You don’t have to know the origin of a phrase however, to know what it means and to make use of it. For example pinching pennies simply means to be frugal of course, and I’m going to outline a few things you can easily do to save money.

• Learn to be content

While I know this might sound like a strange way to think of saving money, it really isn’t.  For example, don’t buy a new car every four years; pay off your car and then save to pay for a new (used) one which you can pay cash for.  Certainly this means you won’t be driving the newest model, or perhaps even the prettiest one, but if you are content with what you have, you will easily be able to pass the car lot and smile knowing that you are content with what you have.

• Make it  yourself

Cook more meals at home, from scratch, not a box. Using fresh ingredients and not a pre-packaged artificial ingredient, sodium packed “helper” kind of meal and not only will you be saving money, but you will help the health of both you and your family.

• Fix it yourself

Become familiar with the general working functions of your appliances, both large and small, electronic or not. If you know how they work it will be easier for you to be able to identify the potential problem. If you cannot find out how to repair the appliance either through word of mouth from someone you know, or the internet, then either replace the appliance or call a repairman. One thing’s certain, the repairman will be thankful that you know enough to point them in the right direction when they go to repair your item.

Doing just these three simple, relatively painless things will help you save money, as you take pride in knowing you’ve learned to be content.

Men In Black III? photo courtesy bloody-disgusting.com

Always one for a sequel, I’m having mixed emotions about the talk of casting for Men In Black III.  I love Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith together…they work!  But I’m disappointed to see that they might not be in this one.

I don’t know who the actors will be, but wish it were the originals.  I hate it when they change actors for sequels, don’t you?

photo courtesy thatsmyface.com

According to thatsmyface.com, “from just one (or two) photos of you and using patent-pending 3D modeling techniques previously reserved to film studios and professional 3D designers, your face is reconstructed in 3D. Then, using cutting-edge manufacturing technologies pioneered by the car prototyping industry, ThatsMyFace can bring you your very own action-figure right to your doorstep.

Your lifelike action-figure head is created out of a hard resin composite in full 24-bit color. You can either choose to order the head only and fit it onto your existing action figure bodies, or buy our complete action-figures pre-fitted and fully clothed.”

Other products you can order seem a bit creepy to me…face masks and 3D portraits of either celebrities or whomever you wish.

If you are tired of finding the perfect gift, this might be what you’re looking for!

The current trend in plus size models is a good sign. The average woman is not, nor does she desire to be, rail thin like most “traditional” models are.

With more realistic, curvy models on the runways and in fashion magazines, society is hopefully coming around to what is “real” more than what is “fake,” however I have to wonder what the industry thinks a “plus size” model is.

According to one modeling advice website, models still have to be between 5′9″ and 5′11″, so unfortunately short girls need not apply. (oh come on, there’s got to be a market out there for someone shorter than 5′9″!)

Anyway, the industry considers sizes 12 through 18 to be “plus size.”   I’ve no idea how much someone who is 5′9″ and wearing a size 12 would weigh, but I’ve got a bit of an idea that she wouldn’t look that overweight.

No matter where you stand on plus size models, it is a good sign that the market for them is growing because it shows that people are finally accepting the fact that not everyone is a size zero!

Organic Grapes photo courtesy sxc.hu

I can’t speak for other parts of the world, but America has really screwed up generations of girls, just like myself. While I am now a woman, the little girl inside of me is still there. I would dare to say that this is true of most women in this world.

I battled for years with the desire to be “skinny” and the search for the next diet, exercise, pill or liquid fast that would get me there, and suffice it to say that nothing worked. Nothing.

I’m not alone. Millions of women have the same problem as I, so it can’t simply be willpower, can it? Sure, willpower gets your butt in gear and on the move, but there is something more to it. And no, it’s not a wish to simply avoid my contributions to the problem, not at all.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “in 2007-2008, the prevalence of obesity was 32.2% among adult men and 35.5% among adult women.”  This means that, combined, over 60% of adults are obese in America!  Yowza!

Recent obesity research has found that it doesn’t matter what “diet” you follow to reach your goal weight, what is required is that energy expenditure (i.e. exercise, movement, etc.) exceeds energy input (gulping down that Big Mac!)

