Last Chance For Your Choice of Gym Equipment

If you possess a gym membership I suggest you get there today. Today you will find that great parking spot. Today you will not have to wait to use your favorite treadmill, bike, or stair climber. Today the locker room will be empty. Today you will get a spot right next to your favorite aerobics instructor (Oh, 1989, I still remember "Hot Sue" at Bally's in Yonkers; still can't believe the nerd that ultimately won her heart - good for him!).

But this all changes tomorrow................

The New Year's Resolution crowd will be back at the gyms and diet programs starting tomorrow. The New Year's Resolution crowd will once again be fattening up the U.S. economy (which may not be a bad thing) in hopes of slimming down themselves.

But not you, you stuck it out. You made it through the holidays with ease and grace; okay maybe not ease, but you never gave in. So maybe the results weren't as stellar as you expected; remember, you're not part of the New Year's Resolution crowd. Or maybe you blew the results out of the water. How about sharing with me how you did it?

My hat is off to your success. 2008 can only bring you better things.

Oh and don't worry, by mid February the New Year's Resolution crowd has usually thinned out - and I'm not talking their size.

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Are you or someone you know and love a part of the New Year's Resolution crowd or perhaps looking for another approach to your weight loss? Are there other resolutions you usually make but for some reason can't deliver? Could you use a tool to get you back on track at any time during the day, month, week or year? If so, spend some time with me on the phone tomorrow at the No More Resolutions Teleseminar; it might be the best 45 minutes you invest in yourself in the new year.

What I know does not work

2008 is almost here. Is it almost time for you to diet (again)? Are you looking forward to January 1st; the day you'll start eating healthier (again)? Well here are some things I know for sure after almost 20 years of maintaining a 30+ lb weight loss.

Ready?

• Starting (or restarting) a diet on January 1st does not work in the long term
• Starting (or restarting) a diet every Monday morning does not work
• Eating what you think you should, versus what you would like to eat, does not work
• Thinking you are going to give up sweets, white flour, dairy, and alcohol - forever - does not work (it also makes you crabby and we don't like being around you)
• Bringing challenging foods into your house and thinking you will be able to control your temptations is a recipe for being fat and unhappy
• When all your social experiences include or conclude with food you're not making long-term changes
• Good food is not cheap and cheap food is not good is only half-true. Good food does not have to be expensive. An apple, a banana or a juicy peach can cost less than a candy bar and are equally available these days

So if you're waiting for Tuesday good luck.

Or you can join a lot of my friends who read this blog; friends who are making better choices, eating and ordering less, hanging around with new and interesting people who like to do fun things, and paying the price for enjoyable foods versus paying the guilt, shame and disgust price.

Today is December 29, 2007. It is Saturday. A perfect day to start and/or continue your way to better health. Do you agree?

Now I wish my two house guests would get their butts out of bed already. There is a lox, onions and eggbeater omelet with fruit "weighting" for me at one of my favorite breakfast places.

Now go get Skinny!

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Well based on the emails and calls I've received, January 29th is shaping up to be quite an evening. Remember, space is limited.

How convenient!

When you think of a gas station convenience store, what comes to mind?

Candy racks? Walls lined with refrigerators full of soda, water, beer and scary packages of bologna? A coffee station? Assorted chips? Sandwiches wrapped in cellophane wrap sitting on shelves since 1492? These days you can also find fast food chains inside as well.

Well how about table service?

Yes, somewhere in Massachusetts off Rte 495, (it was late, I was tired and needed some gas, so I forget what town) was a convenience store that had table service - yes table service!!!! I watched a man order his Blimpie Sandwich and it was delivered to him at one of the several plastic table-cloth covered tables in the middle of the store. Yes, it was late. No I was not dreaming. There was a dining area set up right in the middle of the gas station convenience store.

Now think about it....................Haven't we all stopped at a convenience store to pick up something while in a hurry? Haven't we all avoided the nasty cellophane sandwich and grabbed oh................a bag of chips? And why? Because eating a sandwich while driving can be messy?? Because when we're driving somewhere our weight and diet mentality often times tends to end up in a ditch?

Even when we're in a hurry, don't we have just a few minutes to sit, relax and attempt to make a better choice. And isn't it good to know that convenience stores are working harder to help us?

Is there a vegetable in the house?

