Losing Weight Is As Easy As 123.....

10 Tips to Lose Weight for Good
By Dr. Mark Liponis, PARADE Magazine
PARADE

Forget all the complicated eating plans or one-size-fits-all diets. These simple rules are the key to a lifetime of healthy eating:

1. Know how many calories you need to eat each day.
2. Eat 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day.
Letting yourself get too hungry causes a drop in blood sugar and can lead to bingeing. Keep snacks to approximately 200 calories each and make sure they combine protein, carbs and healthy fats.
3. Consume 5 or 6 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
There is no replacement for these nutritional powerhouses, filled with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. (Dark-colored fruits and vegetables are best.)
4. Become a label-reader.
Eliminate trans fats and saturated fats. Aim for a diet of 40% carbohydrates (whole grains and fruit), 30% lean protein (chicken breasts and turkey) and 30% healthy fats such as olive oil.
5. Choose healthy carbs.
Switch to whole grains—wheat bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables, for example. Eliminate refined carbs such as sugar and white flour. Limit alcohol consumption, which is fairly high in calories.
6. Practice portion control.
A serving of protein should be about the size of your palm, and a serving of carbs is no larger than a fist.
7. Eliminate sugary drinks and fruit juices.
Switch to diet sodas and water. Aim for 8 glasses of water a day.
8. Eat fish three times a week.
Deep-water fish that contains omega-3s will protect your heart from disease. Look for wild salmon, mackerel and sardines. You also can get omega-3s from fortified eggs.
9. Carry healthy snacks with you.
Fill small bags with almonds or walnuts, or keep a low-fat yogurt handy to stave off candy and cookie temptation. Other good choices: apple slices with a spoonful of peanut butter or low-fat string cheese.
10. Allow yourself a treat.
It’s natural to splurge now and then, just don’t use it as an excuse to binge.
Get Fit Kit
You don’t have to buy expensive equipment or join a fancy gym. Start simply with...
A pedometer: Track the number of steps you take each day. Less than 4,000 steps is sedentary. Optimum goal: 10,000. Aim for 500-step increments, easily achievable if you park your car farther away or use the stairs.
A pair of sneakers: Look for sneakers with firm support at the heel, cushioning to absorb shock and enough room to wiggle your toes.
Comfortable clothes: If exercising outdoors, dress warmly, including hats and gloves; indoors, look for moisture-wicking fabrics.
Light hand weights: Women, try two gradations: 3 and 5 pounds; for men, 5 and 8 pounds.
Get Inspired!
Here’s some advice from the three athletes on our expert panel.
“A good workout can be relaxing—and we all need to break a sweat every now and then,” says Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James, the youngest player ever to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
“Exercise has to be a central part of your life,” says Misty May-Treanor, gold medalist for beach volleyball in the 2004 Olympics. “Eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle help create a foundation for success.”
“You gain self-confidence and strength to face life’s challenges when you choose to be active,” says Kerri Walsh, also winner of a gold medal for beach volleyball in the 2004 Games

An Easy Way to Cut 220 Calories.....

From www.Realage.com


Removing 220 calories from your day could make a big difference to your waistline, right?

So here's the simple way to make it happen: Set your DVR to record your favorite late-night shows. Then, hit the hay. In a study, people who stayed up late -- and got less sleep as a result -- munched down 220 more daily calories than the hit-the-sack-early crowd.

Nocturnal Noshing


The people in the study with later bedtimes averaged about 5.5 hours of sleep per night. The folks who crashed earlier slept about 8.5 hours. Although the sleep-deprived did not eat bigger meals, they did snack more than the well-rested group -- and usually on high-carb foods eaten late in the evening.

