awesome job. I love BOSTON!!!!
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Congratulations to the Bruins for winning the Stanley Cup. This has been a long 39 years since the last win but sooo worth it. It was an awesome series and they did an awesome job. I love BOSTON!!!!
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Thursday, June 16, 2011
How Do They Do It?
Marathon training is in high gear now! Woooo Hoooo! We’re actually near the halfway point of our 9 month journey! I can’t believe it! All is well though! A few weeks ago the leaders timed our mile. My time was 15.8 minutes. Not horrible, but definitely room for improvement. The organizers of the marathon require a 14 minute mile. My run/speed walk will be there or even less by October 9, 2010.
A number of questions go through my mind while I’m out there on the lakefront or during my short runs on the track. The one that constantly comes up is - How do the other runners run the whole way? How do they do it? Whether 1, 4, or 9 miles? I run until I feel that I can’t go on, usually for a few minutes. Then I speed walk for a bit, then I run again. I see many others do a run/speed walk, but there are some who run the whole way. The whole way! I see people talking and running, laughing and running, and of course seriously running! Many times I think just keep running, don’t stop and speed walk. But I end up speed walking some anyway. I don’t feel bad about it though, after all, I am a 40+ novice runner. I will run more and more until I can do it all the way, or as far as I can go, seriously running and maybe speed walking with joy!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday
Successful Weight Loss: Top 10 Tips On What Works and Why
By Kathleen Goodwin, RD courtesy of The Diet Channel
For many people weight loss is a chronic endeavor. All too often the shedding of pounds is a temporary event followed by a steady regain of lost weight. Most popular diets are unsuccessful in the long run because they fail to address the multi-faceted nature of what successful, permanent weight loss entails. Luckily, research has revealed many invaluable strategies which can help increase your odds of permanent weight loss. While no single article can possibly cover this vast subject, we have provided links to excellent weight loss programs and books which are backed by clinical research, and can significantly help you in your quest. We also encourage you to browse through our hand-picked award links to learn more about the best strategies you can incorporate for long term weight loss success.
10 Strategies for permanent weight loss
1. Exercise is essential for weight loss
It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."
Having trouble getting a workout in? Why not try one of these Diet Channel recommended programs:
15 minute boot camp workout
Power workout for busy executives
10 minute workout for busy moms
2. Weight loss and weight training
We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.
Read Cardio and Strength Training: How do you create a balanced routine? to find out how best to pursue numbers 1 and 2 above in tandem.
3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss
Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.
4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin
Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.
5. Find out why you overeat
All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.
6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group
A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.
7. Weight loss and portion control
With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
8: Lose weight slowly with small changes
Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.
9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.
10. Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
By Kathleen Goodwin, RD courtesy of The Diet Channel
For many people weight loss is a chronic endeavor. All too often the shedding of pounds is a temporary event followed by a steady regain of lost weight. Most popular diets are unsuccessful in the long run because they fail to address the multi-faceted nature of what successful, permanent weight loss entails. Luckily, research has revealed many invaluable strategies which can help increase your odds of permanent weight loss. While no single article can possibly cover this vast subject, we have provided links to excellent weight loss programs and books which are backed by clinical research, and can significantly help you in your quest. We also encourage you to browse through our hand-picked award links to learn more about the best strategies you can incorporate for long term weight loss success.
10 Strategies for permanent weight loss
1. Exercise is essential for weight loss
It's nothing new, but exercise is probably the most important predictor of whether you will succeed at long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In order for exercise to be helpful in weight loss, you should strive for a minimum of five 30 minute sessions per week. The good news is that recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions in a day are as good as one 30 minute session. This helps many in combating the old "no time for exercise" excuse. Be certain to find something you enjoy. You'll be more apt to stick with it. Try walking with a friend, joining an intramural sports league, participating in outings with a group like The Sierra Club, or trying some classes at your local gym. Once you give exercise a chance, you will begin to enjoy its positive benefits on your psyche as well; you will literally become "hooked."
Having trouble getting a workout in? Why not try one of these Diet Channel recommended programs:
15 minute boot camp workout
Power workout for busy executives
10 minute workout for busy moms
2. Weight loss and weight training
We chose to list this separately from the "exercise" category because of the significant weight loss benefits attached to weight training in and of itself. The basic equation is this: the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you will burn. This is why world class weight lifters must eat thousands of calories a day to maintain their weight. Muscle is active tissue, fat is not. Thus, muscle "burns" a significant number of calories each day for its own maintenance. In her book Strong Women Stay Slim, Miriam Nelson, a Tufts University researcher, showed that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44% more fat than those who only followed the diet. While aerobic activity can help burn calories, muscle's where it's at when it comes to giving your metabolism a significant daily boost even at rest.
Read Cardio and Strength Training: How do you create a balanced routine? to find out how best to pursue numbers 1 and 2 above in tandem.
3. Keep a diary for triggers that hinder weight loss
Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Devote some time each day to record what you have eaten and how much, your hunger level prior to eating, and any feelings or emotions present at the time. A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. Study any patterns that emerge from your food diary and identify where you may be able to make more healthful changes. A food diary provides an added benefit of keeping you focused on and committed to your goals. Start keeping a food diary today by printing our food diary.
4. Stay focused on being healthy, not on becoming thin
Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. Change your mindset to think about selecting foods that will help your body's health rather than worrying about foods that will affect your body's weight. The Food Pyramid offers a basic outline of the types and amounts of food you should eat each day to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.
