Dear Procrastination. . . .

. . .I'm breaking up with you.  I have no room for you in my life.  You are keeping me from accomplishing the things I want to so you are outta here!

Last night, as I sat in my bed watching t.v. and unwinding, I wondered to myself, "What is it about me that I don't have the willpower to do the things I really want while other people seem to?"  I listen to Dr. Laura on the way to pick up my son from school and she seems to have no problem with willpower.  She says she wants to look cute in her clothes so she exercises regularly and lets herself have two Oreos every day as a snack.  She doesn't deprive herself, she just exerts self control.  I know I should only have two, but I would allow myself to eat them until I was full as if it were a meal.  What is it about me, my personality, my way of thinking, my genetics, my whatever that I don't say no to the extra cookies? 

Do I not want to lose those few extra pounds badly enough?  I want to look cute in my jeans with no muffin top so why don't I just not eat the extra cookies. . .or just don't have any cookies? 

I decided right then and there that I didn't need to know why necessarily but I did need to do something about it.  So I grabbed my phone and Googled "how to improve self discipline" and I came upon a concise article on eHow.  It offered up 4 steps on how to improve your self discipline.  Step 3 really resonated with me.

Do something you know you should do daily, but don't. Self discipline is all about doing what you don't want to do, but need to do. Things that will give you a better quality of life are worth pursuing. This could be exercise, eat healthier, get more sleep, read, time with family and so forth.

Plan the day and activities.  If you're not used to planning then start simple. Write down five things that you want to accomplish the night before for the next day. Then the next day mark them off as you do them this is basic self discipline. It's also forming new good habits and tracking progress.

I thought to myself, "Hey, I use lists.  I can totally do that."  I use lists for the grocery store, gifts I need to buy people, errands I need to run, so why not make lists for other things I want to accomplish?  Before turning out the lights, I wrote down these five things:

•  1 cup of coffee
• egg substitute on bread thins with 1 fat free cheese slice
• go for a walk 2x around the block (it's about 1 mile)
• eat an apple for snack
• soup for lunch

And at the bottom of the 5 things list, I added 1) call insurance company, and 2) call body shop/car rental.
So really my list was seven things but the first five were things I "should do daily but don't."  The last two were just things I needed to take care of and needed reminding about. 

Now you may be thinking why does she need to remind herself to only have 1 cup of coffee, soup for lunch, etc.?  I know myself.  If I don't write down 1 cup of coffee, I will probably have two.  And in each of those cups of coffee I will use two tablespoons of powdered creamer and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.  Those are extra calories I don't need but it's how I like my coffee.  I decided that 1 cup was enough and totally doable.  And if I didn't write down soup for lunch, I would probably wander around my kitchen looking for something to eat and perhaps stumble upon the kids' potato chips (which I don't particularly care for but they're there so why not) or see the chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge.  So if I want to achieve my goals, it has to be part of my master plan that I write that stuff down.  By the time of this writing, I've already crossed a couple of things off my list so I'm headed in the right direction.

If you are interested in reading another series of articles I found helpful, check out Sid Savara.  In particular, "Will Power:  How To Improve Your Personal Self Discipline."  I had never heard of Sid Savara prior to my Google search so I just started reading.  I figured if he had something useful or interesting to say, I would keep reading.  He did.  His site is geared toward several aspects of Personal Development Training.  I think many people will find something there that could help them in their daily lives, not just improving self discipline.

So from here on out, I will continue to push forward in my pursuit of improved self discipline to reach my goals. . .wish me luck!

The common cold: Important facts you should know

See this little guy here? This is how I've been feeling for the past few weeks. At various times, I felt like I might be on the road to recovery only to wake up with yet another stuffy nose or end up going to bed with an uncontrollable cough. Since I'm going on week 4 of this darned cold, I decided to do some online research and get re-informed about the symptoms and duration of the cold virus as well as things I can do to make myself more comfortable while my body heals itself (since nothing cures the cold virus).

