Growing Old Gracefully
30 Sep 2011 9 Comments
Two bloggers recently talked about being in middle age and the fear of growing old. 49 And Counting talked about having chest wrinkles. Don’t laugh, younger women! You too will someday face this neckline bane. And Witty Biz Gal talked about older women seeking younger men in the cougar trend.
Our fear of “looking old” is exploited by the beauty and garment industries. As they see Baby Boomers face middle age, they gleefully rub their hands together in anticipation of the profits. Manufacturers put anti-aging formulations in everything from our hair shampoo to our foot scrubs. Fashion designers look backward to the fashions of our younger years, suggesting we should still wear mini skirts and platform shoes like we did 30 years ago.
Whatever happened to growing old gracefully?
We could fight our age tooth and nail, like the provocatively cougarescent Demi Moore. Or like Elizabeth Taylor. Demi should take notice: in her latter years, Liz looked anything but graceful. Slathering on more makeup and wearing plunging necklines didn’t make her look younger, or even attractive. It made her look like she was in denial. It was rather sad, actually.
But then there is prolific actress Angela Lansbury. Aside from the fact that I absolutely love Murder She Wrote, it being my favorite tv show of all time - it was also one of the longest-running tv shows of all time, continuing uninterrupted an amazing 12 years. Lansbury was 60 years old when the show began, and it became a family business as her husband, brother, and two sons became involved in the production.
The makeup and wardrobe chosen for her role in it were not only attractive, but age-appropriate. She wore beautiful suits, silk scarves, and a set of gold trademark earrings that can be seen in many episodes. There was a sense of presence with her in that role, and clearly showed she was comfortable with who she was. There was a gracefulness to her that will always mark my memory.
Lansbury is 85 years old, and still working. Her most recent movie role was in the 2011 Mr. Popper’s Pengiuns, playing opposite Jim Carrey. Even if she does sport chest wrinkles, (leathery tan or otherwise), she’s still careful to dress in clothes that are elegantly unpretentious and that flatter her form. She has presence about her that lights up her face when she smiles, in spite of the creases.
She has an ageless attitude of enthusiasm for life, which gives grace to the aging form her spirit lives in.
And that’s what I want to be when I grow up.
Heather’s Light Box
29 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in clothes recycling, exercise, Family, fashion, Fimo, health, memorials, needlework / sewing, thrifty-ness, weight loss Tags: acai berry, adaptive sewing, light box, memorial candles
My oldest daughter-in-law is a genius.
She’d heard that I’d attempted to make a poor man’s light box, using items I had on hand, with very little in the way of success. Last week she asked me if she could see what I did have, and maybe help me to fix it. I gathered an assortment of items:
- clamp-on gooseneck lamps
- clamp-on spot light
- an old pressed-board end table with screw-in legs
- leftover white muslin fabric from sewing Allen’s renfair shirt
- a clear plastic box
- scotch tape
- scissors
- an extension cord
- white poster board
With these items, she guided me in setting up the light box correctly. Now I already owned all the items to create the light box, but if I had to purchase them it still would have cost me less than $50. I did purchase two new gooseneck lamps so that the light box had it’s own dedicated ones, rather than me stealing one from Mark’s desk and the other from my sewing area.
The main thing I had been doing wrong before was to put the fabric on the outside of the box. The purpose of the white fabric is to diffuse the light so that harsh shadows soften and shine spots disappear or are greatly reduced. But by putting the fabric on the outside of the box, the plastic was still picking up and reflecting too much direct light.
She helped me to cut and tape pieces of the white fabric to the inside of the box, thus creating a correct diffuser for the lamps, and it works like a charm. It’s so great for photographing white-on-white, like these candle holders I just finished for a Memorial Beads customer.
We put the light box in the closet with the fuse box, so that the ambient light would be greatly reduced and allow for dark photography, like showing the candle holder with a lit tea light inside. Keeping the light box in the closet also allows me to use it at a moment’s notice; and yet it’s portable enough that I could disassemble everything in less than 5 minutes and put it into a rolling case.
Heather had created a new Memorial Beads design – the Leigh Bracelet – filled with memorial heart charms and crystal cubes. She’d spent a little time with the new light box and her camera, taking some shots of her bracelet for our catalog. It’s so nice now having a dedicated and ready place for us to take photos. Thank you, Heather, for bugging me about this. 