5. Find out why you overeat
All too often overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Learning to deal with emotions without food is a significant skill that will greatly serve long term weight control. The Solution, a book and national program developed by Laurel Mellin, RD, helps participants to identify their eating triggers and respond to them without food. A research study showed that the participants in this program demonstrated a better rate of long term weight loss maintenance than those who simply diet and/or exercise and don't address behavioral and emotional issues. Chronic over-eaters and "emotional eaters" can be significantly helped by learning new behavioral skills such as those Mellin presents. You can also seek help with behavioral and emotional eating issues from a licensed counselor or psychologist in your area.
6. Weight loss support: join a weight management group
A big key in long term weight control comes from receiving encouragement and support from others. You can check to see if groups such as Jenny Craig offer programs and resources in your areas. You may also wish to check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian conducts group weight loss programs.
7. Weight loss and portion control
With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume at a sitting. When necessary, divide your food in half and ask for a take home bag. It is all too easy to be a "plate cleaner" even when served enormous portions. Learn to pay attention to your hunger level and stop eating when you feel comfortably full, not stuffed.
8: Lose weight slowly with small changes
Try to remember that "losing 15 pounds in two weeks" is nothing to celebrate. It is important to realize that the more quickly weight is lost, the more likely the loss is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle tissue is critical in keeping our metabolism elevated, losing it actually leads to a decrease in the amount of calories we can each day without gaining weight. Fat loss is best achieved when weight is lost slowly. Strive for a weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. One pound of weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. By making small changes like eliminating 250 calories a day from food and expending 250 calories a day from exercise, you can lose one pound (of mostly fat) per week. You can calculate how much time you need to exercise to burn 250 calories by clicking here. You can calculate your caloric needs by clicking here, and then subtract 250 from that number.
9. Eating slowly can lead to weight loss
Did you ever notice that thin people take an awfully long time to eat their food? Eating slowly is one method that can help take off pounds. That's because from the time you begin eating it takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. Fast eaters often eat beyond their true level of fullness before the 20 minute signal has had a chance to set in. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy and savor every tasty morsel.
10. Weight loss through eating less fat - but do it wisely
We've known for some time that limiting high fat foods in the diet can be helpful with weight loss. That's because fats pack in 9 calories per gram compared to only 4 calories per gram from proteins or carbohydrates. To many, the message to limit fats implied an endorsement to eat unlimited amounts of fat-free products. Just to clarify, fat-free foods have calories too. In some cases fat-free foods have as many calories as their fat laden counterparts. If you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you to lose weight. Eating less fat and replacing it with excessive amounts of fat-free products will not.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Kitten Recommends......
As summer approaches, I’m finding myself thinking about my favorite things….books, books, books. I’m not a beach person, but like beach readers, I like to curl up with a good book. In my case though, it will be in a nice sunny air-conditioned room. An author that I met a few years ago has a new book coming out. Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of many books including the Jasmine Larson Bush and Divas series which is for teens. Her latest is entitled THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL. Here’s the synopsis:
Adam and Evia Langston had everything they ever wanted. They were in love, they had three wonderful children, and they'd worked hard and prospered financially such that they lived in a large home in a tony suburb, drove nice cars, wore designer clothes and enjoyed all the perks of their lucrative jobs. But Adam has lost his job, and the life they've been living now exists in dreams and empty wishes. Just as their life begins to crumble under the weight of financial pressures, Adam and Evia receive an offer valued at five million dollars which could be the answer to their prayers...if they are willing to meet its seemingly untenable terms.
A masterful storyteller, Victoria Christopher Murray weaves a tale that will ring just a little too true for many. Adam and Evia were living well. They did all the right things, even saving money for a rainy day. But when one rainy day leads to another and another, their savings dry up and the couple is faced a home mortgage bigger than they can handle, overdue bills, unpaid private school tuition and nursing home payments, family members with their hands out...financial scenarios all too common in today's recessionary environment.
How many people wish someone would drop five million dollars on them? Just what would they be willing to do to get that money? This is the pivotal question that Murray uses to explore spiritual truths about temptation, trusting God and most of all, the objectives of the Devourer, as described in many passages of the Bible but particularly John 10:10 and 1 Peter 5:8, which refer to the devil as one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy as he walks about the earth. The story is reminiscent also of the age-old tale of Faust and its many retellings. Whether one subscribes to the Christian tenets or simply views it as a morality tale, THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL is a fast-paced page turner that will keep the reader guessing and wondering just how Adam and Evia could consider the deal, and then, after Murray twists the screws so tightly that they are nailed to a cross of their own, the reader will wonder how could they not.
THE DEAL, THE DANCE, AND THE DEVIL will leave many readers feeling unsettled and thinking of their own circumstances and just how much, or little, it would take for them to enter into their own devilish deal.
As I mentioned, I met this author a few years ago and she was very down to earth. She even runs online writing workshops for aspiring authors. I’ve enjoyed several of her other books like TEMPTATION, the first one that I read, JOY and THE EX-FILES. Her writing pulls you in and you care about the characters and wonder how would I handle that same situation. This new one sounds like excellent!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Monday, June 13, 2011
Unavailable?!!!!!
Ok, I have just had another birthday and I am feeling a bit more fierce than last year. My one dilemma is that I can’t find a guy to spend free time with.
Can someone answer me how is this possible in a city full of millions of people? Now I have guys in my life that are cool and I can hang out with but they are really unavailable to me. When I say this I mean that they come with a cost if things were moved in another direction pass the friend zone. They are either married, in situations, not mature enough, not looking for commitments and the biggest of all EMOTIONAL UNAVAILABLE.
What is a heterosexual woman to do? Now I don’t need a man, but dang I sure would like to have one around to provide that occasional ego boost and companionship for sure.
