Back in skinny jeans

Nosh bites: Ideas for non-dairy milks and sweet & fiberous snack: Figs & Filberts

Over at Noshtopia for your eating wellness pleasure:

• I have a mild Type II allergy to cow & goat milk so I've had to look for new milks to use in my cereal and to drink with warm cookies. Here's a list of some non-dairy milks to try out.

• Do you believe there is a worldwide rice shortage to warrant rice rationing here in the US? This is what I think.

• Looking for a snack that is sweet, full of fiber, and protein? My latest favorite is dried figs & filberts. Check out the health benefits of this yummy snack.

Weigh-in Wed: What will it take for you to feel more confidence?

In today's video, I thought we'd do a quick exercise that can help you build more self confidence. It has definitely helped me. The important thing with this exercise is to create a space for yourself that is free of judgment, criticism, and self-punishment. There is no right or wrong way to do this. As my friend's Jewish grandma would say, "It is what it is."

The information you garnish from this exercise can help give you more insight into what is preventing you from feeling more confidence about yourself or your life. If you are seeing a counselor, therapist or are in a support group, this is some good information to share with them as well. (video 4 min 50 sec)

"Two Tiny Changes": 5 sugar cutting tips + update

If you are like me, sugar consumption is one of your biggest food challenges which to me also includes the consumption of artificial sweeteners. Just because you are getting less calories, does not mean that the AS' are good for you. The Inner Resistance Monster really would like us to believe that myth. If you are trying to cut back on your sugar intake, here are some tips that have helped me.

• In your coffee this week, take whatever you normally put into your Java and cut it by half. So, instead of two packets of sugar, only put one. At Starbucks, instead of using the Splenda try the Raw Sugar. It's only 20 calories per packet.

• Look at the labels of the drinks you normally consume, and calculate about how many grams of sugar you drink in a week. Realizing just how much you take in, could shock you into cutting down.

• If you eat candy or sweet baked goods like cookies and muffins everyday, try and see if you can eat only half the amount you normally would. See if you can go one day, and cut it all the way down to something as small as one Hershey's kiss.

• Crystalline Fructose is an ingredient that is used in many "health" marketed drinks like Vitamin Water. However, crystalline fructose is a derivative of cornstarch which is in the family of high fructose corn syrup. Look to see if any foods or drinks you are consuming contain CF, and cut your consumption by half or to none for the week and see how your body feels.

• For any of your juices or non-dairy milks like rice or soy, try drinking the unsweetened versions. As an example, for Almond Breeze milk, the difference between the original and unsweetened versions is 7g of sugar per 8oz serving.

Here's tiny changes I did last week:

• I went one day and ate only half a cookie for my sweet tooth and ate a piece of fruit at night. This actually was a bit of a bigger deal as I normally eat at least some chocolate or full cookie every day.

• I made an effort to go to bed at 11pm three nights this week in an attempt to get myself into a normal sleep routine again after dealing with insomnia.

Can you guess who this famous airbrushed heiress is in GQ UK?

This is your typical fashion picture with all its photochopping and fancy arty lighting. But initially looking at the picture, I didn't recognize who the girl was. I thought she was just some new up and coming model, but no, this young lady has been on TV, is a Vice-President, and has a famous rich daddy.

Again, in real life the girl is a natural beaut, so why photo manipulate her so much we don't recognize her. Can you guess who it is?

The answer and the rest of her photo spread are here at GQ UK.

Things people will do to shave weight off before stepping on the scale

On your weigh-in day, how many of you will do something, anything to eliminate any kind of weight before stepping on the scale to ensure that you get the lowest weight possible? We've all done some thing, mostly silly and some on the not-so-healthy side, to make sure that we have shaved off any possible extra weight before stepping on Bonita Tanita.

