The exercise equipment is calling my name.

"Kathi! Oh Kathi, where are you?"

Now how come ice cream's call is better followed?

I can't figure that one out. Especially since the exercise will do far more for me than a big bowl of frozen fat ever could.

This shifting of priorities is a never-ending struggle.

Why can't I simply be thin, rich and beautiful? Is that too much to ask? Surely not!

Let's Make Business Cards

Ok, everyone here is a fun little activity! This site is set up to custom create your very own business cards... how cool is that?

I simply love the idea of an interactive site where I can play with my promo materials before I drop a dime. For me it usually takes awhile to put together a PR Kit that really works for me in the way that I hope it will.

So I surfed on over and I hope you'll do the same and give this nifty little program a shot!

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All of a sudden one day, I bacame empowered to change the framing on a few things.

I had written down my three most important goals:

1. To lose weight

2. To become financially solid

3. To become a best selling author

I needed a picture frame to house my goals. Without any empty picture frames, I realized something.

Some of my old pictures no longer needed to be showcased in their frames. I could frame my goals, which are certainly much more important to me than a photo of , say, my brother and his ex wife... So on that day I became empowered to remove many of the photos that hold little to no importance for me.

I took back control of what things were really important to me to have framed. picture frames

I have a coupon for a free week at the neighborhood gym. But for some reason, it never gets used.

When I want to use it, I'm too busy. When I have the time to use it, I'm too lazy!

Lazy???? The truth is I am NOT a lazy person until it comes time to exercise.... go figure!

I'm trying to stay consistent with my home exercise equipment... sheesh it's paid for and I don't even have to go out in the rain to use it.

But even that goes unused far more than it ever gets used! strength equipment

On rainy days like today I love to brew up a big crock pot of home-made soup. I start with some stock, then add some chicken with decent sized bones, onions and garlic, a potpourri of chopped fresh veggies and a good sprinkling of seasonings.

Within an hour or so, a delicious and mouthwatering aroma perfumes every room of my home and I feel very pleased because I know that I will eat well for many days.

The nice thing about crock pot soups is that you really do NOT have to add any fat, if you are dieting.

While a couple slices of butter and a swirl of cream, add a lovely rich, smooth velvet-like texture to a pot of soup - it is not essential.

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Just how much flexibility should we allow for in building relationships?

Should we build a romantic relationship with another whose interests are far different from our own?

Several years ago I bought the book, "Look before You Love."

This is a great book! It has truly impacted me far more than I could have ever realized.

It has taught me to look at the lifestyle of a man I might be interested in. It has also taught me to consider my own!

It can be all too easy to get caught up in a blurry haze of romantic stirrings and flat out ignore red flags.

I already knew that a certain man wasn't the one for me... but when he said he was watching wrestling on tv on a Friday night... I knew with certainty that I could never imagine a life with a man who watched wrestling on tv on Friday nights!

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with someone watching wrestling. I applaud them for being true to their interests and spending their time doing something that they enjoy, whatever that might be.

But for me.... there are other things that I like to do on a Friday night... and somehow these things seems totally incompatible with the idea of a tv set or a wrestling match.

Do you think I'm a tad bit inflexible or that I'm smart to LOOK BEFORE I LOVE?

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"To thine own self be true..." Polonius's celebrated words, which he speaks to his son Laertes before Laertes's departure for travel abroad.

Are you being true to yourself? Are you being true to the innermost beat of your own soul?

Are you living a life of true authenticity?

The only way we can answer these questions is by traveling inward, moving away from the distractions of others and of the world. This is not so easy to do in our hectic paced lives and yet it is perhaps one of the most important things we MUST do if we are to become true to ourselves. I believe that by becoming true to ourself, we become true to a better version of ourselves, to a version more aligned with who we were created to be.

No one else can tell us! Our parents, our spouse, our significant other, our pastor, our teacher, our friends, our weightloss counselor... NO, they can not tell us. They can encourage us and love us. They can celebrate our victories and sympathize in our losses... But they can not tell us what is "right" for us.

Fortunately, discovering what is right for us is closer than many realize. While some have traveled the world to find themselves and others spend their entire lives looking everywhere except inwardly, some have discovered that their personal treasure map is actually situated right in the center of their own heart. By going to this center, they will discover all the answers they need in order to live a life that is filled with relevant authenticity, and the pathways to paradise. pool floats

Call me corny, but I love square dancing.

Now here's the tough question... if we supposedly love doing something, why do we not do it?

Square dancing is one of those activities that I will dosey-doe into the opportunity to do...if the opportunity presents itself. But square dancing has never been something that I went out searching for.

Was it that I thought it was corny and outdated, perhaps something best reserved for the occasional hoe-down or barn dance?

It Is Never Too Late!

It is never too late to start eating right and exercising your body.

Have you departed from a healthy regime? I'm sure most of us do from time-to-time.

The variety of reasons for this are surely as complicated and complex as the people themselves.

While we could pin the tail on the donkey, it is far wiser to own up to whatever the reason is and get back on track. Laying blame doesn't accomplish anything of any real merit. But what does is ... the taking charge of our lives, our health and our well-being in proactive ways.

So yesterday after feeling like I was closer to 91 than 51, I forced myself to exercise, drink plenty of water and eat right.

Now 24 hours later I feel like a million bucks! The human body is truly extraordinary! We have the power within us to transform our quality of life, by the choices we make. Choosing healthy food and physical exercise is so easy when we get deliberate about it. For support it never hurts to include your desire for a good diet and fitness program in your prayers.

When he said those things, clever comebacks came to me, comebacks that could cut him to the core. Yet, that sane inner voice whispered, "No Kathi."

So I spoke, not.

I would not stoop to that level. I would not lower myself to casting negativity in his garden.

Matching negativity for negativity does nothing to improve anyone's life. It only draws more darkness into an already dark world.

We can not be beacons of light if we spread darkness. Won't you spread some light today?

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I realize what I did wrong and yet I find it hard to turn the tide.

You see I let someone into my life, who began sprinkling seeds of negativity. I was doing great. Losing weight and feeling empowered to reach my goal.

But he started making comments about my weight and his words were not helpful to me.

The positive and the encouraging self-love tapes that had helped me to lose the weight got silenced, and the station got changed. Now the only words I heard were:

Rolly Polly

Fat

Your Underarms!

On and on!

While I know that I can not attach the blame to anyone but myself... I am angry at me. I am angry that I opened the door into my life to a person who sprinkles words of negativity. I am angry that I allowed his words to have a clear channel.

Now I have a tough job. I have to turn off that channel. It is harder than I thought. I have to return to my own channel of encouragement and self-love that says, "You are beautiful and thin!"

I have to discontinue ALL further association with this man, because association with him is toxic to my serenity and disastrous to my physical and emotional well-being.

And then maybe I can begin the job of erasing all the "fat" things he said to me.

We have to be very, very careful who we allow entrance into our lives. We need to be certain that they are "safe people."

A safe person is positive and affirming and sees us as a better version of ourselves. This gift they offer has the power to pull us forward into a better version of ourselves. They say, " you are beautiful" and before their very eyes we manifest into a more beautiful version of ourselves.

But if they say you are rolly polly, how can we not manifest into a more rolly polly version of ourselves?

Words... are they not more powerful than just about anything in lifting up or tearing down the spirit?


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It is good to be on a diet and lose weight. But what happens when you go off the diet? What happens when you go off the supplements that helped with the weight loss?

