SKINNYSONGS PROMO

My friends over at Skinnysongs have got their new website up, including my endorsement of their great CD. You'll see my pictures as part of the flash presentation on the homepage and you can click underneath it to read a bit of my story.

www.skinnysongs.com

By the way, I have let them know that the weight loss figure they credit me with in the flash presentation is incorrect. I worked for every pound and want the accurate record!!!

BACK TO BALTIMORE?

Last summer I was invited to emcee a Health Expo in Baltimore and had a good time down there. Looks like I may be headed that way again later this year as I've been approached about giving an occasional lecture at Johns Hopkins University's Weight Loss Center.

Could be fun!

WHY I'M NOT A FAN

With the crazy lifestyle most of us have, I am regularly asked whether it's okay to make Smart Ones a regular part of your diet and I must confess that I am definitely not a fan.

Don't get me wrong, I've eaten a few of them myself in my time and they're a handy item to have in the freezer in case of emergency, but let's be honest, there's nothing much to them, they're high in preservatives, ultra-high in sodium content and apart from convenience and low points there's not a lot good you can say about them.

My major issue is something altogether different and it's this -

Diets don't work - changing your lifestyle does, but there's no way anyone is going to be eating frozen meals for the rest of their lives. It's better to learn to eat healthily, to plan meals, make good use of your limited time and enjoy real food. That's a lifestyle change.

Smart Ones are shortcuts that won't last - they're best kept for a backup and nothing else. I have yet to meet anyone at WW who has got to goal on a diet of frozen entrees. There may be some, but I haven't encountered them.

HOW TO PLOT YOUR WALK/RUN

Here's an interesting website that was recommended by one of our WW members yesterday. You can use it to plot and measure your walk or run now that the weather is getting marginally warmer - some days!

www.mapmyrun.com

BACK TO IT

After last weekend's break, it was good to be back with my Weight Watchers groups today. We really do have a load of outstanding people coming along to the center on Saturday mornings and it's a treat to get to spend time with them.

Today was a day of celebrations, with one lady having achieved lifetime status after losing 120lb and maintaining that loss for six weeks.

Another lady reached her goal today and begins maintenance.

Others passed milestones and for everyone who was there, their presence was a victory - you have to be in the game to win it!

PORTION SIZES

A couple of nights ago in Clearwater, my wife and I decided to eat at Bennigans, together with our seven year old grandson who was with us on our trip south. I hadn't been in a Bennigans for years, so we thought it would be a change.

The menu offered a great deal - three courses for $10.99 - with some good stuff on offer.

Here's a sample - it's what our grandson had ...

Mozzarella sticks - six huge ones.

Fish and chips - Five pieces of beer battered fish with a load of fries

Brownie Delight - Huge brownie, large scoop of ice cream, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream

My grandson is a big kid and he loves his food, but half way through dessert he rushed to the bathroom and threw up!

I took the grilled chicken entree with rice and broccoli, but will admit to splurging on an appetizer of french onion soup and a dessert I'm not willing to fess up to.

But in all honesty, there can't be that many people on this planet who need more than the appetizer and dessert. There was just way too much food!

My soultion, should I ever find myself in that situation again, would be to ask for the entree in a doggie bag from get go. But then hindsight is always 20/20 - meanwhile I'm spending extra time in the gym now that I'm home!

IT'S ALL IN YOUR MIND

Sitting beside the pool yesterdat afternoon and quietly minding my own business, my wife suddenly shoved a copy of Oprah's magazine in my face, informing me,"You should read this article".

It was about a writer who was horrified to realize that in twenty four years she had gained 19lb and now weighed somewhere in the 120's. There followed several pages of narrative about how she had conquered such serious weight issues.

I felt I wanted to introduce Oprah to some of my friends who are fighting real battles with one hundred or more pounds to shed, but then I reminded myself - as I often have to - that this lady's relatively small amount of weight was as important to her as my 133lb was to me.

So how did she do it? Diet and exercise of course - there is no other lasting way to reach your goals.

Here's a quote from her personal trainer I liked -

"Your body is my responsibility - your mind is yours!"

It's the mind that matters - stay focused!