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This is “funny”!

To the IRL, size matters

By Roy S. Johnson / Roy S. Johnson blog

If you say something long enough – no matter how absurd, illogical or wrong it may be – someone just might start to believe it. That’s the only way to explain how the open–wheel folks at the Indy Racing League came to implement its latest rule change: From now on, the minimum weight for IRL cars must include the driver.

What’s the big deal? Well, it just so happens that the lightest driver on the circuit is a woman. And not just any woman. It’s Danica Patrick, whose hotness (off the track more than on it) has made her the most popular driver in open–wheel racing.

At just 100 pounds, she weights 20 pounds less than the two other women on the circuit, Milka Duno and Sarah Fisher. The heaviest driver, according to the IRL guide, is 165–pound Ed Carpenter.

The rationale for the move? Patrick told USA Today that she asked IRL honchos for a reason for the change. “They didn’t really have one,” she said.

I guess it wouldn’t exactly have been smart for her to just call a lug a lug. But I will. It’s stupid, and it sounds like good’ ole hateration.

There was buzz in IRL garages about Danica’s slight size providing her with some unfair advantage almost since the moment she burst onto the scene – and we do mean burst! – three years ago by becoming only the fourth woman to qualify for the Indy 500 and the first to actually lead the race. She also finished fourth, the best showing ever by a woman. Danica even admits that in a sport where less weight can mean higher speeds, being light offers a slight edge.

In 2005, rival teams were outed in an AP story, saying Danica might gain as much as one mph due to her size.

Whatever. If it were that much an advantage, why has Danica not won a single race in 47 tries?

It might be fair to call Danica, one of the highest–earning female athletes on the planet, the Anna Kournikova of the grease set since her results have not yet lived up to the hype. But it’s pretty hard not to think this rule change was just the sad result of the constant whining of her competitors.

The IRL took great pains to prevent us from calling this the “Danica Rule.” Circuit spokesman John Griffin said the new rule would lessen the disparity between the lightest and heaviest drivers, which can be as much 100 pounds. (Have the IRL’s tubbies not heard of Jenny Craig?)

Uh–huh.

Look, I fully understand efforts to create a level playing field, whether in racing (NASCAR has weight requirements) or elsewhere in our society. Disparities that provide one group with an unfair advantage over another – in sports, in the workplace, in the classroom, wherever – are growing more and more outdated with each passing day. Thankfully.

But throw in the potential new NFL rule banning hair from hanging from under a player’s helmet beyond his name, and I began to wonder whether sports, which typically has been a stage for change in America, is lurching backward just as the rest of the nation slowly – and almost historically – moves ahead.

Read more posts from Roy S. Johnson’s blog – Ballers, Gamers and Scoundrels

I got this article from: http://sports.yahoo.com/top/blog/roy_s_johnson/post/To-the-IRL-size-matters?urn=top,73900

6 Slimming Tricks

from Susan Cernek, Glam.com

Haven’t lost those last five pounds yet? Don’t fret! We’ve got six sure-fire ways to make you look longer and leaner. The best part? These tips work for both guys and gals!

1. Be a Cardi Shark

Photo: Vince

Take cues from Cameron Diaz and other style-savvy stars by investing in a light-weight cardigan, especially one with a slightly longer-than-usual cut. When buttoned up, the sweater’s dapper-looking front creates a sleek, slimming vertical line. When worn open - to reveal a pants’ or skirts’ waistline - the contrast of horizontal lines makes legs look longer. Special bonus for the boys: A cool cardigan serves as a great suit-jacket substitute for casual Fridays.

2. Tuck It In

Photo: Target

While A-line blouses and un-tucked shirt tails may be cool and comfy, they can make even the slightest figure seem top-heavy. Tucking tops into pants, skirts, and shorts will make you look svelte and sophisticated. (And yes, the tried-and-true method of wearing a shirt with vertical stripes is guaranteed to be slimming, too.)

