BITS-O-WISDOM: "The next time you feel like complaining, remember that your garbage disposal probably eats better than 30 percent of the people in the world." -- Robert Orben

Does TV Watching Cause Weight Gain

Why do we need major studies to prove that TV watching (more than two hours a day) leads to obesity? If you're sitting around watching more than two hours a day no surprise you're probably not doing a lot of activities. People also tend to eat more if watching because they're conditioned for snacks while watching movies. If you're engaged in an activity you enjoy, eating isn't on your mind until you actually become hungry. Imagine!

If you think you don't have time for exercise or more activities track your TV time. I'll bet you'll find several hours a week watching shows you've already seen, even shows you don't like because once you sit down you never get back up.

Studies also show when eating together with house-mates, kids, hubby, etc., all will gain health benefits, yet if watching TV at the same time, those benefits are lost. Engage the table in conversation instead. You might learn something interesting.

In the U.S. April 23-29, 2007 was TV-Turnoff Week. Did you know? For more info and for next years schedule visit the Center for Screen-Time Awareness

Exercise: Pole Update

I started exercising on the pole nearly two months ago. I had no idea how strenuous this would be. You end up supporting all your body weight on your arms and shoulders so no surprise I could hardly move after my first few classes. A couple ladies in class said, "I can do a pull up now!" This is great exercise and super fun. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Q & A: Ask The Cake For Breakfast Queen

New segment. I call myself the "Cake for Breakfast Queen" because I figure, why not eat cake for breakfast? It's no different than pastries or sugary cereals, right? That's how I broke the nighttime eating habit, by saying, "I'll have it in the morning," then holding off until then. I have an article on this somewhere, I'll track it down. Starting this issue I'll post one or two of the questions I receive. I apologize that I cannot answer them all directly, I get too many e-mails for that and clients must come first, so if you sent a question it may appear in this column.

What About Net Carbs & Sweet Treats

Q. Hi I just had a question about Net Carbs. I have the candy "Nips" that are sugar free and use sugar alcohols as a substitute. Technically when you calculate the net carbs it has 0, however I'm in phase 1 of the South Beach Diet and if any carbs (even if there are no net carbs) are going to hinder weight- loss I feel like I should change my diet accordingly. I was just hoping you'd know the specifics of the South Beach Diet concerning net carb allowance. Thank you so much -- James

A. I'm not a pro when it comes to South Beach, but I dare say a couple Nips is not going to ruin your progress, stage one or otherwise. Just don't use more than a couple--the idea is to let them melt in your mouth and get a sweet taste.

You're far better off to have a Nip or two and be satisfied than not have them because they'll count for a number, and end up quitting because you're not satisfied (or feel deprived).

Veggie 123

Want to go vegetarian but don't know how? Here's a site with a free e-book about how to become a vegetarian.

Quality Nutrition -- Are You Getting Yours?

Do you get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables every day? If not, try these two supplements, created to provide those needed nutrients in an easy way: Get Your Colored Foods:

Go to LifeHealth Category and Find Daily Produce: Order No. 17754: Daily Produce 24(tm)
With extracts from 24 varieties of fruits and vegetables, Daily Produce 24(tm) provides natural nutrients missing in many people's daily diets. By supplying micronutrients and natural enzymes, this supplement protects the body from free-radical damage Unicity Products.

Remember to get the Preferred Pricing, then order product no. 17754: Daily Produce 24

Article: The Easy Way to Lose The First Five Pounds: Stop Kitchen Nibbling with EFT

Those little dips and dabs, here and there add up. You can "taste" enough calories to end up eating twice as much without even realizing. If you break the "tasting" habit, you can easily lose five pounds over a couple months without making any other changes.

If nibbling in the kitchen is a big issue for you, consider it your project--it may take a month or more of effort but that's okay. We may wish everything happened in an instant but sometimes persistence wins the race.

Plan now to use EFT whenever you catch yourself either just about nibbling, starting to stick the spoon in for a taste, or even after you've already done it--the idea is to catch yourself being yourself. Slowly you'll think about it beforehand and eventually you'll break the habit.

Use EFT on the thoughts you have about trying not to nibble:

1. I can't tell if the food is seasoned properly..
2. I can't help it
3. There's no way I can cook without nibbling

and whatever else you may be thinking.

Then, the EFT becomes, "Even though I can't tell if the food is seasoned properly, I deeply and completely accept myself."

If you don't know how to do basic EFT, get the free EFT materials (downloads are on the third page of that article) and get The Daily Bites (more on that below).

It's okay to lapse or even relapse, that's always okay. It's part of the learning process. Pick yourself back up and just use EFT right then on the upset you feel or the doubts you're having, "Even though this isn't working ..., I'm hopeless, I'll never stop..." In that way you actually address the true issue, zap the thought pattern and eventually you'll say, "I don't do that anymore." You might even say, "Not me. I never had a nibbling problem."

Read the entire article: Lose a Quick Five Pounds

Tips for Snack Cravings

Sometimes you just need the "taste" of sweet, not the whole cake. I found some great chocolate lip gloss -- M&M's inspired. These give the flavor of chocolate without actually consuming any. Genius. I found them at Target.

Next Altoid Dark Chocolates in little tins next to gum at the checkout. These are great. Eat one or two as an after dinner minty taste treat.

Learn to give yourself a flavor treat -- it's not always about having a full stomach.