If it is true that you draw to you what you are…what does that mean for me? Or am I attracting these type of guys because unconsciously I really like being single? In all my heart of hearts I believe that I am ready to be in a relationship again but am I sending off other signals unconsciously. I meet more guys than women to befriend and yet I am only seen as the cool chick to hang out with.
What do you guys think? Provide some good feedback on this one. How can a women have many "good guys" in her life and none be available to her.
Chanel,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Can someone answer me how is this possible in a city full of millions of people? Now I have guys in my life that are cool and I can hang out with but they are really unavailable to me. When I say this I mean that they come with a cost if things were moved in another direction pass the friend zone. They are either married, in situations, not mature enough, not looking for commitments and the biggest of all EMOTIONAL UNAVAILABLE.
What is a heterosexual woman to do? Now I don’t need a man, but dang I sure would like to have one around to provide that occasional ego boost and companionship for sure.
If it is true that you draw to you what you are…what does that mean for me? Or am I attracting these type of guys because unconsciously I really like being single? In all my heart of hearts I believe that I am ready to be in a relationship again but am I sending off other signals unconsciously. I meet more guys than women to befriend and yet I am only seen as the cool chick to hang out with.
What do you guys think? Provide some good feedback on this one. How can a women have many "good guys" in her life and none be available to her.
Chanel,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Sunday, June 12, 2011
I'm Inspired!!
At age 74, will you look as good as Ernestine Shepherd, the oldest competitive female bodybuilder?
Saturday, June 11, 2011
PPP's Tip of the Week
Online Degrees - 5 Things to Consider by Chris Kale
courtesy of Yahoo!Education
Going back to school and considering your online education options? You're not alone. Over 5.6 million college students took at least one online course during the fall 2009 term, an increase of nearly one million over the previous year, according to the non-profit Sloan Consortium.
To put those numbers into context, nearly one out of three college students is currently enrolled in an online course or program, and those numbers are only expected to grow in coming years.
To help you make a decision about going to school online, we talked to college experts and compiled a list of 5 things to think about before you commit.
#1 - Accreditation
courtesy of Yahoo!Education
Going back to school and considering your online education options? You're not alone. Over 5.6 million college students took at least one online course during the fall 2009 term, an increase of nearly one million over the previous year, according to the non-profit Sloan Consortium.
To put those numbers into context, nearly one out of three college students is currently enrolled in an online course or program, and those numbers are only expected to grow in coming years.
To help you make a decision about going to school online, we talked to college experts and compiled a list of 5 things to think about before you commit.
#1 - Accreditation
One of the most important factors to consider is whether a school that offers online programs is properly accredited, according to Brianna Bates, an information and accounts specialist at the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a non-profit education association and accrediting agency in Washington, DC.
"We tell students to be very wary of accreditation claims," Bates says. "Just because a school says it is accredited doesn't mean it's true." Bates says it's not uncommon for so-called diploma mills to set up fake accrediting agencies with a phone number and voice mail message. She urges students to check with the Department of Education to see if the agency is approved by the U.S. government.
For a list of approved national and regional accrediting agencies, visit www.ed.gov.
#2 - Quality of Online Faculty
"We tell students to be very wary of accreditation claims," Bates says. "Just because a school says it is accredited doesn't mean it's true." Bates says it's not uncommon for so-called diploma mills to set up fake accrediting agencies with a phone number and voice mail message. She urges students to check with the Department of Education to see if the agency is approved by the U.S. government.
For a list of approved national and regional accrediting agencies, visit www.ed.gov.
#2 - Quality of Online Faculty
Every student knows that a good professor can mean the difference between a good and bad experience with a class.
Online programs are no different, so don't be shy about asking for a list of the working faculty and the classes they teach. Look up a faculty member's credentials and read testimonials from students on sites like RateMyProfessors.com.
"I am from the school of thought that any course or program with the right teacher can be conducted well online," says Sam Govea, executive dean of distance learning at Brookhaven College in Texas. "While some programs and courses that require hands-on clinicals or labs are more challenging to run 100 percent online, there are always solutions when a creative, engaging teacher gets involved."
#3 - Online Student Body
Online programs are no different, so don't be shy about asking for a list of the working faculty and the classes they teach. Look up a faculty member's credentials and read testimonials from students on sites like RateMyProfessors.com.
"I am from the school of thought that any course or program with the right teacher can be conducted well online," says Sam Govea, executive dean of distance learning at Brookhaven College in Texas. "While some programs and courses that require hands-on clinicals or labs are more challenging to run 100 percent online, there are always solutions when a creative, engaging teacher gets involved."
#3 - Online Student Body
You can't get a real feel for an online school until you gain an understanding of its student body. Knowing who they are will help give you a sense for whether you and the school are a proper match.
Are you an older working adult who is thinking of returning to school? Knowing the average age of the student body may not make or break your decision but it could influence your thinking. After all, these students will become your peers and you will be interacting and networking with them.
Along those lines, be sure to ask schools for their average student's course load as well as graduation and job placement rates, says DETC's Bates. "By knowing those kinds of statistics you can get an idea for how many people write that first check and finish the program," she says.
#4 - Relevance of Curriculum
Are you an older working adult who is thinking of returning to school? Knowing the average age of the student body may not make or break your decision but it could influence your thinking. After all, these students will become your peers and you will be interacting and networking with them.
Along those lines, be sure to ask schools for their average student's course load as well as graduation and job placement rates, says DETC's Bates. "By knowing those kinds of statistics you can get an idea for how many people write that first check and finish the program," she says.
#4 - Relevance of Curriculum
Some people go back to school online with the goal of furthering their careers. If that's the case for you, make sure any schools you're researching offer an online degree program in an area that matches your goals.