3. Get Waisted

Photo: Neiman Marcus

While some are reluctant to emphasize their waist (a trouble spot for gym-bunnies and couch potatoes alike), a cinched center creates the illusion of a lean and fit silhouette. So whatever you wear, belt it up before heading out the door. For guys this includes dress pants, khakis, and even jeans, while women should experiment by layering a belt over light-weight sweaters, long blouses, and sheath dresses to give some shape to their figure.
4. Cultivate the ¾-Length Coat Look

Photo: Neiman Marcus

. Owning a trim-looking outerwear garment is crucial: After all, it’s what many colleagues and acquaintance see first when greeting you. To make a powerful first impression, look for a coat that hits at the mid-thigh. Cold-weather versions with buttons on the top part of the coat make girls’ legs look supermodel-long, while guys wearing similarly structured jackets turn into statuesque gents.

5. Go Out in a Blaze(r) of Glory:

Photo: J. Crew

A dark-hued, well-fitting blazer is a wardrobe must-have for both sexes. (The most flattering proportions for almost any shape will nip in slightly at the waist and hit just below the hip.) To make the most of this polished look, wear the jacket unbuttoned and pair it with a light-colored shirt: This contrast of hues in the center of your torso transforms your silhouette into one long, clean line from head to toe. This creates the all-important optical allusion of making your waist look thinner than it really is.

6. Get the Perfect Pant

Photo: Gap

Figuring out the ideal trouser length can be tricky stuff. A good rule of thumb is the longer the pant, the longer the legs appear. Another good rule: Never let your socks show! Ladies especially should remember this when wearing trousers with heels: If the pant skims the top of the foot, it’s too short and can make the wearer seem squat. But don’t get too carried away when telling the tailor to add inches at the cuff: Floor-grazing pants will only make you seem sloppy, not lanky.

I got this article from: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/79/six-slimming-style-tricks

Spend or Save: A Guide to Buying Wardrobe Basics

from RealSimple.com

Photo: Ellen Silverman

What’s worth stretching your budget for, and what can you get away with buying on the cheap? 

T-Shirt
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: Save on tees because “you wear them close to your skin, so you wash them more, and they don’t have that long of a shelf life,” says Mary Lou Andre, a Boston-based wardrobe consultant and the author of Ready to Wear (Perigee). Plus, white ones usually lose the fight with underarm-perspiration marks. “Go for a good fit first and for fabric that doesn’t look flimsy,” says Kendall Farr, a stylist and the author of The Pocket Stylist (Gotham). “Both of these criteria can be accomplished at good prices.”

Jeans
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: Jeans might have been created for miners and manual laborers, but today you can wear them everywhere - in the backyard when you rake leaves, to work, and to dinner with friends. Splurge on one or two good pairs, suggests Farr. Premium denim has an attractive dark wash and the right amount of stretch and should fit better than a cheaper pair. Consider hemming one pair for flat shoes and another for heels, says Farr, so the length always looks just right.

Hosiery
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: Hosiery will run. That $40 pair may take a little longer to ladder, but in winter especially, you’re usually better off buying multiple pairs of cheaper tights than one or two pairs of expensive ones, says New York-based image consultant Annie Brumbaugh. If you can afford it, expensive hosiery does “fit great, feel great, and hold up well,” says Brumbaugh. But if you’re looking for a place to save, skip the deluxe version and buy a few cheap pairs for the same price.

Bra
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: Bras are a good investment item because they can affect your overall look, says Tim Gunn, chair of the department of fashion design at Parsons The New School for Design and a mentor on Bravo’s Project Runway. Focus on the fit. “A great bra can make a 5- to 10-pound difference in your appearance,” says Amanda Sanders, a New York-based image consultant. “The bigger your bust, the more important the fit is. If you have a smaller chest, a quality bra can make the most of what you have.”