Think Local: Support Your Local Farmer

The nearer to home you grow your food the better quality, besides it's smart to support your local farmers and neighbors (you want them to support what you do, right?). Check your newspaper and find those little produce stands. The taste of just picked fruit and vegetables is so much better than store bought. Frankly, the sooner your food hits your belly the more nutrients you'll receive.

A few links to get you started:
~~~Local Harvest: lists farmer's markets nationwide. Also a forum and newsletter.

~~~Community Supported Agriculture This is about creating community farms. They list several links too such as The Eating Well Guide where you'll find a database of farms, stores, restaurants and other outlets in the US and Canada and don't miss The Meatrix, mentioned in this newsletter before, a hilarious flash video of what goes on in meat processing plants

~~~The New Farm, has a Farm Locator, for another way to track down those local growers.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and we have farms everywhere. We're even starting our own little garden outside in raised beds so I'll let you know how that goes. Hopefully I'll get a tomato or ear of corn out of the deal.

+++ Read The Daily Bites: Jump Start To Lose More Weight +++

The Daily Bites are mini-lessons in how I use EFT to maintain
my 80 pound weight loss. Twice weekly and free
http://onemorebite-weightloss.com/getnews.html

Want Advanced EFT?

Book Review: The Incredible Shrinking Critic, by Jami Bernard

Truthful look at the reality of losing weight the right way, IMO (in my opinion). Diets don't work. That's no secret, yet we keep trying them anyway. Award winning film critic, Bernard decided to track her weight loss in her book, The Incredible Shrinking Critic, before she'd lost the weight. Gutsy move, Jami. Nothing like putting on a little pressure.

Luckily she not only survives the ordeal she has the presence of mind to really track it and writes about the true experience of losing weight, one day at a time, one bite at a time (just like me!). This is the true way to permanent weight loss and her book is an excellent roadmap.

She writes of the ups, downs, ins and outs of each step of along her way. This book is so honest you'll think you know her by the end, and you'll "get it" like never before.

My recommendation? Read this book. The Incredible Shrinking Critic

Don't Chew when Frustrated: Use Get Human Instead

If you are frustrated when you call a business and get Press 1 for this and Press 2 for that, yet never the choice you need, don't rush out for something to chew away your frustration. Use Get Human instead and find how to quickly reach a person, not a machine at many companies and businesses.

+++ ---------- Ending Emotional Eating ---------------- +++

If you've taken seminars, read books, bought gadgets, and tried
everything to lose the weight, but still nothing works, the answer
may be resolving the emotional issues that have kept you stuck.

The One More Bite 8-Week Ending Emotional Eating Workshop and/or
private sessions may be the answer. If now is the right time to
end your obstacles to losing all the weight you want, then get
started today.

More Info about One More Bite's 8-Week Online EFT Program
To Register

+++ --------------------------------------------------- +++

Website Finds

~~~ Antiquarian and out-of-print cookbooks ~~~ I love these for the pictures!

~~~ Penzys for Cooking Ingredients ~~~
With more than two hundred fifty varieties of herbs, spices and seasonings, extracts, crystallized ginger too. If you're lucky you'll find one in your area!

~~~ Kaiser Bakeware~~~
75-year-old German company and inventor of the springform pan makes all kinds of bakeware for the home baker look for Kaiser Bakeware at Amazon and other stores.

~~~ DrugDigest.org ~~~
I mention this often because it's important. Check what you are taking with this online database for drugs, herbs & supplements. If you take anything, prescription or OTC (over-the-counter) check for side effects and/or interactions with food.

Do your medications cause weight gain? Check it out, and if so, ask your doctor for an alternative.

~~~ Women's Bodybuilding ~~~
Ladies you will not get giant if you lift weights. Some images you'll see may make you think otherwise but those are extreme women body builders, not the norm. Experts agree to minimize bone loss you must do resistance exercise. That means lift, push or pull a weight that's a bit heavier than you are used to. Do this a few times a week and your muscles will develop in response to the greater workload. Don't move much and your muscles shrink or atrophy in response.

You'll also lose the weight you want much faster if you increase your muscle, even if by only a pound or two--every little bit helps. Plus muscle gives you a lovely curved look, which is feminine -- stick thin, not so much.

I'm not saying you must look one way or another, just saying you need not fear becoming muscle bound. Those that demonstrate the extremes use extreme methods to get there.

~~~ Online Fitness Classes ~~~

Don't want to join a gym but still want exercise instruction? Enter Demand Fitness. This site has classes all on video. You can view them online, download and watch when you want or even see them on your TV (they have easy instructions for how to set that up). You can also just watch to discover different exercise methods such as Pilates, Yoga, Stability Ball, Resistance Bands, Body Sculpt, you name it. All fitness levels

BiosLife Complete Helps With Weight Loss

Taking Bios Life Complete 10 minutes before a meal helps decrease appetite as the fibers swell and fill the stomach. It also slows absorption of food so decreases blood sugar spikes for diabetics. Those are added benefits since Bios Life Complete is mainly used to reduce cholesterol.

Referenced in the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference)

Now unflavored too, to add to recipes, or the usual flavors, natural (orange tangy-like) or fruit punch. Both are good. Be sure to get the Preferred Pricing here are the easy sign-up instructions.

One More Bite's Weight Loss Articles Archives

Break Through Weight Loss Plateaus

NLP Steps to the Process of Change

Yours in good eating,
Kathryn Martyn, M.NLP