The first article I came across was a gem, so I decided to share it here with you. It has information such as "6 keys to understanding the common cold virus," "Natural treatments for coughs, runny nose and congestion," "Medications to treat coughs and colds," and "When to worry - 4 complications of colds." You may think you already know all of this (and you might), but there are many myths associated with the common cold and its treatment. You may be surprised at what you find out.

Although it may seem like a lengthy article, please bookmark it and go back and read it at some point. You'll be glad you did. Keep in mind that the article is written as if it's directed to a parent trying to help their child. However, the same information holds true for an adult with a cold so don't stop reading it because you think it doesn't apply to you...it does.

Here's an excerpt from the article from askdrsears.com:

"You waken at three in the morning to the sound of your coughing eight-year-old child. You stumble down the hallway to his room to check on him and you hear his chest rattling. He is unable to breath through his stuffy nose and he feels like he has a fever. Another coughing fit hits him and he vomits some green mucus. What should you do? His fever worries you. Should you call your doctor or take him to the ER?

Your one-year-old has had a green runny nose and a cough for two weeks, but he seems happy and playful, has no fever, and has been sleeping relatively well. Should you take him to the doctor? Could this be an ear infection or sinus infection?

Your three-year-old has had a fever for the past three days, along with a runny nose and cough. It's Sunday, and your doctor isn't available. Should you take him to the ER, or perhaps the clinic down the street?

Here is a guide to helping you understand coughs and colds. Does green nose mean a sinus infection? Is a fever cause for worry? How do you tell if your child has bronchitis? Should you take him in to the doctor, or wait a few days? These and many other questions will be answered as we discuss how to get your child through the common cold, how to treat his symptoms, and how to decide when to see the doctor. For a full discussion on bronchitis, click here.

Coughs and colds are seldom a reason to go to the ER or page your doctor in the middle of the night. There are guidelines at the end of this discussion that instruct you when to go to the ER or page your doctor."

READ MORE

High-SPF Sunscreens: Are They Better?

WebMD discusses the pros and cons of high-SPF sunscreens.

By Salynn Boyles
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

If you’ve shopped for sunscreen lately, you have probably noticed the proliferation of products with ever-higher sun protection factor (SPF) ratings.

Just a few years ago, it was hard to find a sunscreen claiming an SPF higher than 45. These days, the shelves are lined with products from companies such as Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Aveeno touting SPF ratings of 70+, 80, and 90+.

Neutrogena recently introduced Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 100+.

But is a 100+ or a 90+ sunscreen really that much better than one with an SPF of 15?

SPF 100: Twice as Good As SPF 50?

SPF refers to the ability of a sunscreen to block ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which cause sunburns, but not UVA rays, which are more closely linked to deeper skin damage. Both UVA and UVB contribute to the risk of skin cancer.

It is a measure of the time it would take an individual to burn in the sun if they were not wearing sunscreen vs. the time it would take with sunscreen on.

“SPF is not a consumer-friendly number,” says Florida dermatologist and American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) spokesman James M. Spencer, MD. “It is logical for someone to think that an SPF of 30 is twice as good as an SPF of 15, and so on, but that is not how it works.”

According to Spencer, an SPF 15 product blocks about 94% of UVB rays, an SPF 30 product blocks 97% of UVB rays, and an SPF 45 product blocks about 98% of rays.

“After that, it just gets silly,” he says. READ MORE...

The Short on Time and Energy Workout: Celebrity Trainer Jackie Warner’s Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Fitness Routine...

Don’t let your busy life derail your weight-loss or fitness efforts. The star of Bravo’s Work Out answered some pressing questions about maximizing time at the gym.

Savvy Strength Training

Q: When I’m short on time, which muscles should I pay the most attention to during strength training?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: You should focus on the primary muscles (big muscles) like the chest, back, quads, hamstrings and glutes. Bodybuilders call these muscles the fat burners because they burn much more fat than smaller muscles like the calves, arms and shoulders. Try push-ups for your chest, assisted pull-ups or pull-downs for your back, leg extensions for your quads, lying-down hamstring curls for hamstrings and weighted squats for your glutes.