Sleep/Eat Connection:


Researchers suspect the night owls ate more not just because they had more opportunity but also because sleep loss may affect reward-motivation brain neurons in a way that leads to more snacking

Iraq America's Longest War

6 years later, progress and doubts are legacy of Iraq war

Story Highlights
U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began on March 19, 2003
Six years later, fledgling democracy taking hold, security situation improving
But U.S. lost more than 4,000 troops; at least 128,000 Iraqis have died
Polls show many Americans more focused on economy than lingering Iraq war

(CNN) -- Six years ago Thursday, then-President George W. Bush appeared on television screens across America and somberly addressed the nation.
"My fellow citizens," he began his four-minute speech, "at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people, and to defend the world from grave danger."
Six years later, the conflict in Iraq drags on -- with war-fatigued Americans shoving the military operation to the deep recesses of their psyches as they grapple with an economic crisis at home.
Only 10 percent of voters questioned in exit polls during the November presidential elections picked the war as their top issue. Sixty-two percent said the economy was.
"This is already one of the longest wars in American history. There's nothing new in Iraq," said Steven Roberts, a professor of media studies at the George Washington University. "We've read the stories of instability in the government a hundred times. Every single possible story has been told, and so there is enormous fatigue about Iraq."
Against that backdrop, the United States has accomplished much of what it set out to do when it invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003.
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was deposed, captured, tried and hanged for a brutal and deadly crackdown against his opponents during his regime.
The rate of U.S. troop deaths has slowed.
A surge of 30,000 additional troops in 2007 is credited for security gains the country has made. And a fledgling democracy is taking hold, as President Obama announced that all U.S troops will be withdrawn by the end of 2011.
But America has had to pay a steep price -- literally and figuratively -- to achieve its aims, analysts say.
Taking into account operations for fiscal 2010, the conflict has racked up an $800 billion price tag since it began, the Congressional Budget Office said.
By Wednesday, 4,261 Americans had been killed in the war, according to CNN's tally. The Iraqi casualty count, while harder to ascertain because of the lack of formal record-keeping, has reached at least 128,000, by CNN's tally.
And leaked images of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison and America's programs of detention and torture have tarred the United States' image internationally.
"From the first step until now, they destroyed our country," said Sheikh Moffaq Qaraghuli, a Baghdad resident. "Smashed. Not destroyed. Smashed."
As the battles rage on, researchers are still trying to gauge the damage the war has done to troops.
"I still have the nightmares and wake up and find myself downstairs and I don't know how I got there," said Chris Tucker, who did three tours of duty in Iraq. "Faces. Kids' faces. People that you have engaged or you have had contact with. ... You see your colleagues blown up. Things like that."
"I thought we would get there quick and handle our business and we'd be out," he said. "At least that's what we were told anyway."
Tucker received a medical discharge from the army last year and is now a police officer in Savannah, Georgia.
Many in Iraq also are trying to move on, amid the constant fear of suicide attacks in their ruined cities.
The Shahbander cafe, one of Baghdad's oldest, is a favorite haunt of the city's intellectuals. Inside, photographs of five young men hang on the wall. All were sons of the cafe owner, Mohammed al-Khishali -- killed in a car bombing that ripped apart the cafe in 2007.
A month later, al-Khishali lost his grief-stricken wife. For almost two years, he could not bear to reopen the cafe, he said.
"I remember the tragedies every day," he said, as his eyes welled with tears. "But then I decided to take a hard decision to reopen this cafe for the sake of my people, my culture."
Many of the customers who gather there are critical of the U.S. invasion but are equally concerned about a potential withdrawal.
"Iran has ambitions toward Iraq," said Amer Naji, a cafe regular and a former Iraqi diplomat. "With the Americans, they are afraid to do something aggressive against Iraq. But ... when you withdraw, that will be very dangerous."
Iraq and Iran fought a war in the 1980s that spanned eight years and killed at least a half-million people, by some estimates. The U.S. and Iraqi governments think Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard has been training militias and providing weapons, such as roadside bombs, to insurgents operating in Iraq.
So, though many Iraqis agree that 2009 is better than 2008, they worry about 2011 when the United States pulls out.
"We are hopeless," Qaraghuli said. "We are hopeless."

Casualities Thus Far:

There have been 4,578 coalition deaths -- 4,261 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of March 19, 2009, according to a CNN count. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 31,131 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan and examine U.S. war casualties dating back to the Revolutionary War.

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding! Trust God In ALL Things And He Will Deliver You!

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. --Ephesians 2:8, NLT

I know that God gave me the path to follow, the willpower; which was always lacking before, and the strength to carry on on this life changing journey --- all credit goes to my Father ---- none to me for I am only a weak human with human faults and failings! Thanks be to God for all things for He is good ALL the time!

Fix Your Worst Diet Habits

By Joy Bauer

When it comes to food, the wrong habits can be disastrous. Here's how to help yourself eat better and have more energy.