Are we forever doomed to popping pills?

I hate pills. Oh I know hate is a harsh word and that I should never say "I hate" anything.

But I do! I hate dieting! I hate popping pills to stay thin. Why can't I just be pencil-thin on my own?

Everyday I say, "today, today I'll get back on the program." But then I meet some food that taunts me and tempts me and today never comes.

Of course, it is my fault. I can't blame it on the food. That is foolish. How can a food make you do something? We are a silly lot at times- giving things like food powers to control us.

One day I'm going to stop letting food run the show. One day I'm going to learn to say "NO" to all the nods of immediate gratification. One day I'm going to grow up... and realize that I am in control of every morsel that enters my body and on that day I will say no to anything and everything that is not filled with vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.

NOW needs to be that day! Phentermine no prescription

I told a little fib. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened.

It was one of those fibs that the person doesn't forget.

See it all happened when I casually told this guy that we had the same birthday, for reasons that might only make sense to me. Now the thing is he usually forgets just about everything I say so I didn't think it would be such a big deal. I'd already told him the date of my real birthday... but naturally in all his self-centerered splendor, he forgot. In my book forgetting equates, to "I don't give a d_ _ _ !

Really, any guy worth his salt doesn't forget his girl's birthday. Does he? Or do I just expect too much?

So now I have a little predicament. I might need to take his name off my birthday invitations list!

What is with these guys looking for a sugar momma?

I can not believe that there are guys out there that expect a woman to take on the dominant role!

I've seen and heard it all... at least all I plan to hear!

From the rich guy who lets his mom supplement his income to the one who said he wants to be my caddy! Let me tell you... I want an equal partner. I don't need a caddy! I want someone like me, someone who stands on their own two feet, someone who isn't afraid to take a swing and hit the ball out of the ballpark.

I want someone who takes his life mission and his career serious and isn't focused on becoming a barnacle on someone else's back.

I don't mind paying my fair share at times, but I'm not about to spring for his share of the bill! It goes against my grain, it goes against everything I believe a man should be!

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Fifty is the NEW 35! You've got to love this, especially if you are either in or nearing the FABULOUS FIFTIES!

I turned the big 5-o last summer and have not looked back once.

But here is the disturbing thing...there are people who have totally screwed up thought processes and are not happy unless they are dragging somebody else down.

We have to stay away from people like that! They are TOXIC!

I'm referring to people who come to plant seeds of hopelessness, doubt or despair in our gardens.

If a friend tells you that fifty is too old... who needs enemies?

Fifty is a great age. In fact I think life begins at fifty. So what if we are wearing bi-focals and investing in thebest acne treatment?

Reminiscent of a 1940's love story....

the verbage captured my imagination.

The brochure had arrived in last week's mail, with the glorious shots of shell-strewn beaches and barefoot lovers walking hand-in-hand, on a wet and sandy beach.

The compelling photo tugged at my heartstrings.

"I want that!" My heart cried out as I made the decision not to toss the direct mail advertising in the trash. No instead I placed it smack dab on the coffee tables mosaic surface.

I'm Happier When I Eat Pasta

It's true ... I feel happier and more satisfied nutritionally when I keep pasta in my regular diet.

What is up with this?

Almost every weight loss program I've ever been on has labeled pasta a bad food choice when trying to lose weight.

Trying to get a read on this, I went surfing the internet and was pleased to find the following information from the Canadian Diabetes Association.

"Insulin resistance appears to affect a small percentage of Canadians and is most common among overweight individuals. It is related to a form of diabetes called Type II diabetes.

In an insulin-resistant person, the pancreas produces too much insulin after he or she eats sugars or starches. Additionally, cells in insulin-resistant individuals' bodies may not respond to insulin, causing their blood sugar to stay abnormally high after a meal or a snack. - The reality is that being overweight causes insulin-resistance.

A high-carbohydrate diet does not make an insulin-resistant person overweight, nor does it cause insulin-resistance. - Adopting a high-carbohydrate diet actually enhances insulin function for most people by lowering insulin levels. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the body and insulin helps cells utilize glucose for energy."

With a history of diabetes in my family and being at an age where one starts to recognize the potential for declining health - I'm very interested in the research provided by diabetes associations.

So maybe there is a nutritional reason that I feel better after eating a well-prepared dish of pasta. Maybe the pasta is performing an important function in my body.

I'm looking forward to researching this more. I'd also love to hear your thoughts! Please feel free to post relevant comments on this blog!

I've been working on a special menu- a menu designed to help support anyone who is trying to eat right.

While it is a cinch for me to dream up amazing ideas for foods that are unrestricted in fat or calories, it is quite another thing to dream up foods that are low-fat, yet delicious.

Why did God let the things that add depth and richness, be loaded in fat?

I suppose I shouldn't blame him! He did give us an extraordinary garden of fabulous fruits, vegetables and herbs!

Everything we need to live an abundant life was provided in that garden.

Perhaps we should return to a more plant-based diet, a diet free of inferior man-made foods.

If we could eat fruits and vegetables as close to their most natural state, we could probably eliminate much of the obesity and much of the illness in our world today.

Yikes! I finally stepped back on the scale a few minutes ago. Not good! I've gained about 25 pounds since the holidays.

So I've made the decision to get re-dedicated to this weight loss journey. I've drank more water this morning already than I probably drank in an entire week's time in the past several months.

The water is so critical. It really helps to flush out the toxins.

During my time freelancing as a weight loss counselor, I discovered that the patients who drank liberal amounts of water (at least a minimum of 64 ounces a day), visited the center regularly and kept a true accounting of their daily food intake were the most successful in their quest to lose weight. While those who drank little water, failed to visit the center on a regular basis and did not record a daily food diary ... lost very little weight at all and even in some cases- gained weight.

So much of this is just plain old common sense! It is not all that much different than when we were in school. If we read the assignments, did our homework and put forth a serious effort - we would get good grades. If we blew off the assignments, the homework and the effort - we could pretty much be assured relatively unsatisfactory results.

It is about what is more important to us. It's about just saying " NO "to the short term desires that interfere with allowing us to accomplish the more important long term desires.

We have to decide what is more important to us and to our lives.

We have to be able to intelligently weigh immediate satisfaction over a future goal.

Do we want to see our goal realized? Or do we want to trade off our goal for immediate gratification that could lead to all sorts of health issues? Is that sugar worth the damage it can do to both health and well being?

I write about this because this is my daily challenge. Too many times in my life, I've elected sugar fixes over a greater goal. In the process, I've compromised my health and the dreams that are in my soul.

So once again, I pick myself up and try again to avoid the sugar, to drink the water, to keep the food diary, to make smarter choices concerning what I put in my mouth and to exercise this divine temple that I was entrusted with to partake of a human experience on this planet.

I don't want my experience to be any less than what it was destined for when the Creator decided that I should be created.

Is anyone even following this blog? After blogging for some time a blogger begins to wonder... does anyone even care what I have to say? Has anyone tried some of the recipes I posted in the earlier days of this blog?

Diet With Kathi has certainly been on a journey. Unfortunately, I never reached my ultimate goal. Now this is not to say that I won't. Because in time I shall. But the truth is, this dieter got tired of eating the same basic food over and over again.

I missed being able to eat several fresh fruits a day. I missed cooking with olive oil. I missed baked potatoes and I missed my pasta!

