Sized for Beauty~Great Links...

Outfit by Sandmaiden at www.etsy.com and her clothes are sized to 22-24.

http://www.parade.com/health/2009/06/who-gets-sick-in-america-and-why.html

From Women's Day magazine:

http://www.fitclick.com/www/xnt/tf/pages/splash/VisitorSplash.aspx

Now from ME:
I was sent this on my Facebook page and loved it. It's a brief video about the importance of women having lovely well cut clothes at any size.

As anyone work on whatever program geared toward their health & wellness I do not get it why on top of everything else some people want to believe that a person is suppose to go & hide in a corner apologizing for taking up space or breathing because they are large.

Is it I wonder, that because, heaven forbid, dared to be here, here on this earth because of some false manufactured standard of beauty & if you do not measure down to it, that the expectations is you should hide walking around in sackcloth & ashes declare "Woe is me! Woe is me" until somehow miraculously the weight will fall off and we will be a false "healthy" size? Or shall we pad around in a la Mrs. Roper (of 3's Company)"

Well I have long been DONE with such a punitive attitude as it is counter-productive and does not work otherwise we would not have 2/3 of the country over weight and 30% of that number obese.

Everything is not fair and equal, however, not finding appropriate beautiful clothes to clothe our ample bodies should not be one of those unfair & unequal things!

Good grief, we need to at least have workout clothes so we can workout! We need to be able to join a gym and not be snickered at or ignored unless we want to be alone as we are doing all the things to be healthy.

Anyway, the video makes me smile, bear the fact that at least 45 seconds are commercials...

YA YA!

From Newsweek:

http://video.newsweek.com/?%3Ft=27990227001&l=1380400303#?c=40211&l=1785302026&t=27990227001

E I E I O~Making Your Garden Grow...

There are many benefits to growing your own food in a backyard garden. Early in the summer, many of us are able to keep up with what our gardens produce as we take our precious products from the garden directly to our tables. As the summer goes on, keeping up can become a challenge. We check the garden before heading out of town on vacation and realize there are many things that are ripe and ready for use but we don't have time to do anything with them.

Or, perhaps our green thumbs have produced more than we can keep up with at the table and our storage space is already filled to capacity. What are we to do?

Here are 3 creative ideas to help you put your extra garden produce to good use.

There comes a time in almost every gardeners summer when there is more produced than can be used. Making salsa or properly storing, freezing or canning the extras are certainly a traditional and recommended option. However, if you are short on time or storage space, here are 3 creative ideas for your extra produce that you may not have thought of.

Give them away – Tough financial times may make fresh produce hard to afford for some of your neighbors. Offering your surplus provides the perfect opportunity for those that might really have a need or just a desire to include fresh produce in their diet a reality with dignity still in tact. Place your extra produce by your mailbox with a large sign that says "FREE" and see just how fast your surplus disappears.


Donate to a nearby food pantry or homeless shelter – Most community food banks or food pantries offer canned vegetables if any at all to those that come in need of food. Drop in shelters rarely provide fresh vegetables as part of their meal offerings for those that come in search of a cool and dry place to stay and receive a meal. Making fresh produce available to outreach opportunities like these in your community will get your extras in the hands of those that need it and will put a smile on your face at the same time because you were able to make a difference.

Check with local outreach organizations and churches in your community to find a local food pantry or drop in center. Feed America is the nation's leading domestic hunger relief charity and their website can help you find a food bank that serves your community.

Use your social networking connection – Send out a "tweet" or post a status update letting your local networking friends know you have fresh produce to spare. Encourage those that are interested to come by and pick it up. Better yet, invite them to come and pick it for themselves which saves you some work! What a great and creative way to socialize AND provide your extra produce to a local friend or acquaintance. What other creative ideas do you have for garden surplus this summer?

Spreading the Spark;Showing the Fat...(info)

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=survey_americas_getting_fatter_but_theres_good_news

DailySpark readers, we have an emergency on our hands. It's time to Spread the Spark, stat!

This year's state-by-state obesity statistics are in, and the news isn't good.Here are some of the highlights of the report, published by the research group Trust for America's Health:

Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year

The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.

Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent, making it the fifth year in a row that the state topped the list.

Four states now have rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, Alabama (31.2 percent), West Virginia (31.1 percent), and Tennessee (30.2 percent).

Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of obese adults and the highest rates of obese and overweight children are in the South.

Colorado continued to have the lowest percentage of obese adults at 18.9 percent.