Some of the common attributes of those who have maintained their weight loss are:

• Monitoring themselves by weighing in at least every week
• Exercising one hour every day (I don’t remember the intensity required)

That’s kind of depressing, isn’t it? Well, it is if you don’t choose to make a lifestyle change rather than going on and off a “diet.”  But if you decide to learn how to eat differently and become more active, it will seem as natural to you as your existing diet is now.

In a previous post I discussed what high fructose corn syrup does to your body. Not only does it “go straight to your hips,” it also leaves you nutrient starved. Your body is in a struggle for it’s life, and the only thing it knows to do when it’s starved for nutrients is to send a signal to your brain to “feed me!”  And as you can see, we do feed it! Eating a nutrient dense variety of foods then, by it’s very nature would allow you to consume fewer calories yet feel completely satisfied.

I love to eat. Period.  If you do as well, then we’ve got a choice to make. Either we do what’s required of us and make the changes, or we continue on the path we’re on and slowly make our way to a miserable ending that could have possibly been avoided.

After scouring throughout the known universe (tee-hee) and searching out my own conscience, I determined that I would follow the Eat to Live plan set out by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.  This is a vegetarian/vegan way of eating that speaks to me. I had no problem at all quitting the animal products. None. What is hard, however, is limiting the grains to one serving per day.  I love my bread! Another issue that I’ve got to get hold of is caffeine and salt. I love both of them, and Fuhrman’s plan requires letting both of them go. Ouch!

Dr. Fuhrman sets out a six week challenge that is intense, and states that you could lose up to 25 pounds in about six weeks time. I like that idea! LOL  After the challenge, the eating restrictions (and weight loss) are loosened up a bit, but still mostly vegetarian.  Not everyone can go completely vegetarian or vegan, but if you limit your meat consumption (after the six week challenge) you can still derive benefits from this plant based (nutrient dense) way of eating.

If you decide to follow this plan you can expect that the more lousy your existing diet, the more lousy you will fill for up to two weeks. If you do, then remember this is a good thing! That means your body is doing a good job ridding itself of the toxins within it’s cells.

You don’t have to go it alone, though. There are many online communities dedicated to this way of living. Some good ones are:

Peertrainer

and

Sparkpeople

If you are currently part of an online community, check with them, I’ll bet at least one person is either eating this way, or know where you can find more information about it!  As the French are fond of saying…”Bon appetit!”

photo courtesy free digital photos.net

I saw an awesome video put out by the University of California TV (aired on Youtube, of course) about the dangers of consuming high fructose corn syrup.

Remember the movie “Conspiracy Theory” with that hunky Mel Gibson? After watching this university video, I’m thinking that his worries were nothing compared to ours.

Dr. Robert H. Lustig, with the UCSF Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, gives a very thorough, and scientific analysis of what happens to HFCS after consuming it.

Bottom line, your body doesn’t recognize the fructose (which is what HCFS is) you are ingesting, so the calories you are consuming that your cells cannot absorb (their food is called glucose), becomes FAT!  That’s right, it turns to FAT!

When you combine our fast food, supersize culture and sedentary lifestyle with HFCS and salt laden drinks, it’s no wonder that we and our kids are getting fatter and fatter.

Fat is only the outward appearance, however.  What should be of more concern is our inner appearance. If you have excess weight on your outside, you can bet our organs, including your heart and liver, have to deal with it too!

Soda has HFCS. Lots of it. That, and salt. I had no idea that soda manufacturers were loading us up with salt (to make us thirstier of course) and disguising it with sweet so that we wouldn’t taste the salt.

It’s not only sodas…my kids love those so called “sports drinks.”  These have just the same amount, if not more of this stuff!  What athlete is going to fill up on this junk?

It really ticks me off to know that food manufacturers, and our government (via the USDA and Congress) are doing this to their own fellow citizens. Dirty …..!

While I realize that food and beverage manufacturers need to make money, why do they have to be so dang greedy about it? If people in this world truly looked out for each other, while not creating perfection, it wouldn’t hurt…not one little bit, and everyone would be much happier. But that’s a discussion for another day!

Inform yourself and your loved ones. Check out this video. It is about an hour and half long, however you won’t regret the time you spend watching it!