Peanut Brittle
Cookies
Egg Nog
Candy
Lasagna
More Cookies
Ham
Pie
Leftover Stuffed shells
6 of those 7 fishes that include lots of butter and sauces
Sugar
Sugar
More Sugar

If you're like many, this is what your kitchen might consist of right now.

Is there a vegetable in your house? Is your body in need of one serving? Or two? Or Five today?

I hope your sugar and fat frenzy is being flushed away. Mine did yesterday; and it was a good thing - if you know what I mean.
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Don't forget these two opportunities:

• Are you going to be a part of the Celebration of Success?
• Don't make another diet resolution this year. Instead try this approach

So you miss me????

Well your calls, cards, and emails have been overwhelming since I left WW.

So I gave it some long hard thought and I think we need to have a celebration of your success.

CLICK HERE AND WE'LL BE TOGETHER SOON

Don't forget to spread the word!

and if you can't open the document email me by clicking here

HO! HO! HO!

Just a quick Merry Christmas from Rich and his two best friends!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MESSAGE

And remember............

Christmas is coming.
The goose is getting fat.
Please make sure it is only the goose this year.

A New Party Strategy

So I thought I would try a new party strategy last night. Now in addition to mingling and having a full glass of diet soda in hand at all times I thought I would go plateless. I made a decision that if I couldn't pick it up with my hand or a toothpick it wasn't going in my mouth.

So I had a couple of pigs in a blanket(nasty), two pot stickers, some shrimp, one slice of cheese on a cracker and some green beans. I avoided the chicken wings; avoided the ham and avoided the stuffed mushrooms. No problem with the nasty Mexican slop dip that looked like puke by the time I got near it.

There was just one slight problem with this strategy........................mini pumpkin cheesecakes, cookies and other treats do not need to be put on a plate. They also had a room of their own. Good thing I did an hour plus of snowshoeing in the afternoon.

Hey, it was worth giving the strategy a try. Maybe it will work better for you. Hope you're enjoying the season!

Debbie and the Moron!

Debbie wants a new car.
Debbie's husband told her she could get a new car when she loses 40 lbs.
Debbie can easily lose 40 lbs. She can also put it back on. And then take it off again. And then put it back on. And take it................
Guess how I know this?

Debbie's husband is a moron.
Encourage her to lose weight because you love her.
Encourage her to lose weight for health reasons; so that she'll feel good about herself.
Don't hang this car in front of her you moron!

Now on the other hand perhaps Debbie is a moron............
For staying married to a guy like this.

But enough about Debbie and the Moron.

What are your reasons for losing weight? What are your incentives? While it is okay to reward yourself with material things, I would hope there are more important reasons for losing weight and keeping it off?

Where do you learn this stuff?

If you click on the comments button to the previous blog entry you will see that someone left a comment regarding the dessert entry. The commenter inquired about where I learn a lot of the stuff I post.

First off all you learn by listening. Then you succeed by doing what you learn.

Unfortunately, that is where so many fail when it comes to weight loss and weight management. They listen (sometimes). They hear or learn a great idea - an idea which might make this journey and ultimate way of life just a bit easier. But then they do nothing with what was learned. They have those inner conversations about what a great idea that would be but for some odd reason just do not follow through. Is this you? Was this you once upon a time?

Here's a challenge or you......................Next time you learn or hear something new that might help you on your way to looking and feeling better, do something.

So how many of you put the can of fruit in the freezer?

I don't have any dessert for you guys

Snow in my neighborhood tends to bring neighbors together. It starts out with conversations while we're heaving snow into piles and sometimes ends up with a meal at one of our homes.

Well last night was Joel's turn. He invited a few of us over for dinner. Since it was last minute it ended up being more of a pot luck, as dinner was already on the stove (or in my case in the slow cooker).

After dinner we were informed that he had nothing to offer us for dessert; and no one else was offering to go get something. Hey ,it was so damn cold last night that if I went home to get something I wasn't coming back out - even to go next door.

But I did ask Joel if he had a can of fruit. He said yes. He handed me a can of pineapple. I threw it in the freezer and told him next time we come over he has sorbet.

When ready to use, run the can under hot water. Open both sides with a can opener; push the frozen fruit out and pulse in a food processor.

Oh by the way, he did have whipped cream in the house.