It's also important to make sure that it's a subject that's amenable to online learning, according to Govea, who oversees online learning at Brookhaven, a Dallas County Community College that offers 20 online programs and serves over 7,000 online students per year.
Govea says that Brookhaven's beginning computer classes, for example, are best taken in a face-to-face classroom setting, while more advanced computer classes can work well in an online environment.
#5 - Money Matters
It's also important to make sure that it's a subject that's amenable to online learning, according to Govea, who oversees online learning at Brookhaven, a Dallas County Community College that offers 20 online programs and serves over 7,000 online students per year.
Govea says that Brookhaven's beginning computer classes, for example, are best taken in a face-to-face classroom setting, while more advanced computer classes can work well in an online environment.
#5 - Money Matters
It's never fun to discuss money but it's an important part of the college decision-making process.
Among online education's many selling points is that it sometimes comes with a cheaper tuition tag because the schools can operate more efficiently, with fewer buildings to maintain and utilities to pay. Plus, there are smaller charges, like an activities fee, that won't get added to your bill.
"If price is an issue for you, distance learning is a great alternative to a residential format," Bates says. But don't just assume that going to school online is cheaper. Compare various tuitions, and pay particular attention to extra charges like course fees that could come after you're enrolled.
Don't be afraid to ask these questions when it comes to your online education. Schools understand that every dollar counts when you're investing in your future.
To read the complete article click here.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Among online education's many selling points is that it sometimes comes with a cheaper tuition tag because the schools can operate more efficiently, with fewer buildings to maintain and utilities to pay. Plus, there are smaller charges, like an activities fee, that won't get added to your bill.
"If price is an issue for you, distance learning is a great alternative to a residential format," Bates says. But don't just assume that going to school online is cheaper. Compare various tuitions, and pay particular attention to extra charges like course fees that could come after you're enrolled.
Don't be afraid to ask these questions when it comes to your online education. Schools understand that every dollar counts when you're investing in your future.
To read the complete article click here.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Friday, June 10, 2011
Remember This.....
So the other day, as I was spring cleaning or should I say getting rid of stuff before I end up with it for another year. Thinking and saying to myself, OOH let's keep it with the hopeful prospect of using it for whatever reason, which by the way I never seems to use.
So while I was sorting and arranging things, guess what I found......... My new year's resolution list!
Yes Remember that........
Like most people I created one with the hopes of sticking to and finally accomplishing some of my goals.
Yeah right.... Needless to say, I actually completed some and as usual some got left by the side of the road. Good for me, right, I got five out of my eleven resolution, especially considering I forgot all about them...
As always with resolutions, I kind lost sight of my goals around MARCH lol, but guess what I'm on it again. Wish me luck.
How about you? Where are your resolutions for the New Year and how many have you met?
Take it from me, it’s not too, especially now that the world hasn’t ended, as predicted…
Let me know how you are making out with your resolutions.
Exotic Chocolate Sling Back,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
So while I was sorting and arranging things, guess what I found......... My new year's resolution list!
Yes Remember that........
Like most people I created one with the hopes of sticking to and finally accomplishing some of my goals.
Yeah right.... Needless to say, I actually completed some and as usual some got left by the side of the road. Good for me, right, I got five out of my eleven resolution, especially considering I forgot all about them...
As always with resolutions, I kind lost sight of my goals around MARCH lol, but guess what I'm on it again. Wish me luck.
How about you? Where are your resolutions for the New Year and how many have you met?
Take it from me, it’s not too, especially now that the world hasn’t ended, as predicted…
Let me know how you are making out with your resolutions.
Exotic Chocolate Sling Back,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Rain, Rain Go Away
Ah, it is a dreary, rainy Thursday in Chicago. We knew the sunshine couldn't last forever.
Not much to do today, but go to work, school or if you are fortunate, stay home. Unfortunately, I had to go to work, but fortunately, I get to go home early. Also, the train and bus were on time and I made it in before the rain hit.
However, I just wanted to remind everyone to be mindful when traveling in this type of weather. As I was traveling in this morning, I saw some disturbing things occur to fellow commuters and decided to offer a few tips.
1) Stay away from curbs, as some people intentionally spray water on unsuspecting commuters.
2) Be courteous with your umbrella, as no one wants to get wet. So, don't put your soggy
umbrella on seats, and put your umbrella down when going under viaducts,
3) Hold the door for someone, it takes an extra second to be kind and courteous. If the door is
held for you, say thank you.
4) Smile, nothing is nicer than seeing a heartwarming smile on this dreary day.
Enjoy your day and stay dry. For me, I am going to go home and watch movies the rest of the day......
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Not much to do today, but go to work, school or if you are fortunate, stay home. Unfortunately, I had to go to work, but fortunately, I get to go home early. Also, the train and bus were on time and I made it in before the rain hit.
However, I just wanted to remind everyone to be mindful when traveling in this type of weather. As I was traveling in this morning, I saw some disturbing things occur to fellow commuters and decided to offer a few tips.
1) Stay away from curbs, as some people intentionally spray water on unsuspecting commuters.
2) Be courteous with your umbrella, as no one wants to get wet. So, don't put your soggy
umbrella on seats, and put your umbrella down when going under viaducts,
3) Hold the door for someone, it takes an extra second to be kind and courteous. If the door is
held for you, say thank you.
4) Smile, nothing is nicer than seeing a heartwarming smile on this dreary day.
Enjoy your day and stay dry. For me, I am going to go home and watch movies the rest of the day......