Gym Clothes
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: The great thing about gym clothes: Even if you choose to buy the best (instead of sweating in a ratty old T-shirt), you won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Gym clothes aren’t that expensive, and the pieces will most likely last for years to come. “Invest in something functional,” advises Brumbaugh. Be sure that the outfit feels flattering. “When you look good in your workout clothes,” says Brumbaugh, “you’re more inclined to work out.” But don’t overdo it: A great pair of pants and a couple of tops will do the trick. (Supplement them with those college tees.)

Trendy Items
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: With all the discount retailers out there, you can avoid overspending on fashions that will feel passé after one season. These stores offer trendy items at fair prices, says Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist and designer Phillip Bloch. But remember: Some trends, like nautical-inspired clothing and tunics, will come around again and again, so go ahead and splurge on an item you feel has staying power.

Black Pants
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: A high-quality pair of black pants can last for years. “Black pants are timeless,” says Andre. “And investing in a good pair is smart, as the wear and tear on them is typically greater than on most wardrobe items.” Farr agrees: “Spend more on at least one pair of well-tailored tropical-wool black pants.” Better fit and craftsmanship and higher-quality materials cost a bit more, but you’ll save in the long run, as you won’t be spending twice as much buying a new, cheaper pair every year.

Jacket
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: “A very good jacket can do a lot for your overall look,” says Brumbaugh. “You could wear just a T-shirt and jeans, but an expensive, fabulous jacket upgrades your outfit.” Look for a jacket to fit the widest part of your body. If you have a large bust and a small waist, buy a jacket in a size that will close over your bust. Then go to a reputable tailor and have the jacket taken in to fit elsewhere.

Dress
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: A go-to dress works as a default outfit for any occasion, so you want one or two top-quality ones that will last for years. In particular, “a dark dress, in black or some deep shade of brown or a jewel tone, is something to spend a bit more on,” says Farr. And “make sure the dress isn’t too short,” says Brumbaugh. “That can kill its longevity.” Choose a knee-length style that won’t risk looking outdated next year. An exception to the splurge rule? Casual sundresses, which rarely last more than a few seasons.

Black Suit
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: “A black suit should be a staple of any woman’s wardrobe,” says Gunn. You can reach for it for interviews, cocktail parties, dinners, and important meetings. A high-quality suit will last through many seasons and won’t be ruined by multiple wearings or trips to the dry cleaner. Look for a superior fabric and cut. A classic style, in tropical wool with both a skirt and a matching pair of pants, will prove most versatile, says Sanders.

Work Shoes
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: “If you can afford it, I would absolutely encourage buying one pair of really good shoes per season,” says Brumbaugh. Work shoes suffer wear and tear, and a good-quality pair will withstand daily use. Again, with shoes, higher prices mean higher-quality elements, like soft leathers that breathe, extra cushioning, and top craftsmanship. Choose comfortable heel heights and classic styles. And protect your investment from the start by taking the shoes to a repair shop to have them weatherproofed and the soles reinforced with rubber.

Evening Shoes
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: “You’re probably not going to wear them very much,” says Brumbaugh. “And chances are high that they’ll get trashed.” Buy a pair that you don’t mind people stepping on. And if a splash of wine ruins your satin-covered pumps, it won’t
break your heart to throw them out.

Evening Dress
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: “Head for the sales rack,” says Gunn. “Don’t pay full price. How much wear will you really get out of it?” Evening events last a few hours and don’t occur very often. Attractive options abound at national chain stores, where prices won’t leave you wondering how you’ll pay for shoes to match.

Evening Bag
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: “It’s not worth it to go out and buy an expensive clutch you’re not going to use every day,” says Bloch. “Go to a thrift store and buy a vintage bag for the evening,” or look for one at a discount retailer. Like an evening dress, this bag won’t be used very often. So even if it’s a cheaper version, choose classic black or a metallic color, which will work with different outfits.

Raincoat
Save or Spend? Save.
Experts Say: A lot of high-performance brands make quality rain jackets at affordable prices. “Some of the newer microfiber coats work really well and are reasonably priced,” says Andre. But when it comes to a dressier trench coat, a high-end choice in a timeless style - “something classic,” suggests Gunn - is a sound investment piece because it elevates an outfit and won’t ever go out of fashion.

