This was me two years ago. I was infuriated and on the cusp of popping back with something unbelievably disrespectful, but thankfully I kept my thoughts to myself.  For one, I knew she might have a point. And two, even though I could probably argue she too had gained a pound or ten, I had been raised with all kinds of home training, and saying anything about her weight would have been out of the question.

7 Ways To Still Fit Your Seven Jeans After The Holidays!

The truth is—I was hurt. Hurt because like so many of us, I still want to impress my family. After all these years, they’re approval still matters most.

Why is that? Why is it so important that we still have their approval?

I’ve concocted two theories, neither of which are grounded in empirical studies, though I’m sure I could uncover some supporting data. Nonetheless – here they are. For one, I think we want to affirm our parents parental efforts. They worked hard as parents and sacrificed on countless occasions. The least we can do is to come home as shinning examples of their (literal) blood, sweat, and tears. We want our parents to know that they didn’t fail. The numerous weekends they spent at our soccer games, dance recitals, or the carpools to after-school programs paid off.  “Look Mama —I made it, and so did you!”

Secondly, in some weird way, perhaps we will always want their affirmation. We were raised wanting to please them, so why should that suddenly change with age? With the same enthusiasm we had running into the kitchen to announce we had made the honor roll, we’ll want to return home for Thanksgiving with an attractive mate, flat stomach and impressive job. Their continued affirmation lets us know we’re on the right path. And after all, couldn’t we all still use some guidance? When it comes down to it, some of us are still the fifth graders who want to hear our family say, “We’re so proud of you!”

We will always need our family’s support. We need them to encourage our healthy eating habits, or to question the latest guy we’re dating.  As many of us begin to start our own families, let’s hope we too can set examples that are worth our children’s life long admiration.

Jovian Zayne is a writer, photographer and occasional radio co-host in New York City.  Read more from Jovian on her personal blog Word Up Haay! Join her on twitter via @jovizi for laughs, encouragement and your daily dose of quick wit.
On A Diet? Good! Shut Up About It!

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Following are some ways your significant other is unknowingly undermining your diet, and how you can balance that tipping scale from blackdoctor.org:

You Constantly Eat Out

When you’re single, you tend to prepare healthy foods at home. But once you’re in a relationship, it’s decadent dinner dates followed by caloric brunches. That’s bad news for your waistline: A recent analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories. And that doesn’t include apps, sides, and dessert.

The fix: Eat in. Instead, cook together. It can be intimate and food is very sensual, especially when you take turns tasting it. Plus, of course, you can control the fat and calories by using healthy recipes and ingredients that are low in fat. When you do dine out, eat a healthy snack that contains protein and fiber a few hours before your meal. Nonfat yogurt and a piece of fruit or a small bowl of cereal with low fat milk are smart choices.

7 “Bad” Foods That Are Secretly Good for You

You’re Constantly in Bed

Or on the couch. Or anywhere but the gym. Research shows that couples who live together for two or more years are less likely to be physically active, and the women are more likely to become obese. Relationships can be great and positive, but they can also affect your normal routine – You schedule more couple’s activities and have less time to yourself.

The fix: Get him involved. Women who exercise with a partner tend to lose more weight than those who sweat solo. Doing it together, makes it more likely for you to stick with it. So sign up together for a 5-K, go for a bike ride instead of watching a movie, or join the same gym. When you don’t feel like going, he’ll drag you there, and you’ll do the same for him.

READ MORE HERE

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The Truth About Fitness Myths

Here’s how to get started on a positive body image breakthrough from shine.com:

What does thin mean to you?

Sometimes we use “thinness” and diets as a metaphor for what we really want in life. We think, “When I lose weight, I’ll finally be happy.” Being thin won’t make you happy. Being well could improve your sense of satisfaction with your life. You’ll have more energy, you’ll sleep better, your moods might be brighter. Those are feelings of well-being that come from taking good care of ourselves––eating good foods, letting our bodies move, giving ourselves time to reflect, having meaningful relationships with people. But being thin won’t make you happy. Let’s say it again: being thin won’t make you happy. You will still be you, with your same problems and concerns, just in a smaller package. What is it you’re really trying to get from your life?

Talk to yourself like a friend.