There was nothing wrong with the diet... it was an excellent diet. But I'm just not an excellent dieter! My taste buds want more freedom.

Eventually I will return to the weightloss program, but for now I just want to celebrate FLavor once again more than I want to celebrate restriction.

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Let us not be blind to our differences, nor to the similarities that unite us.

There are far too many comments made in this world that offer no value or hope to the human condition. Why do people say things that are hurtful to others?

The comments made that pertain to the overweight are uncalled for as are the derogatory coments made in reference to any human struggle.

Struggles with sugar addictions are not really all that different than struggles with other addictions. Is one more acceptable than another?

Everyone of them presents a detour of sorts, keeping the addicted from being able to fully experience their true purpose in life.

The similarity that we share is that we all, regardless of who we are or what our station in life might be, have been placed on this planet with a divinely appointed purpose. The difference is the beautiful uniqueness of each life's purpose. The combination is what makes this world the most extraordinary mosaic.... and the kind words are the light that shines through and illuminates the human mosaic, making sense of what would otherwise be a dark, lost and hurting world.

Won't you let your words - be words of light? drug rehab

I will go to my deathbed praising God that I was born in a country that values freedom of speech.

As a blogger spinning out my quirky creatives, I often realize just how blessed we are in this nation.

In other places, freedom to say what one desires is not a possibility. Sometimes people are even killed for speaking their mind. How utterly unthinkable and how utterly barbaric!

Sometimes though, even in this nation, people are afraid to say things that need to be said and to stand up to the tyranny of the times.

No, it shouldn't be this way! We should all feel confident to speak out against injustice.

Recently, I heard a disturbing tidbit about some regulations that could be coming down the pike for bloggers in an attempt to rein in what a person can post on a blog. But since I don't know the full story, I will suspend judgement for the time being until I can make an intelligent and well-balanced commentary. Won't you do the same? espresso machines

It is encouraging to see that Florida will soon be offering affordable health insurance options for the state's millions of uninsured adults.

Will this really make a difference and will it give Florida residents a policy that has some real coverage?

I've had some "affordable insurance" in the past and to be honest it didn't give me diddly squat! When I needed it to cover me, it didn't. So in essence my hard earned money went to line the coffers of the insurance company and the pockets of the slick salesman who promised the world and gave me - - - -.

So I wonder what sorts of regulations will be enforced to protect Florida's citizens from being ripped off by unscrupulous insurance vendors.

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Yes! Yes! Yes! Now that my trusty ole' pc is zipping along once again... I would be delighted to take on some I-Strategy work!

I am still in the market for a new computer ... but hopefully I'll be able to hang on a couple more months.

There are always far too many places for my income to go and never quite enough of the green stuff to cover all the bases. You would think that by living in a bank, I would have an endless cash supply. Ha Ha Ha! I wish! Perhaps that is why I splurge on the calorie budget!

But I truly suspect that all of this is a-changing as I turn the corner for a prosperous new season.

Come .... won't you join us for the journey? Orovo

Yippity Do Da!

Yippity Day... My, Oh My What A Beautiful Day!

For the first time in many weeks, I'm completing my queu of assignments on time before pay day!

My computer had been presenting one issue after another, creating a long annoying string of unacceptable, yet unavoidable excuses.

No completed assignments... no money! Not a pretty picture! Why, it is enough to cause one to break out in an anxiety rash! acne treatments

I don't feel like buying any lingerie right now!

I suppose if I had simply said, "NO" to the desserts today, my tummy wouldn't be feeling so bulgy!

What is my problem? I have such an ongoing weakness for all things rich, chocolate and decadently sinful!

Somehow I have got to get my will aligned with the savvier parts of my brain!

When you live the European way, above the shop or behind the shop, in the urban quadrant of the city, as I do ... it is not unreasonable to miss the pleasures of the garden.

My present garden is limited to a postage-stamp sized plot of soil, just barely large enough to hold a tree in one square and a rose bush in another.

Yard work takes a good fifteen minutes every now and then, to pull a handful of weeds or clip the dead heads off the rose bush. Sweeping in front of the store could easily become a daily chore, as the Florida winds seem to deposit a good dusting of sand and soot to my curb. We are not all that close to the beach... why then is there always such a collection of sand to sweep away?

Is this the result of beach erosion? Do the winds deposit sand inland this far? I never imagined they could, but then I'm always finding out all sorts of things are possible that I previously didn't think were possible.

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I'm getting ready to go for a walk. Just need to drink up my zipp fizz, first.

Today's walk should be especially entertaining. I'm taking a different route than usual for reasons perhaps I'll share at a later date.

Let me just say my change in route has something to do with a new friend :)

New friends are a great thing, especially if a new friendship can include fitness in the mix!

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Well I don't need a magnifying glass to see that I've put on a few pounds.

Why is it that diets only work up to a point?

A suppose the real answer is that THE DIETERS ONLY WORK UP TO A POINT until we get bored or burned out with the deprivation and then go back to our old patterns.

The reality is that we need to truly want one result over the other. So we need to move beyond the immediate gratification that comes with taking our short-lived pleasure today and casting our sights further down the road to the long-life pleasures of tomorrow.

Why can't we just have our cake and eat it too?

Where does the blame lie? We seem to live in an age where it is commonplace for the wrongs of life to be shifted to innocent parties. When are we just going to start owning up to the simple fact that we are responsible for the state of our own lives? We need to quit blaming someone and something else. It is not the government's fault, it is not societies fault, it is not your parent's fault, it is not your spouse's fault... look in the mirror and lay the real fault in the correct place.

We have an extraordinary amount of control over our destiny, we can choose to seize hold of the life we want or we can wallow in the misery and shift all the blame to something else. The choice is ours and the time is NOW! mortgage lenders

"An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity." - Sir Winston Churchill

Through the art and practice of positive thinking, extraordinary things are breathed into existence. Look at all the great inventions of our world that entered through the heavy door of what was initially a problem.

It takes spiritual muscles to push through that door and to engage in positive thinking. Positive thinking requires faith in believing in something that is not yet a reality. The best place that I've found to develop and exercise one's spiritual muscles is through an honest one-to one relationship with our creator. By believing in HIM, AMAZING things are possible.

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The major special event of the year! At Last! America's most famous special event designer tells her own story!

Major Advertising! Major Promo! Author appearances coast to coast! First printing 500,000 copies! Already puchased for a major film starring ...

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Forget the rules! Arouse the senses! Imagine the fun of wearing a pair of sable leather thigh high boots, then fling the doors open and say, "I've arrived!"

Sometimes one needs to change their paradigm and break free of the shackles that bind.

Memories preserved in delicate detail- everything.

The taste, the scent, the sight and most especially the emotion ...all locked away in a secret compartment, ready to spring to life with just the right combination of cues.

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Benefits and Features of Hi-Energy Supplements

The hi-energy supplements that I get from Winners Weightloss in Tallahassee have been one of the keys to my weight loss success.

Here are some of the benefits:

1. Satisfies sweet cravings

2. Tastes good

3. Versatile

4. Can be used in cooking

5. Stimulates metabolism

6. Essential for hair and nail growth

7. Satisfies psychological cravings

8. Regulates the body's water balance

9. Major source of building material for the body

10. Aids in formation of antibodies

11. Promotes healing process

12. Important in process of blood clotting formation

13. Needed for formation of hormones

14. Proper amounts of protein can reduce fatigue and the lack of stamina often experienced during dieting.

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There is a joy that comes in pushing oneself beyond one's prior limitations. Our limitations vary from person to person, situation to situation.