Adult obesity rates now exceed 25 percent in 31 states and exceed 20 percent in 49 states and Washington, D.C.

Two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight.

In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.

In 1980, the national average for adult obesity was 15 percent.

Sixteen states experienced an increase for the second year in a row, and 11 states experienced an increase for the third straight year.

Mississippi also had the highest rate of obese and overweight children (ages 10 to 17) at 44.4 percent.

Minnesota and Utah had the lowest rate at 23.1 percent.

Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.The report says that the economic downtown could worsen the obesity epidemic. Food prices are expected to keep rising as social services and food pantries are increasingly stretched thin. The recession is expected to lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety and stress--all of which are linked to obesity. Still, there was a bright side:

Nineteen states now have nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements. Five years ago, only four states had legislation requiring stricter standards.

Twenty-seven states have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales. Five years ago, only six states had nutritional standards for competitive foods.

Twenty states have passed requirements for body mass index (BMI) screenings of children and adolescents or have passed legislation requiring other forms of weight-related assessments in schools. Five years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.

A recent analysis commissioned by TFAH found that the Baby Boomer generation has a higher rate of obesity compared with previous generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, obesity-related costs to Medicare and Medicaid are likely to grow significantly because of the large number of people in this population and its high rate of obesity. And, as Baby Boomers become Medicare-eligible, the percentage of obese adults age 65 and older could increase significantly.

Estimates of the increase in percentage of obese adults range from 5.2 percent in New York to 16.3 percent in Alabama. Jeffrey Levi, the executive director of the group that published the survey, spoke to USA Today: "If we want kids to eat healthier food, we have to invest the money for school nutrition programs so that school lunches are healthier," he said. "If we want people to be more physically active, then there have to be safe places to be active.

That's not just a class issue.

We've designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk."It's not just a question of having the right resources. It's about taking advantage of them, as you do everyday, and making the most out of what you have.Many of us write on the Message Boards and in Teams that we face challenges every day of our healthy journeys.

Someone brought in doughnuts and you're tempted to ditch your oatmeal. You don't have time to work out today. Money is tight so you have to quit the gym. But you don't give up.

You don't complain.

You ask for help, you seek suggestions, and you take advice from other members.

And you succeed.

This report wasn't good news, no doubt about it. While we (as a nation) need to try harder, remember that in our little corner of the world (SparkPeople), we're succeeding, we're bucking the trend, and we're winning the battle against obesity, one SparkPoint and one pound at a time! So let's go out there and Spread the Spark!

How do you think we should address the obesity epidemic? How did your state fare? Is your state one of the "best" or one of the "worst"?Do you live in one of those communities without sidewalks?How do you think we, as SparkPeople members, can combat the obesity epidemic?

Hot Fun in the Summertime!

Turkey and Black Bean Sloppy Joes
Low fat, high taste sloppy joes


INGREDIENTS

19 ounces turkey (93% lean)

black beans 1 can - drained and rinsedone

medium onion sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

1 can - 6oz tomato paste

12 oz low sodium tomato juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp chili powder

1 can tomatoes and green chiles

0.25 tsp salt

1 tsp Onion & Herb Ms Dash


DIRECTIONS

Brown ground turkey and drain fat.

Combine remaining ingredients and heat till hot and desired thickness.


Server on whole wheat hamburger buns or whole wheat bread. (bun/bread in not in calorie count).

Nutritional Info
Fat: 7.1g
Carbohydrates: 20.0g
Calories: 199.2
Protein: 17.7g


Number of Servings: 8

Oreo Cream Dessert

Oreo Cream Dessert


Nutritional Info
Fat: 1.0g
Carbohydrates: 12.6g
Calories: 121.8
Protein: 2.4g


Ingredients

1-1.5 oz box Jello fat free, sugar free, pudding

3 cups fat free milk

1-8 oz. container Cool Whip Free

9 reduced fat oreos

Directions

Chop/crush oreos, in grinder/blender, spread out over 13 x 9 inch pan.

Spray 10 sprays of (any) spray butter, over oreos (to hold in place).

Combine milk, pudding, and cool whip in bowl.

Pour over top of oreos, and let set-up for about 30 minutes.

Makes about 12 servings.

Cut 12 servings from 13 x 9 pan evenly.

This is a great dessert that allows you to give into that sweet tooth, without going overboard on calories or taste!Number of Servings: 12

Motivation~Where do you find Yours?