Circuit Tricks

Q: Are there exercises I can do that combine both cardio and strength training?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Cardio and strength training combined is called circuit training, my favorite, and it proves to be the best way to lose weight fast and keep it off. You perform one exercise with resistance and move on to another (without rest) until you have performed four to eight different exercises for all muscle groups. By doing this, your heart rate is up, but you’re working the muscles for tone, too. For example: Go from chest press (chest/triceps) to leg press (glute/quads) to back rows (back/shoulders) to squats (glutes/lowback) to chest fly (chest) to weighted lunges (glute/hamstring) to wide-grip pull-downs (back) to leg extensions (quads).

No Rest Stop

Q: I can get to the gym for only 30 minutes a day during the holidays. What’s the best way to spend that brief amount of time?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Do three five-minute runs on the treadmill, alternating with weight lifting. For example, run for five minutes, then jump off and do a chest routine for five minutes; then run for another five, jump off do a leg routine; run for five more, jump off and do a back routine. That’s intense, and results are speedy!

Length Matters

Q: Is it better to go to the gym more often for shorter periods of time or less often for longer durations?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: It’s better to train for shorter periods of time, more frequently. It’s not about how long you do it—it’s about how strong you do it. So go four to five times a week for 20 to 30 minutes of circuit training.

What About Yoga?

Q: If I have limited time to spend working out, should I forgo my weekly yoga class?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Ditch the yoga and Pilates and opt for more calorie burning and muscle toning. Options include circuit training, boxing and boot-camp classes.

Burn, Baby, Burn

Q: If I’m going to do only one fitness-related thing, what should it be?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: Circuit training with weights burns the most calories, and your body continues to burn up to two hours after. Don’t you love when you can feel the burn throughout the day? I do!

Curious About Cardio

Q: I want to look extra hot in my holiday party outfit. Which cardio workout will help me shed the most pounds?

Jackie’s Get-Fit Tip: A combination of spinning and running will give you the best results. Your body will never adapt to the workouts, and it will continuously burn fat. I suggest cutting your treadmill time to 20 minutes: Do a fast walk uphill for two minutes, sprint for the next two minutes and cool down for another minute. Repeat three times to equal four five-minute intervals.

No Gym? No Problem

Q: But what if I can’t get to the gym?

Pick up a workout DVD you can do at home, on your own time. Workout: One-on-One Training With Jackie ($13, jackiewarner.com) fuses cardio and strength training to get your upper and lower body—and your core—into shape.

Photo of Jackie: Courtesy of Bravo TV

Hey nesters! Today, I did the treadmill routine in "Curious About Cardio" and it was an invigorating and intense workout. I followed it up with 10 minutes on the bike and my heart rate was well into the fat-burning zone the entire time.

Chain Restaurant Calorie Shockers!!!

We ALL like to treat ourselves now and then. However, there's a big difference between treating yourself and treating yourself BADLY. Here are a handful of entrees that are WAAAY heavier than you (or any of us) ever suspected. Are you SITTING DOWN?!?








Olive Garden, Spaghetti & Meatballs

PER SERVING (dinner portion): 1,110 calories, 50g fat, 2,180mg sodium, 103g carbs

For anyone who missed the big news, Olive Garden now posts its nutritional info online. We flipped when we heard and were brave enough to scour the site in search of shocking new info. Some of the meals are what we like to call "DUH!" items (a dinner portion of Chicken Alfredo over fettuccine has 1,430 calories and 82g fat... DUH!), but others surprised and horrified us. Specifically, the most basic of all Italian food -- Spaghetti & Meatballs. Over 1,000 calories for spaghetti in a tomato-based sauce and a few balls of meat? COME ON!

Better Choice: If you want that classic tomato goodness, go for the Linguini alla Marinara, with 430 calories and 6g fat for a dinner portion. And if you really need a ground beef fix, start with a serving of Pasta e Fagioli for just 130 calories, 2.5g fat. Those meatballs are SO not worth it.