It can be too easy to give up and accept defeat. Diets are a perfect example of this. In order to be successful we have to push ourselves to places we often don't want to push ourself too.

And yet when we do it, we have the potential to achieve the uncommon. patch panel

Every other Sunday I seem to make a mad dash to complete my assignments before the cut off on Monday morning.

I don't know why I wait till the last minute. This is a trait that has demonstrated itself repeatedly in my life. I suppose it has a great deal to do with priorities.

We often do those things that are high on our list of priorities before we do the tasks that are not quite so high.

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Time is money. I'm not sure why this little nugget of truth has been hard for me to grasp hold of.

I have often treated both time and money as if there was an unlimited supply of each, only to awaken to the rude reality that both can easily be squandered if one is not careful.

Why can't life be easier? Perhaps a life of ease would remove all the adventure from the journey. Isn't the journey all the better when we meet the depth of our own strength?

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Sometimes we over indulge in food because we are unsatisfied in other areas of our lives. We are looking to be filled up, yet we are not necessarily choosing the right filling station.

We think what we are feeling is hunger. In certain respects it is. But just maybe it is not a physical hunger, but rather it is a spiritual hunger.

A spiritual hunger can not be filled with food, wholesale fashion jewelry or worldly things - it must be filled with the living presence of our creator.

Be on the look out for a Diet With Kathi workshop later this spring. In this class I'll be spilling some of my secrets for losing close to 100 pounds.

As a foodie, good tasting food is about as important to me as fresh air. I can't live without either.

I'll be sharing how I've managed to create wonderful dishes, while staying within the guidelines of the Winner's Weightloss Program.

We all know that diet food usually doesn't taste all that satisfying and perhaps that is the chief reason diets often lack both the short term and long term statistical results that deem them successful.

What if you could learn some dynamic flavor principles that would forever change your kitchen paradigm?

For more information about this class and other great classes, call the Canopy Rose Culinary Arts Studio and Catering Company at 850-539-7750.

Did you know that you can sponsor postings on our blogs? It is very simple! We simply add a text link to the bottom of our posting with the sponsors website.

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One of the perks of losing weight is being able to wear a more interesting collection of clothing. Let's face it- dressing up or down just isn't much fun when your body is covered in excess baggage. Isn't that sort of what obesity is... visible and unhealthy baggage of brokeness.

I'm looking forward to an Atlanta buying trip this spring. I can't wait to give away the rest of my double digit clothing and get back to the single digits- the low single digits! corsets

If a memory foam mattress is anything like a memory foam pillow, I would one day like to get one!

My friend has memory foam pillows at his house and I never would have thought that I would like them. But actually I like them even more than my white goose down overstuffed king size bed pillows.

There is something very nice about them!

It's not like I've been on holiday or anything. Actually I've been consumed with transition for many months. I hope to get more regular with my postings on this blog.

I think I'd like to go in a different direction on this blog for 2008. However, that direction has not presented itself to me yet.

So consequently you hear from me when I 'm working on an assignment. This assignment is for Nike golf.

Now that is an idea I could get into...maybe a golfing weekend in PebbleBeach!

It was Christmas time when the box of two wines arrived. Being in the middle of moving, I immediately moved them to the kitchen in my new residence, anxiously awaiting a special occasion to open the bottles and partake of some fine wine.

So one afternoon as my friends who helped me move and I sat down to a simple lunch, I suggested we try the wine. They were thrilled!

We were about to turn a meal into a celebration, thanks to the gift of wine.

They were very favorable about the wine, but for some reason I just wasn't crazy about it. Perhaps my taste buds were off that day. Perhaps the wine was a bit too dry for my taste preferences. I'm really not sure what it was. Perhaps I was too stressed with my move to enjoy a truly fine wine.

There was a bit left in a bottle and I shared it with a client a couple days ago. She also, like my other friends, gave this wine the thumbs up. I guess I need some instruction on understanding good wines. So it is for that reason that I would like to join a wine of the month club that my teach me how to appreciate a good wine.

Why pay retail prices if you don't have to? The Internet has made it a breeze to find exactly what we are looking for with the added benefit that any savvy shopper can usually find anything they want at a price that they are willing to pay. Standard mark-ups are way, way too high on most products. That is why you need resources like directbuy on your rolodex.

Yikes! I didn't realize so much time had passed since my last blog posting. My days have been consumed with first the sale of my house, then the closing, packing and moving and now getting settled into my new home and business. I wish that I could say that through it all, I was victorious in my weight loss. While I didn't put any weight on through this journey, I also didn't lose very much... at least not as much as I should have lost. Hopefully now that I am beginning to get back on an even keel, I will get refocused on losing the rest of my weight. To date I've lost close to 100 pounds! But lately I'm really struggling with sugar and chocolate cravings. One night I ate an entire pint of chocolate fudge frozen yogurt. I couldn't help myself. I just kept eating until the carton was empty. This is truly a sickness! It is really no different than any type of addiction...alcohol or drugs or nicotine. Fortunately a sugar addiction isn't illegal or cause one to have impaired judgement, but it still is self-destructive and it still sets up an unwelcome outpost in the head that tries to control one's decisions. I'll never really understand what it is that happens in the mind that causes an addictive substance to take over. But I will continue to battle this in the best way that I know how. Maybe the center should install a hidden spy camera in my kitchen, ten everytime I deviate it will catch me in the act!

Hidden away in the bottom of the old chest was a golden timepiece that had been in the family for several generations.

With five sons, the challenge was about who would inherit this antique piece of jewelry.

Max did some deep thinking and arrived at the perfect solution. He would order a custom made
pocket watch for each of the son's. They would be exquisite replicas of the original from Switzerland.

With the Christmas holiday season is over and New Years festivities but a blink away, the time is approaching to turn our thoughts to Super Bowl!

Get your super bowl tickets today!

Looking for some low fat noshes and nibbles for an at home Super Bowl Party? Don't miss my Super Bowl Party Food article E-zine Articles.

It's not too early to order your Superbowl tickets!

Now wouldn't a winter-time trip to the Super Bowl make for some fun after the New Year?

This year by Super Bowl I should be down a big 1-o-o!!!!

Seasons of transition....

This year I've witnessed much transition in my extended family. From young people leaving the nest to enter college to my mother moving in with my brother and my stepmom moving into a swanky retirement village.

And now I too find myself in transition. Change is a good thing... it pulls us forward into the future and to becoming more and more the people we were created to be.

assisted living software

Dieting during the holiday may present a tough and difficult challenge, but with the help of a good program it is certainly not insurmountable. That is why I am glad to be on a doctor-approved weightloss program through Winner's Weightloss. By the New Year I should be down 100 pounds from my beginning weight.

Dodge Charger accessory

Cobblestone Frittata Omelet

When I whipped this up for breakfast this morning, the torn bites of bread reminded me of the cobblestone streets of my hometown.

1 egg, beaten
a sprinkling of shredded cheddar
a pinch of blue cheese crumbles
favorite seasonings
1 slice 40-calorie honey wheat bread, torn in little squares
Optional: Plus any favorite touches you would like ie: spinach, broccoli, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, herbs, etc

Spray electric skillet with non stick spray and heat to medium.

