Weight Loss Buddies Wanted!

Seeking weight loss buddies and friends who are interested in dropping weight, getting fit and becoming the very best possible version of themselves.

So far I've dropped 70 pounds, but hope to drop another 70 and be able to wear sexy single-digit designer clothes again!

Looking to put together a fun-loving group of kindred spirits who want to reach for the stars!

Contact Kathi Dameron at 850-422-3599

I've gotten where I seem to live by two week increments. Somehow I need to align my diet to this schedule.

Lately I'm drifting in a five pound range. Up and down I go.

I had hoped to be nearing the 100 pound mark, but I'm struggling just to master the 70 pound one. Why is it so hard?

Why can't I just do it? I get so frustrated with myself. There is no reason why I should be hovering! But I know there are emotional culprits at play here.

For me my weight has a lot to do with emotional eating. In some ways I am battling some of the most trying times of my life right now. Overall I'm doing pretty good- considering! Two years ago, I would have eaten myself into oblivion to escape the torment. Now when I splurge it is an extra apple or two. No ice cream or cookies for me. I'm bound and determined to lose every ounce of fat that my body does not need.

So what doees all this have to do with a truck rack? Go figure!

I am really battling a plateau right now! I can't seem to move into the 70 pound range. It is so frustrating.

Part of it is my own fault. Scratch that last sentence. ALL of it is my own fault!

I'm the one who is in control of what I eat or don't eat. I'm the one who is in charge of exercising this body.

The truth is my life is really tough right now. Tougher than I even want to discuss. But that shouldn't be my excuse. I need to stay focused on the BIG PICTURE and not turn one addiction into another! Like shopping for new clothes or cool finds ordiscount furniture and decorative treasures from the far corners of the globe .

I have to ramp up my readership. My writings are being lost among the zillions of posts in the blogosphere.

There is so much to learn and so much to do.

But I am committed to soar like an eagle and bring the best of my works into the limelight where they can be read by the masses. Then they will be beneficial to the companies I serve, companies like the awesome and incredible Ruth and Lori at Winner's Weight Loss in Tallahassee, Florida and the Internet shop and click Coaster Furniture.

A Recipe For Preserved Children

I came across this recipe on an old vintage recipe card. It always puts such a smile on my face, as it reminds me of the carefree days of childhood from a bygone era when exercise wasn't even something that we consciously thought about. Yet, our lifestyles were active and obesity uncommon. Nowadays, children seem to stay indoors far more than they did when I was a child and childhood obesity has grown to frightening statistics.

Last month when Ruth did the fat test on me, she said something interesting to me.

"You can thank your mom and dad. " Apparently she could tell by the test results that I had good genes and that when I was a child, I had built plenty of good muscle.

"These overweight kids today won't have a chance," she continued, "their poor bodies are being set up for diabetes and a whole slew of major health problems."

Yikes! It is time to turn this tide.

Preserved Children

1 large field
1/2 dozen children
2 small dogs
pinch of brook
pebbles
flowers
blue sky
sun
1 old pick up truck
new truck accessories
bathtub

Transport the children to a big open field, stir in children and dogs. Pour the brook over the pebbles, sprinkle with flowers spread over a deep blue sky and bake it in the sky. When golden brown whisk back home to cool in the bathtub. Yields many memories that will never be forgotten.

Exotic Flavored Homemade Popsicles

Summer is a great time to get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of homemade popsicles. The Winner's Weightloss fruit-flavored supplements can be used in so many different creative concoctions.

I can't wait to start playing with the different flavors.

Ah, The Wednesday Afternoon Grower's Market at Lake Ella

Tired of the same old, same old?

Today I jaunted over to the Wednesday afternoon Grower's Market at Lake Ella.

This week I was smart. I made sure to get there as close to the 3:00 opening time as possible. Believe me, it makes a difference! Last week I missed out on just about everything I had hoped to procure.

The Lake Ella Growers Market, my friends, is the place to shop for produce in Tallahassee! You simple can't get much fresher, unless you grow your produce in your own garden, spray it down with the garden hose and pop it right into your mouth right there among the blooms. Lake Ella on Wednesday afternoon is the next best thing, without all the work.

I'm growing some green beans and Japanese Eggplant in a whiskey barrell at home, but the eggplant has a long way to go before I can roast it or saute it with a bit of garlic and bunch of swiss chard.

Personal Chef Services ~ Summer 2007

Imagine having your very own personal chef cooking up all your favorite foods and arranging them in your freezer complete with directions for reheating. What could be more delicious than a well-stocked freezer of soups, sauces, entrees, breads, vegetables, appetizers and desserts?

Culinary writer, food columnist, former caterer and event designer Kathi Dameron is offering private personal chef services this summer. For more information contact Kathi directly at 850-422-3599.

The Rocky Mountain Spa Resort evoked images of the sprawling ranches of the untamed west. Fresh, delicious western cuisine was treated with a feathery touch at this exclusive spa for billionaires who had come to whittle their waistlines and cut their carbs. And even though one might feel as if they had time traveled to a by-gone time, the well-hidden network cables provided global access to the rest of the world.