By Nancy Howard
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=motivation_where_do_you_find_yours
The common bond many of us share is where to find the motivation to carry us to our goals. What happens when it isn’t there? Why is it so important in helping us to achieve success in anything that we do, including embracing a healthy lifestyle? When I first began my journey, motivation was at an all-time high. It was like the first day of school, you know when you buy a new back-to-school outfit, new school supplies, and even look forward to making new friends.

But once the first few weeks are well behind you this is when the work really begins. And it can be tough and no longer fun.I once thought that motivation was something others could give me. They would be there pushing me through all the trials and tribulations in my life or carrying me through when I just felt I couldn’t do it on my own. But I have since learned differently. The longer I am on this journey the more I realize I am the one responsible for getting me to each and every one of the goals I have laid out before me. Believe it or not, motivation is something we all have! We have all had it since we were wee babes.

But I do believe, at least for me, I learned to shut off the motivation button each and every time I hit an obstacle that stood in my way of success. In other words, I took the responsibility off me and put it onto my lack of motivation. It was easier to blame my lack of motivation than it was to blame myself.

This is why I consider this journey a blessing. I realize I DO have the motivation to get me over the roadblocks I have set up, I just couldn’t or didn’t want to hear that inner voice telling me I could do this. I had just buried it deep within so I could blame anyone else, but me. This doesn’t mean I don’t turn to others when times get tough--in fact that is what helps me more than anything.

Realizing that others have walked a similar journey and succeeded inspires me to find that all important motivation. My running coach, Chad, told me the following quote a little over 2 years ago after he became so tired of hearing my incessant complaints of not being able to break through a plateau I had been on for many months. He said, “Nancy, I CANNOT give you motivation. Motivation must come from within yourself; therefore, it is a gift we give ourselves.

However, what I can give you is inspiration, since inspiration is a gift we give to others.” I went home immediately wrote that on my inspirational wall of quotes where I still read it every day. And while I would like to say that I have conquered the lack of motivation bug, what I have learned is to accept, just like everything in life, that it too has its peaks and valleys and it is all part of the journey to a healthier me.

How do you find motivation within yourself when you feel that you just don’t have it in you? Do you feel worthy of giving yourself the gift of motivation every day?

Setting Realistic Goals

By Nancy Howard
www.sparkspeople.com

This past weekend I took the next step in my fitness career by taking the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Coaching Certification Class. This was a very intense two day course covering all aspects on becoming a certified running coach. Let me tell you, I learned so much in those 16 hours that my head is still spinning.

Now I have to study so that I can take my exam in the next few weeks. I do have my work cut out for me, but I have confidence in due time I will be a coach.While I am not going to go into the specifics of the class, I did want to share with you one of the lessons I learned and that was helping a runner set a realistic goal. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have read or talked to new runners who want to go from running 3 miles three times a week to a marathon in less than a year.

While many may feel that I do not support these runners by stealing their dreams, in all reality my goal is to help a new runner appreciate the time and effort it takes to become a long distance runner. And most importantly respect the distance of not only running 26.2 miles but training for this distance as well. When I was getting quite frustrated with my own slow progress three years ago, my running coach once told me, “Nancy, do you want to be a life-long runner or a once in a lifetime runner? It is your choice but if you choose the first option, you will allow time for your body to adapt to the sport of running and you will be a runner. Or if you choose the latter, you will have no choice but to adapt to an injured body and you may have to give up the gift of running altogether.”

I guess you can tell which path I took.These were pretty harsh sentiments at the time when I was expecting to hear words of support and encouragement. But in all honesty, looking back, I am glad he was truthful with me rather than trying to sell me a dream that may have never been fulfilled if I found myself sidelined with an injury. I had to learn to trust his knowledge and expertise.

And we do know that one of our biggest de-motivators is setting goals that are unachievable. Sometimes we need an outsider’s view to set us in the right direction when we can’t ‘see the forest through the trees’, so to speak. This doesn’t mean we can’t shoot for the stars, but know that the moon many times may get in the way, but WOW what a view of the Earth you will see.

I have learned toTRUST THE PROCESS, which has become my mantra on this journey. But we should all know that in due time we can meet many of our goals, sometimes we just have to be willing to have others help us along the way.

Has anyone ever told you that your goal(s) were unrealistic and if so, how did you respond? Have you ever set a goal only to realize yourself that it was unrealistic? Do you trust others in helping you meet your goals?