Add bread crumbs to toast in one corner of pan.

In center of pan add beaten egg. Sprinkle with seasonings. Add cheeses. Cook, then top with cobblestone bites. Turn. Cook lightly. Turn again. Vegas

"He is a huge fan of the New England Patriots and he has invited me to go to their next football game."

"Wow! That sounds like fun!"

"He said he has season Patriots tickets for two and wants me to be his guest all season."

"That is going to be alot of traveling. Just try to stay on your diet."

"Oh I know- tailgate fare can be a killer!"

One of the first clues about a party arrive in the form of the invitations.

A big fan of creative invitations from way back, I think savvy hosts and hostesses that take the time to create one-of-a-kind invites are smart.

Afterall an invitation is the first introduction to a party. They set the tone. They suggest the degree of formality and fun. If done well, they will excite us by the possibilities that await us.

My Take On So Called Business Opps

Mention the words, business opportunity to me and I'll probably take off in the opposite direction faster than you can say, "millionaire".

Call me jaded if you want, but I just don't believe that most of these so called " business opportunities" are all that they are cracked up to be. I'm sure there might be some good opportunities out there, but I'm not aware of them.

Probably the best thing you'll get out of investing in a business opportunity is the education you'll pick up along the way. If you already are not able to see things for what they are... a good six months plugging away to make a cheerleading upline wealthy, will do the trick.

Do you have the need for audio racks?

Well if you are like the rest of us, there comes that defining moment when you realize that it is time to jump on the bandwagon and join the club.

But the big question that remains is where do I go to find the right sort of racks to best meet my needs. That is why I'm glad I discovered Stands and Mounts! Check 'em out. You'll be glad you did.

Cocooning or Traveling?

I vacillate between wanting to cocoon at home and wanting to taste the world. Traveling has always been a big passion of mine, but in recent years I've spent a big chunk of time cocooning right here in Tallahassee.

Now as my life evolves and new business opportunities open up, I am ready to extend my borders once again. That is why I like checking out sites like Condo Hotels

Dieting sure can be darn-right difficult! I've been struggling away at this for almost a year now and I've back-slidden more times than I'd like to admit.

I'm somewhere close to the 90 pound mark. I'd be long past it if I could just stay 100% focused on the goal. But the truth is real life gets in the way.

Stress enters the picture and noshing sure starts feeling ever so comforting.

Lori ought to set up a radar detector in my kitchen!

Prioritizing

This week I'll be getting ready to set up a small booth at an antique mall.

My plate is so full, it is hard to keep everything straight in my mind. Prioritizing helps.

If I can simply identify the most important tasks to complete first.

1. Complete this weeks blog assignments.

2. Price and box items going to the antique mall.

3. Start packing for the big move.

4. Follow up on all the loose ends.

5. Follow along on my calendar to make sure I don't overlook an appointment with everything going on.

6. Price out the wall sconces.

Don't Drink The Water!

"Don't drink the water!" He whispered as they eyed the passing pregnant woman. "That makes about the twentieth one we have seen today."

"Must have been a cold winter."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to get pregnant?"

"At my age? Are you crazy? I do not want to have a baby."

"I don't know! I sort of get the feeling that you do."

"In your dreams, dear! Now lets just pick up the baby clothes for the shower and skadoodle out of this maternity palooza!"

An Impressive Trophy Collection

"Wow! You sure have the trophies !I've never seen such an impressive collection."

"Well, they all pale in comparison to the race marked out for me by the Lord."

"Sounds like you are committed to being at the top of your game in all areas of your life."

"I like being a high-achiever. But not for my glory- but for HIS!"

Orlando On My Mind

Orlando on my mind.... Shopping for Orlando real estate ? Whether you are a buyer or seller of property in the Orlando market, here is the company that can assist you.

Did you know that over 77% of home buyers start their search on the Internet? Wow!

When looking for the company that can help you, you will want to make sure to go with a real estate agent that not only utilizes the extraordinary power of the Internet, but also engages the stratospheric potential of the blogosphere.

Ask your agent: What is your presence in the blogosphere? This one question could make all the difference in the world. If your realtor scratches his or her head and doesn't have a clue how blogs are being used as an important weapon in the savvy realtors marketing artillery- RUN!

Not Applicable

As a single woman without children, I really don't see any real value in buying life insurance.

"Why spend the money on something like this? It's not applicable to my life."

On the other hand if I had a family, I'd be the first to sign up for term life insurance.

Shopping For Orlando Real Estate

Shopping for href="http://www.homekeys.net/Researcher/Real_Estate-Florida-Orange-Orlando.aspx">Orlando real estate?


Did you know that over 77 % of real estate transactions begin initially on the Internet?

It is true. A large number of buyers begin their house hunting online. It just makes sense to surf the turf of a region before you fire up your automobile.

If you are looking for residential or commercial property in central Florida, then by all means click on this link for a quick scan of what is on the market right now.

Good luck and Happy Hunting!

The Effects of Stress On A Diet

Why I think I could probably write volumes about the effects of stress on a diet. The biggest challenge I have faced before and during this diet is the varying degrees of stress in my life.

I don't know why I have let food be the crutch that has held me up during stressful times.

Even now, being totally conscious of what is happening, sometimes I can't help myself. I find there are times that I just want to plow into a hearty meal of comfort food.

I'll get a vision in my mind and I can't seem to shake it. What is up with this? I'm real close to the 90 pound mark and the 100 pound mark is just around the corner.

Yet, perhaps the most stressful days are approaching. Finding a new place to live, packing, hunting for land for sale or rent.

A Dream Life

Ever find yourself at a crossroads in life where you don't recognize the person you've become? The face in the mirror, isn't even a face you recognize....or the life you are living is so far removed from the life you once dreamed of for yourself?

You are not alone! Many of us discover that somewhere along the journey, we assumed a lifestyle that wasn't at all what we wanted.

Sure we might be decades into these mysterious lives. But we can still make the decision to refashion our future any way that we desire. We just need to decide to do it!

Let's live it up! For a bit of inspiration from someone who is living her dreams at an early age, why not get a set of Hannah Montana tickets.

The Acai Story

The Acai Story
By Jim Swank

Acai is a palm tree that grows in the North of Brazil and is known by the people as "içá-çai", which means "fruit that cries". Acai Berries grow on an Amazon Palm Tree and have been prized for hundreds of years by the indigenous people of Brazil for their ability to provide a sense of strength, energy, and a high nutritional content. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself. Acai is considered one of the richest nutritive fruits from the Amazon or the world for that fact. Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is an all-natural energy fruit from Amazon palm berries.

Acai
Acai Medio is normally used in Brazil because it is cheaper and easier to process than the acai especial. Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is the fruit of a palm tree that grows in the Amazon rain forests of Brazil. It is Not a Magic Bullet, but It May be Close. While there certainly is no single food that can be considered a magic bullet, Acai must be ranked high among the most powerful and beneficial natural sources of vital minerals, anti-oxidants and nutrients that support a healthy body and lifestyle. It also provides a nearly perfect profile of amino acids plus it contains important vitamins and trace minerals too. Acai also contains two good fatty acids, Omega 6 (Linolenic acid) and Omega 9 (Oleic acid) each of which plays a large role in maintenance of your cardio vascular system. Acai is Loaded with Vitamins and Minerals, Fiber and Proteins Each capsule is a rich source of important nutrients for optimum health and vitality.

