Is Your Diet Very Healthy? Take this Quiz

The world's healthiest foods website (whfoods.org) has a quiz you can take to see how much of the healthiest foods you are eating and based on your answers, it will tell you what vitamins and nutrients you are probably lacking.

Check out the quiz here.

This non-profit website was founded by a guy who became a wealthy mogul by starting a health food company called Health Valley Foods in 1970. Though his principles were sound, the food was mostly packaged, convenience food. He sold the company in 1996 and now operates this non-profit web-site to give back and also possibly to atone for selling too many granola bars over the years.

The healthiest foods are non-packaged, non-processed foods.

This is the best site we've seen on truly healthy foods and it gives the highest quality information about their nutritional values. Check out the 100 healthiest foods.

Weight Loss for Men - Visualize It

If you have an iPhone or iTouch and are a male who wants to lose weight, check out this Virtual Weight Loss Avatar for men. It's fun to get visual milestones for each few pounds you lose.

As with the similar app for women 'Virtual Weight Loss for Women', this app is based on BMI calculations so it will look different for men who weigh the same but are different heights.

Update: December 16th 2011: We've updated the app and artwork! Check out the latest versions here.

Outdoor Exercise for Weight Loss

Here's a fun story from a discussion about mindless eating. Photo via wheany.

Outdoor Cat v.s Indoor Cat:

Living in the country we had pet cats that lived outdoors.

All of these outdoor cats had to be called to come to eat and did not beg for food. Most of the time they were 50 to 100 yards away from our house. Being predators they were constantly roaming, killing mice and occasionally a bird and patrolling their territory of a couple of acres. Needless to say all of these cats during my childhood were healthy, lean and fit cats.

As young adults we took our pet country cat to live with us in our apartment. The cat ate more food. Begged for food. Yowled for more food and was always underfoot looking for more food. He was left alone most of the day to an empty apartment. He quickly gained a huge amount of weight. Seeing that he was not fit for apartment living and was getting to be a fat cat with nothing better to do than beg for food, we took back home to our parents in the country.

Quickly, the cat lost weight and stopped begging for food since he had mice to chase and a couple of acres to patrol and occupy his time.

We humans sit in our homes watching TV and "reality shows", playing on the computer playing virtual games and wonder why we get fat.

Losing 200 Pounds

Becky Griggs has lost an amazing 200 pounds. At her heaviest, six years ago, she weighed 352.

She now weighs 150 and has become a personal trainer. She's 43 years old and the mother of two grown children.

Becky cut out sugar and flour from her diet. She eats five times a day and works out regularly. Check out her story at CNN (From Fat to Gym Rat) and see her short video below;

Slim Fast Recall

Ten million cans of Slim-Fast ready to drink products are being recalled due to a possible health risk. Slim-Fast is owned by Unilever and in cooperation with the FDA they are recalling the products because of the possibility of contamination with Bacillus cereus, a micro-organism, which may cause diarrhea and possibly nausea and/or vomiting. The probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.

These ready to drink products were being sold in stores nationwide.

No other Slim-Fast® products are affected by this recall. No Slim-Fast® powdered shakes, meal bars, or snack bars are included.

Consumers who have bought Slim-Fast® RTD products in cans are urged to discard them immediately and contact the company at 1-800-896-9479 for a full refund.

Losing 250 Pounds

Suzi has lost an incredible 256 pounds in one and a half years. She was a morbidly obese 430 pounds 18 months ago. She's a 40 year old single mother and now weighs 176.

She was able to accomplish this incredible feat without weight loss surgery. But she did quit her job and moved in with her parents to focus on weight loss. She's kept up a very time-intensive exercise regiment to get rid of the loose and flabby skin.

Her typical breakfast these days is a bowl of oatmeal and fruit. (Photo of oatmeal, blueberries and sunflower seeds shown here is via Flickr).

See her inspiring story here.

Catherine Loses 35 Pounds

Catherine lost 35 pounds and has kept the weight off for the past year. She's 30 years old, 5'7" tall and used to weigh 168. In the photo here she weighs 132.