In other news…
I’ve finished my first week taking the Acai Berry capsules. If you’re curious about how I’m feeling about it, take a look at my post “The Acai Berry Craze” and scroll down to see the update.
I’m almost finished with my friend Peggy’s anniversary dress. She’s the one who’s wheelchair-bound and wanted something really special to wear to her 40th wedding anniversary party. I’ll have pics of both the finished outfit, the shawl, and her husband’s tie next week. It’s an adventure in adaptive sewing for the disabled, where we took a shirt pattern and turned it into a fitted dress with mock princess seams. If you’d like to see a sneak peek at the dress in progress, head on over to my post on “Sewing Adaptive Patterns“.
The Acai Berry Craze
19 Sep 2011 9 Comments
in Family, health, weight loss Tags: acai berry, dietary supplements
Have you seen this article? Someone sent me the link via Twitter this week, and I went to read the article. There’s also this video in the sidebar:
Okay, let’s get real, now. Didn’t the news article look more like an advertisement than a real person testimonial? I’m doubting the news anchor’s claims, for a couple of reasons: first, health experts have long claimed that losing more than a few pounds per week isn’t very healthy for you. It can be done, but at what cost? Secondly, there’s this article from a trusted source, webmd.com.
What do YOU think? Have you tried any of the Acai Berry products? Juices, supplements, etc? Have they worked for you? Met any of your expectations? Or have they just been a big waste of money?
Alright. In the interest of scientific experimentation, I’m gonna follow a similar plan as the one the news anchor did. I’m gonna get an Acai Berry supplement and add it to my daily vitamin intake (regular all-purpose vitamin, extra vitamin C for my immune system, and extra D3 for my joints). Adding an Acai Berry supplement to that, I’ll try it for 30 days to see what happens. Of course I’ll be posting my results here on my blog. But to be honest, I’m skeptical, especially after reading that WebMD article. I’m thinking it isn’t gonna be making *that much* of a difference in my weight loss plan. On the other hand, it is a good-for-you supplement, and it can’t hurt to increase my antioxidant intake.
I did run across some helpful advice in what to look for when buying an Acai Berry product. Granted, this lady is selling her own stuff. But she does make some decent points about what to look for, and what to avoid, when getting Acai Berry products.
This search of Wal-Mart.com showed me a wide variety of Acai Berry products. 14 items came up. So I limited my results to those with 4-5 star rating by consumers. That left me with 5 products. Since the Helpful Advice Lady recommended 1,000 mg of Acai a day, these supplements sounded like the best way to get it. I also was very intrigued by reading the comments in the nutrition information section.
Alright! So off to Wal-Mart I go. (Well, actually it will be in a few hours, as I have work to finish first.) I’ll start my Acai scientific (lol) trials tomorrow.
Update, first week taking Acai Berry
I’m feeling great. Like, Tony The Tiger grrrrreat! The thing is… I don’t know how much of that which can be attributed directly to the Acai Berry capsules I’m taking. Because a number of things started about the same time: going back to Curves and working out 5 days a week, taking my vitamins regularly instead of hit and miss, and taking Acai Berry. I don’t know that I’ve shed any pounds, but I know that some fat has moved around, because a jersey knit skirt I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing in public now fits pretty darn good. So something is happening.
Update, subsequent weeks taking Acai Berry
It’s November 5, and I’ve been taking the Acai Berry for a little over a month. The good changes from last month are still here, although I haven’t had any more dramatic changes to my weight or measurements. In fact, in the few weeks since my last weigh and measure session, I had lost a cumulative 1 inch, and half a pound. So things are actually moving a bit slower. But that’s often the case with weight loss – some people have a dramatic loss at first, and then it tapers off or even plateaus for a bit, then the loss becomes slow but steady.
I still wonder whether any of this can be attributed to taking the Acai, so when the bottle is empty, I’ll stop taking it for a while and see if I notice any changes. Of course I’ll update here and let you know how things go, sans Acai.
Curves In The Road
19 Sep 2011 3 Comments
in exercise, Family, health, weight loss Tags: Curves Smart, Curves workout
I’ve gone back to Curves.
It was a little bit of a tough decision, because I wasn’t sure my right foot could handle it. Yes, my chiropractor has been adjusting it, and my plantar fasciitis has been soooooo much better. But I still had reservations about whether all that progress would be for naught when I went back to the workout. On the other hand… I’ve been stuck at my weight of 183 for a couple of months. Dropping my caloric intake wasn’t enough. I needed to go back to getting regular exercise.