Pizza, Pizza and More Pizza

I met a group of people for a goodbye gathering last night. We were meeting at an Italian restaurant - an Italian restaurant known for it's pizza.

The group decided to do pizza. They started ordering pies. I started doing the math. Looked like my share of the pizza is................................... 19 slices!

I love pizza. And this place is known for its pizza.

What's a boy to do?

You've been there, haven't you? Put in a situation where you might overindulge just a tad.

Quick. Strategize. Think. Aha!

"Excuse me" I said to the waitress as she was walking away, "Could you bring me a large tossed salad first?"

Evening saved.
Waistline saved.
Ego saved.

It's that easy folks. It never matters what others are doing it only matters what you do to make a challenging situation one you are proud of.

I hope you're having lots of proud moments this holiday season.
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Early bird registration ends today for the NO MORE RESOLUTIONS teleseminar on January 1st. No matter what diet you're following, this teleseminar will give you a new way of thinking about dieting or any other BIG action item on your list for 2008. Visit http://www.nomoreresolutions.com/ today.

Janaury 1st is approaching. How u doin'?

17 Days to Go.

How are you doing?

Are you feeling in control?

Have you had any holiday time successes?

Don't forget to celebrate even the smallest of successes; especially this time of year. If you're like me, temptation is everywhere. And every time you avoid or overcome temptation you show your strength and commitment to your health.

Make sure to Celebrate a success today!

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What are you doing January 1st?

Are you starting your diet on the first of the year?

(or would that be starting your diet again)

Are you looking forward to getting back in control?

(what if you could feel in control all the time?)

Are you looking for a a simple one word answer to weight loss?

One word that might change how you approach your diet -

no matter what diet program you're following?

Don't make a resolution this year to lose weight. Heck don't make any resolutions. Whether it's about weight loss or smoking or finances, click here to find out how to achieve success all year long with out resolutions.

Please Please Please email me about this post...............

Tuesday afternoon I spent six hours in an airport watching flights being delayed and canceled. Things were not looking good for me. Looks like it was going to be another night at the Fairfield Inn.

I was bored. I was cranky. I thought I was hungry - after all lunch was a little over an hour ago. So instead of seeking out food, I did what I do best - started talking to people. I ended up having a great conversation with a woman by the name of Carol. Well one topic led to another and another and another and all of a sudden we ended up on the topic of weight loss - we also ended up on our plane miraculously.

Carol would like to lose some weight. So we started talking about the struggles of losing weight. Carol shared some of her obstacles with me; which of course I squashed immediately and offered her a different approach to her perceived struggles.

Carol's struggles are not important, because they are Carol's; I'll also probably never see her again. But here is where you can help me do a little research and write a future post. What are the two or three biggest obstacles in YOUR weight loss/management journey?

Email your response to me by clicking here (actually you could do me an even bigger favor - ask a friend or family or two to check out this post and respond as well)

Thanks in advance for your help Skinny!

Let's Get Together for.....................

It's that time of year when people are gathering and getting together for holiday cheer. Let's face it, food and drink just seems to always be where it happens.

So here are some thoughts/ideas on your butt and stomach not having too much fun.......................

• Gather for coffee or light snacks. Starbucks offers some great healthy alternatives these days (if you need a not-so-healthy alternative pick up a Biscotti); Panera is another one of my favorites
• Gather for a quick cocktail on your way home from work or to the mall. After all you shouldn't drink and drive; so you'll be more responsible. You might even order a club soda with lime.
• Choose restaurants wisely. I like meeting for Chinese or Japanese food; easier to stay in control
• Breakfast is my first choice for getting together, then lunch, then dinner. Easier on the waistline (and the pocketbook too).

But the key to this working is you taking control of the situation when someone asks to connect with you. Don't let the other person pick the place; especially if the places they pick directly correlate to the size of their waist.

Well those are a few of my ideas to keep away the pounds this holiday season. What are yours? What has worked? What has not? Leave us your thoughts by hitting the comments button below.

Why don't people get it?

It's about to happen..................................

People know you've lost weight.
People know you do your best to eat right and exercise.
People know how hard it is to lose and maintain weight.
People comment on your efforts.

So why in the world would they send you a basket of goodies that include cookies, candy and assorted other unhealthy crap?