She was able to break the cycle of overeating by joining Crossfit as well as learning about nutrition and beginnning to cook her own meals. See her inspiring story and before and after photos here.

Lose the Belly - a Weight Loss App

If you happen to be one of the 50 million people who use an iPhone or iTouch check out these two free apps on losing the belly. They are each a collection of the 15 best videos you will find on YouTube to help you lose weight. Included is diet and exercise advice.

One is aimed at men with more emphasis on building six-pack abs Lose the Belly for Men and the other is for women, with more emphasis on yoga poses Lose the Belly for Women. Both apps include some of the best advice for what foods to eat for weight loss.

Diabetes without Insulin

The Los Angeles Times has five stories of people who were diagnosed with diabetes but who later kicked the insulin habit with diet and exercise. See their inspiring stories here.

Losing Weight at Age 30

Roseann lost and gained many dozens of pounds when she was in her twenties. When she turned 30 however, she decided to make a major lifestyle change. She went on to lose 90 pounds.

She has maintained her weight (150 pounds at 5'10 tall) for 17 years now.

Check out her weight loss story and before and after pics here.

Taking the Stairs

A Stockholm subway station found a way to get more people to take the stairs rather than the escalator. See the video below.

Getting the Motivation to Exercise

Here are a couple of great motivational videos encouraging us to exercise on a regular basis.

Patient Weight Loss

John used to weigh 227 pounds. Now, two years later his weight is in the 150's. He's adhered to a slow weight loss program, and hasn't wanted to lose more than one pound a week. It's worked out great for him. He's reached his ideal weight and feels much healthier now. See his story here.

Image via

Losing Weight for the Wedding

One year ago Regina set a goal to lose 60 pounds. She wanted to be in great shape for her wedding. At that point she weighed 195 pounds at 5'1" tall.

She has succeeded in losing 43 pounds so far. She's done it via exercise and a high protein diet.

Her fiancé is an ER nurse and "has seen some horrible situations with young girls overdosing on diet pills and other things like that. I made it a point to not do anything like that to my body. The only pill I take is a multivitamin.”

And she likes her new lifestyle and energy level so much that she says “This is forever for me. I like the way it (exercising and eating healthy) makes me feel and I don’t plan on giving that up.”

See her story here.

Tips for Losing Fat

Here's a good video about seven tips to change your eating habits for effective, long-term weight loss.

Healthy Living to 100

Japan has just announced that their population now includes over 40,000 people who are older than 100 years. Ten years ago, their centenarian population was just 10,000.

Lots of people are leaving comments at this article about what kind of healthy habits lead to a long life. Here's one example;

My father is over 95 now, still walks his dog every day. He does NOT take any medication of any kind even when he has a normal cold, does not smoke (never has), never drank alcohol in excess and is heathy as a horse except for his eyesight. Even when he has a small cut, he lets it heal by itself, he has been told by his doctor that he has a remarkable immune system.

What's his secrect? Not quite sure myself! He has the occassional glass of red wine with his supper (Frenchman of course), eats lots of garlic, olive oil, salt, butter, spices, cheese, salad, good bread (not the sliced crap), coffee each morning, occassional red meat but his favorite is fish. I have never seen him eat fast food or grocery bought prepared foods. He still cooks everything from scratch, home cooking!

Presently lives in California. (has dual nationality - born France/ naturalized Canadian)

Getting in Shape at Age 45

Check out a very entertaining article by a guy, age 45, who lost 50 pounds over 8 months. He's done it via exercise and by changing his diet. He never actually went on 'a diet' and has never felt hungry. He's just changed the type of food he eats. And he hasn't cut out all his bad habits, he continues to drink a lot of alcohol daily.

Check out his fun article and inspiring before and after photos!

He says;

I have buns of iron and only the smallest of man-boobs, and I no longer feel waves of melancholy every time I see a photo of my slimmer twentysomething self...

Have I been on a diet? People have been asking me that for months. Sometimes, I'm ashamed to say, I joke that no, I'm terminally ill. I don't know what the straight answer is. You think of a diet as something that hurts – and I'm enjoying the business of feeding myself more than I ever did. Not once this year have I left the table feeling hungry or hard done-by. I have not signed up for WeightWatchers, come over all Atkins, discovered the delights of acai berries, or switched to the new "non-fat" fat. I have not – though God knows I should have – significantly reduced my boozing. I have stopped eating almost everything that I once thought of as food, but I'm loving what's replaced it.