If you’ve never heard of Curves, here’s an informational video, before I go on.
So why Curves, instead of another type of gym or swimming or the treadmill?
Okay, there’s a dynamic involved here. First, Curves is exclusively for women; there’s no testosterone in the room, and it just seems to create an atmosphere that is more companionable. Sorry guys – we love you dearly, but you are a distraction in the gym. It’s hard for us to feel comfortable in working out when you are around.
Second, the Curves workout is something that can be done by all women of any size, any age, and any state of muscle tone. At my club, we have an average age of 50. There are a few younger women in their 20′s, and a few grandmas in their 80′s. It’s a low-impact workout if you need it to be, so even if you’re 86, you CAN do it. Curves Smart customizes the workout to where you are at. Everyone does the same exercises – it’s just the intensity that changes.
Third, there’s an intentional social atmosphere to Curves. The workout machines are stationed in a loop, and you work your way twice around the loop in a 30 minute period. If you’re going to Curves fairly frequently, you’re gonna get introduced to the same people. You’re gonna develop relationships. People are gonna ask you about your life and share about theirs in return. And yet you’re all doing this around a circuit of resistance training machines.
I find this the most fascinating part about Curves.
Yes, you could bring in your Ipod and just tune everyone out, if you aren’t socially inclined. People will quickly get the message and not bother you. But otherwise, you’ll get to know the women you work out with and you will encourage one another. You’ll get to talking and that 30 minutes will go by so fast. It almost doesn’t seem like you’re working hard.
The third thing about Curves that is different than your run-of-the-mill athletic center is the way the workout is conducted. There’s music playing – if you’re old enough, you’ll remember “Hooked On Classics” . Classical music was re-arranged and sped up to near Disco beat. It was a novelty that exposed people to the beauty that is Classical music. Curves does something similar, but they take pop songs from the music charts and increases the beat a little bit. You’ll hear rock-and-roll from the 1950′s through the 1980′s, songs that were on the top 10 in their era. Interspersed with the music is a feminine voice, that says “Change station now” about every 30 seconds. At first, that might be a little disconcerting, especially when you’re not used to it. But at the same time, it makes the workout go really fast, because you aren’t worried about how long to work a machine, or how many repetitions… you just listen to the music and it guides you along.
(Unless you’re having such a good time and you get to talking and don’t hear the woman on the music tell you to change station and there are people behind you on the circuit wanting to move to the next machine but you are still on it. Um. Yess, well that never happened to me, of course. But I thought I’d mention it anyway.)
So personal testimonial here: I’m wearing a size 16 in clothes. My optimal size is a size 12. I’m 5’8″ and have fairly big bones. I haven’t worked out since I quit going to Curves, and that was three years ago. I was using my treadmill, but not very much – it makes me slightly dizzy, and my podiatrist said it wasn’t a really good option for my foot. So that meant I was doing some stretching but aside from that, no exercise at all.
When I went back to Curves, I was concerned that I’d be a little overwhelmed (and a little sore, muscle-wise). But you know what? I was able to jump right back into it, no problems with my foot whatsoever, and I’m absolutely loving it. No muscle soreness, either. What I have noticed, though, is my energy level and my alertness mid-afternoon. Even after only one week, I’m finding a definite change for the better in both those areas.
Ladies, if you’re wanting to know about the cost: My Curves location is $39 a month. You can find one near you, I’m pretty sure. These are franchises, so your local cost may vary. They’re generally open 6 days a week and you can work out as many times as you want. I’m going daily right now, to see if I can handle that, though it may change to 3x a week if I’m feeling like it’s too much. So far, it isn’t.
When you sign up, you get not only weighed but also measured: bust, upper arm, waist, thigh. Why? Because the changes will most often be seen in your muscles before they are seen on the scale. And really, when you think about it – isn’t that the better way to go? What your muscles say is way more important than what any old scale says. So once a month you get re-measured. I guarantee that if you’re eating healthy and go consistently 3x a week, you will see a difference in your measurements even in the first month.
I am proof of that. It took me 9 months, but between Weight Watchers and Curves, I had gone from a size 20 to a size 12. (That was back in 2004-2005) I’d slowly put that weight back on over the last 6 years because I’d stopped my WW and Curves routine. But I know it works, so I have absolute confidence that I’m going to have success this time around, too.