Red Lobster, Parrot Bay Jumbo Coconut Shrimp with Creamy Langostino Lobster Baked Potato and a Caesar Salad

PER SERVING (1 dinner portion with accompaniments): 1,620 calories, 69g fat, 2,708mg sodium, 111g carbs

One of the things we LOVE about Red Lobster is that you can customize your meal by picking your sides. However if you're in one of those "throw caution (and diet) to the wind" moments, you can get in SERIOUS trouble. Say you decide to be a little adventurous and get those coconut shrimp (they sound so special). The dish comes with a salad. You ask for Caesar (it's still a salad, right?). For your side, why not get the baked potato (smart!) topped with lobster? WHY NOT?!? Because the combo meal you just ordered has now tipped the scales at over 1,60 0 calories... AHHHHHHH!

Better Choice: If it's shrimp you crave, go for the dinner portion of Wood-Fire Garlic-Grilled Jumbo Shrimp -- only 365 calories and 6g fat. It comes over wild rice pilaf, and if you go with the garden salad and fat-free ranch, you'll clock in with a total of 495 calories and 9g fat. WAY better!












T.G.I. Friday's, Sizzling Fajita Combo

PER SERVING (1 order): 1,590 calories

Of course the Jack Daniel's Ribs & Shrimp is gonna be a calorie-fest (1,910 calories, to be exact), but fajitas seem so simple and grilled and guiltless. How bad could they be? Ummm, BAD. For a meal that consists mostly of grilled meats and roasted veggies, that sky-high calorie count probably means that a) the tortillas are plentiful and a little high in calories, b) it's served with the heaviest possible toppings, and c) this is an OILFEST!!! One of these days, we'll get that fat content from you, T.G.I. Friday's...

Better Choice: You've got the right idea going with a grilled entree, but instead go for the Dragonfire Chicken. It's glazed with spicy Kung Pao sauce and it comes with stir-fried brown rice, broccoli, Mandarin oranges, and pineapple pico de gallo. All that for 510 calories. Not bad.









Outback Steakhouse, Alice Springs Chicken

PER SERVING (1 order): 2,000 calories

Alright, we recognize that nobody really walks into an Outback Steakhouse and expects to leave feeling like they ate healthy food, but COME ON! If you think you're dodging a big fatty bullet by getting this not-beefy, not-deep-fried dish, you are just plain WRONG. It's a grilled chicken breast, sure, but it's buried under bacon, sauteed mushrooms, honey mustard sauce, and two kinds of cheese, and it's served with "Aussie Chips." Wow. It takes a lot of work to get a grilled chicken dish up to 2,000 calories. And Outback, you are putting in OVERTIME!

Better Choice: If you're determined to eat well at Outback, go for the Ahi Tuna Chopped Salad. You'll get seared tuna on a big pile of greens with wasabi vinaigrette and crispy wontons for 590 calories. Save some calories and fat by ditching the wontons. Save more by ordering that dressing on the side -- even better, get the fat-free Tangy Tomato Dressing -- then dip, don't pour! Click here for more suggestions on how to cut calories and fat from Outback's menu -- pretty impressive. Guess you can eat smart at Outback... it just takes a little effort!









Romano's Macaroni Grill, Parmesan-Crusted Sole

PER SERVING (1 dinner portion): 2,190 calories, 141g fat, 2,980mg sodium, 145g carbs, 9g fiber, 82g protein

Friends, we're scared. This meal, at first glance, seems like a pretty safe option. "Filets lightly hand-breaded with Parmesan cheese and garlic, sauteed and topped with lemon butter sauce and capers." Oh! It's only lightly breaded. And at least it's fish and not beef. "Served with sun-dried tomato and spinach orzo pasta." Well that sounds lovely and not heavy at all. The ugly truth? You could eat an entire Layers of Lasagna dinner AND a Brick Oven Meatball Sandwich and STILL not have consumed as many fat grams and calories as there are in this dangerously deceptive dish. (Don't do that.) Sad times!