The tips, according to this article, include:

1.  Mix half of your favorite juice with plain or sparkling water.

2. Move around while you’re on the phone (i.e. multi-task)

3. Check the calorie content of what you’re eating

4. Boost your calorie burning efforts by drinking green tea before walking

5. Bring your lunch, rather than eating out.

6. Use olive oil rather than butter for your bread.

7. Add flaxseed to your cereal, muffins, etc.

8. Have your thyroid checked

9. Drink more water

photo courtesy stockxchng.com

10. Eat vegetables in your salad that are big and chunky, requiring longer to eat.

Being a lifelong weight watcher…and by that I mean watching my weight rise and fall according to whatever diet I was on…the headline did grab my attention, which means it did it’s job!

All of these tips are good ones, and most of them I usually do, so nothing new here…

Bottom line though, having all of the knowledge in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t “DO IT.”  That means being disciplined and determined in your efforts to improve your life through a change in your lifestyle.

I love BBC America. I love the shows that BBC airs in England as well. The Brits in my mind have always had such a fun, quirky sense of humour!

I absolutely love the show “You Are What You Eat,” which stars nutritionist Gillian McKeith. Some might call her a “B,” however I like to watch her in action.

She takes on clients that have the most awful, disgusting eating habits, and in a no nonsense way she changes their lives by showing them that the food they are consuming is not giving them the nutrition that they need.

The show begins with pictures, unflattering to say the least, of the individuals who have agreed to follow her program, and shows them eating their regular fare, and tells a little bit about them. Next, she talks with them about their food choices, berating the parents who are a poor example for their children, and then discussing with them better choices.

They have to follow her program strictly for two months, and at the end of that time, all have lost weight and feel 100% better, with more energy, better skin, etc.

The focus is not on losing weight, although that is an important side benefit, it is on living a healthy lifestyle.

I do wish, however that they would film the people who have gone through such a miraculous change after a few years to see if they maintained their changes.

If you get a chance, check out her show. You will be both entertained and informed, so that you too can make better choices for your life.

Jason and Grant photo courtesy SyFy.com

I admit it.  I’m a fan of Ghosthunters.  No, I didn’t say Ghostbusters.. that’s a movie from my childhood.  LOL!

I used to watch Ghosthunters faithfully every Wednesday night on the SciFi (or now it’s SyFy) without fail, but since our family is trying to cut back on expenses, we no longer have it.

I suppose if I really wanted to, I could hunt it down on youtube, syfy, or the ghosthunter’s sight, but I haven’t yet.

The show is centered around a group of people known as T.A.P.S., which stands for The Atlantic Paranormal Society, based out of Warwick, Rhode Island.

The founders are Jason and Grant. I have always loved bald men, so of course Jason is my favorite, although I like Grant’s personality too!  The group of researchers attempt to be unbiased and professional in their hunting endeavors, and take a scientific approach to their investigations.  They attempt to disprove everything, and if anything cannot be disproved, it is considered either paranormal or simply unexplained, depending on the evidence captured.

If you’ve never seen this show before, you’re missing out. Not everyone is into the spirit world, but that’s okay. If you don’t lean towards believing in the supernatural, it’s still entertaining.

While being prepared for the future and helping the environment by reusing and recycling is a good thing; it only works if you GIVE IT AWAY or USE IT!

You can only recycle if you GIVE IT AWAY to the recycler, the thrift store, Goodwill, etc.

If you’ve kept your mother’s broken down typewriter in the bottom of your closet for the last twenty years, chances are pretty good that you won’t be using it. Give it away to someone who will fix it up and either sell it or use it.

Clutter is a huge stress inducer. Couples fight over it, and in the end, there are bitter feelings between them that would not have ever been there if they simply would have been willing to deal with their stuff.

I hate clutter, and my biggest problem seems to be clutter, mostly in paper form.  I am getting better at this, but it’s a work in progress!

I can feel pretty good about it, though, after watching an episode of “Hoarders.” If you haven’t seen it yet, you ought to check it out. I feel really badly for the people on this show. They are controlled by their “stuff” rather than the other way around.

Of course, that could be said of almost any “bad habit,” couldn’t it? For example, smoking, or overeating…

Hmmm…time to rethink my bad habits!