If you wanna talk about it, please do leave a comment! I love comments and I’ll always reply. If you’re curious to learn more about the Curves workout, go to the Curves website. Check it out. If you want more personal input, I’ll be glad to answer questions if I can. (I’m knowledgeable enough about it, with the exception of Zumba. That was new to me. But the Curves Smart program, I’m familiar with.) And if you’re already a Curves member, gimme a hollar! I’d love to have your encouragement here, for other women to read. We all need that, and personal testimony is the best way to do it.
Clothes to Dye For
13 Sep 2011 5 Comments
in clothes recycling, fashion, needlework / sewing, thrifty-ness Tags: dyeing fabric, how to dye clothes in your washer, recycling clothing, rit dye
By now you probably know I’m an unrepentant clothesaholic and fabric hoarder. I cannot pass by a garage sale without stopping to see if there’s something that will fit me. Thrift stores have this magnetic pull. I have to fight my car’s steering wheel or it will take me into the parking lot. Right. You know the drill.
Before I went on my mission to discover my own personal style, I bought clothes without a clear sense of purpose. My closet is an overstuffed riot of colors, with no sense of connectivity. I don’t have a foundation of simple basics. Much of it doesn’t fit my lifestyle as a home-based business owner. Or if it fits, it’s the wrong color and doesn’t work with my Autumn skin tones.
Ugh. It was so much easier getting dressed in the morning when I didn’t know what I was doing!
Short of tossing it all and starting over with a brand new wardrobe (I wish!) — I’m committing myself to doing some pruning, altering, and re-purposing. It’s a slow, painful process at times, because I don’t have a lot of time to work on it, plus there are pieces that I love and don’t want to give them up. I remember a cream colored Irish knit vest I bought at Goodwill – adorable on the hanger, and at the time I thought it was really cute on me. But now I realize it made me look like I’d gained 15 pounds because of the bulk of the fabric around my waist. I looked like a Lego brick with legs. It has finally, reluctantly, made it’s way back to Goodwill.
There are other things that I’ll keep because the colors and fabrics work for me but they need altering – the waist nipped in or the shoulders brought in, buttons moved, darts in the shoulders or hem, etc. Those things are in a huge pile in my sewing area.
And there are things that fit but just aren’t my colors. Rit Dye to the rescue!! Or Dylon if you can get it (try JoAnn Fabrics). It’s a better quality dye than Rit, in some cases. But I’ve used Rit many times with success. So let’s talk about that!
One of my sisters was saying that she’d wanted to try dyeing things but was too afraid to do it out of fear of ruining it. And that’s a legitimate fear! Some fabrics take dye better than others. And people worry that they will stain their washer or otherwise ruin it. If you follow the instructions on the dye bottle, you will be just fine. I’ve dyed lots of things in my washer and we’ve had it for 12 years (go Kenmore). My washer is still nice and white inside. If you’re still unsure and want some advice before diving into the dye, the Rit website has a great section on what you can dye, and how best to do it. It also has a fun blog to read. If you’re crafty, you’ll like their site.
So armed with my two bottles of dark brown Rit Dye and a container of salt, I headed to my top-loading washer. (Top loaders are better than side loaders because you need to add wet fabric to an already agitating washer. But if you have a side loader, don’t worry. There are other methods of dyeing, and they are all on the Rit website.)
I set my washer to large load, because there were a bunch of things I wanted to dye: a silk skirt, a denim wrap skirt, a pair of pants, and that length of corduroy fabric. I set the temperature to hot wash and cold rinse, delicate cycle so it wouldn’t splash but would agitate, then put it on the longest wash cycle. As water started filling the washer, I poured the dye into the hot water, being careful not to splash. After that, I measured two cups of salt (one cup per dye bottle) and poured that in, too.
While the washer was filling, I put my fabrics in the sink and got them thoroughly wet. If you put dry fabrics into a dye bath, they will dye unevenly. So making sure the fabric is thoroughly wet is important. Once that was done and the washer was full and agitating, I carefully slid the fabrics into the washer. It’s important to be nearby, because the washer will need to be reset on it’s wash cycle at least once to keep the clothes in the dye bath for a minimum of 30 minutes. I put Allen’s laptop on the kitchen table and started working on this blog post.
When the time was up, I allowed my washer to finish it’s cycle naturally. Then I left the dyed clothes in the washer and reset the wash cycle, let it fill full of water, and added clothes soap. My silk skirt is a hang-to-dry type, so I added fabric softener to the final rinse. After the washer was done, I pulled the clothes onto the edge of the washer. Look at how each different fabric took the dye differently.