There is a constant chatter in our brain, and most of it we wouldn’t dare say out loud to a friend. You’ll never be good enough. Look at your giant ass in those pants. Who do you think you are? The rules of polite society apparently don’t apply to the way we treat ourselves. Enough of that. Pay attention to your internal dialogue, and when it veers toward the negative, put on the brakes. Challenge your negative thoughts. As Geneen Roth says, “What you say to yourself about the shape of your body shapes your feelings about yourself. Be careful what you tell yourself, because you will believe it.” Tell yourself something good, something true.

GET MORE HERE

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The first step in successful portion control is learning the correct serving size. Serving sizes can usually be found by reading nutritional labels. But the portion is also the amount of food or drink a person chooses to consume. In many cases, the portion eaten is larger than the serving size simply because we don’t know any better.

The good news is that with a little practice, portion control is easy to do and can help people be successful in reaching and then maintaining a proper weight.

Here are 4 simple ways to keep your portions a healthy size:

Measure accurately. For foods and beverages, use gadgets like a measuring cup, measuring spoons, portion-control dishware or a food scale. Pick out smaller plates, bowls, cups and glassware in your kitchen and measure what they hold. You might find that a bowl you thought held 8 ounces of soup actually holds 16, meaning you’ve been eating twice what you planned.

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Learn how to estimate serving sizes. Approximate food portion sizes by estimating serving sizes in comparison to known objects. For example, 3 ounces of cooked meat, fish or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards. Other easy measurements to eyeball include:
• ½ cup is the size of an ice cream scoop
• 1 cup is the size of a tennis ball
• 1 ounce of cheese is the size of a domino

Dish out your servings separately. Serve food from the stove onto plates rather than family-style at the table, which encourages taking second helpings.

Make your own single-serving packs. Re-portion bulk quantities of favorite foods such as pasta, rice and cereal into individual portions in zipper bags so that when you’re ready to eat you’ll instantly have the proper portion to prepare.

Click here for more tips

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Happy 47th Birthday Michelle Obama, 47 Things You Didn’t Know About Her

According to the NY Daily News, the conservative talk show host slammed the First Lady in his radio show Monday after she was spotted in Colorado snacking on some short ribs. The vacation dinner, Limbaugh charged, went against the First Lady’s emphasis on promoting nutrition and exercise.

Here’s what he had to say:

“The problem is, and dare I say this, it doesn’t look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice,” he said. “And then we hear that she’s out eating ribs at 1,500 calories a serving with 141 grams of fat per serving … I’m trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you.”

What do you think of Limbaugh’s ramblings?

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“I would literally bang my head up against the wall because I didn’t feel attractive . . . There was a lot of pain in my life. But I did. I felt very unattractive.” She has a much better handle on things now, though . . . quote, “I still have issues with it. I don’t bang my head up against the wall, but I still have those moments.”

The issues Jackson had may go back to how she was treated by her brothers, including Michael, who had nicknames for her like “Horse, pig, cow, slaughter-hog,” she said.

“It makes you laugh, it really does. It makes you laugh. I guess some people could say, ‘Oh that’s, you know, brothers and sisters joking, it’s all affection, it’s all, you know, it’s in a loving way.’ But not everybody can brush it off, and I was one of those,” she said.

Janet Jackson Kicks Off “Number Ones” Tour In Manila [VIDEO]

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Janet Jackson

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A new report is saying that the former top model has lost an additional 15 pounds, and well it’s not a good look!!

I hope this is for a movie role…

Take a look:

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SPOTTED: Tyra Banks Shoots “ANTM” In Beverly Hills

Tyra Banks Returns To Modeling With A New Set Of Suspect Polaroids

LaLa tells Life & Style:

Kim and Ciara have incredible bodies, so I thought “if he’s the guy responsible for that, I need to get in there”.

She reportedly dropped from a size 8 to a size 6 through a mix of cardio exercises, weight training and practicing portion control. The wedding will take place in New York on July 10th.

READ MORE HERE

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As woman, we can be way more critical of our bodies than most men. We complain to our friends, family and to potential mates about our body issues. The stretch marks, cellulite, sagging breasts and chubby belly are just a few of the issues that most women have with their bodies. I don’t know about any of you, but I have at times, during sex let my mind wonder “I hope that he does not notice my chubby belly.” I know that I am supposed to be in the “hot sex on a platter” mindset but there are those times when I cannot help myself.