Health
We also think that any juice made from a blend of healthy fruits is much better than the soda and sugar filled juices most of the population is drinking now. Health Link Directory Research on Acai has shown that these Anti-Oxidants are known to fight and regulate cholesterol levels in the body. Dietary fiber, which is excellent for digestive tract health. As featured on Oprah, "the benefits from eating healthy are endless. Acai Berries can help a promote a healthier cardio vascular system and digestive tract, because of its synergy of monounsaturated (these are the healthily) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols. I , of course believe that Acai has tremendous health benefits, but a number of Monavie reps have crossed the line and sold some very sick people a false set of promises. Distributors of Monavie have made unsupported health claims for Mona Vie on various websites. Please consult with a health care professional before starting any supplementation program.

Products
While the Acai berry is clearly a very healthy addition to any diet, many Acai products remain vague in their use of the acai berry. There are many Acai products on the market, but most use confusing proprietary formulas. Acai was recognized for its functional properties for use in food and nutrasutical products. Other companies add a trace amount of Acai to their products just so they can say they have Acai. The products promise the consumer everything, from extra energy to anti-aging benefits.

Energy
The reason that Acai is so great is that it's bursting with antioxidants that protect your health and give you energy. It is usually mixed with energy drinks, ice cream, and even energy bars. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has entered into a distribution agreement with Los Angeles-based Bossa Nova brand acai juices, and Anheuser-Busch adds the fruit to its new energy drink, 180 Blue.

Brazil
In 2004, NBC Today's Matt Lauer hosted an Amazon Rainforest road show from Brazil, reporting that locals now call the legendary Acai Berry the "Viagra of the Amazon. Brazilian athletes, on the other hand, consider Acai as an important staple in their diets. Natives living in the Amazon river region in Northern Brazil, have had as part of their diet the Acai berry for hundreds of years for it's nutritional value. The popularity of the Acai berry is starting to spread from Brazil to the rest of the Americas. It usually grows in the wild Amazonian jungles in Brazil, where it is harvested by natives who have been reaping its health benefits for generations now. The Brazilian natives believe the Acai berry to have amazing healing and nutritional properties.

Super
Perricone named the Acai berry as the #1 Superfood on the Oprah Winfrey show. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself. " In fact, just about every brightly colored fruit and vegetable fits the category of a superfood, as do nuts, beans, seeds and aromatic and brightly colored herbs and spices. The beneficial properties of each one of these superfoods could fill an entire book.

Acai is considered one of the richest nutritive fruits from the Amazon or the world for that fact. Acai is Not a Magic Bullet, but It May be Close While there certainly is no single food that can be considered a magic bullet, Acai must be ranked high among the most powerful and beneficial natural sources of vital minerals, anti-oxidants and nutrients that support a healthy body and lifestyle. Acai is the only super berry on the market that has everything that you need, naturally from only the berry itself.

This article was written by Jim Swank. For more information on health and nutrition go here: http://www.healthandbizguru.com/
Jim Swank has been in the health care field for a number of years. His particular area of expertise is Health - Nutrition and how it helps learning disabilities.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Swank http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Acai-Story&id=629925

This Diet Has It's Just Desserts

One pilot, one sky diver, and one hobbyist who builds RC helicopters... what's up with this?

Best I can tell boys will be boys, whether they are ten or sixty! These boys (I mean men!) all have a wanderlust for aviation and are looking for their dream match.

Should I risk my life with the pilot who wants to whisk me off to North Carolina or the sky diver who has offered to take me on a tandem dive?

Being on this diet has it's just desserts! Invitations like this don't come along every day! But when they do.... life sure gets tasty!

Real or Imitation... The Choice Is Yours

I love the story about the pearl necklace where the little girl's father has asked his daughter to give him her imitation pearls. But she is reluctant to do so, eventually she does and when she releases her grasp on the inferior and mediocre, she is free to accept the rare and beautiful real pearls.

Oh, how many times we clutch so hard to the inferior things of this world when God has something far greater for us. But the problem is that we can only clutch so much at a time.
And if our hand is filled up with inferiority, there is no room to clutch onto the superior.

Do we hang on to our weight, our old habits and our brokenness when we could simply let go and let GOD give us something much better... a new life in him!

Kathi Goes Digital!

Happy Day! I am finally getting to where I can download my own photos onto the computer.

Once I get the hang of working between the two operating systems on my computer to download the digital pics, I'll be able to share pictures with you!

Yippity Do Da!Yippity Day! My oh my what a wonderful day!

I took this picture last month after a jaunt to the Growers Market. I think this was before I roasted the vegetables.

Just playing with the camera at this point! Hope to bring you some cool photos in the months to come and who knows... maybe I'll share some cooking videos, too!

Elegant Bites For A Fabulous Healthy Body

Winner’s Weightloss Cooking Class
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Noon & 5:30PM

Tallahassee, Florida

Elegant Bites For A Fabulous Healthy Body
By Kathi Dameron


1. I’m Losing My Marbles! So far I’ve lost 75 of them!

2. How To Create A Beautiful Skewered Cocktail… Fragrant Shrimp Skewered Appetizer Cocktails with Far Eastern Spices

3. How To Add A Dash of Style and Pizzazz to A Savory Baked Appetizer … Spinach Artichoke Triangles with Fiesta Confetti Bites

4. Toss the Shrimp and Fresh Grapefruit In A Wild Greens Salad and Living Vegetable Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

5. Strawberry Kiwi Frozen Slushes will be served

These measurements are estimates, please adjust to suit your own preferences.

Fragrant Shrimp Marinade

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons fresh cracked mixed blend gourmet pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ package orange Winner’s Weightloss Supplement / water
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Mix together and use as a marinade for shrimp, seafood, fish, etc.


Spinach Artichoke Triangles

1 - 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup water mixed with
¼ package Winners Weightloss chicken soup supplement
1 egg
2 egg whites
¼ bread crumbs
black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
dash of cayenne pepper
½ cup shredded spinach
½ cup grated zucchini
¾ cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
fat free sour cream or yogurt
confetti chopped veggies

Chop artichoke hearts in food processor. Set aside.
Mix together water and chicken soup supplement.
Saute onions and garlic in water blend until tender.
In small bowl mix together egg and egg yolks until frothy.
Mix in remaining ingredients then transfer to a 9x9x2 baking pan that has been pre-sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Spread with garlic and herb fat free sour cream or yogurt (optional) and garnish with confetti chopped veggies, then cut and triangles and serve.

For my online friends, I'll try to get some pictures posted after the class. Maybe I'll even post a video after future classes. Thanks for reading my blog :) Love and Kisses! Kathi

Create A Stress Plan

To all my Dear Dieting Compatriots,

Do you have a Stress Plan to guide you when times of stress in your life threaten to wreck havoc on your diet?

Not until I sat down to write this post a few minutes ago did I realize the importance for creating a stress plan or plans to carry me through times of personal crises.

The bottom-line reality is that food has always been my comforter through the storms of life.

How unhealthy and dysfunctional is that?

A couple years before embarking on my Winner's Weightloss program, it occurred to me, perhaps by a ray of divine insight that when I felt inner turmoil, I would turn to sugar.
A friend who is a psychologist had told me that my behavior was a classic example of self-medicating oneself. In fact, he had done his dissertation on the very subject.

Interesting.

I called good ole' mom.

"Did you use to give me sugary treats when I was upset?" I asked.