After all the clothes were out of it, I reset my washer to a hot wash and large load, putting clothes soap and a cup of bleach into it. The bleach cleans my washer beautifully, removing any residue of dye that would get on other clothes. I’m confident that the washer doesn’t retain any residue from the dye, so I washed a load of white clothes right after I cleaned the washer.
Ready to see how the dye did on the clothes and fabric? I had some mixed results.
My denim wrap skirt, which used to be a traditional denim blue, has darkened a couple of shades to an indigo. I was expecting brown! But I hadn’t checked the fabric content first, just assuming that it was 100% cotton. My mistake. The skirt is actually 65% Tencel, which is considered a subcategory of rayon made from wood pulp. It has a rayon-like consistency – no wonder I liked the skirt. Rayon is my all-time favorite fabric, hands down. However, Tencel doesn’t dye easily, so my skirt is retaining most of it’s blue color. No matter; it’s a darker blue and will flatter my figure better than the lighter blue did.
The cream pants that I dyed were an unknown manmade blend – the tag had been bleached so that I didn’t know what the material actually was. So I was happy when it took the dye at all, coming out a dark tan color. Problem is, I found a stain that I didn’t know was on the pants. I could use a color remover and remove the dye, then try to remove the stain… but chances are, that won’t work. So I’ll toss the pants. I could keep it an try to make a gored skirt, but I have so much fabric and clothing already that I really don’t need it that much. Out it goes! Since the pants only cost me $4.99 at Goodwill, it’s not like I’m losing an investment piece.
The silk skirt took the dye beautifully! It’s a rich, deep chocolate brown and I absolutely love the color. Only problem is, I also found a few small stains on that skirt. In this case, however, I’m going to cut the skirt apart to remake it, into a skirt that is slightly less full but which doesn’t have the stain spots on it. Silk is expensive, and a skirt easy to make. So it’s a keeper in spite of not being able to wear it right away.
The brown corduroy is a grand success, I’m happy to say. It’s a wide-wale cord with a beautiful braided style to the wales. I’m going to be making a sporty riding jacket with it, with a suede collar and elbow patches, something like these. This will be my g0-to fall jacket when it’s done. (By the way… yes, that blue marble is my kitchen table. Ooooh that’s a subject for another post!)
Oh, and those white clothes I washed right after I cleaned the washer?… See, Ma? No dye!
Running Backwards
12 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
I want to start out by saying I hate blog posts that are full of apologies for not blogging.
So this won’t be one of those.
It’s more a progress report on things I had expected to get done… and didn’t.
Do you ever underestimate — make that unbelievably underestimate — the amount of time things take?
I have this blog post about dyeing fabric and clothing, and it’s all written (I did that part while the washing machine was working it’s magic). The photos are taken; all that’s left to be done is to edit the pics for pixel size and get them plugged into the post. Thought I’d have that done by Saturday. And here it is, Monday, and I didn’t even touch it over the weekend.
I’ve got an article for the IPCA website on getting a website made. Thought I’d have plenty of time to get that done for the newsletter and turn it in on Friday. I didn’t get it done. In fact, I didn’t even touch my computer between Friday afternoon and today!
Ditto on getting the weekend orders shipped, sewing my friend’s anniversary dress, cleaning my laundry off my bedroom floor, sweeping the library, and mowing the lawn.
And yet… I had a super busy weekend. Went out to dinner with our kids, went clothes shopping with my husband, spent time romantically with him, we got the grocery shopping done together, and he cleaned both refrigerators while I went to youth group.
It was a question of priorities. The lesson in this for me is that I must be more aware of the people in my life than I am of the work in my life. I don’t think balance is really possible. There are times when work is going to run backwards because family is more important.
Lately I had been hearing small comments from my children that I’m always working. I must listen to those things and take them seriously; they know I’m a workaholic. I get razzed about it, but there’s a kernel of sadness in those teasing comments. When family runs backward because work is more important, then I have to acknowledge that I’ve got a problem. In that moment, I realized I’d been saying “no, I can’t do ________ with you because I have to work” too many times.
- – - – - – - – - -
15 minutes later…
Wow. Timing is funny sometimes.
As I was writing the above part, I could hear Mark moving around upstairs. Like he often does, he came down to my studio to tell me about his dream from the night before. He’s done that since he was a little kid – shared his dreams with me. This one was about his family getting kidnapped and he came to the rescue, ‘Die Hard’ style. He’s got a vivid imagination and he’s a good storyteller. I love all his dreams, with the exception of the zombie ones. In that case, I will ask him to just give me the cliff notes version, because “gross” just doesn’t even come close to describe it.