One of the books he recommends is Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love

Phylicia Rashad Loses 35 Pounds

Phylicia Rashad, age 61, (of Bill Cosby Show fame) has lost 35 pounds. She looks and feels fantastic. She joined Jenny Craig as a spokesperson in December and it's taken her eight months to lose the weight. She says it's not rocket science. She believes she can keep the weight off as she lost it quite gradually and she intends to keep up the regular exercise. See her in this Jenny Craig promotional video below.

Obese Habits?

The Washington Post has a story today about The Seven Secrets of Highly Obese People. The bad habits they point to is things like using big plates, eating fast, always eating all the food on your plate, taking seconds and never eating breakfast.

But here is a comment from a slim reader who begs to disagree.


I am amazed at this study. I have a BMI of 20.5 and I do all of the things that they say obese people do. I eat very quickly, I take the larger plate and always go back for seconds. I actually have a major problem with leaving food on a plate (just wasteful!) The last time I ate breakfast on a regular basis probably was 15 years ago. Either this study is full of crap, or I am the luckiest person on the face of the earth (I think it is the first, not the second). It comes down to a very easy item. Exercise 5 times a week. Even if it is a 20 minute walk. My parents are very overweight, but they do not exercise. Take control of your life and do something about your weight if it is an issue. Someone at my office is always looking for the easy route to weight lose. She drinks special drinks, goes on crazy diets. When I ask her if she exercises, she says that she doesn't have to to lose weight. Obviously, she does.

The buffet photo is via NixKitz.

Another reader makes this point;

While this is all very interesting, I must say I just love how it conveniently wraps all of the actions of obese people in such a neat little package. So THAT'S why they are fat! Seriously, have you put any thought into why food seems to be so important to those who happen to be larger than you? Why they choose larger plates and tables that are closer to the buffet? Not because of laziness. Ever consider the psychological causes? Maybe that person is depressed and uses food as a way to comfort and fill that hole? And at times when they feel that no one truly understands them or is there for them, food is always there. So yes, there is somewhat of a desperation to get to that warm, tasty, comforting food. ...
I'm not saying that this is the case for everyone who is overweight, but it may be for many of us out there. And while these "little steps" sound so easy, the first thing a person has to do before really making a difference in eating habits is working on their self mentally and eventually find out that food is only a temporary solution to filling that void.

Walk to Lose Weight

Here's a good motivational video about the benefits of walking for weight loss.

Losing the Big Bottom

Greta has lost 45 pounds since March. Congrats Greta! She's got an entertaining blog about her weight loss journey. Here's an excerpt about her new eating plan;

You might be wondering what I am eating. Since starting all of this in mid-March, I sort of have come to a rhythm in my eating pattern that seems to be working. I have relied on the fabulous site fitday.com to keep me on track...which is a great resource. I especially like how it tracks nutrients, so I can be sure to supplement the nutrients I am not getting from my diet. I have also relied heavily on the principles of Ann Louise Gittleman's Fat Flush protocol. Eating lean protein, ample "good" fats, and loads of veggies seems to work well for me.

Basically, I have cut out ALL grains--with some occasional exceptions. I will not add them back until I reach my goal, and then, only slowly. I eat lean protein, eggs, lots and lots and lots of vegetables, 2 or so servings of fruit a day, and plain nonfat yogurt sweetened with liquid stevia (it is good.....I swear). I was NOT a big veggie fan, before....but have come to greatly appreciate vegetables over the past month. They are SO filled with nutrients.....and fiber.....and have so few calories. I have finally become good friends with them. :)

Check out her inspiring blog at Big Bottom Blogger.

Virtual Weight Loss Progress

See your weight loss progress in a visual way.

Here's an iphone app to help with weight loss goals.




This virtual model was first created three years ago as a google gadget. Lots of people have been using it and find it fun and motivational. Now we've added several additional features and have developed it as an iPhone app.