Recognize anything on this list:

• Weigh in first thing in the morning after taking a poop and pee.
• Do morning weigh-in but wait til you've had one poop and two pees.
• After 2nd pee, you think a third is possible so you wait.
• Take off all your clothes and jewelry
• Take off all your makeup
• Take off any ponytail rubber bands or bobby pins
• Blow or pick your nose
• Spit in a cup til you can't spit anymore (my wrestler bro used to do this)
• Weigh yourself, go do cardio and sweat as much as possible, and weigh yourself again to see if you sweated any weight away
• Pick any belly button lint or toe jam
• Cut your toenails and fingernails
• Cut your hair (I know this girl who hacked off her beautiful locks so she could be 2 pounds lighter)
• Have a good cry and shed as many tears as possible
• Do an enema or colonic
• Suck in your gut as you step on the scale (more psychological)
• Exhale to get all the air out of your lungs before stepping on the scale
• Try and pee a fourth time or poop a second
• Wait til the full moon is over because you heard the body retains more water during full moons

Are there any other things you've heard of people doing to get the smallest number on the scale on weigh-in day?

As a side note, I'm not giving pointers so folks can get a "thin as possible" weigh-in, and if you do any of these things religiously or obsessively, then this falls into the un-healthy zone where I highly recommend that you talk to your doctor, counselor, or therapist about. I wrote this post mainly as a way to illustrate how the desire to achieve a "number on the scale" can sometimes drive us to do illogical and extreme things.

Quote on Perseverance

When is it time to stop blogging about your weight loss?

Last week, one of my very favorite bloggers, Katieo of Sister Skinny announced that she reached her mission to get into a size 6.  Via video, she even took us to the store to watch her pick out a pair of jeans. Like many in her audience, I cheered with excitement for her reaching her goal. It was thrilling to see that look of sheer happiness in her face, and what was fantastic was that the happiness was more of one of accomplishing a goal and creating a healthier life than "hey look I'm skinnier now." Katieo has much to be proud of.

But, now that the mission has been accomplished Sister Skinny, the blog, is to be no more. Katieo and her sister Molly who's 5 months pregnant have decided to stop posting. We'll still see them around the blogosphere, but as visitors rather than hosts.

Initially, I was shocked by the announcement and here's why...

Tiny inspiring signs: Hello gorgeous!

A few years back, the receptionist at my job was this sweet elderly woman who had the warmest smile and called everyone gorgeous. The thing is that you could tell that she really meant it. It was such an awesome way to start the day. This woman was so full of life and joy, and I always wished I could have that same kind of glee for seeing beauty all around me.

This woman was truly an inspiration, so today, I honor her, and the theme for this week's business card size signs are some of my favorite words from her.

I'm speaking at BlogHer 08 on "Coming Out via Blog" about highly personal issues

I'm honored to say that I have been chosen to be a speaker at the BlogHer 08 Conference in San Francisco in July. I go on Day #2 in Breakout session #2 from 1:45-3:00pm. The panel I'll be speaking on with two other bloggers, JenB of Jen & Tonic and Sarah Dopp of Dopp Juice, is about "Coming Out via Blog" about highly personal issues. The issue in particular I'll be talking about is my bulimia relapse New Year's confession.

I'll go into detail about the behind the scenes decision to go forward with this confession, and about how it all played out with my audience and my own healing. As many of you know, this confession was one of the hardest things I've had to face on this blog (and as a person) because I'm a health blogger blogging about healthy weight management and yet behind the scenes I was engaging in something very contradictory. The whole experience was very humbling.

I will also offer suggestions and tips to fellow bloggers who are thinking about making a big confession via their blog. So, if you are coming to BlogHer 08, please come by my panel! I'd like to meet everyone!

Pair with your skinny jeans? $910 leather lizard pump

This is just a Far Side comic strip in the making.

If I were a dead cow up in heaven looking back at what they made out of my skin, I would look at this shoe and say to myself, "So, this is my legacy? I'm a designer lizard pump with disco ball accents for $910 so that women can look like a couture space alien? God, I've paid my dues, can I go back as an editor for Vogue?"