Anyway.
As I sat there and laughed at the antics of his dream-self, I was reminded that he’ll be in Iraq by this time next year. And while we’ll have Skype so we can keep in touch, I doubt he’ll be calling me to tell me his dreams. Would I be willing to let work run backwards if he did that? Absolutely. Without hesitation. So why should it be any different while he’s still home with us?
It was a sobering thought.
Chocolate Chip Scone Recipe!
08 Sep 2011 3 Comments
in Family, health, weight loss Tags: recipes, weight watchers
Last Sunday, one of the youth leaders brought a plate of homemade scones to the leaders’ meeting. I tried one, and wow, it was pretty good. And I’m not really much of a fan of scones; the ones I’ve tried in the past tasted really dry. So as we were leaving the meeting, I told her again how I really wanted the recipe, and she said she had it in her car and would get it for me. She also said it was a Weight Watchers recipe! I would never have known if she hadn’t told me.
Well, we got out to hanging with the teens and both of us forgot about the recipe. But I’ve had those scones on my mind all week! They didn’t quite taste like a chocolate chip cookie; they were more like chocolate chip cake (sans frosting) in flavor and consistency. So this morning I looked online to see if I could find it. Voila! There it was! And I want to share it with you. I’m probably going to be making some of these myself, this weekend. Oh – by the way, these are only 3 points per scone, and don’t have artificial sweetener in them.
Ingredients
| 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour | |
| 1/4 cup(s) sugar | |
| 1 tsp baking powder | |
| 1/4 tsp baking soda | |
| 1/4 tsp table salt | |
| 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces | |
| 4 oz semisweet chocolate, (1/2 cup) | |
| 3/4 cup(s) Friendship Lowfat buttermilk, or other brand | |
| 1 large egg(s) | |
| 1 Tbsp orange zest, (about 1 orange) | |
| 1 cup(s) powdered sugar | |
| 4 tsp fresh orange juice | |
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs with some small pieces of butter remaining. Stir in the chocolate chips. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until a dough forms.
- Gather the dough into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly knead 2 times. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 3⁄4-inch thickness. With a 1 1⁄2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts to prevent sticking. Place the scones on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Gently gather the scraps; reroll and cut out more scones, making a total of 24 scones. Bake until golden brown, 10 – 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet on a rack until warm, about 10 minutes.
- Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth. Place a sheet of wax paper under a rack. Dip the tops of the scones in the glaze; place, glaze side up, on the rack. Let stand until the glaze sets, about 1 hour. Yields 1 scone per serving.
Predicting Weight Loss
07 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in exercise, Family, health, weight loss Tags: body mass index, body weight simulator, dieting, webmd, weight loss, weight watchers
On August 25, 2011, WebMD.com posted an article announcing a significant change coming to the way weight loss is predicted. Fad diets aside, most people know that healthy weight loss is a slow process. It has been recommended that losing 1 – 2 pounds per week is very good. But now experts are questioning even that rate of weight loss. Reports WebMD:
“If you’ve ever been on a diet, chances are you know the 3,500-calorie rule: Since there are 3,500 calories in a pound of fat, you have to eat 500 fewer calories a day to lose a pound a week.
But researchers now say the formula is wrong because it fails to account for a slowing metabolism, the fact that dieters lose muscle as well as fat, and other factors that influence weight loss.
Researcher Kevin Hall, PhD, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says the 3,500-calorie rule leads to unrealistic expectations and may undermine people’s efforts to lose extra pounds.”
So the NIDDK came up with this nifty little tool, called a Body Weight Simulator. It’s an interactive program that lets you input your body’s details (current weight, height, gender, age etc.) and activity level. From those parameters the program creates a weight loss model for you, for the next 180 days. Click on the picture to see what the HWS did with my info.
“Hall tells WebMD that weight loss actually occurs more gradually than is thought. He says a better guide for the typical overweight adult is that cutting 10 calories a day from their diet will lead to the loss of a pound over three years.
So reducing calorie intake by 250 calories a day will eventually lead to a 25-pound weight loss, but it will take three years for most overweight or obese adults to get 95% of the way there, Hall says.
He adds that about half the weight will be lost in the first year of dieting, with weight loss slowing after this.”