While talking to a male friend of mine recently, he echoed Kat Williams sentiment that ”real men do not care about stretch marks and cellulite.”  Yet us gals, just want the perfect body when we’re naked. I feel your pain, so here are tips that will help hide some of those issues.

1) Stretch Marks and Cellulite: During sex, most man do not really care about these issues but cellulite typically is on the back of the leg and thigh area. If you are having an issue with it then doing it doggy style will fix the issue.What he is seeing: Men love that position probably because of the view and think about it, everything is stretched out so bend over as far as your back will allow because from his point of view, you look perfect!

2) Chubby Belly: Gravity is your friend in this case so resort to the missionary position and your stomach will automatically look flatter. What is he seeing: He cannot even see your stomach if he is on top of you. He is just looking into your eyes which makes for a very intimate time.

Khia Teaches The Ladies How To Sex It Up!

3) Sagging breasts:Being on top is the right choice to get you looking great. Just put your arms up above your head, maybe play with your hair,and arch your back. That will lift them up and they will be as perky as a 19-year-old.  What he is seeing: he is seeing your breasts at their glory. If you are felling a bit shy then bend down and kiss him, either way you both should be very happy.

If none of these are tips are helpful, just remember that men are just happy that we let them in “sex land.”  Sex land is a magical place for men but you, as the woman, are the queen and the king so just make sure that he knows your boundaries.

Check out these sexy celebs:

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Dating Vs. Relationships: What’s The Best For You?

Keyshia Cole’s big sis Neffe’s is bringing a new look for the 2nd season of “The Frankie n Neffe Show!”  She definitely has lost all of that baby weight.

Take a look courtesy of freddyo.com:

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Frankie: “All My Children Are Jealous”

Keyshia Cole’s sister lashes out

10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Body

Singer Ciara just did a photo shoot with fashion heavyweight, VOGUE Magazine.  In one of the early pics from the shoot, she is pictured standing visibly uncomfortable, in an overly cinched belt that makes her waist appear to be 5 inches in circumference (if that). While VOGUE is known for pushing the limits of their fashion spreads with very haute couture shoots, the image demonstrates nothing appealing. Ciara looks uncomfortable, and buy default, ridiculous.  Her painful attempt at waist cinching is on display much more that the clothes pictured.  While the premise of the fashion industry is to highlight clothes, accessories, trends etc., it appears that its influence is as strong on our bodies as it is on our wardrobes.

What are your thought? Is there too much pressure to be thin? And how much of this pressure is coming directly from the fashion world?

STYLISTA: Dare To Wear A Sequins Dress!!

It all started in 1992, when Sir Mix A Lot announced that he liked big butts, and about that, he couldn’t lie. Since then, we have been consumed by the big booty hysteria.

The big butt pandemic appears to have taken this country and its inhabitants by storm.  Perhaps never before has a single body part been so overly glorified. The butt has become a pop culture obsession that is taking over our air waves, TV screens, minds and bodies.  No longer is the big butt a largely unrecognized feature attributed solely to the African-American woman. Sometime after the era of skinny-obsession in the early 90s, it became cool to have a larger derriere. Somewhere between that point and now, it became necessary to have a big butt. There is scarcely a rap song out there that is free of lyrics proclaiming blatant adoration of, not just the butt, but the huge “bootylicious,” “badonka-donk,” “fatty.” There is scarcely a red carpet lacking beautiful women turning away from the cameras in order to enable the perfect booty photo op.  There is scarcely a time when a well endowed woman walks down the street without droves of men breaking their necks to check out her back. What’s with the big booty obsession? When did it become cool to have a “fat” a*s? And why?

MANIK MAG: The New Fashion Mecca For Plus Sized Women

Its a beautiful thing to see a woman with a nice shape, but to demand an outrageous hip-to-waist ratio from every woman seems unfair. There is now so much pressure to have a “donk” that women are seeking surgical procedures to enhance their natural assets. The ‘booty obsession’ is becoming a ‘booty complex’ that might have a negative effect on some women and their body image perceptions. While the ‘donk’ movement has embraced a slew of women (namely ethnic women) who were once excluded from mainstream concepts of beauty (which equated beauty with slimness), it has excluded those fondly referred to as the “little booty cuties.” While the big booty obsession seems like a passing trend, its current reign over black womens’ self image is quite powerful, and even more alarming.

