Wonder what her conversation is about?

Biggest Loser...

Everyone is having a Biggest Loser challenge...

The High School/Middle School in our town is offering a 9 week program for the kids who'd like to participate in a Biggest Loser Challenge! Becca has signed up for it as she still wants to lose at least 20 more pounds.

The high school gym teacher is in charge of this program. The kids all weighed in last Tuesday (over 50 kids participated!) and she gave them information on weight loss programs and exercise programs. She is taking each week's school menu and converting it to the Weight Watchers Points System, so that the kids can track what they eat. The gym and weight room will be open during lunch and after school for extended hours so that the kids can exercise and work out.

Becca stayed a couple nights last week to either work out in the weight room or do laps in the gym with a couple of her friends.

I hope that the gym teacher extends this for the last nine weeks of school as well. She will monitor their weight loss and encourage them to lose weight in a healthy way.

I think this program is fantastic! Kudos to the teacher!

Hair Loss in Women

Hair loss in women who have PCOS is a very common problem. The reason that women don't grow new hair is not totally understood, but in the case of women with PCOS, excessively high levels of androgens (male hormones) are thought to be primarily responsible.

A male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is converted from testosterone, binds to sites on hair follicles and appears to make the follicles go into their "resting" phase sooner, which in turn starts to cause the hairs produced by those follicles to become thinner and thinner with each growth cycle.

Women with high or increasing levels of androgens, such as women with PCOS or who are menopausal, may find that the hair on the head is thinned, while facial hair is coarser. Although new hair is not produced, the follicles remain alive, suggesting the possibility of new hair growth.

So what can they do about it? One option for treating hair loss is with the use of medications. The only drug or medication approved by the FDA to treat female pattern baldness is Minoxidil, used topically on the scalp. Minoxidil was discovered before the 1980's but was used to treat high blood pressure, not baldness. However, those that tried the product found they had an unusual side effect.... hair growth!

Another medication that is not recommended for women, but does work well with men is Finasteride (Procerin).

You can read more about hair loss and check out the discussion board for those that suffer from hair loss over at publichealthforums.com.

Fruit Filled Puff Pancakes

I love breakfast! Here is a great recipe that I got over at Better Homes & Gardens for a fruit filled Puff Pancake. It sounds delicious!


Fruit-Filled Puff Pancakes

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes

Ingredients

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup fat-free milk
* 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups fresh fruit (choose from sliced strawberries, peeled and sliced kiwi fruit or peaches, blackberries, blueberries, seedless grapes, sliced nectarines or apricots, and/or pitted and halved sweet cherries)
* 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, warmed

Directions

1. For pancakes, coat four 4-1/4-inch pie plates or 4-1/2-inch foil tart pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl use a rotary beater or wire whisk to beat egg product or whole egg plus egg white, flour, milk, oil, and salt until smooth. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until brown and puffy. Turn off oven; let stand in oven for 5 minutes.

3. To serve, immediately after removing the pancakes from oven, transfer to 4 plates. Spoon some of the fruit into center of each pancake. Drizzle fruit with warmed orange marmalade. Makes 4 servings.

Good Food, Good Health Eating Plan Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1 fat/sugar.
Nutrition Facts
Close
Nutrition facts per serving:

* Calories 123
* Total Fat (g) 4
* Saturated Fat (g) 1
* Cholesterol (mg) 0
* Sodium (mg) 210
* Carbohydrate (g) 18
* Fiber (g) 2
* Protein (g) 5
* Vitamin A (DV%) 4
* Vitamin C (DV%) 69
* Calcium (DV%) 4
* Iron (DV%) 6

*Percent Daily Values are base on a 2,000 calorie diet

Are you addicted to sugar?

My biggest problem when I get off track of watching what I eat is that I always end up eating junk food with lots of sugar in it.... cookies, candy bars, ice cream, and anything with sugar in it. I fully admit that I am a sugar addict.

Now that I'm back on track for 2008, what can I do about it? Well, I did a little research this week to try to figure out why I always end up eating the things that I promise myself I won't. I know I wrote above that I'm a sugar addict. Unfortunately, I'm not joking. I really am addicted to sugar, much the same that a smoker is addicted to nicotine or an alcoholic is addicted to booze.

So what can I do about it? After reading the ebook Weight Loss: How to Keep Your Commitment, I've learned how to say "no thanks" to fattening food, without having to struggle with cravings. I'm now eating nutritious food without feeling deprived, and without obsessing about the fattening food I chose not to eat. It taught me specific mental skills that help me to rise above the addictive cravings for sugar and fat.

If you want to learn more about how to cure your sugar addiction, I suggest you check out this great e-book by Jonni Good, Weight Loss: How to Keep Your Commitment. I honestly believe that you won't regret it. Even if you do, she offers an 8 week money back guarantee and you still get to keep the e-book! What have you got to lose, except your sugar addiction.

Have a Great day!

Exercise Bands...

I love using exercise bands! I started using them when I purchased the Slim In 6 DVD set last year. The thing I like best about it is that you don't really feel like you're getting a work out! lol! You should use strength training every other day with a good cardio workout on the opposite days.

I found a great workout guide over at Prevention.com called We Found It! The Fastest Way To Sculpt. This is what I want! I have 6 weeks to get back in shape for our trip to Florida with the marching band. We leave Feb. 12th and I started working out again on January 1st... So I have exactly 6 weeks!

I started with the gazelle and elliptical machine in the evenings and I'm doing Slim in 6 and the bands in the morning while the girls are getting ready for school. My goal is to be back to where I was last summer so that I look pretty good in my bathing suit. I'm at the 'kind of sore' stage right now after 4 straight days of exercise! lol! But I am bound and determined to lose the weight I gained since Halloween.

31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

Here is a great article that I found over at ZenHabits.

How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and I have the feeling I’m not the only one.

A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit … and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.

There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.

1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
7. Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.
8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
10. Forums. Do the monthly challenge on the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
11. Rewards. If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning.
12. Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!
13. Being attractive. That’s always a good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct language.
14. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
15. Stress relief. Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.
16. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this post was written in my head as I exercised.
17. A workout partner. Best thing I’ve done.
18. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
19. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.
20. An exercise log/graph. For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a week and you’ll see what I mean.
21. Your before picture. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
22. A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
23. The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired.
24. Living long enough to see your grandkids … and play with them.
25. The scale. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist.
26. Reaching a goal. Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.
27. Posting it on your blog. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen.
28. Motivational quotes. I like to print them out or put them on my computer desktop.
29. Books. I just bought a strength-training book as a reward. It makes me want to hit the weights!
30. Others commenting on how good you look. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more.
31. An upcoming day at the beach, or a reunion. Nuff said.

What are your motivations? Let us know in the comments.