The good news, they said, is that though the weight loss is slow and gradual, you do continue to lose weight over the long haul.
In a linked related article, WebMD reviewed the new Weight Watchers Plus program. I was eager to read this article, to see if the experts agree with what my experience tells me: Weight Watchers works!
“Keri Gans, MS, RD, author of The Small Change Diet and a New York weight loss consultant, gives the program a thumbs up.
“I always loved the peer support aspect of the Weight Watchers program but it concerned me that the old points could be used for anything,” Gans says. “The new Points Plus program addressing where calories come from is a huge improvement.”
Gans says she loves the flexibility of the plan, which makes it easier to sustain long term, and the encouragement to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.”
This is so true, and a real key element to the new points system, which allots points to foods based on their protein, fiber, carb and fat levels. The new Points Plus program allows you to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you want, with zero points allotted to those foods (with a few exceptions, namely starchy veggies like potatoes or fatty ones like avocados).
I use the Weight Watchers Online program to help me count my points. It is so easy that anyone can use it and it takes no time at all. I just keep it open on my desktop, so that when I grab something to eat or drink, I can quickly add it to my food diary with a few clicks of a button. There’s four excellent interactive tools to help you keep track of where you are, where you’re going, and where you want to be with your weight loss.
There are thousands of recipes, foods you’d buy at the grocery store, and even restaurant menu items listed in their PointsPlus Tracker. The point values are already calculated for you – no time spent figuring out how many points are in each ingredient. Just type the food or restaurant menu item in the search bar and click “GO”. It brings up a list of possibilities, you check the one you want, it asks you how many servings you had (including partial servings) and automatically adds it to your food diary. Here’s a snapshot of my food diary today – including Milano cookies!
If you’ve read my “App Lust” blog post, from March, you know there’s also a smartphone app that does the same thing the Weight Watchers Online does. And it’s free. You would need a membership, of course, which is $17.95 per month. Very good price for what you get, especially the recipes with all the points already calculated for you. There are also cookbooks you can buy that have the point values calculated. The other day, a young friend made Chocolate Chip Scones, which were the best scones I’ve ever tasted – and only had 3 points each. Go, Weight Watchers, Go.
Polymer Clay and Stemware
05 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in canes, Fimo Tags: adhering cane slices to glass, fimo, fimo fanatics, polymer clay canes, sanding and polishing polymer clay
Yesterday I had a question posted on one of my Polymer Clay Basics pages of my main website. The reader wrote:
“I am placing canes and/or sheets of polymer clay on wine glasses and bar ware. Do I need to sand these items? I just did a test sand, and a few of the dots and triangle embellishments came off. Horrors!!! Did I not bake the glass long enough or was I too rough? I’m using Sculpey III. Bake 275 15-30 min. I baked the glass for about 20 minutes. The canes were about 1/4 thick.”
I had written a pretty long reply to her, and thought it might be something that other fimo fanatics have had questions about. So I’m reposting my reply here:
“That’s a great question! You’re wondering why the cane slices sanded right off. Okay, here are some possible solutions for you:
1. Sculpey III might be the problem. This particular kind of polymer clay is known for it’s brittleness and tendency toward breakage. I would recommend using Fimo Soft or Premo for decorating your stemware and barware.
2. Using liquid clay to “glue” your cane slices on will help. Liquid clay bonds two clay items together. Brand names are Liquid Sculpey, Kato Liquid Clay, and Fimo Decorating Gel. Or, you could use Poly Bonder, which is a super-glue like substance that can be baked. All three kinds of “glue” would be baked at 275 degrees for 30 minutes to seal the bond between your cane slices and your clay base.
3. If you are attaching the cane slices directly to the stemware glass, then you will want a 2-part epoxy to adhere the baked cane slices to the glass. Nothing works better than a good, strong epoxy like Gorilla Glue’s 5-minute epoxy. It dries to a translucent yellow, and if you are sparing in how you use it, the yellow isn’t obvious. It will provide a permanent, water-resistant bond between the baked clay and the glass.
4. Baking times may need to be lengthened if you are placing raw clay onto the stemware. I highly recommend a minimum of 30 minutes in the oven, at 275 degrees. with aluminum foil tented over the glass while it bakes (to prevent browning of the cane slices.)