What are your thoughts? What’s with the booty obsession?

Check out this gallery of notoriously big booties:

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10 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Body

Famed Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has gone on the record about his distaste for plus-sized (plus-sized meaning anything larger than size 0) models and women. In response to recent criticisms of the fashion industry’s skinny-standard, Lagerfeld has used “Focus Magazine” as an outlet to voice his defense of the industry’s discriminatory practices.  He states,

“Fat mummies sit there in front of the television with their chip packets and say skinny models are ugly.”

He goes on to insist that no one wants to look at “fat” women on the runway.  His comments have caused quite an uproar of disapproval.  In particular, Refinery29.com made a list of some of their “favorite bodacious, curvaceous ladies,” to show support for the women who are not 80 pounds soaking wet.

We believe that beauty has no standard size, and appreciate women of all makes and models.  And as much as we appreciate Lagerfeld’s creative genius, he should probably stick to discussing all things haute couture, because his comments are just a haute mess! Plus, we remember when you were part of the plus-sized family Karl; The hypocrisy!

In honor of Refinery 29‘s tribute, here are a few of Hello Beautiful’s favorite women with curves:

UPDATE: Serena May Get Sued For Nude Cover

THICK VS. FAT: Aren’t They The Same???

We never thought we’d see the day when Wendy Williams would break down and cry.  The talk show had her first Oprah moment, she broke down while discussing her weight.

Take a look:

Check out our Wendy gallery:

Salt N Pepa take over for Wendy temporarily

Find out who blew up Jamie Foxx on Wendy’s show

Listen to Ne-Yo give advice below:

Check out Ne-Yo and his girlfriend as they hit the dance floor:

[From Health.com]

Even if you think you know everything there is to know about cholesterol, there may be a few more surprises in store. Check out these common myths about high cholesterol; find out who’s most likely to have it, what types of food can cause it, and why-sometimes-cholesterol isn’t a bad word.

Myth 1: Americans have the highest cholesterol in the world
One of the world’s enduring stereotypes is the fat American with cholesterol-clogged arteries who is a Big Mac or two away from a heart attack. As a nation, we could certainly use some slimming down, but when it comes to cholesterol levels we are solidly middle-of-the-road.

According to 2005 World Health Organization statistics, American men rank 83rd in the world in average total cholesterol, and American women rank 81st; in both cases, the average number is 197 mg/dL, just below the Borderline-High Risk category. That is very respectable compared to the top-ranked countries: In Colombia the average cholesterol among men is a dangerous 244, while the women in Israel, Libya, Norway, and Uruguay are locked in a four-way tie at 232.

Myth 2: Eggs are evil
It’s true that eggs have a lot of dietary cholesterol-upwards of 200 mg, which is more than two-thirds of the American Heart Association’s recommended limit of 300 mg a day. But dietary cholesterol isn’t nearly as dangerous as was once thought. Only some of the cholesterol in food ends up as cholesterol in your bloodstream, and if your dietary cholesterol intake rises, your body compensates by producing less cholesterol of its own.

While you don’t want to overdo it, eating an egg or two a few times a week isn’t dangerous. In fact, eggs are an excellent source of protein and contain unsaturated fat, a so-called good fat.

For three more cholesterol myths, click here.

Overweight? Bad Heart? Do THIS to Help.

Soy Might Make You Fat and Moody

We are huge Jazmine Sullivan fans, but this right here is hysterical.

Watch the video:

Jazmin Sullivan speaks on pressure to lose weight.

Jumping rope does not only help you lose weight but also helps you develop strong and toned muscles.

Here’s a quick way way to burn fat and get toned by using a jump rope from ehow.com:

1) Plan the best workout time. Some people enjoy working out in the morning and others at night. Remember, working out at night may lead to sleeplessness, so try to finish jumping rope well before you are ready to hit the sack.

2) Start slowly. Jumping rope is a great workout for the muscles of the body, including the heart. The heart rate can climb quickly when jumping rope, so take your time for the first few weeks and try not to overdue the workout resulting in sore muscles.