You can find it at the iPhone app store under Virtual Weight Loss Model.

You can see your weight loss progress with this virtual model. Customize it with your current weight, your goal weight and your heaviest weight. Include your height.

The model is based on body mass index (BMI) calculations. So it will look different for people who are different heights but who weigh the same. If people like it we'll be adding more options, including a male model.

You can input your personal data in pounds or kilograms, inches or centimeters.

You can customize your model's skin and hair color, shoe and dress color.

The app also includes a page where you can keep track of your daily or weekly weight change.

Hope you enjoy trying it out!

Adriana Rae (Guest writer)

Before and After Photos

Here's a nice video showing lots of 'before and after' weight loss pictures of a couple of dozen different people.

Bariatric Surgery Gone Wrong

Here's another story about weight loss surgery regrets. Thanks to the reader who wrote this in the post about weight loss surgery gone wrong.


I was only 23 when I decided to have bariatric surgery. I am writing this because I have been through the worst year + of my life. I had went for the whole big thing. Rerouting and such. The surgeon pretty much terrified me in to believing this was the only solution, that if done any other way, if something went wrong, it may not be able to be fixed. So with full confidence I showed up for surgery and thought it would be the end to my "problems". I was most certainly mistaken. A three day stay in the hospital turned in to 16 days. During my initial surgery, my epidural block fell out! I can remember them transferring me from the operating table to the stretcher. I was screaming, "please help me! someone. please, it hurts!". I do not remember an entire week of my life, in which I am told I almost died and was very nasty.

After the first surgery I was in a lot of pain, they took me for a test and left me in a wheel chair to drink this chalky liquid in a freezing hallway until the tech was done with his lunch. Turns out the pouch wasn't sewed well enough and anything that they were making me consume was just flowing right through me. Back in for surgery number two. Apparently they cut me open and I threw up in my lung cavity. It started to crush my lung. I was in the ICU for 5 days, almost had a heart attack and eventually needed to have a PIC line installed. Ending my stay I was sent home with one tube still hanging out. For an entire month. They only tell you the good things about surgery, never the bad.

It has been over a year and I have spent every holiday in the hospital and visit the ER at least once a month. I have had my gallbladder out, a hernia removed, countless times where I was internally bleeding from an ulcer or something was stuck in my small intestine. I have stopped counting the tubes of blood they have taken. It has been upwards of 24 tubes in two weeks. I recently found out that I am unable to retain iron. Therefore, I will need iron IV therapy for the rest of my life. And regardless of all the pain, the worst part is the emotional toll it leaves. The nightmares will never go away. I am going to have to deal with multiple issues for the rest of your life. No one tells you that this surgery doesn't fix anything. If you were self conscious before, guess what, you still are after. It is awful. If the surgery will save your life, go for it, but please, read stories from both sides first and take the time to think about it. Best wishes.

Fighting Inertia to Start Weight Loss

Albatross has a good discussion about 'inertia' and how it prevents us from getting started with our weight loss goals. She's lost about 30 pounds in the past year and has increased her fitness and health levels. See what she has to say about overcoming inertia and the four factors that helped her do it.

You Have to Exercise...

Bron won a 12-week employee weight-loss contest and $3,000 in cash. He lost 60 pounds.

He says; "You have to exercise. There is no way around it. It's tough sometimes; you work all day, you're tired, and that couch looks mighty comfortable."

Check out his story here.

Image via David Paul Ohmer

Sweet Tea Drinker Cuts the Habit

Here's an interesting weight loss story from a recent comment on the post "Drinking Water to Lose Weight";

Hello. I was an avid sweet tea drinker. I drank about 3/4 of a gallon a day. I decided that I was tired of being chubby. (I have never been what you would call fat but maybe pudgy in the middle is fair to say) Anyway I cut that out and went to unsweet iced tea (no calories) and along with that started to drink 4 32 oz. cups of water a day. In 8 weeks I lost 25 pounds. It was like it just fell in the floor. I also love fresh fruit so I ate fruit and veggies and cereal. I cut out fried foods as well. I think that you have to look at the whole picture and not just one thing.