Winter Coat
Save or Spend? Spend.
Experts Say: If you live in the frost belt, a quality coat is a no-brainer. “A good coat is an essential wrapper for all your wardrobe choices,” says Farr. “It must really fit, and the fabric must be of a caliber that will withstand heavy wear and won’t wrinkle.” You want to be able to cross your arms in front of you and reach up comfortably. “This is the mark of a coat that fits well,” says Farr. Another wearability test: Grab a handful of fabric and squeeze it hard for 20 seconds. Says Farr, “If it looks like a crumpled lunch bag, so will you.”

I found this article at: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/93/spend-or-save-a-guide-to-buying-wardrobe-essentials

Releasing my inner “girly” girl - Post numero Uno

So wednesday was an eventful day for me!  I went and did some clothes shopping!  I bought a really comfy pair of high heeled sandles - I’m not much of a heels kind of girl but I like these and they are super comfy right now so I can hardly wait to see what they are like when they are broke in, a paid of brown sport oxfords from the shoe department of my favorite store in the whole wide world….Maurices.  In the clothes department, I purchased a white floral print tube top, a bright blue top and a multi-tone blue dress (I’m not much of a dress girl either but I really liked the fit of this dress and I felt really good in it.)  So that was the extent of my “girly” day.  Not all that exciting for some but considering my closet doesn’t have a whole lot of color in it this was a pretty big step up for me.

P.S. Pictures will be coming soon.  I promise.

Lost some more!

I’m down another 1.5 pounds!  I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be coming off that way but that’s what my scale says!  My walking buddies (AKA my dogs) are keeping going on a walk pretty much every day for the past 17 days.  I’ve only missed 3 walks in that time.  I’m on the road to success!  Attached is a “happy” picture.  Please click on the title to view….I’ve been having troubles with wordpress stretching my pictures.

Flowers

Some randomness…

Here’s a little randomness to break things up a little bit. P.S. I am a little bit of a Nascar fan, sorry.

Special K Challenge…..

I have decided that I’m going to try the Special K Challenge. I even joined the Special K Challenge message board on Yahoo Groups.  I’m hoping that this works to get some of my extra weight off.  It can’t hurt to try it and see what happens right?  If anyone out there is interested in the Challenge or is doing the challenge and would like to join the group here is the link:

http://new.groups.yahoo.com/SpecialKgroup

How to Lose Weight Like a Guy

By Denise Foley, Prevention

Think the most infuriating thing a guy can say to you is, “Yeah, it does make your butt look big”? Wrong.

The one phrase that can turn any relationship into a nuclear winter is: “I need to drop 5 pounds—I’ll cut out the beer.”

And here is the ugly truth: One beerless Patriots game and your guy is back in his high school gym shorts. You could forgo beer forever and be about as close to getting into your high school gym shorts as you are to fitting into one of Barbie’s dream gowns. It’s not fair.

Face it, guys are just losers. Well, better losers than we are. Even though we’d knock ‘em dead in the Jeopardy! weight loss category—we know everything there is to know about calories and fitness—they have the physiological edge. When Paul Tasner decides to drop a few pounds, says his wife, Barbara Walter, an ambulatory surgery nurse and a wellness coach in the San Francisco area, it seems to happen overnight: “It looks like he had a belly suit on, and then a day later, he takes it off and there’s a slim guy underneath. It really pisses me off.”

Men’s bigger muscle mass—in fact, their bigger-ness overall—helps them burn 30% more calories than we do, says nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. They have other advantages, too: For one, their hormones don’t leave them waterlogged—and heavier—1 week a month. We generally have more body fat and are biologically more inclined to store it (possibly to nourish those dozen babies nature wants us to have).

The bad habits guys overcome (beer and chips) seem to result in instant weight loss, while ours (mistaking a box of Ring Dings for a therapist) seem too emotionally hardwired to short-circuit. Finally, in the gym, they grab the big, macho barbells and do routines that make them grunt. Our weights tend to be pink…and puny.