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday
5 Tips to Keep Your Salads Slimming courtesy of The Daily Meal
For people on a diet or looking to eat better, salads seem to be the go-to lunch or dinner. But this can be problematic for a few reasons. One: If you load up on heavy ingredients like bacon or butter-soaked croutons and drench the lettuce in super creamy dressings, then you could end up eating more calories than a burger. Two: If there’s not enough flavor and fat in the salad, then you’re left hungry and end up eating more later on because you’re unsatisfied. Three: Without variety in types of salads and dressings, they can get boring fast.
What to do? It turns out that salads can actually be filling, creative, and delicious all while helping you achieve a healthier and happier you. To learn how to find a healthy balance between optimal flavor and calories, we turned to the skinny cooking pro, Allison Fishman.You may have seen Fishman as a co-host on Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin or picked up a copy of her new cookbook, You Can Trust a Skinny Cook. Having mastered the realm of low-calorie, quality food, Fishman shares some tips for slimming down salads and other healthy eating tips. Check out what she has to say below and let us know if you have any tricks or recipes of your own!
1. Go for Strong Flavors.
I have an asparagus dish that has strong flavors like Parmesan and anchovies, so you’ll get a big payback using these ingredients. Parmesan is seven calories a teaspoon, which is not a lot, so you’ll get a lot of taste without too many extra calories. This salad dressing has a strong, vivid flavor with an umami taste, so it doesn’t feel like a compromise. There’s also the Carrot-Ginger Dressing recipe in my book that you get in Japanese restaurants, but you never buy it. It’s creamy but it’s only shallots, ginger, and carrots. So I’d say strong flavors, and don’t be afraid to use them in a salad dressing.
2. Use Ingredients That Add Punch and Nutrients, Not Excess Calories
Every time I make a salad, I put in a handful of roasted salted sunflower seeds. Because what do we want out of a crouton? We want crunch, so I know I’m going to get more nutrition out of seeds than buttered bread. This time of year people can add strawberries but we usually want that salty kick and crunchy hit. You don’t want to just say that sunflower seeds are so high in calories and not use them because it’s important to put the treats in there as well.
3. Don’t Skimp on Flavor
For the Caesar salad that it’s my book, I wanted to make it pregnancy friendly, so I used mayo not raw eggs. I made it probably 12 times because I used low-fat mayo, and I’d make it, and be like oh it’s good, but once I tossed it with the lettuce, the flavor totally dissipated. So for that dressing use the higher fat stuff, but don’t drench the leaves, just lightly coat them. I don’t skimp on flavor, you need that. Remember you are using the dressing to coat your lettuce and if you don’t have the fat and the flavor, then you’ll be looking around for something else.
4. It’s What You Put in, Not What You Leave Out.
I think about it in terms of 'how can I get the most salad with the least amount of calories?' So I’m going to use a lot of vegetables. I have a Greek Salad recipe in my book, but I don’t do the traditional shredded iceberg and top it with some dolmades. I do it more Greek style with bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and turn it into more of a chopped salad with a vinaigrette.Same with pasta: don’t give me a half cup serving, I want a big serving. I want 2 cups, so I add other vegetables like broccoli rabe. Also air is calorie free. So if you can add air in, that’s great, like with ziti. It helps you eat more slowly since each piece takes longer to eat and you fill up in a more relaxed way. We eat with our eyes, so it’s a question of how can we slow them down? With vegetables and lower-calorie items. It’s about what you put in, not what you leave out.
5. When to Use Full Versus Low Fat Products
It totally depends on the recipe, for example, for a pasta with asparagus and pasta with beets, I use skim milk in both of the sauces. The fat from the milk is not going to help you with those recipes. For the pasta with asparagus, I whisk goat cheese with a little skim milk and make a creamy cheese sauce. That creamy sauce gets all of the pasta, and it tastes a lot like a rich, creamy sauce, but it’s not.
In my fridge, I have both whole and skim milk. In my coffee I’m gonna have whole milk, but in my cereal, skim. You’ve got to ask yourself, am I going to taste this in my coffee? Hell yes! Will I taste it in my cereal? Not really.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Hobo's Poem of the Day
Strong Women
We are soft and feminine,
Pretty and stylish,
We are strong in heart,
We keep going on and on,
We persevere...
Women are dependable,
Loving, and caring,
We keep our men going,
When times are rough,
We are very tough,
There are all kinds,
Of beautiful women,
In the world...
All shapes and sizes,
Different personalities,
We make up a good,
Part of the world,
We go through a lot,
We get the worst end,
Of breakups and heartache,
We get the emotional baggage,
The periods, the cramps,
But that is only,
A small fraction,
Of who we are,
We can be anyone we want!
We're independent,
We can be doctors,
Lawyers, teachers,
Journalists, surgeons,
Accountants, soldiers,
The world is our oyster,
And we are the pearls,
Love fills our souls,
We are so full of life,
We shine like diamonds,
In the night sky,
We may rise and fall,
But through it all,
We stand up tall.
(Edited by - keisha)
Hobo Bag,
Real Women, Real Talk, Real Life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are soft and feminine,
Pretty and stylish,
We are strong in heart,
We keep going on and on,
We persevere...
Women are dependable,
Loving, and caring,
We keep our men going,
When times are rough,
We are very tough,
There are all kinds,
Of beautiful women,
In the world...
All shapes and sizes,
Different personalities,
We make up a good,
Part of the world,
We go through a lot,
We get the worst end,
Of breakups and heartache,
We get the emotional baggage,
The periods, the cramps,
But that is only,
A small fraction,
Of who we are,
We can be anyone we want!
We're independent,
We can be doctors,
Lawyers, teachers,
Journalists, surgeons,
Accountants, soldiers,
The world is our oyster,
And we are the pearls,
Love fills our souls,
We are so full of life,
We shine like diamonds,
In the night sky,
We may rise and fall,
But through it all,
We stand up tall.