"We always had cookies for you children to calm you when you were upset," she responded.

Bingo! I had found the root of my eating disorder! Momma's good intentions had created a pattern that I would battle my entire life.

After a time of aggravation with Momma, it was time to let her off the hook, forgive her for the damage she had unknowingly created. After all she was only trying to be the best mother she knew how to be. Unfortunately, she had no clue that sugar was a terrible stress solution.

With stress of varying degrees an inevitable part of the human condition, a dieter would be wise to create their own personal stress plan, maybe even a plan a, a plan b, and a plan c!

The challenge before us is to create OUR STRESS PLANS! I'm going to start formulating mine and I encourage you to do the same. I invite you to share your strategies, what works for you and what doesn't. If you have a blog or website that you author, or a favorite site of encouragement that you visit that deals with diet-related issues, please share a link with us!

I want to hear from you! To comfort and nurturing! Kathi

You've Been Flamingoed!

Jaunty bright pink plastic flamingos decorated the front yard.

Lordy, Lordy!

Look whose Forty!

Gabriela knew she was in for a fun birthday, but she had no idea that her husband had booked a surprise trip to the fabulous Flamingo Las Vegas where she was about to meet the surprise of her life!

Don't miss Gabriela's and Marco's hilarious romp!

Yellow-Tailed Snapper With Fiery Mango-Habanero Salsa

"After the race, let's stop at the fish market." I said as I laced up my Air Jordan running shoes.

"Fish, tonight? Fish is always a great Friday night dinner entree. What do you have in mind?"

"I was hoping to find a yellow-tailed snapper that we could grill and top with a fiery mango and habanero salsa. Maybe we can stop by the farmers market and pick up some nice wild greens, too."

A Master's Cheesecake

"Every spring, champions of the game of golf gather at the Augusta National Golf Club to compete in the first of America's major tournaments, the Masters." Second Round Tea Time At The Masters by The Junior League of Augusta, Georgia.

Attending the Masters is exciting, whether or not you are a player. But by all means ladies and gentlemen, dress the part. For the latest fashions in golf apparel ladies check out the women's golf pro shop online. While you are at it, don't miss the divine recipes in the cookbook. One of my favorite recipes is Marie Neel's Kahlua Cheesecake on page 299.

I know it is not a diet recipe, but with some slight variations it can be transformed into a low-fat wonder!

Keep your eye out... in future postings I'll be sharing some of the yummy Winner's Weightloss cheesecake recipes on this blog.

Only Two Things: Results and Excuses

A sudden silence fell across the table, then after a brief pause the conversation continued.

"So what did you tell him?"

"I told him that his calls were harassment and that if they didn't cease, I would report him."

"Obviously, he didn't take you serious. He has called all week. "

"That is the way a commercial collection agency works. Their objective is to collect their client's money. Fortunately, there are laws to protect people from threatening phone calls."

"Good! Because this stress is wrecking havoc on my diet."

"Don't let the stress be your excuse. There are only two things in life: results and excuses!"

Mango Madness

Down here in Florida where the mangos grow... the inspirations for good heart-healthy cookery are a-plenty.

While mangos don't actually grow in my backyard, they grow in abundance further south.

During mango season, you'll find the fruit of these juicy treasures showing up in everything from tropical salsas and frozen cocktails during happy hour to playing the staring role for delicious grand finales at the dessert hour.

Yes, they are delicious when used in synergy with other ingredients... they are equally delightful to eat the just picked fruit from a tree and let the nectar trickle down your chin!

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Beauty and Health The Scandinavian Way

"The Scandinavian female is in tune with nature. She thinks French perfume is divine, but give her one that wafts of pine needles and she'll drench herself with it. A magnum of champagne has its allure-but so does a pitcher of fresh milk. Stepping out of bed onto a fur rug is groovy, but so is wading at the edge of the sea." ~ Gale Knutson

Sitting on my desk is my cherished copy circa 1969 of this fabulous book on Beauty and Health the Scandinavian Way. Scandinavia... known for Finnish women with pink and white complexions, snow-capped mountains, and modern desks.

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Feather-Light Angel Food

Looking for a light dessert to take to a party?

Store-bought or home-made Angel Food cake is feather light and fat free. Just top with some fat free cool whip and a medley of fresh berries. Yum!

Whip it up in your indoor or outdoor kitchen.

Photo Credit: Ajay Singh & SXC

Stop Fretting Over What Others Think!

While dining at a quaint and obscure little restaurant off the beaten path, I overheard the following conversation.

"Set yourself apart from the rest. Don't be afraid to make the changes that will propel your life to where you want to go."

"You speak wise words. But I worry too much what others think."

"You must stop fretting over what other people will think. Follow the light within. Get help for your addiction. For as long as your addiction has its ugly claws in you, you will fail to achieve your greatest potential. "

"Then you think I should go into the drug rehab program?"

"Absolutely! I want to see you launch into the stratosphere!"

As I heard the conversation that played out at the nearby table, I considered my own addiction to sugar and carbs and realized that no matter what our addictions might happen to be, ultimately these addictions shackle us to a bondage of inferiority and keep us from realizing our fullest potential.

The Secret To Today's Lunch

The heady perfume of fresh marjoram perfumed the house as the chicken and summer vegetables roasted in the oven.

My mouth watered in anticipation of lunch, a lunch that would help the scale inch down.

The secret to today's lunch is the chicken noodle soup supplement that gently baths the chicken and chunky vegetables and infuses flavor without the addition of fat. The marjoram adds just the right fragrance to this savory treat.

A Sweet Diversion

Born out of a rainforest of rare flowers with rich and luxurious notes....

Ah, what is it about chocolate that casts such a spell upon me? One thing I love about the Winner's Weightloss program is my weekly indulgence in a specially formulated chocolate mint confection.

A sweet diversion along the bumpy road of life.

Exclamation Point Living

"Exclamation Point Living" is a term that defines a great approach to every day living.

Why not live a life of excitement and passion for the things that sing out in your soul? Why purr when you long to roar?

I think feeling good about ourselves is linked to how we feel about our bodies. A subject that can often be shrouded in mystery that most certainly deserves a true excavation to unearth the whys of how one has come to let their body keep them from achieving their biggest dreams and desires for their lives.

Let's get proactive! Whether it is signing up for a monitored weight loss program like the Winner's Weightloss program that I'm on or doing weight watchers or simply investing in some effective diet pills.

Whatever manner you choose to lose weight and reclaim a healthy and attractive body, Exclamation Point Living is sure to come more naturally!

Nothing Fits!

Losing weight opens up all sorts of new fashion options. The time has come for me to clean out my dresser drawers and closets. Nothing fits!

The saying "I havn't a thing to wear," certainly applies to my life right now!

Even my panties are huge. Now I wouldn't ordinarily talk about lingerie, except for some inexplicable reason I received a blog assignment for the keywords crotchless panty.

Oh dear!

I debated long and hard whether or not to reject the assignment and send it back. But then I thought we all have different motivations for losing weight and who knows maybe being able to look hot in one's undergarments is just the incentive a reader might need to stay motivated to lose weight in this Sex and The City era.

Delicious Ingredients

On a few occasions, following a story and certain recipe in my newspaper column, I have discovered that the article has caused a run on a featured ingredient at the grocery store. Lesson learned... I always stock up on that special ingredient that I am writing about before the article comes out!