Image via kevindooley

Excercising 6 Hours per Week

Sonya lost 60 pounds. She did it gradually. It took her over a year to do it. She now weighs 130 pounds at 5 feet and six inches.

See her before and after photos and how she changed her lifestyle here.

22 Year Olds Reach Goal Weight

Today I witnessed a reunion of two 22 year old guys who met again for the first time since hanging out together when they were seventeen.

My nephew (Paul) from Germany was obese when he started a one year student exchange program at a highschool near Seattle. He made a close friendship with Eric who was a very skinny guy at the time. They really connected and have kept in touch over the years but just saw each other for the first time in five years yesterday.

Now Paul is at his goal weight. He lost the weight three or four years ago, then gained some back but is again in top form this year. His friend Eric, in the meantime, joined a gym about a year ago, and liked it so much he decided to work there as the sales manager. He's gained 40 pounds and it looks like his weight gain is 100% muscle. They both look and feel fantastic. And after five years of not seeing each other they fell right back into their close friendship. They are very both highly ambitious and happy with their lives and it was great to see them today.

The image above is via Lew57

The Best iPhone App for Weight Loss

If you are one of the 15% of American households who own an iPhone or iPod Touch than you may have already noticed you can download tons of free apps from their apps store that are related to helping people lose weight.

Currently, the one that is by far most popular is called the Lose It! app.

It's really easy to use to keep a count of the calories you consume each day and the amount of calories you burn with exercise. You can set a goal to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week and this app will help you get there.

Personally, I just love my iPod Touch. I bought one for about $240 last November and I use it for all my walks to listen to really fascinating podcasts put out by NPR, the New York Times, Zencast, Leo Laporte and tons of others. My walking is now regularly around 25 miles a week and I finally reached my goal weight a few weeks ago and feel really great!

P.S. See also the new iPhone App : A Virtual Weight Loss Model

A Couple Succeeds at Weight Loss

Eileen and Bill will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary soon. And they feel fitter than ever. Since deciding to get serious about getting in shape Eileen has lost 34 pounds and Bill lost 45.

See their photos and weight loss story here.


Image shown here is via Steve O's Photos.

Losing Sixty Pounds After Pregnancy

Andrea weighed 207 pounds eight months ago after the birth of her second child. Today she weighs 145 pounds. She's tall, at 5'10".

She was motivated to lose the weight by wanting to enter a beauty contest for Mrs. West Virginia. She's worked out every day since October and has kept to a strict diet. She's been able to work out even though she works as a nurse and has two kids under the age of 2 at home. Check out her story and some larger pics here.

From Fat to Healthy

Roni Noone is 5'9" and she weighed 225 after giving birth to her child. Thirty-two weeks later she was down to 145 pounds. She's got a very inspiring blog. Check it out here.

Stephen Fry Loses 80 Pounds

Stephen Fry, a British actor, age 51, has lost 80 pounds in just six months.

He is elated about it. He says he feels so much better due to the new diet and exercise, he feels it's even cured his manic-depression.

He says that in the first month "I did without bread, potatoes and sugar, and the weight rolled off." Later he dropped red meat. He's going to the gym and doing a lot of outdoor walking. He says the audiobooks he listens to on his walks have helped enormously.

See his story and the wonderful before and after photos at the Daily Mail.

Flattering Bathing Suits for Plus Sizes

SwimSuits for All has some flattering bathing suits in plus sizes. Check them out at Amazon.

Men's Weight Loss Stories

The majority of the weight loss stories I discuss on this blog are about women but I thought I'd sum up the recent stories by men for any guys who are looking. Here's a few stories that will inspire men;

Micheal Loses 50 Pounds on the Diabetes Diet

John Quits Soda, Loses 45 Pounds

Timothy Loses Fat and Gains Muscle

Phil Loses 192 Pounds

Tim Loses 128 Pounds

Lucas Loses Only 7 Pounds (His amazing Before and After Pics are shown above here) - He lost 19 pounds of fat but gained 12 pounds of muscle.

And more Men's Weight Loss Stories here.