(Edited by - keisha)
Hobo Bag,
Real Women, Real Talk, Real Life
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 6, 2011
Summer Biking in Chicago
Happy Monday!
What a great weekend in Chicago, last weekend. Not a lot of rain, but a whole lot of sunshine.
This past weekend was great biking weather and I logged in 50 miles over the weekend.
We just came off of Bike the Drive, where biked 32 miles on a closed Lakeshore Drive. It was gloomy, but it was incredible to ride Lakeshore Drive without any cars.
This summer you will hear me write a lot about exercise and in particular, biking. I used to run, and have not given it up for my new (last 2 years) favorite past time. Biking allows me to get where I want to be without injury to my joints, knees and instead of feeling tired, I am exhilarated. Please don't think that we "country club" ride, we really push the envelope (50 miles in one weekend) and cover all types of terrain.
Now there is nothing wrong with jogging, running, skating, etc, I have just found that biking allows me to tone up all over and really have incredible legs, without injury to my body.
As an avid Biker, I have joined Active Transportation Alliance
http://www.activetrans.org/. It is an organization devoted to making walking, biking and transit better in Chicago. Once a member you can get great biking maps and routes and information on being safe as a rider in Chicago.
It is true, once you know how to ride a bike, you always know how to ride a bike. So, I encourage anyone not doing any serious exercise, to use biking as a way to get healthier and as a convenient way to see Chicago this summer.
If you have a favorite bike route, trail, etc, send me a note.
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
What a great weekend in Chicago, last weekend. Not a lot of rain, but a whole lot of sunshine.
This past weekend was great biking weather and I logged in 50 miles over the weekend.
We just came off of Bike the Drive, where biked 32 miles on a closed Lakeshore Drive. It was gloomy, but it was incredible to ride Lakeshore Drive without any cars.
This summer you will hear me write a lot about exercise and in particular, biking. I used to run, and have not given it up for my new (last 2 years) favorite past time. Biking allows me to get where I want to be without injury to my joints, knees and instead of feeling tired, I am exhilarated. Please don't think that we "country club" ride, we really push the envelope (50 miles in one weekend) and cover all types of terrain.
Now there is nothing wrong with jogging, running, skating, etc, I have just found that biking allows me to tone up all over and really have incredible legs, without injury to my body.
As an avid Biker, I have joined Active Transportation Alliance
http://www.activetrans.org/. It is an organization devoted to making walking, biking and transit better in Chicago. Once a member you can get great biking maps and routes and information on being safe as a rider in Chicago.
It is true, once you know how to ride a bike, you always know how to ride a bike. So, I encourage anyone not doing any serious exercise, to use biking as a way to get healthier and as a convenient way to see Chicago this summer.
If you have a favorite bike route, trail, etc, send me a note.
Peace and Love,
Sandals
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The golden years......
Many of us have posted about either losing a parent or the transition of watching our parents grow older. My Mom passed way before her time so it wasn’t like I had to watch her transition into her golden years. My Dad however is a different situation. He is still alive but is well into his golden years and is beginning to show the signs of it’s time for a caregiver to step in.
Over the Memorial Day weekend my Dad was taken into the hospital because he was weak and dehydrated. Turns out he hadn’t been eating and had become disoriented. Thankfully someone at his senior citizen complex checked in on him and called 911.
I don’t live in the same state as my father but I have an older brother who does. So the burden now becomes his to figure out the next steps for our father once he is released from the hospital. I say burden not because my Dad is a burden but because he is very stubborn and most times refuses any assistance so this will be an uphill battle that my brother will have to face basically by himself since he is the only one living in the same state.
It’s that transition period where parents become the children and the children become the parents. The joke had always been that my Dad will probably out live us all but the reality is that he won’t. He is tired and he doesn’t want the help but he realizes his ability to get around has changed. Also, many of his friends have passed on and he is feeling very depressed.
Sooooo, how do you successfully get through this process when you are working with a dysfunctional family like many of us have? Well I’m praying and I’m trying to be there for my brother as much as I can. If anyone has suggestions or ideas or just wants to share their experience please do…..
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Over the Memorial Day weekend my Dad was taken into the hospital because he was weak and dehydrated. Turns out he hadn’t been eating and had become disoriented. Thankfully someone at his senior citizen complex checked in on him and called 911.
I don’t live in the same state as my father but I have an older brother who does. So the burden now becomes his to figure out the next steps for our father once he is released from the hospital. I say burden not because my Dad is a burden but because he is very stubborn and most times refuses any assistance so this will be an uphill battle that my brother will have to face basically by himself since he is the only one living in the same state.
It’s that transition period where parents become the children and the children become the parents. The joke had always been that my Dad will probably out live us all but the reality is that he won’t. He is tired and he doesn’t want the help but he realizes his ability to get around has changed. Also, many of his friends have passed on and he is feeling very depressed.
Sooooo, how do you successfully get through this process when you are working with a dysfunctional family like many of us have? Well I’m praying and I’m trying to be there for my brother as much as I can. If anyone has suggestions or ideas or just wants to share their experience please do…..
Stiletto,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Saturday, June 4, 2011
PPP's Tip of the Week
Beat The Heat!! The following are tips from the American Red Cross on how we can stay cool and safe this summer.
Everyone is at risk when temperatures rise above 90 degrees but the elderly and the very young are most susceptible to heat and heat-related illnesses. Heat-related illnesses can cause serious injury and even death if unattended. Signs of heat-related illnesses include nausea, dizziness, flushed or pale skin, heavy sweating and headaches. Victims of heat-related illness should be moved to a cool place, given cool water to drink and ice packs or cool wet cloths should be applied to the skin. If a victim refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately.