5. Sanding is a good idea, but only if you are embedding the cane slices into a sheet of clay to create a pattern sheet. Pattern sheets benefit from sanding and polishing, whereas dimensional cane slices used in a 3D applique technique don’t necessitate sanding. It can be done, and nothing wrong with it – sanding will smooth the surface of the clay and even out the thickness. Ii would use an 800-grit sandpaper for this purpose.”
Does anyone have any advice to add to this polymer clay newbie? Please post a comment if you do. And this has sparked a question, don’t hesitate to ask. If I don’t know the answer, I will have a pretty good idea where I can get it answered.
Shapewear And Surprises
04 Sep 2011 5 Comments
in Family, fashion, Interests, Kids, needlework / sewing Tags: family, kids, Shapewear
I know some of you were expecting the results of my Shapewear Poll on Friday. Well, an unexpected surprise derailed my plans to make that post, but I’m bringing it to you today with two posts in one: Shapewear AND Surprises.
This is my very own pair of Spanx. It’s a bicycle short shaper. I treasure it. It has a high waist that is comfortable over my tummy and ribs. It has no elastic or silicone at the leg openings, so it gives a smooth line under skirts, dresses, and most pants. It tones down my hips and rear and overall gives a little firmness to everything.
There’s a very nice little article that explains shapewear on Wikipedia (article here.) As the article says, historically women have worn foundation garments of one type or another for hundreds of years.
The proof, they say, is in the pudding. So in order to give you an idea of a “real person” getting transformed by shapewear, I took before and after pictures of myself from my biggest (no pun intended) figure problem: my backside. These photos have only been edited to crop and resize; there’s no airbrushing here.
This first photo is of my dark blue knit dress. I have a regular bra and briefs underneath it. Thin knits like this love to hug and emphasize every body bulge and ripple. Note the wrinkles at my waist, emphasizing my swayback.
Now I have on a shaping tank top and those Spanx briefs. Notice the swayback wrinkles are gone. The knit skims over the surface of my torso, thanks to the bump smoothing that the shapewear provides. There’s a gentle compression and it allows for a little more definition to my waist.
For me personally, I see these things as wardrobe aids that I wear with a fair amount of frequency. Yes, it depends on the outfit and the occasion. I don’t wear them daily. However, they are comfortable enough that I could, if I chose to.
I was interested to see what the results of my informal shapewear poll would be. I think it’s actually a pretty fair representation of our culture’s view of foundation garments and the reputation that undergarments like them have gained.
I’d like to hear your thoughts about the poll, and share any feelings you have about your own foundation garments, if you have any.
NEXT: The surprise!
On Thursday I received a phone call from Phil, our son who is at Fort Gordon in Georgia. He and his wife, Jewel, were making an impromptu trip home for the weekend, and wanted to let me know. They also wanted me to keep it a secret from the rest of the family, even as I gave them bogus reasons to show up at my house on Saturday.
The two lumps underneath the pink blanket are Phil and Jewel. They’d arrived about 5am Saturday morning, after driving straight through for 15 hours.
First thing Phil does when he wakes up is cook. He’s an excellent amateur chef and has a great nose for combining spices. Next thing you know, his younger brother, Mark, is hamming it up for the camera and gave him a … well, I wasn’t sure what it was. Didn’t look like a man-hug to me. Must be an Army secret handshake or something. :^D
We went to dinner that night at Jewel’s house. Her mom, April, made a feast of ribs and chicken. She’s a great cook and it was delicious. Everyone from our side of the family was invited, and at one point there were 17 people crammed into April and Mike’s’ living room. From the left are Ryan, Margo’s husband; Hilary, Jewel’s best friend, Jewel herself, and her daddy, Mike.
Our oldest son, Steve and his wife, Heather, had just driven home that day from Toronto, Canada. Coincidentally another 15 hour drive. They were exhausted but wanted to see Phil and Jewel. From the left are John, Steve’s best friend; Phil; and Phi’s best friend, Josiah. (By the way, John… love the “Professional Russian” t-shirt. I want one.)
About 9pm we all went over to Jillian’s to play games. April and Mike played pool with Allen and I, while the kids all hung out in the arcade. We had such a good time! We don’t get to do many things with Jewel’s folks, even though we get along quite well, so this was a treat. And talking to Phil, he and Jewel had a blast in the arcade, and won so many tickets that they were able to get her the zebra striped electric guitar. Wow, what a night!
Phil and Jewel left early this morning to have breakfast at Margo and Ryan’s before driving back to Georgia. We really enjoyed their surprise visit and are looking forward to seeing them again over the holidays.
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