Michelle Obama on Eating Your Vegetables

Michelle Obama met with some school kids today and told them “Too many kids are consuming high-calorie food with low nutritional value."

“We all have to eat vegetables every single day, every day."

The kids helped her pick lettuce and snap peas from the White House garden. Afterwords they went inside to eat a healthy meal of snap peas, brown rice and baked chicken.

Read the story at The Wall Street Journal. Image via scardey kat.

Good Food Ideas for Weight Loss

I came across a good article today reminding me of some of the healthiest foods I haven't eaten for a while. They discuss foods that help promote weight loss and help us avoid bloating. Their list includes sardines, eggs, oats, lentils and blueberries.

Check it out here.

See also more about sardines and lentils.

The poached egg photo above is via jo-h at Flickr.

Weight Loss Pills - A Story

Janice, 30, has tried a lot of weight loss supplements, pills and gimmicks in her efforts to lose weight. At one time or another she's done Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Stacker, Ripped Fuel, Detoxa Trim, Alli and a bunch of others.

Recently she ditched the gimmicky way to weight loss. She went to see a trainer who told her the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to drop the pills and gimmicks and exercise regularly and eat well.

She feels she is successful in weight loss for the first time in her life. Read her story here.

The photo above is by erix at Flickr.

Weight Loss Surgery Complications

I'm reposting a comment here about one person's horrible experience with weight loss surgery. It's a scary experience and needs to be heard. Thanks for your story!

I have been through 12 months of hell. I am pleased finally I have found someone who wants to hear about weight loss surgery gone wrong. I want to scream to anyone considering it, "DON'T DO IT".
I researched for 12 months before deciding on a Gastric Sleeve Resection. I decided a lap band wasn't for me as I trave overseas a lot and one surgeon said as I was not prepared to give up biscuits it would not work for me. 2 surgeons recommended the sleeve so I went for it.
Within 36 hours of surgery I began getting extreme pain in my transverse colon. (My diagnosis as that is the only realistic explanation, but who am I? I just live with the pain.)
I was told maybe I had kidney stones. Then maybe gall bladder. Then I had a leak (haematoma) from the staple line and the liver was affected.
Then my appendix was alledgedly gangrene.
Then I got a staph infection in the wound where the appendix was taken out.
Because of my constipation, I can't drink enough water in 24 hours, I needed a haemoroidectomy. Ohh the agony when I got 2 anal infections.
Hello, why all these infections? Ohh I have developed a blood disorder, Auto immune nutropenia (diagnosed by a bone marrow biopsy, more pain)and this means I am suseptible to infections.
Then my calcium levels in my blood are high. Oh hyperparathyroidism. We have to remove the parathyroid adenomas.
5 weeks later, anotehr staph infection. 10 days in hospital on antibiotic drips as I cant take oral antibiotics or a lot of tablets including anti arthritic tablets after weight loss surgery.
Was I told this pre surgery? No way.
Have I lost weight? Sure. I mena when you throw up at every family event and any time you eat more than 100 grams of food you sure lose weight.
I have lost 53kilos in less than a year, but have had months off work. I have had to use my holiday leave for sick leave.
Anybody considering weight loss surgery, talk to me at darlingwenda@hotmail.com
I will talk you out of it!!
The true story needs to be told. No one wants to hear it.

Getting Super Fit with Yoga

Sting, the rock star, stays super fit with yoga. For many years now he's been practicing Ashtanga Yoga and he typically spends an hour and a half a day performing the exercises.

Here are two photos, one taken when he was 49, the other taken when he was 55 years old. That is also the same year he wrote a foreward to a Yoga book called Yoga Beyond Belief.

Ali Lost 100 Pounds in One Year

Ali lost 100 pounds in one year. She did this with the help of a personal trainer. She is very tall at 6'1' and she now weighs 175 pounds. When she first met her trainer and weighed 278 pounds, he told her she wasn't eating enough!

He asked her to eat six small meals a day and to make sure she got lots of protein in each meal. Now she is often eating chicken or fish at 10:00 in the morning. She says she no longer craves sugar.

When she first started losing weight she lost 20 pounds in the first month and that was very encouraging. See her weight loss story and picture here.