But all is not, ahem, lost. We women may never have the biological or psychological weight loss advantages men enjoy, but we are clever enough to learn new tricks. In other words, if there’s no way to beat them at the dieting game, we might as well join them. Here are five guy habits that can help you lose weight—and keep it off. Happily, none of them involves testosterone.

He doesn’t crave sweets
Both men and women have cravings, and no, he doesn’t have an easier time fighting them off. But your comfort food is likely to be chocolate, pudding, or a cheese Danish, while his is a thick, juicy steak. A recent Cornell University study found that women seek out sweets to ward off the blues; men turn to meat when they want to indulge. The advantage of his choice: It’s protein, which will help fill him up far better than your coffee cake. A study published last year by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine found that the secret weight loss weapon of low-carb diets is protein, because it promotes satiety, the scientific term for fullness, which curbs overeating.

If cravings are your downfall, you have a choice of tactics here:

Eat a little protein
When a craving hits, have low-fat string cheese, a low-fat turkey and cheese roll-up, or fat-free cottage cheese mixed with some cut-up fruit instead of a sweet.

Have protein-packed chocolate
Take a tip from Prevention weight loss advisor Holly Wyatt, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center: “When I’m craving chocolate, I have a chocolate-coated energy bar or another similar protein bar for 210 calories. I’ve gotten to the point where that tastes like candy to me.” But not so good that she starts in on a second.

He doesn’t berate himself when he screws up
Okay, you blew it. You had PMS, or your accountant called with news of a surprise audit, and the jelly doughnut hollered, “Eat me!” What do you do next? If you’re a woman, you throw up your hands, tell yourself what a bad person you are, and reach for another doughnut. Then you wallow in self-loathing for days. And what does a guy do?

“He feels okay, maybe even good, and really enjoys that steak,” laughs emotional-eating expert Edward Abramson, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at California State University and author of Body Intelligence. But he doesn’t order another one—he climbs back on the weight loss wagon, no harm, no foul. The best way to beat that diet-busting trap:

Apply his 80% rule
“Most guys avoid anything that even smacks of perfectionism,” and that applies to dieting, too, says Pamela Peeke, MD, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and author of Body for Life for Women.

“When women start a diet, they go from zero to 100—they become ‘perfect’ overnight, which is a hallmark of failure. That’s why I developed the 80% rule: Hit your weight loss goals 80% every single day you can. One day, it’ll be 120% because it happens to be a great day. Other days, you’ll hit 50% or even 20% when you’re dealing with PMS. Just make sure it averages out to 80%.”

He goes for weights with muscle
Women are catching on to strength-training, but some experts think women ought to approach weights more like a man. “When a guy goes to the gym, he’ll usually pick an exercise that allows him to use the most impressive-looking weights,” says Lou Schuler, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of The New Rules of Lifting.

The result: muscle building in less time, working a range of muscles at once instead of one in isolation. “A woman, on the other hand, will go for light dumbbells and do an exercise that allows her to use perfect form—but will do the least amount of good.” To wit: “the 12 triceps exercises women do” to rid themselves of underarm dingle-dangle, says Schuler.

“All those little exercises are like Chinese water torture for your muscles: a little drip here, a little drip there. You think if you do them enough then these nice, streamlined muscles will show up, but no, they won’t.” So, stop wasting your time, and do what the Y chromosome folks do:

Drop the “Barbie” weights
If you’re doing two sets of 12 or 15 reps, your weights are probably too light, says Schuler. Graduate to the black weights—the ones made of real iron—and move toward higher poundage that makes you strain to do 8 to 10, says Schuler. “Once your body is used to 10, then increase the weight until you’re only able to do 3 reps. At sports medicine conferences, I’ve seen scans of women’s upper arms before and after this kind of training program, and the girth of their upper arms hasn’t changed, but you can see the fat tissue is reduced and how much more muscle there is.”

