Down two pounds!

Well, the gym is working! I'm down two pounds this week. Woo Hoo! Jilli and I went three times last week. We didn't get to go over the weekend, but we plan to go at least three times this week.

I've been working hard on cutting out the sweets and I've been trying to eat more protein with each meal. I bought some of the Special K Protein water and I've been drinking that with my meals because I'm not the best at planning protein in with my food.

There are 62 days till our cruise! I'd really like to lose 10 pounds, but 15 would be fantastic! I've got two months to do it, so I should be able to. But it's going to take work and commitment.

Working in the gym....

My daughter Jillian is trying out for the volleyball team. She really, really wants to make it this year, but they have 60 girls trying out for 30 spots, so half the girls won't make it. Jillian has always been a petite girl, but has grown several inches in the past two years, so now she's all legs and arms! lol!

So, she decided that she wanted to start working out to build up her stamina. We have a local Community Center with a really nice gym, so she and I have been going several days a week. I enjoy the treadmill more than anything else, but I also like the stationary bike. Jillian likes the treadmill too but also likes to work out on the weight machines as well.

There are a lot of men and women that come in while we are there... most of them are in very good shape. I can't help but wonder if they use some sort of supplement when they work out... I've heard of being able to purchase cheap supplements online through a company in Australia. They carry Redbak products which are supposed to be the best protein products in Australia.

Jillian finds out Monday after practice if she makes the team or not, so she really worked out hard today, and wants us to go back tomorrow too. If she makes it, she'll have practice every single night after school, or a game, so she'll definitely be in great shape by the end of the season! If she doesn't, she still plans to go to the gym often, so that she's in better shape next year....

I'm very proud of her, either way!

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
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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!