Get flat abs without doing crunches.

3) Use the right jump rope. No, you cannot use your child’s jump rope to exercise. Fitness an sporting goods stores sells professional grade jump ropes for fitness and weight loss.

4) Give yourself enough room. Unlike other exercises, you will need a lot of room to jump rope. Not only will the rope need ceiling clearance space, but you will undoubtedly move around while jumping rope to lose weight. The best option is jumping rope is a large open space.

5) Alternate speeds. Interval training is the best way to increase calorie burn. When jumping rope to lose weight, try jumping with a delay in rotations for the first 2 minutes and then jump faster for a minute. Continue this pattern until you are finished your workout.

Click here for more.

5 ways to meet a guy at the gym.

Rumor has it that Oprah Winfrey is about to go under the knife to control her weight problem.

According to eurweb.com Oprah may be having gastric bypass surgery. Apparently Oprah is going to have thyroid surgery to curb her appetite because she is not interested in changing her dangerous diet.

Oprah says it’s not a weave.

Check out Oprah’s weight shift over the years:

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What ever happened to good old fashioned exercise?

Is Oprah bored with Twitter?

It seems like we’re always so busy worrying about our weight, we don’t pay attention to our HEART! And since the beat of your heart really determines whether you’re alive or dead, it’s probably a good idea to pay attention to it, right? Here are 10 ways to serve it well.

[From CNN Health]

Simple food choices go a long way when it comes to your heart’s health. Focusing on fresh foods full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cut your chances of a heart attack. These 10 foods will help keep your ticker in top shape.

Oatmeal
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties — the coarse and steel-cut contain more fiber — and top your bowl off with a banana for another four grams of fiber.

Salmon
Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. Aim for two servings per week, which may reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack by up to one-third.

“Salmon contains the carotenoid astaxanthin, which is a very powerful antioxidant,” says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, the author of “Lower Your Blood Pressure In Eight Weeks.” But be sure to choose wild salmon over farm-raised fish, which can be packed with insecticides, pesticides, and heavy metals.

Not a fan of salmon? Other oily fish like mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines will give your heart the same boost.

Avocado
Add a bit of avocado to a sandwich or spinach salad to increase the amount of heart-healthy fats in your diet. Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.
“Avocados are awesome,” says Dr. Sinatra. “They allow for the absorption of other carotenoids — especially beta-carotene and lycopene — which are essential for heart health.”

Olive oil
Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Results from the Seven Countries Study, which looked at cardiovascular disease incidences across the globe, showed that while men in Crete had a predisposition for high cholesterol levels, relatively few died of heart disease because their diet focused on heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Look for extra-virgin or virgin varieties — they’re the least processed — and use them instead of butter when cooking.

Want to know what the newest heart-healthy snack is? Click here to find out!

Care about your heart, but still want to trim that waistline? Here are 14 ways to do it.

To put it mildly, he’s a big boy.

Because he’s so hefty he gets mistaken for an older baby. “He isn’t walking yet?” people ask.

“He’s only seven months,” I say, shifting him to the other hip.

“Oh,” they say. “Well, you’ve got a little football player on your hands there!” or “He’s going to play sports for sure.”

And it’s not just folks who see him in the grocery store. Comes from family members as well, who are already envisioning being on the 50-yard line during my son’s game-winning Super Bowl drive.

For some reason, this irks me. No, I think to myself, he’s not going to play sports. He’s just going to be a really burly surgeon, with extra-large scrubs…

Should academics outweigh fitness, or is there a balance? Read the rest of the story at BlackandMarriedWithKids.com and tell us what you think.

The secret to your kids’ healthy weight is in YOU!

Should you send your overweight child to weight-loss camp?

Star Jones tells Oprah doctors warned her she would die if she didn’t drop weight from her onetime 307-pound frame. 

The former View co-host is scheduled to appear on Oprah on Wednesday and tells the daytime talk show host,  ”I was an addict for all practical purposes, that I had never stuck to a real diet, that I’d never stuck to a real exercise program.”

Fox Broadcasting Company thinks big girls need love to!

Even though she’s kept the weight off, Jones admitted: “I’m still 300 pounds in my head some days.”