Work out in life’s gym
Daily tasks offer opportunities to strength-train. “As you boogie through your day,” advises Peeke, “say, ‘No, I can lift those grocery bags. I don’t need a man to help me.’”

He doesn’t use food as a therapist
Women are twice as likely as men to binge because they’re depressed, reports a 2004 University of Minnesota study that examined the eating behavior of 1,800 people for a year. Women are also twice as likely as men to be depressed, which makes for a lot of eat-a-thons.

Worse, after a binge, a woman is likely to feel guilty, become even more depressed, and soothe herself with more gluttony. Confessed one woman (who requested anonymity because her boss reads this magazine): “When I’m really depressed, I’ve been known to wheel into McDonald’s and order two shakes—one for me and one for my invisible friend in the back seat. No kidding. One vanilla, one chocolate.

Sometimes I even turn my head around and say, ‘What do you want, chocolate?’ like the drive-thru guy on the intercom can see me. It’s sick!” Bottom line: No guy thinks he can boost his mood by mainlining frozen dairy products. You shouldn’t either. Get off that circuit with these tips:

Identify what’s behind your need to feed
Start making the connection between stuffing your face and stuffing your feelings. To do this, think Richter scale, says Santa Barbara, CA, psychotherapist Gloria Arenson, author of Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing. “Rank your desire to eat on a scale of 1 to 10 as if it were an earthquake, 10 being ‘Watch out!’ If it’s an 8, then look at what in your life was an 8 that day. Your boss yelled at you? Your dog ran away? Your kid got into trouble at school?”

By matching your numbers—the craving and an equivalent stressor—you’ll soon learn how to determine whether you’re hungry or medicating a bad mood. The technique works by erecting a mindfulness roadblock between you and that soothing piece of chocolate cheesecake. With practice, most people who use the rating system stop themselves before taking the first bite, says Arenson.

Take time for yourself
Guys do it, says Sass. “They’ll say, ‘I need to get away,’ and go out and play basketball or golf with their buddies. Women don’t say, ‘I need to take the day off and get pampered.’ For many women, their only pleasure, their only source of gratification and reward, is food.” Starting today, snag a few hours for yourself, but don’t use it to meet your girlfriends for lunch. Give yourself something inedible to look forward to, whether it’s a Saturday morning at the outlets or a monthly girls’ night out for pedicures at a spa.

Get physical with anger
“The standard prescription for a guy who’s angry is to go out and pound nails, not eat chocolate,” says Abramson. Guys are more likely to do something physical to dissipate their negative emotions. Women tend to swallow them—usually with an entire row of Oreo cookies. So when you get mad, get moving.

Stop making such a big deal
Guys may be less vulnerable to emotional eating because they tend not to dwell on things. Women, on the other hand, can spend hours turning one small negative thought around in their minds, adding a few others, and whipping it all into critical mass, says Yale University researcher Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, author of the new book Eating, Drinking, Overthinking. That’s called rumination, and research suggests it can lead to depression, which itself can lead us directly to where we’ve hidden the Milano cookies.

Again, there’s biology involved: In the brain, thoughts are linked in a network of associations, so I’m a fat pig lives on the same neural pathway as I’m a lousy cook and You’re not going to amount to anything (that one’s from your mother). Think about one and the others light up like an old-fashioned switchboard. Don’t fall into the trap of using food to snap out of it. Instead, try this suggestion from Nolen-Hoeksema: Pick a word or phrase that makes you aware of what you’re doing and helps you gain control (like Knock it off! or I won’t let myself get sucked into this).

He doesn’t give up stuff he likes
Austrian researchers, looking at gender differences in eating and dieting, found that “men’s approach toward nutrition is uncomplicated and pleasure-oriented.” For women, it’s more punitive. Peeke agrees: “When guys go on a diet, they don’t give up their Doritos. They’re like Condi Rice—they negotiate. ‘The big game is coming up. I’ll have a third of the Doritos I usually do, but I will have some Doritos and guacamole.’”