"I don't understand why the shelf is empty. Figs must be very popular right now," the grocer said to me as he scratched his head.

I shrugged my shoulders and smiled graciously. One for Kathi... I thought. Could my food column actually sway buying decisions? Who would think that from the isolated keyboard where I sit and hunt and peck with my two fingertips, that stories would emerge and end up influencing what someone might eat for dinner or serve for a special celebration.

Well I need to jaunt on over to Lake Ella right now and see what delicious seasonal produce our local growers have brought to town for the weekly Wednesday Growers Market, featuring treasures from mother nature. Check back and see what I discovered.

Omelette Party

Lori from the Tallahassee Winner's Weightloss recently shared this novel idea with me for making ziplock omelets.

I can't wait to try it out. Supposedly it works great whether you are prepping for one or an entire family.

The idea inspired me to think this recipe could be a great launching pad for an Omelette Party.

In my catering days, we would occasionally cater fancy high-end brunches complete with omelette stations, but my goodness that takes alot of work and labor, which is lovely if the client has the budget to meet the cost.

As a savvy entertainer, I look for ways to create the wow without breaking the bank.

Maybe an Omelette Party could be just the solution for a great late morning soiree. If you want to add some drama- why not cook those ziplock bags in big bubbling pots of boiling H2O over an outdoor fire. Of course for simplicity the kitchen range is ideal.

1. Write names on quart size ziplock bags.

2. Put out a variety of chopped and prepped ingredients such as cheeses, ham, onion, vegetables, spinach, artichokes, green pepper, hash browns, salsa etc.

3. Crack 2 eggs into each ziplock bag and shake to combine.

4. Have guests add prepared ingredients to their bags and shake. Make sure to get all the air out of the bags and zip them up.

5. Place the bags into roiling, boiling for exactly 13 minutes.

Find Out The Secrets To How Kathi Lost 75 Pounds

Local food writer and culinary artist, Kathi Dameron will be doing 2 thirty minute low-fat food demonstrations/ cooking classes on Thursday, August 30 at Winner's Weightloss on Capital Circle in Tallahassee.

Call Ruth at (850) 671-3200 for details, directions and to reserve a spot. Space is limited.

Find out some of the secrets as to how Kathi has lost 75 pounds!

This event is sponsored by Winner's Weightloss, Tallahassee's Number 1 Weight Loss Center for 14 years and Kathi Dameron and Associates, a Florida-based boutique consulting company that specializes in culinary collaborations.

Ah, The Joy of Locally Grown Produce

"No satisfaction is more elemental, more vital to well-being, than the pleasure we seek in what we eat." ~ Mireille Guiliano, Author of the # 1 best seller " French Women Don't Get Fat" and "French Women For All Seasons"

With this thought in mind, I begin planning out a menu that is seasonally-inspired and a celebration of the late August bounty not in the countryside of Provence, but the rural regions and urban gardens of North Florida and South Georgia.

For it is from this geographic region that the luscious, locally grown products find their way onto my menus.

This afternoon I will jaunt to the local growers market at Lake Ella for inspiration for my upcoming cooking class and for nature's treasures to sustain me.

Geting Back In The Swing of Life

Now that I've dropped 75 pounds through the Winner's Weightloss program, I'm looking forward to diving into lots of new recreational activities. Time permitting I hope to get back in the swing of things this autumn and tee off to some exciting days at the country club.

But somewhere in the craziness of the last ten years of my life, I lost track of my golf clubs. Guess I'll have to shop for some new Ping or Callaway golf clubs this fall.

Need Tickets?

"But daddy you said I could go to the concert!"

Flashing me a thunderous look, I knew I was hang gliding over a watershed and heading into the eye of a twister.

So read the words from the August 16, 2007 installment of the Entertaining with Kathi column.

Ah, concerts. Need tickets? Need schedules?Looking for the def leppard tour schedule? Find it here at Ticket Solutions!

Fire Pit Cookery

Cooking on location, whether in the backyard, the beach or some exotic location offers delicious solutions to even the strictest of dieters among us.

There is something about cooking over an open flame. That fire-grilled depth of flavor that certainly adds no calories, but evokes a character and richness near-impossible to achieve through tamer methods of cookery.

The outdoor fireplace can be used for heat and the drama of fire pit cookery.

It's the little things that can be the most frustrating. Things like missing cabinet hardware from a desk drawer. And before you know it perhaps you are wanting to sink your spoon into a pint of mint chocolate chip.

Don't do it! Take care of the little petty nuisances along the way and chances are your weightloss will progress nicely.

"Quality of life" is probably the number one reason that I embarked on this weightloss adventure.

We are not properly educated in the consequences of food in our bodies. We focus far too much on the flavor. But I think we need to understand what food does to our organs.

If we keep eating the rich, sugary, fat-laden foods that are such a part of the national diet, then we better beef up on our term life insurance!

Here it is Saturday night and I'm home finishing up writing assignments. While a low-fat dinner is roasting in the oven I'm trying to fire up my creative juices. But I'm drawing a blank for the word blinds.

My mind is in R & R mode and for the life of me, after this long and grueling week, I can not even begin to think of how to tie window blinds to a diet blog.

Then out of the inexplicable depths of the imagination it happens, a story begins to unfold.

I jump up from my cushy black leather executive swivel computer chair and leap to the darkened window, yanking the cord on the blinds, they fall with pure precision over the windows.

Accessories are a great gift for family and friends who are engaged in weight loss. My favorite accessories include animal jewelry and zebra or tiger print scarves.

No matter what your size, fashionable costume pieces are always in good taste and will be a fun part of a wardrobe through all stages of the diet.

"I am woman... hear me roar!"

Clocks, hamilton watches, the speedometer on a car are just three of the devices I have used to gauge measurement in creative ways.

Have you ever driven down the street and watched the numbers rise and fall on your dashboard and serendipitously correlated the numbers to the weight you would like to lose? I have.

I find all sorts of creative games to help me.

Going on vacation when you are on a diet can be a real challenge.

You certainly don't want to deprive yourself of the opportunity to sample the regional cuisine, but on the other hand you don't want to mess up all the hard work you've put in to drop weight.

So what do you do.

If possible get a flavor of the cuisine in advance. Surf the internet. For example if you are going to Branson Missouri, check out the eateries online that showcase their menus. Be savvy. Look for regional cuisine that is interesting but light.

Bon Voyage!

This is another post for my work as a blogger, that has nothing to do with my diet.

The assignment was listed as New York personal injury lawyer.

I scanned my brain for relevant material. A vision of an ambulance-chaser appeared.

Uggh, I thought.

I don't know diddly squat about this type of law and certainly hope that I never need to. But if you are in the great state of New York and find yourself in need of the services of this sort of attorney, then check out the link for more information.

My work as a paid blogger for various products takes me to all sorts of products that I might not have any idea about. Such was the case with this assignment for disposable medical products.

So click on the link and you are bound to learn everything you ever wanted to know about incontinence products but were afraid to ask!

This diet has taken me to a new adventure. After a few years of soloing it on weekends,with carbs for companions, I've decided to get out and date a bit.

For my fiftieth birthday I treated myself to a subscription on match. Dating at fifty is fun!

While my interest is primarily in Tallahassee, which makes more sense to me to date locally, it might be fun to find friends in out-of-town places that I might like to visit for weekend getaways. For example the Ozarks would be fun. Maybe I could find a Float Date and check out the Branson real estate.