Better Choice: Go somewhere else. Seriously! But if you're stuck there for dinner, stick with the Pollo Magro "Skinny Chicken" -- 320 calories and 5g fat. If you swore off that dish after last year's nutritional controversy, your next best bet is actually the Simple Salmon, with 590 calories and 32g fat -- and stress the word SIMPLE when you order, because the Grilled Salmon has a LOT more calories. Both the Pollo Magro and the Simple Salmon come with grilled asparagus and broccoli.


*Article From HungryGirl.com

The Raw Facts on Sugar . . .

Benefits From Brown or Raw Sugar
Add Up to Sweet Nothings
By John Stossel
Feb. 24, 2006

What's the real deal on sugar? We all know it's not great for us. It adds empty calories to our diet. Some people claim brown sugar is better for you than white sugar. It's more "natural," they say. "Natural" is such a good selling point. So is "raw." One woman said, "When I see 'in the raw' [on a sugar package], I assume it's less processed than white sugar. The same thing with rice."



Sugar Is Sugar -- Regardless of Color
She makes a good point about rice. Brown rice is higher in fiber, because it still has some of the bran attached, explained Cathy Nonas, director of obesity and diabetes programs at New York City's North General Hospital.

Brown rice has much more fiber and significantly more minerals than white rice. But it's not the same story with brown sugar. "People who are grabbing that brown sugar because they think it's healthier are basically deluding themselves," Nonas said.

Sugar begins as sap in sugarcane plants, which are crushed to release what is called sugar juice. The juice is heated, which creates a thick dark molasses containing sugar crystals. They spin that in a centrifuge to remove the molasses. What's left is white granulated sugar. Brown sugar is brown because it has some of the molasses added back to the white sugar. It's true that molasses tastes a little sweeter and contains a little iron and calcium, but only a little.

To get as much iron as I'd get from one slice of whole-wheat bread, I'd have to eat nine teaspoons of brown sugar.

"Brown sugar is not any better than white sugar. People should still reduce their intake of all sugars because they're basically empty calories," Nonas said.

And "raw " sugar is no better, Nonas added. "People are very susceptible to marketing. And just because something is natural doesn't mean it's particularly healthy for you," she said.

Raw sugar isn't even really raw. It's just slightly less refined, so it retains some of the molasses. But there's no real health real benefit from it. "There's no more nutritional value in raw sugar than there is in white sugar or brown sugar," Nonas said.

Executive pastry chef Dennis Canciello of Ferrara Bakery in New York agrees. "It's sugar, that's all it is. Sugar is sugar," he said.




Does Sugar Make Kids Hyper?
And there's another myth about sugar. We hear this one from parents all the time. Sugar drives the kids crazy. Even some of the kids believe it. "I go really nuts when I have candy," one girl said. And it doesn't matter how old you are. "You get really -- hyper! ... I'm like oh, I'm on such a sugar rush right now," a teenage girl said.

Lots of people accept the idea that too much sugar makes kids wild and hyper. But is it true? The research is very clear. Sugar does not make a child hyperactive," Nonas said.

Many studies have found that. One published in the New England Journal of Medicine gave some kids sugared foods and others foods with artificial sweeteners. Their parents and the researchers didn't know who was eating sugar and who wasn't. They monitored the kids for things like irritability and hyperactivity. They found no difference.

"There is no such thing as a sugar high. And there is no such thing as sugar making you nuts. There just isn't," said Nonas.

But I've seen kids go crazy at parties. Isn't that because the sugar kicks in? Actually, no. And some of their moms have figured out what's going on. "The kids are hyper! They are hyper because they are excited. Because they have freedom. Because there are 20 kids, crowding around each other," said insightful mom Hillari Boritz. Right, because it's a party! The studies also show that if food has an effect, it could be the caffeine in chocolate and soda that's giving you the buzz. It's not the sugar.