We, on the other hand, approach dieting like ascetics, depriving ourselves of all those luscious “forbidden foods” until we can’t stand it any longer. Then we fall like starved dogs on year-old Halloween candy stuck to the back of the freezer. In fact, studies by University of Toronto obesity researcher Janet Polivy, PhD, found that restrained eaters—that’s the average female dieter—are more likely to not only overeat after dieting but also to gorge themselves if they just think they’re going to go on a diet. Scientists call it “the last supper effect.” Here’s how to push away from this table:

Diet like a guy
For the most part, guys don’t diet. Or, when they do, they make the commitment to eat less, don’t agonize a lot, and wham, bam, there they are, all svelte again. Peeke calls it Home Depot syndrome. “A guy looks at his need to lose weight and sees it like a blueprint for building a cabinet—he has that much emotion about it,” she says.

“It’s a job, he gets his supplies, and he does it. If he thinks he’s a fat-ass-lard-belly, he just says, ‘Well, I guess I got myself here and I gotta get myself out—let’s get this show on the road.’” You can do the same, says Peeke, if you make these words your mantra: Of course I can lose weight. Will it take longer than it takes my hubby? Yes. Do I have the patience? I do—and the journey begins today.

Don’t ban your favorite food
Guys don’t give up pleasure without a tussle. But one of the first things women forget when they try to lose weight is that life without chocolate is not worth living. Nothing can scuttle your good intentions like feeling deprived. “I order my clients to have something they love every day—a portion of ice cream, a small cupcake,” says Arenson.

In fact, Toronto-based weight loss coach Mary Crawford lost more than 50 pounds on what she calls the Enjoyable Diet—a program she developed that allowed her to eat whatever she wanted every day. The catch: She restricted herself to 800 calories every other day and didn’t diet on the alternate days. It may sound a little out-there, but the concept could help eliminate that girly dilemma that jettisons many a woman’s best-laid diet plans: I want it—lots of it—because I can’t have it.

Go for another consuming pleasure
“So many times women are told, ‘If you feel like you’re going to overeat, distract yourself by cleaning the house,’” says Sass. “That’s like torturing yourself.” No man in his right mind is going to do chores to keep himself from overeating. A guy will find a more hedonistic distraction, like shooting hoops in the driveway, playing his guitar, or making something with a life-threatening tool. Take a cue from him and look for something enjoyable that engages your hands and mind. One of Sass’s clients took a jewelry-making class that has become her antidote to overeating. “All she thinks about now is how she’s going to make her next piece instead of, What can I eat now?”

Bottom line: Weight loss is as much about attitude as it is about aptitude. And adopting a male mind-set, at least in this arena, can make you a leaner, more in-control woman.

Guy exercises for girls
Good Morning
Works butt and legs
Stand with feet a few inches apart, knees bent slightly. Hold two 10- to 15-pound dumbbells against your chest. With back flat and abs tight, slowly hinge forward at hips, lowering upper body while keeping back flat. Don’t go beyond parallel to the floor. Pause, then stand back up. Do three sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Clean and Press
Works butt, legs, arms, and shoulders
Start in a squat, feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent. Hold an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell in each hand, at sides, palms in. As you curl weights up to shoulders, straighten legs and rise up onto toes. Lower heels as you turn palms out and press weights overhead. Pause, then lower weights, return to starting position, and repeat. Do three sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Last Updated: 12/04/2006 17:07:25

2007 Rodale Inc. All rights reserved. Prevention ® is a Registered Trademark of Rodale Inc. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Rodale Inc.

I got this article from: http://health.yahoo.com/weightloss-motivation/how-to-lose-weight-like-a-guy/prevention–23299.html

Walk Off Weight Fast - Part 2

My recommendations (as you have read in Walk off Weight No. 1) are that you practice that training for four weeks – you could even repeat for several four-week cycles as long as it keeps working for you, changing your body and fitting in your schedule. Then, at some point you’ll see, you’ll need to go on to No. 2.