"My lips are zipped!" I said as I ran my thumb and my forefinger across my mouth in a quick zipping action.

The reporter was asking privileged information that I didn't have the right to divulge. Sure, I could have said something, but too much was at stake and it wouldn't be the smart thing to do.

I eyed the water bottle filter and unzipped my lips long enough to take a big gulp of fresh water. I sort of felt like a big exotic tropical fish in a small transparent goldfish bowl.

While jaunting in the Lilliemobile to the vacation home rental
Joy asked, "Lillie would you like some java?"

"Joy that sounds wonderful.It smells divine."

"It is one of my favorites... chocolate hazelnut. Freshly roasted and brewed decaf coffee beans with a drop of pure chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla extracts. But one of my biggest secrets is in the water I use. The ultimate secret is in the purewater.

Let's Make It An Annual Tradition

"The entire weekend was a celebration of what life can be like at its very best!"

"There is much to be said for the closeness and camraderie of good friends. I'm glad we had the opportunity to all get together."

"Lets make it an annual tradition."

"Great idea! I can't wait to see you next year. You'll be as thin as a pencil!"

"From your lips to God's ears! I still have a ways to go on this diet."

"You can count on me to send you words of encouragement!"

"So lets book our Orlando vacation rental for next year!"

I've Lost About 70 Pounds So Far

I've lost about 70 pounds so far. I'd be down further but I do some of the dumbest things to sabotage my efforts.

The bottom line is I am battling a case of severe emotional eating. The odd thing is that while I'm not turning to the sweets as I once did in times of stress, I'm still engaging in a form of dysfunctional behavior.

What happens is I get so stressed over certain circumstances such as my finances, that I skip eating or drinking my water altogether. Splat goes the metabolism and the scale doesn't move.

I need to move this ole' body and gulp that water.

A friend suggested Phentermine, but I said I preferred to stick with the Winner's Weightloss Regime!

A Kayaking Vacation

One of my favorite things about losing this weight, is the increased energy I have!

Anyone up for a kayaking vacation? I will be when I drop all my excess weight.

Photo Credit: Stephen Gibson & SXC

Iced Chocolate Truffle Cappuccino

Mid-afternoon and the daily workload is heavy, with no end in sight. Feeling a dip in energy, I headed to the kitchen where I whipped up a little something to rev up my engine.

My solution is a delicious one. Imagine a creamy cup of iced chocolate truffle cappuccino.

Simply delish and so easy, too.

This version is made with freshly brewed chocolate truffle coffee, a packet of Winner's Weightloss chocolate shake supplement and a good bit of ice. Whip it all up to a thick, rich consistency and pour into a favorite cocoa mug. Dust the top with a flourish of cinnamon. Yum!

Diet? What diet? This sure doesn't taste like diet fare, but the high protein in this shake is actually helping me to shed my unwanted pounds.

Looking to lose some weight? Winner's Weightloss in Tallahassee, Florida is a great place for helping people to shed unhealthy pounds and reclaim the life they were created to live. For a complimentary consultation call Lori at 850-297-2500 or Ruth at 850-671-3200. Make sure and tell them Kathi sent you!

Photo Credit: Dragon Sasic & SXC

Meal Replacement Solutions For Healthy Eating

Where does the time fly?

My breakfast and lunch today tasted great.

Breakfast was a prune-studded breakfast cake. My breakfast cake is made with the same quick fix recipe that takes a beaten egg, a torn-up slice of 40-calorie honey wheat bread, cinnamon, equal, a sprinkle of (dry) vanilla shake mix and a small amount of fruit.

Since my fresh fruit supply is totally depleted, I thought why don't I try adding some slivers of prune, since I do have some of those little gems in the refrigerator. As I carefully sliced a couple prunes, visions of Jewish Hamantaschen danced in my head.

Hamantaschen are my most favorite cookie. Even though I was never a fan of prunes, the prune hamantaschen that I enjoyed as a child were phenomenal tasting.

I nuked the breakfast cake for a tad over 1.25 min. Inverted the small, round cake on my breakfast plate and dusted the top with a bit more cinnamon and equal.

Delish!!

Lunch was a small beef fillet with an oriental veggie blend, stir fried with some Winner's Weight Loss Beef Supplement. A liberal shake of various spices imparted a rich and amazing depth of flavor.

I love being on the Winner's Weightloss program! It is great to be able to eat real food.

Today, I heard that the Tallahassee, Florida LA Weight Loss Center is closing. So I got to thinking about a conversation that Ruth and I had the day I was teaching cooking classes at the NE Capital Circle location.

How cool would it be to have a place where you could swing by and pick-up a ready-to-eat meal on your way home. Not something laden with fat or calories, but a replacement meal that is light, healthy and simply delicious!