Bad habit: Skipping meals
Letting yourself get too hungry is one of the worst things you can do if you're trying to lose weight. When you finally do eat, you're likely to gobble down too much. It's also much harder to make good choices if you're ravenous.
Fix it: Eat breakfast and then refuel every four to five hours. If you rarely stop once your day begins, plan what you'll eat. Consider easy options like microwaveable healthy meals, low-fat cottage cheese and fruit, or a high-fiber nutrition bar and a container of nonfat Greek yogurt. The healthy carbs and lean protein will provide long-lasting energy.
Bad habit: Eating out all the time
Restaurants are a caloric minefield. Portion sizes can be huge, and chefs often have a heavy hand with salt, fat, and sugar.
Fix it: If you can't cook at home, limit the damage. Avoid alcohol, which contains empty calories and loosens inhibitions, making it tougher to order wisely. Stick with water or have a glass of wine or a light beer if you really want a drink. Tell the waiter not to bring the bread basket, and order a salad instead. This will help curb your appetite. Ask for olive oil and vinegar on the side and go light on the oil. (another option for salad topping is a lemon wedge squeezed over it) Next, pick a lean protein entrée, such as fish or chicken, and choose preparation methods that use little fat, such as poaching, grilling, or broiling.
Bad habit: Using food as comfort
Most people who struggle with their weight use food to help them deal with negative emotions or stress. When the food is all gone, the problem is still there, and it's been compounded by guilt over having eaten too much.
Fix it: Try labeling your feelings ("I'm sad, not hungry"), and remind yourself that eating won't solve things. Visualize how you'll feel after eating, and ask yourself if it's worth it. Then choose an alternative activity, such as calling a friend, taking a walk, or reading. Over time, these activities, not food, will be the first things you think of when you need a pick-me-up.
Bad habit: Eating when you're not hungry
Snacking even though you are full makes the pounds add up.
Fix it: The next time you're about to pop something into your mouth, assess your hunger level. If you're not truly hungry, don't eat. If you're a little peckish, allow yourself to get a bit hungrier. When you do sit down to eat, adhere to the Japanese saying hara hachi bu, which means "eat until you are 80 percent full." Chances are that in 15 to 20 minutes, you'll be perfectly satisfied.

Simple Way To Lower Stress --- Try It Today --- It's FREE!!!!!

Stressed Out? Snuggle Up!
In today's times, we're all feeling a little more stressed than normal. Can relief be no further away than a good hug? Find out!
By Elena Rover

From the hallowed halls of science comes another excuse to get close: New research shows that hugs and kisses slash stress. Loving touches — and the resulting gush of good feelings — can cut the level of stress hormones coursing through your body by 7 percent, according to a recent study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. Anything from sex to holding hands can do the trick. You get calmer every minute you’re in contact. So go ahead: pop in a movie and spend the evening snuggling on the couch. You’ll be healthier for it. The stress-snuggle connection was put to the test by Beate Ditzen, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland who studied 51 couples for a week, asking them to record their activities and take saliva samples every three hours. The samples were analyzed for levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The results: "Intimacy reduced cortisol levels by improving mood," says Dr. Ditzen.

A Daily Dose:

Every minute spent hugging, kissing, holding hands or having sex translated into a small decrease in stress. Every touch had the same power to soothe. In other words, the 20th hug or kiss worked just as well as the first, and 20 hugs generated 20 times as much stress relief as a single snuggle. Unfortunately, you can’t bank the benefits. Extra physical intimacy today won’t reduce your stress levels later this week. You’ve got to be "in touch" every day. The benefits of loving touch do stick beyond the front door, however. Work-related stress doesn’t stand a chance if you’ve gotten a good dose of closeness, the researchers learned. Sure, a hug can erase the tension of a tough day on the job. But more than that, intimacy actually protects you from feeling work stress at all, whether you have a crummy office, bad manager, long hours, deadline pressure, interruptions or other job woes. So if the day looks like it has challenges ahead, make a date for a little kissing before or after work, or maybe even sneak some in at lunch.