Here’s why: everybody adapts eventually to a workout routine and stops losing weight. I am giving you No. 2 now because it seems that some of you are already there. You’ve been walking, you have exercised for years, and your body is stuck.

Trust this: if you are new to exercise or have been away for a long time, Walk off weight No. 1 is for you. Make room in your schedule and do it. You will not only lose weight but also improve your cardiovascular endurance and your ability to “stay on the road.”

So, you say you have tried No. 1, or your version of it – you have lost weight by exercising, and then it stopped. Or, you say, you are pretty fit - you already DO exercise a lot - but you are stuck at x pounds, and can’t move the scale at all. Fitness, like life, is a living puzzle. We are always seeking to fit the puzzle pieces together easily and comfortably, and when we do, it’s great.

But even when we have found a fit, the palette changes and the puzzle that worked before – no longer fits. Either your schedule has changed, your body has adapted to the exercises, or you are just tired of the same old routine. And let’s not forget that the puzzle contains elements that are physical as well as mental.

We’ll find your fit; maybe this is the piece that completes your weight loss puzzle for now:

Work out intensely for 20 minutes a day, two times a day, and twice a week. I want you to start some professionally designed training practices. These practices, used by athletes to increase their fitness level and performance quickly, will also change YOUR body – fast.

Get on your bike (stationary or regular) or put on your running/walking shoes, and hit it hard for 20 solid minutes. That’s right – walk, ride or run, very intensely for a short (20-minute) period of time, two times in one day, twice a week.

If you prefer, go for 50 minutes with 30 dedicated to intervals. Again, on a bike, walking or running, I’d like you to bookend a 50-minute interval training session with 10 minutes of warm up/moderately paced exercise, and 10 minutes of moderately paced exercise/cool down. In between you’ll do 30 minutes of intervals – two minutes of intensity followed by one minute of recovery. Do 10 sets, and do this work out twice a week.

Or, take one long day. Whether you take a yoga class, hike for an hour or go out for a long easy run/walk with friends, train at a moderate to moderately high intensity level – not an easy stroll, but not at interval intensity either. You should feel the effects of this workout for sure, but it shouldn’t feel like a “hard day.” That’s five days a week of super-effective training.

Give it a try and let me know – do this through Thanksgiving and you will surely see dramatic effects. And remember, fitness isn’t just physical. You can, and must, train your mind for change as well as your body. Sometimes when change has been difficult for a long time, we start to believe, and even unconsciously reinforce, that we (and our bodies) are incapable of changing.

It’s like reinforcing weight gain by eating too much. So get on a mental conditioning program, too. While exercising as written above, repeat a mantra that says you ARE changing now. “I am changing.” “Change is what I do well.” “Yeah change, you’re here!” Repeat it, say it with conviction throughout your training sessions and throughout your day and change will occur in mind and body. Oh, one more thing, physical change is largely diet related, as well, (another very important piece of the weight loss puzzle), so changes need to show up there, too.

I’m going to address the diet piece more and more, but for I have three little suggestions:

1. Cut out all fried foods. For obvious reasons - too much fat, too many calories, too much cholesterol.

2. Stop eating snack/protein/energy bars. Most have tons of sugar and are packed with calories that are quickly eaten and forgotten. No more. They are cleverly packaged to make you feel like you are eating healthy and low cal, but not so most of the time. I will soon be asking you to eliminate as much processed food as possible, but for now – stop with the bars.

3. No more soda – diet or regular. Diet soda is full of chemicals and unnatural sweeteners that make you want to consume more and more and never really hydrate you. Regular soda is like drinking a can of sugar. The suggestions above are not just suggestions – I implore you to follow them all – your weight and your health depend on it.

Peace and Happy Trails – Debbie Rocker

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I got this article from: http://health.yahoo.com/experts/rockertraining/1345/walk-off-weight-fastpart-2/;_ylt=As5DEaYvnmsVyYnFPuuG7T7OtMUF