Don't you just wish they would get it? Just once.

Don't you wish there was a dieter's gift registry?

Staring at a tray of dessert..............

So there I was staring at a tray of dessert - a tray of corn bread berry trifle (corn bread pieces, berries and pudding). We, me and the trifle, were supposed to attend a dinner party last night. The trifle was to be my contribution. Mom taught me never to go empty handed (I was also instructed to bring something).

About 4:30 PM yesterday a freak snowstorm came through the area and all but shut down the roads in my neck of the woods for about four hours. My friend called to tell me it had just taken him 45 minutes to go 2 1/2 miles. Looks like it was going to be a quiet night at home with my two best friends.

So there I was staring at a tray of dessert..................

I took a spoonful. Quite good.

I took another spoonful. Quite good.

I was going to take another spoonful but instead I decided to take another walk with the dogs. The three of us love the snow. We romped through the snow. They pulled me along the icy roadway (note to self; don't wear the black shoes to walk the dogs this winter). We ran into some neighbors. The tray of dessert was forgotten.

By the time I had arrived back to the house my sweet craving had been satisfied.

I'm leaving town today. I told the dog sitter to take care of the dogs and the trifle while I am away.

And once again............proof in the pudding (literally), that removing yourself from the food is a great weight loss/management strategy.

You're almost there..........

Less than 30 days left until the end of the year (25 to be exact). From the looks of it you won't have to make that New Year's Resolution to lose weight! One less thing to do in 2008.

So..................Pat yourself on the back, read this article, and then pat yourself on the back again. You'll be "light years" ahead of others this year; well at least you'll be lighter than them.

And while you're at it................share the article with a few friends, even the non-dieters!

Dieting by Power Tools!

No, I'm not suggesting you drill a hole in your tummy and let the fat ooze away! (Although I am sure one or two of you have had the thought.)

I'm suggesting you make a conscious effort to use some power tools to help lose and maintain weight.

For instance, an electric can opener will open soup cans or high protein and fibrous cans of beans; all which are hearty and filling. An electric carving knife does a great job on a nice roast you'll prepare this Saturday night instead of dining out once again at your favorite restaurant - Portions Fit For A King. A hand or regular blender makes some great smoothies. The Magic Bullet will keep you chopping and dicing to create all kinds of healthy creations. A Hand Mixer can do a heck of a lot more than make cakes such as healthy mashed potatoes.

What power tools do you own? Save the electric industry. Save your butt. Use some power tools today.

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Need an inexpensive fun gift for the office team? CLICK HERE AND SAVE

Pride at the Client Party

Tonight I am invited to a client party. It is one of my favorite parties of the year – it is for those with developmental disabilities. About eight years ago I worked with the Department of Mental Retardation to try and help their clients learn to eat in a healthy manner. They had some great success.

Some of the clients still remember me and some of the things we talked about eight years ago. They always walk over to tell me or come drag me over to see what their plate looks like. I love their sense of pride.

Now granted breaded chicken cutlet, bread and butter, pasta and salad drowning in dressing might be what some consider not the most healthy, but it is these phrases that always get me to smile………………..

• “Look I only took one”
• “See, I’m eating salad”
• “I didn’t put any butter on the rolls” (yes plural)
• “I’m taking the rest home”
  

So I guess even in a not-so-great meal we can all find something to be proud of and take some small actions that might keep the waist size in its current hemisphere. I hope you agree?

Oh, and just like many of you………….all bets are usually off for this group when the cake comes out!

We're off to see the Wizard

Hanukkah

Christmas

Kwanzaa, Oh My!

Hanukkah

Christmas

Kwanzaa, Oh My!

We're off to see the wizard.

The wonderful wizard of pies.

You'll find he is a whiz of a Wiz as he helps increase your thighs.

Enough???? I could go on.

Nah, enough. It's time to get serious..............................

What's your plan for dealing with all the treats of the season?

Write it down somewhere and review it daily.

Oh, I said dealing. Dealing does not mean denial and deprivation.

So what's your plan? Post it here. Please. We'd all like to know.

Checking In and Up

So how are you doing on the 69 Day Challenge I offered you back on October 23rd? I noticed quite a few downloaded the file.

What have you learned about yourself as a result of Heavy Thoughts?

I'm just checking in and checking up.