WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

Kelly Clarkson in Vitamin Water Ad

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.

Here's a cutting board that lets you slide the food into the middle and weighs it for you. This neat idea is still just in the design stages. Here's what the designer has to say about it;

"This concept is a cutting board that has an integrated scale within a defined area on it's surface. This allows a person to both cut and measure ingredients on the same surface with very little extra effort. Simply put, it precisely reduces the steps of preparation, dishes to clean, and time wasted. There has been a transformative trend in cooking based around the science of food. Central to this is the idea that precise measurement leads to more possibilities for new flavors. Recipes will become more demanding, requiring simple ways to be precise in the kitchen. Technology feasibility: (estimated timeline for research and development) Now: Manufacturing methods to embed the following electronics into cutting board material. 1-3 years: Strain gauge sensor grid technology that enables precise measurements to be embedded in a substrate. 1-3 years: Low-voltage PV (Photovoltaics) that would provide sufficient power. 1-5 years: "Electronic ink" display technology that does not use light and can be embedded into substrates."

Found via Aging Fabulous

Reducing Alcohol

Alcohol and Weight Loss

I came across this discussion about drinking alcohol and trying to lose weight at the Clubplanet forum;

I have come to the conclusion that my frequent drinking is the reason for the extra weight that I have. I eat very well for the most part and I try to do half an hour of light jogging a day, 5 days a week, but I feel like I'm not seeing any results. I know jogging isn't the most intense workout, but that in combination with my healthy eating habits should make a difference. So here's my question - if I completely stopped drinking for a month (which would mean eating a little better on the weekends too b/c when you're hungover all you want to eat is grease), could I see a major difference, say a loss of 10 to 20 pounds? I drink to get wasted 2-3 nights a week and just to have a few beers 1-2 nights a week, so I'm hoping it will get me somewhere. If and when I want to have a drink again - what's best as far as low calorie, maybe vodka and diet coke? Suggestions needed, so feel free to comment....

Thanks!

One person answered...

i think most ppl go through this...i was positive that my wieght gain was due to alcohol...and i was right.. i gave it up for 5 months but it worked amazingly ...i lost just about 50lbs and completely cut up ...got in the best shape of my life...the pics are floating around here somewhere...so i definitely suggest it. i don't know if ull lose 20lbs but I'm sure ull feel much healthier and definitely definitely be happy with the results....

good luck

Initial questioner wrote again;

I really do think that I will benefit from giving it up for awhile and then incorporating it back in slowly and much more healthy (i.e. 2-3 vodka or rums with diet soda vs. 6-10 beers per night.) Plus, it's time to stop putting my body (and my bank account) through so much in one weekend. I estimate that I drink anywhere from 2-30 beers a week and that is a lot of calories that my body will not be getting from now on, so I can't see it not making a difference. Plus, the only time I eat fast food or unhealthy stuff is when I'm drinking and/or hungover, so that should help too. I'm not looking at this as a diet per say, but as a healthy lifestyle change in the long run.

Another reader answered;

I hear ya, when you are hung over & starving, I just run to Mcdonalds & down #1 sup-A Sized w/ Hi c, 6 piece Mcnuggetts, extra big mac, extra fries...

THE last thing i want is chicken breast w/ vegetables in this condition.

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Photo above is by Tobes501 on Flickr.