Red Cross Heat Safety Tips:
Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy. It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella.
Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolic heat.
Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4 and 7 a.m.
Stay indoors when possible. If air-conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine. Remember that electric fans do not cool, they simply circulate the air.
Be a good neighbor. During heat waves, check in on elderly residents in your neighborhood and those who do not have air conditioning.
Learn Red Cross first aid and CPR.
Know What These Heat-Related Terms Mean:
Heat cramps: Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are an early signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
Heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow to decrease to the vital organs. This results in a form of mild shock. If not treated, the victim may suffer heat stroke. Signals of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale flushed or red skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
Heat stroke: Also known as sunstroke, heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red and dry skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high—sometimes as high as 105 degrees.
General Care for Heat Emergencies:
Heat cramps or heat exhaustion: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position. If the person is fully awake and alert, give half a glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not let him or her drink too quickly. Do not give liquids that contain alcohol or caffeine. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as towels or sheets. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if the person refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness.
Heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation! Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way you can. If the victim refuses water or is vomiting or there are changes in the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.
Stay safe this summer!
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Everyone is at risk when temperatures rise above 90 degrees but the elderly and the very young are most susceptible to heat and heat-related illnesses. Heat-related illnesses can cause serious injury and even death if unattended. Signs of heat-related illnesses include nausea, dizziness, flushed or pale skin, heavy sweating and headaches. Victims of heat-related illness should be moved to a cool place, given cool water to drink and ice packs or cool wet cloths should be applied to the skin. If a victim refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately.
Red Cross Heat Safety Tips:
Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy. It is also a good idea to wear hats or to use an umbrella.
Drink water. Carry water or juice with you and drink continuously even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which dehydrate the body. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.
Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolic heat.
Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4 and 7 a.m.
Stay indoors when possible. If air-conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine. Remember that electric fans do not cool, they simply circulate the air.
Be a good neighbor. During heat waves, check in on elderly residents in your neighborhood and those who do not have air conditioning.
Learn Red Cross first aid and CPR.
Know What These Heat-Related Terms Mean:
Heat cramps: Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are an early signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
Heat exhaustion: Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Blood flow to the skin increases, causing blood flow to decrease to the vital organs. This results in a form of mild shock. If not treated, the victim may suffer heat stroke. Signals of heat exhaustion include cool, moist, pale flushed or red skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal.
Heat stroke: Also known as sunstroke, heat stroke is life-threatening. The victim's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Signals include hot, red and dry skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high—sometimes as high as 105 degrees.
General Care for Heat Emergencies:
Heat cramps or heat exhaustion: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position. If the person is fully awake and alert, give half a glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not let him or her drink too quickly. Do not give liquids that contain alcohol or caffeine. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as towels or sheets. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if the person refuses water, vomits or loses consciousness.
Heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation! Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way you can. If the victim refuses water or is vomiting or there are changes in the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.
Stay safe this summer!
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Friday, June 3, 2011
Mother Nature
Over the past few months, mother nature has definitely reminded us that she is indeed, the Head Woman in Charge. With a string of devastating weather spreading through many areas of our country, it brings me back to basics. I am reminded that material posessions can be taken away at the drop of a dime. It is time to focus on those things that truly matter; my family, my religion, my health and my service.
The video below is a clip from the June 1, 2011 tornado in Springfield, MA. While part of me is terrified watching this video, there is a part of me that is drawn to the miracle of Mother Nature. She is one bad chick!
Please watch as a prayer is said for all of the families and businesses affected throughout the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RbQ2pBhnTE&feature=player_detailpage
Enjoy your weekend to the fullest!
Happy Friday,
Clutch,
Real Life. Real Talk. Real Women.
The video below is a clip from the June 1, 2011 tornado in Springfield, MA. While part of me is terrified watching this video, there is a part of me that is drawn to the miracle of Mother Nature. She is one bad chick!
Please watch as a prayer is said for all of the families and businesses affected throughout the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RbQ2pBhnTE&feature=player_detailpage
Enjoy your weekend to the fullest!
Happy Friday,
Clutch,
Real Life. Real Talk. Real Women.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Found My Theme Song!
I am a Marathon Finisher and will be participating in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 9, 2011! Wooooo Hooooo! But staying on track with with eating, working out and short runs has been tough. I am clinging by my fingernails and toenails!
I’ve been out of town for graduations, working late, working on an editing project, recovering from a nasty tooth infection, volunteering, teaching, taking an online course, recovering from a cold, and on and on….leaving little time for the dedication needed for training. Just writing all this makes me go WHEW! I HAVE to get back on track! I MUST get back on track! Well besides talking about it, and thinking about it, I decided that I needed a theme song. I found it in a hit by Mandisa, entitled “Stronger”. Now the lyrics can work for many situations. That’s why I find them to be especially awesome. I’m applying them to running and if needed, I’ll use them for other areas. Here are the lyrics and the video:
Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather
Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you ...
Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares
'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
In time it's gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Excellent, right!. Ok, here we go again, now to music! Wooooo Hooooo!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
I’ve been out of town for graduations, working late, working on an editing project, recovering from a nasty tooth infection, volunteering, teaching, taking an online course, recovering from a cold, and on and on….leaving little time for the dedication needed for training. Just writing all this makes me go WHEW! I HAVE to get back on track! I MUST get back on track! Well besides talking about it, and thinking about it, I decided that I needed a theme song. I found it in a hit by Mandisa, entitled “Stronger”. Now the lyrics can work for many situations. That’s why I find them to be especially awesome. I’m applying them to running and if needed, I’ll use them for other areas. Here are the lyrics and the video:
Hey, heard you were up all night
Thinking about how your world ain't right
And you wonder if things will ever get better
And you're asking why is it always raining on you
When all you want is just a little good news
Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather
Oh, don't hang your head
It's gonna end
God's right there
Even if it's hard to see Him
I promise you that He still cares
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
And things can only get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Gonna make you stronger, stronger, stronger
Believe me, this is gonna make you ...