I' d love to co-ordinate or consult on a project of this type with Winner's Weightloss or even a restaurant, catering company or other facility that has a state-licensed, commercial kitchen that wants to set up an "enlightened to-go" program. No, I don't want to do the cooking, but I would love to provide recipes, ideas and public relations for such an endeavor. If you are interested, call me and let's pow-wow! Food writer and former caterer Kathi Dameron, can be reached at 850-422-3599. BTW ... If you have the time, please come by and read my latest column from Entertaining with Kathi. I would love your feedback!

Potato Saffron Frittata with Lemon-Kissed Spinach

The Food Network shared a recipe today for a Potato Saffron Omelet, as part of a Tapas collection.

I didn't take the time to read the recipe, as I knew there would be ingredients that I wouldn't be able to eat on my diet. Yet, I found the idea to be a nice launching pad for tonights dinner.

How does this sound... a Potato Saffron Frittata with Spinach? My version will be made with egg, potato, spinach, saffron and spices, prepared in an individual souffle dish. I'll serve it inverted on a bed of lemon-kissed braised spinach, to which I'll add a blast of roasted garlic. To garnish the dish, I'll do a mosaic of colorful, confetti chopped raw veggies.

Tomorrow night should be a real adventure. I'm going to a restaurant that I have wanted to go to for years, but the timing was never right. Tomorrows adventure is part of a new project I'm working on called Coastal Culinary Odyssey. Each month, I'll be visiting a different Florida Coastal restaurant and writing it up in the new Every Day Living Magazine. Very exciting! In fact in time, I would like to research the possibility of getting a grant to turn this project into a Florida tv series. I know... I have BIG IDEAS, but that is the way my mind is wired! What can I say!

Surviving The Holidays

Surviving The Holidays.... that is a loaded title for me!

Since this is a diet blog, I'll try to stay on topic and not run down any bunny trails.

I did it! I got through the Easter weekend without even craving a chocolate-covered marshmallow bunny.

This new lifestyle is becoming easier for me. Something else really amazing is happening. Years ago I received lots of compliments. But in the last fifteen years, I don't remember hearing any compliments on how I looked. But lately I've been hearing people tell me I look "beautiful."
Wow! It sounds kind of funny after so long. Funny, in a nice way.

Encouragement is such a great thing! I am so appreciative of people who take the time to encourage others along! We need to encourage one another. It takes so little, yet it gives so much. For some reason, my antennae has really been tuned in to the subject of encouragement for several years now. I've witnessed a real lack of encouragement with certain people. Best I can tell, some people simply are not wired to plant seeds of encouragement. That doesn't make them bad. They probably have lots of other gifts, instead.

If you find yourself lacking in encouragement, that is ok. You are not alone. Give yourself permission to encourage yourself! The best encouragement we might get... just might be the encouragement that flows from the inner most region of our souls.

From that interior region we can find the strength to survive anything... even dieting during the holidays!

Staying The Course

Kudos to meal replacement shakes! While I rarely go the meal replacement shake route, I am thankful for their convenience.

Right now I am sipping on a rich creamy chocolate shake and thrilled that I didn't have to interrupt my manic-like frenzy of writing this afternoon, to prepare lunch.

The diet is going GREAT! Actually it is going alot better than I would have ever expected. Even though visions of rich, decadent food flows in and out of my consciousness constantly through my passion and vocation of food writing, I am not deterred. I am staying the course without difficulty. To date I have lost about sixty pounds and feeling better than I have felt in years!

The Deep Dreams Of Our Soul: Are they Linked To Hunger

Today, I can not help to wonder how much of obesity is related to the deep unrealized dreams in our souls.

As a firm believer that every person's life and purpose was planned before the creation of the world, I wonder if when we are living outside of the bullseye of our truest authenticity, if that isn't a big piece of the puzzle as to why there is such a deep hunger.

Our authenticity is tied so profoundly to our life purpose. But if our life purpose has become scattered by the choices we make and the resulting circumstances of our reality, perhaps we lose sight of what is really important for us. Perhaps we come to believe that the big dream is not ours to have and that we have to settle for something far less than what we really want out of life.

Looking at my own life, I am mad at myself for settling for so much less than I once dreamed of.
I am mad that for twelve years I settled for a fruitless and unhappy marriage. I am mad that I am constantly doing things outside of the bullseye of what I really want.

Two years ago I identified the following goals:

1. To be a prolific best selling author, bringing the dozens of book projects inside of me to fruition.

2. To be a syndicated food and entertaining columnist.

3. To be fabulous, fit and financially secure.

4. To be living in the fullness of the best version of who I was created to be.

While by the grace of God, I have made significant progress on these goals... I recognize that I am a long way from hitting the bullseye of my target because I get caught up in things that are sort of what I want. But the reality is these "sort of things" are not what I really want-hence the reason for my anger at myself this morning.

Life is far too precious not to be going after the bullseye of our dreams. In the light of introspection, the "sort of" doesn't cut it! You either are or you are not and when you are not... there is bound to be a deep void in the garden of the soul that cries to be fed.

So we can feed it with that which it truly wants or we can attempt to stuff it with that which will never satisfy us and we will continue to be starving.