Happily Ever After:

The de-stressing effects of sex and snuggles may explain why happily married couples live longer and healthier lives. Studies have already proven that loving touch can reduce blood pressure and have other health benefits. Scientists have a number of theories about why intimacy is relaxing. For example, a hug can bring on a gush of the love hormone oxytocin, which floods the body and feels great. Angry hugs don’t work, which might explain why unhappily married couples don’t live any longer than singles. Negative emotions seem to ruin the health benefits and de-stressing effect. So if you want to live happily ever after (and make it last), hold out for someone who makes you feel great.

Try This at Home:

If you don’t have a mate handy for hugs, try getting the benefits from friends and family. While the couples in this study were all dual-income with kids, the researchers did not evaluate whether hugs and kisses from children, parents, friends or others might be just as good at scaring off stress. Other studies have linked friendship with good health, longevity and less stress. And Dr. Ditzen agrees that snuggling up to anyone who feels yummy might reduce stress levels.

For each petal on the shamrock.

This brings a wish your way

Good health, good luck, and happiness

For today and every day.

Five Ways To Boost Your Metabolism from CookingLight.com

By Scott Westcott
"Metabolism" is the name of the bodily system that converts food calories to energy needed to perform various tasks, like pumping oxygen to muscles during a long walk. Many variables contribute to your metabolism, including heredity, gender and age. But you can quicken yours; here's how.
Exercise more. When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward.
"It's not a huge spike, but it makes a difference," says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Work out with weights. During weight training, muscle tissue is stressed; afterward, it's repaired -- which raises metabolism.
A woman who strength trains three times a week for six months can build enough muscle to burn 10 to 32 extra calories a day, according to Robert Wolfe, PhD, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas. CookingLight.com: Ultimate move finder
Practice portion control. This helps ensure you don't overload your metabolism with a surplus of unusable energy (that is, food).
Use a food scale or measuring cups to identify proper portions. Or use your hand as a guide. A fist equals a serving of fruit, a cupped hand equals a serving of cereal or grains, two cupped handfuls equal a serving of leafy green vegetables and an open palm equals a serving of meat. CookingLight.com: Exceptional recipes
Eat smaller meals more often. Some experts recommend eating smaller meals throughout the day, known as grazing. "Grazing helps normalize blood sugar levels rather than producing three large spikes, which is what happens eating three meals a day," says Nick Flynn, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.
Determine the amount of calories you need at Mypyramid.gov. Then keep that number in mind as you transition from eating three ordinary-sized meals to five smaller ones. CookingLight.com: We compare similar foods so you can decide which to eat
Laugh it off. When researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, put people into a "metabolic chamber" (a small room that measures heat output in order to calculate a person's metabolic rate) and showed them funny videos, the subjects' metabolic rates rose by 10 to 40 calories. It's a small increase, but every calorie counts for those seeking weight loss, says lead researcher Maciej Buchowksi, PhD.

MSU Bulldog 2009 SEC Champs!

I've paid my dues -

Time after time -

I've done my sentence

But committed no crime -

And bad mistakes I've made a few I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -

But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -

We are the champions -

We are the champions

No time for losers

'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

I've taken my bows And my curtain calls -

You brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it -

I thank you all -

But it's been no bed of roses

No pleasure cruise -

I consider it a challenge before the whole human race -

And I ain't gonna lose -

We are the champions - my friends

And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -

We are the champions -

We are the champions

No time for losers

'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

WAY TO GO DAWGS

Who Am I.....

Who Do You Say That I Am?

By Tracye WM Prewitt

Who do you say that I am? Profit, Rabbi, magician, teacher?

I say you are the Lord my God, maker of heaven and of earth; the son of man and the son of God---- you are my father and my brother. You are my salvation and you are my best friend.

You lived on earth a long time ago as a man but now your spirit stands beside me every day. You sit at the right hand of our father in heaven and intercede for your little sister when she fails at life and this thing we call Christianity. You never give up on me or tell him I am hopeless no matter how many times a day I stumble and fall short. Thanks for that Big Brother!

You are my comfort and my strength; I could not go through the hard things, do the hard things like make hard decisions, face dark scary things that life brings my way. I could not face these on a daily basis if you were not at my side; holding my hand saying in my heart “Do not be afraid I am here!” You are my light shining through the darkness. I feel your arm around my shoulder when things get difficult and I know that I can carry on somehow because you are there!

So that is who you are to me: Lord, Savior, Father, Brother, Security Blanket, my strength, hope, comfort, and you are my best friend!