Try and do the best you can
Hold on and let Him hold your hand
And go on and fall into the arms of Jesus
Oh, lift your head it's gonna end
God's right there
Even when you just can't feel Him
I promise you that He still cares
'Cause if He started this work in your life
He will be faithful to complete it
If only you believe it
He knows how much it hurts
And I'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this
When the waves are taking you under
Hold on just a little bit longer
He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger
The pain ain't gonna last forever
In time it's gonna get better
Believe me
This is gonna make you stronger
Excellent, right!. Ok, here we go again, now to music! Wooooo Hooooo!
Kitten Heels
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Weight Loss Wednesday
Healthy Weight - it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle! courtesy of CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention)
Keeping It Off
If you've recently lost excess weight, congratulations! It's an accomplishment that will likely benefit your health now and in the future. Now that you've lost weight, let's talk about some ways to maintain that success.
The following tips are some of the common characteristics among people who have successfully lost weight and maintained that loss over time.1
Watch Your Diet
Follow a healthy and realistic eating pattern. You have embarked on a healthier lifestyle, now the challenge is maintaining the positive eating habits you've developed along the way. In studies of people who have lost weight and kept it off for at least a year, most continued to eat a diet lower in calories as compared to their pre-weight loss diet.2 For more suggestions regarding a healthful diet, visit Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight.
Keep your eating patterns consistent. Follow a healthy eating pattern regardless of changes in your routine. Plan ahead for weekends, vacations, and special occasions. By making a plan, it is more likely you'll have healthy foods on hand for when your routine changes.
Eat breakfast every day. Eating breakfast is a common trait among people who have lost weight and kept it off. Eating a healthful breakfast may help you avoid getting "over-hungry" and then overeating later in the day.
Be Active
Get daily physical activity. People who have lost weight and kept it off typically engage in 60—90 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week while not exceeding calorie needs. This doesn't necessarily mean 60—90 minutes at one time. It might mean 20—30 minutes of physical activity three times a day. For example, a brisk walk in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening. Some people may need to talk to their healthcare provider before participating in this level of physical activity.
Stay on Course
Monitor your diet and activity. Keeping a food and physical activity journal can help you track your progress and spot trends. For example, you might notice that your weight creeps up during periods when you have a lot of business travel or when you have to work overtime. Recognizing this tendency can be a signal to try different behaviors, such as packing your own healthful food for the plane and making time to use your hotel's exercise facility when you are traveling. Or if working overtime, maybe you can use your breaks for quick walks around the building.
Monitor your weight. Check your weight regularly. When managing your weight loss, it's a good idea to keep track of your weight so you can plan accordingly and adjust your diet and exercise plan as necessary. If you have gained a few pounds, get back on track quickly.
Get support from family, friends, and others. People who have successfully lost weight and kept it off often rely on support from others to help them stay on course and get over any "bumps." Sometimes having a friend or partner who is also losing weight or maintaining a weight loss can help you stay motivated.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
Keeping It Off
If you've recently lost excess weight, congratulations! It's an accomplishment that will likely benefit your health now and in the future. Now that you've lost weight, let's talk about some ways to maintain that success.
The following tips are some of the common characteristics among people who have successfully lost weight and maintained that loss over time.1
Watch Your Diet
Follow a healthy and realistic eating pattern. You have embarked on a healthier lifestyle, now the challenge is maintaining the positive eating habits you've developed along the way. In studies of people who have lost weight and kept it off for at least a year, most continued to eat a diet lower in calories as compared to their pre-weight loss diet.2 For more suggestions regarding a healthful diet, visit Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight.
Keep your eating patterns consistent. Follow a healthy eating pattern regardless of changes in your routine. Plan ahead for weekends, vacations, and special occasions. By making a plan, it is more likely you'll have healthy foods on hand for when your routine changes.
Eat breakfast every day. Eating breakfast is a common trait among people who have lost weight and kept it off. Eating a healthful breakfast may help you avoid getting "over-hungry" and then overeating later in the day.
Be Active
Get daily physical activity. People who have lost weight and kept it off typically engage in 60—90 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week while not exceeding calorie needs. This doesn't necessarily mean 60—90 minutes at one time. It might mean 20—30 minutes of physical activity three times a day. For example, a brisk walk in the morning, at lunch time, and in the evening. Some people may need to talk to their healthcare provider before participating in this level of physical activity.
Stay on Course
Monitor your diet and activity. Keeping a food and physical activity journal can help you track your progress and spot trends. For example, you might notice that your weight creeps up during periods when you have a lot of business travel or when you have to work overtime. Recognizing this tendency can be a signal to try different behaviors, such as packing your own healthful food for the plane and making time to use your hotel's exercise facility when you are traveling. Or if working overtime, maybe you can use your breaks for quick walks around the building.
Monitor your weight. Check your weight regularly. When managing your weight loss, it's a good idea to keep track of your weight so you can plan accordingly and adjust your diet and exercise plan as necessary. If you have gained a few pounds, get back on track quickly.
Get support from family, friends, and others. People who have successfully lost weight and kept it off often rely on support from others to help them stay on course and get over any "bumps." Sometimes having a friend or partner who is also losing weight or maintaining a weight loss can help you stay motivated.
Pumps, Purses & Positivity,
Real Life, Real Talk, Real Women
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