Girdle Stories from Long Ago

Girdles have been around for a long time and they are here to stay; albeit in a very different form called 'shapeware'. Here's a very entertaining video of a girdle fashion show from the 1940's in Britian. In one scene we see a mother of nine children. Yep, nine children. I doubt she has time to put on girdles. They are foster babies and she spends her days changing diapers, washing them, and putting them on the laundry line outside. And you thought...

Ugly Betty talks about Appearances

Beautiful America Ferrera, who stars in the very popular new sitcom "Ugly Betty" (produced by Salma Hayek) was interviewed a few years ago and had this to say about appearances;So, definitely, just growing up in America, whether you're skinny or not there's just way too much attention placed on the way we look. It overshadows more important things in life like loving yourself, loving who your are...

Trans Fat is a Hazardous Chemical

New York City is joining Chicago in proposing a ban on trans fat in foods served at restaurants. Trans fat is the worst type of fat and causes serious health problems as the body is not able to digest it properly. NYC's mayor has even gotten Robert de Niro into the debate. De Niro owns several restaurants in New York but they are all trans fats free. _____Photo by Tup...

A Vegetarian Body Builder

I'd assume only a small minority of bodybuilders are vegetarians, but according to Robert Cheeke, there is no reason to eat meat if you want big muscles. Cheeke has competed in body building competitions around the world. He weighs only 176 pounds, works out six days a week and relies on a protein-rich diet of nuts, grains and green vegetables. He has a vegan bodybuilding site which goes into the...

Breakfast is the Most Important Meal?

Everybody has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whatever you do, don't skip breakfast. Nobody questions this. I't almost a religious dogma in the realm of nutrition and dietary rules.A few days ago there was an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about this. There are a few scientists now questioning the basis of this 'fact'."They're not challenging the practice...

Sexy Halloween Costumes in Plus Sizes

There's a really good selection of plus sized Halloween costumes available online these days. If you're planning on attending a Halloween party and want to shell out about $40 or $50 for an outfit, you'll have no end of outfits to choose from. Here's just four samples from the 'sexy adult' costumes' category I found in the plus size section at Annies Costumes.The black one on the top left is a Warrior...

What is it about Chocolate?

As the days get shorter and colder, I reach more often for the chocolate. Especially the dark and heavily caffeinated kind. It's been one of those days. ______'Self explaining addiction' photo by Procsi...

Gallbladder forces a Lifestyle Change

Angie Brown, 28, was forced to change her diet when her gallbladder began giving her serious health problems. At 5'4", she weighed 200 pounds at the end of 2004. That's when she found out she had gallbladder disease. But instead of having surgery, she decided to radically change her diet. She cut out most saturated fats from her diet and all soft drinks. And after losing thirty pounds, she started...

Walking Clubs for Fitness Motivation

I know a woman, a friend of a friend, who has a gorgeous figure. She's slim and has a very healthy glow about her. She's no young pup in her twenties. She was born the same year as me.And the secret to her fit body and vibrant looks is a regular walking regiment. She started this a few years ago, when her two kids were still in elementary school. She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed solitary...

Girdles and the Post-Baby Flabby Stomach

While we're on the subject of girdles, I just read at The Mirror about another celebrity who says one of the secrets of looking fabulous just four months after giving birth is her expensive girdle from Agent Provocateur.Nancy Sorrell says, "I wore them every day except when they were in the wash. They basically just pull everything in. I'm not sure if they worked or if I would have lost the weight...

Starbucks and Calorie Excesses

A recently released report points out that a regular habit of buying Starbucks or other coffee chain 'special drinks' can really add up your daily calories consumed. For example, how many calories would you say are in the Starbucks' blackberry green tea Frappuccino?Three hundred? Guess again. It's 560 calories! One could eat a nice meal of grilled chicken and a heaped plate of tasty vegetables and...

Beyonce Wears a Spanx Girdle?

It's interesting to see that even young celebrities with perfect bodies are wearing the modern equivalent of girdles - SPANX - when they want to cinch the waist and slim the hips. But no one uses the word 'girdles' anymore. These evolved girdles are called 'slimming shapewear'. Here's a photo (taken by Splash News) of Beyonce Knowles in what appears to be SPANX tummy control nylons. It's made of...

How to cook Corn on the Cob

This is the season for fresh corn. Eating corn on the cob is a great way to fill up on a delicious, nutritious and low calorie food. Corn is very high in fiber. A one cup serving (at 177 calories) will provide you with about 18% of the recommended daily value of fiber. Corn is also high in folate, (19% of daily recommended), Vitamin B1, (24%) and Vitamin C (17%). I bought six corn on the cobs to...

Jessica Simpson and Her Personal Trainer

Jessica Simpson has her own personal trainer, just like many other celebrities. His name is Mike Alexander. He's actually an old friend from highschool who she hired to create her eating and fitness regimen when she was preparing for filming the Dukes of Hazzard. He lived with her for three months during this time and she worked out six days a week. Now her personal trainer is establishing a name...

Skinny Models Get Rejected

Models that are too skinny to be healthy are being banned from next week's prestigious fashion show in Spain. Being too skinny to qualify for this show is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.The government in Madrid has decided to take the lead in breaking the dangerous cycle of excessively skinny models being role models for young girls who then go on to starve themselves and...

Pound to Kilogram Calculator

I've added this handy pound to kilogram (and kilograms to pounds) converter on the sidebar of this site.It would be much simpler for all of us if the whole world converted to kilograms, but for now I don't think in kilos, can't visualize them and always have to convert kilo weights into pounds.The photo here is 'Parmesan cheese by the kilo'. It's taken by Jyri.Check out the instant calculator on the...

A Virtual Model for Weight Loss

I've just added this virtual model to my sidebar. It's based on your body mass index (BMI) which is a function of your height and weight. Given your height, what you see at different weights is what you might look like at different body mass index (BMI) ranges. It's fun to see and quite motivating.To see how overweight I was and how I could look if I ever reached my goal weight, scroll over the 'start' and 'goal' buttons' you see on the right.Celebrity...

Sardines are a rich source of Omega 3's

It's harder to eat less when the food you eat leaves you nutritionally starved or even somewhat deficient.This is a key premise of a new book, The Sardine Diet. Here we learn that sardines are one of the richest sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.Most people are not eating enough Omega-3 and this type of fat is far more important in fighting obesity and even depression than many people realize....

Examining those Pesky Vices

Julia Harvey (pictured here) used to be a 290 pound single mother. She went on to lose 130 pounds and has kept the weight off for over ten years.She's just published her second book, The Vice-Busting Diet: A 12-Week Plan to Break Your Worst Food Habits and Change Your Life Foreverand it promises to be an interesting read. Instead of prescribing a rigid diet with only certain foods, she discusses how...

The World's Fattest Man

The world's fattest man weighs 1,210 pounds. Manuel Uribe, 40, says, "People think that I can eat a whole cow, but it's not just overeating, it's also a hormonal problem."Uribe is scheduled to have weight-loss surgery in Italy soon. He's been bedridden for the past five years. The english version of his website is at Manuel Uribe. He updates it with his laptop while lying in his iron b...

A Super Fit Body

Here's some visual motivation to help me stick to my fitness and weight loss goals over this Labor Day long weekend:-). The photo is titled "Material Girl" and was taken by Ryagales...