WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Has Suzy Preston kept the weight off?

It's been a while since Suzy Preston was on the Biggest Loser show and lost 95 pounds. (She went from 227 to 132). Has she managed to keep the weight off since then?

Suzy Preston and Matt Hoover got married last month. It's the most recent photo I've been able to find of them. They both look like they've put on a few pounds but they look fabulous and very much in love. Their wedding photographer had this to say about whether they've managed to keep the weight off;

"They both look great. They may have added a few pounds since the finale of the show but they still exercise and eat right."

Update November 6th: Us Magazine reports that Suzy Preston is pregnant and they are expecting their first baby in April. Congrats to them both.

See more background on Suzy Preston here.

My baby recently started daycare three days a week. (I keep calling him 'baby' all the time even though he will be three years old in four months.)

So I've been making daycare lunches for him for the first time.

I'd like to make healthy lunches but I find it hard to think of good ideas for his lunch container. He's not a 'sandwich' eater yet. When we're at home for lunch I usually reheat leftovers from the previous dinner, or make him some scrambled egg and toast, or open a can of tuna or sardines or salmon and give it to him with healthy crackers. Then there is fruit, yoghurt and basically the entire contents of the fridge and cupboards are open for me to offer him, as he can often be a finicky eater.

But at the daycare they ask that the food does not require refrigeration or heating-up. So that limits it a bit. They also don't allow any kind of nuts which is hard because nuts are so good for him and he can eat a lot of them. I once included a flax granola bar in his lunch but was quickly educated that this is not allowed as it may contain traces of peanut products.

I would love to get some ideas from people as to what they put in their toddler's lunch box. Here's what I've been doing so far;

Yoghurt
I often include a yoghurt in his lunch. I prefer to buy the large (non-premixed) containers and give him an individual serving in a small re-washable plastic container rather than buying the individually portioned cups. It's usually a lot cheaper and much better for the environment.

Fruit
I usually include a piece of fruit, most often a banana, but sometimes grapes or berries (rasberries, strawberries or blueberries as they have been in season). I put the berries in a small plastic container as above.

Sandwich
I often make a cheese sandwich (with a bit of ketchup, as this multiplies the odds of him eating it), cut the rinds off, and cut it into little squares. He often doesn't eat it.

Crackers and Cheese
This is a current food fad with him. A little cracker with a slice of cheese on it.

Leftover Chicken
I often include little pieces of chicken in another plastic container if we happen to have some leftover.

Carrot Sticks
He seems to like finely cut carrot sticks right now.

Heavily Diluted Juice
I give him a sippy cup filled with about 1/4 cranberry juice and 3/4 water.

So, other than the carrot sticks, the vegetable quota in the lunches is almost zero. And it seems I must be missing on some good stuff. I'm thinking there must be more good ideas for what to make. Would love to hear from people about this!

Kelly Clarkson had a contract to promote Vitamin Water but she was supposed to lose weight before they got the campaign going. Gazelle of the Celebrity Condition wonders if they ended up doing some photoshopping for the campaign as it gets underway now.

Ramadan is the holy month each year when many Muslims are fasting from dawn to sunset. It always occurs on the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The Washington Post has a good article about it here. One man they interview says,

"It's about abstaining from the feeding of one's passions. The whole personality is fasting. The mouth is fasting from improper speech. The ears are fasting from hearing speech that is not appropriate. Our eyes are fasting from looking at things that might arouse us even if those things are permissible under normal circumstances."

It's not meant to be a time of hardship or torture, but rather a time of spiritual awakening. People do eat before dawn and after sunset each day. And people who are feeble, sick, pregnant, nursing or traveling are exempt from the fasting.

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Photo above is by Naser

Plus Size Dresses

Latifah in a sexy plus size dress

Plus size Queen Latifah is gracing the cover of Essence magazine this month. She's wearing a beautiful and sexy plus size dress. Someone pointed me to this and asked if I could find out if it was custom made for her or if it's off the rack somewhere. If anyone has any word on this, or on what her current weight might be (her height is 5'9"), please let me know.

Update: Ona Diet says in the comment below;

I'm not sure what she is wearing exactly but I did find a similar dress in a plus-size from nordstrom.com. It's a Bari Jay Lace A-Line Halter Dress in Black/Bronze. It's a great fit.

Thanks much for this. I've copied a photo of it here. It costs $178 and is described as 'Deep V-neck and shirred charmeuse waistband shape a lace A-line with a metallic satin lining.'

If anyone else recommends a sexy dress in plus sizes, please send me a photo or link.