She’s still hurt that Barbara Walters said the show’s audience could no longer relate to her once she slimmed down.

Sex scandal at Oprah’s girls school in Africa.

Sometimes eating right just isn’t enough – CookingLight.com has 5 ways to speed up your metabolism and shed pounds!

[From CookingLight.com]

“Metabolism” is the name of the bodily system that converts food calories to energy needed to perform various tasks, like pumping oxygen to muscles during a long walk. Many variables contribute to your metabolism, including heredity, gender, and age. But you can quicken yours; here’s how.

Exercise more.

When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward. “It’s not a huge spike, but it makes a difference,” says Gary Miller, PhD, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Work out with weights.

During weight training, muscle tissue is stressed; afterward, it’s repaired-which raises metabolism. A woman who strength trains three times a week for six months can build enough muscle to burn 10 to 32 extra calories a day, according to Robert Wolfe, PhD, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas.

To find out 3 more ways to speed up your metabolism, click here.

Short on time? Boost your metabolism in just TWO MINUTES!

Want to lose weight, but don’t want to give up delicious meals? Click here for 10 yummy fat burning foods!

Probably the biggest examples of celebrity weight seesawers are Oprah, Janet Jackson, and the late, great Luther Vandross. And anyone who’s had crazy weight ups and downs is probably more than grateful that they don’t have a camera constantly shoved in their face! But if you’re one of those people that notices a little weight seesawing over the course of the week, it COULD be due to these 5 factors.

[From BlackDoctor.org]

Feel like a weight loss/gain rollercoaster? Is your weight up and down more than a seesaw on a sunny day at the playground? If so, relax. Even if you’re doing everything perfectly, there are lots of reasons why the number on the scale could be up by a pound or two. The following may be the culprits of your unexpected weight gain:

You were thirsty! Downing 16 ounces of any fluid can cause an immediate “gain” of 1 pound.

You’re backed up. Constipation can tilt the scale by as much as 2 pounds if it’s been more than a couple of days since your bowels did their thing.

For three more reasons your weight could be fluctuating, click here.

Need a new workout plan? Try these 10 steps to weight loss.

Look cute while working out! Wearing this sneaker would be a good start.

Timbaland was recently spotted at the Cosmopolitan’s Fun Fearless Males event. Ladies, what’s wrong with this picture? Either Tim’s been dieting (aka NOT dieting) with Janet Jackson or he’s packed on some post-riod poundage.

Click here for the latest CELEBRITY PHOTOS

Click here to see JANET JACKSON blow up on burritos!

Recently a reader asked us how she could get her husband to work out more with her. He used to be fit but after an injury lost his mojo and started gaining weight. Fast forward several years and she admits that sometimes his body turns her off from wanting to be intimate.

The best advice we can give is to lead by example. You can work out and ask that person to work out with you. If they won’t go to the gym ask them to take a long romantic walk. Change your eating habits and ask them to join you. Try to make it into a team effort and you both may benefit from the results. Encourage your mate when you see progress and perhaps add a few incentives that we’ll leave up to your imagination. Last thing, don’t forget that men and women communicate differently. Telling your wife,”you need to drop 15 so you can get your sexy back” probably won’t have the same affect that it would if she told you that.

Read more about love, relationships, and family at BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com.

[From EatingWell Magazine]

My biggest diet downfall is tortilla chips. The problem isn’t so much that chips are unhealthy, it’s that I don’t stop at one serving. Or two.

For a time, I tried to keep the chips out of the house but that wasn’t really fair to my husband, Jon. Plus, I missed them.

So I figured out that I could enjoy my chips without going overboard by pairing them with yummy, low-cal Chile Con Queso. It may seem counter-intuitive that eating more would help me to eat less.

But it works for me-and here’s why: Grabbing a couple of chips on the fly always results in eating a few more chips… until I’ve eaten three or four times what I should. But my chip-and-dip combo is a legitimate “snack.” I measure out a portion of the dip-a quarter cup, which has only 84 calories-and count out one serving of chips. Putting it all on a plate (where I can see it) makes me accountable in the same way that writing down what you eat does.

Not everyone has an issue with chips. For you, maybe it’s chocolate or ice cream. Everyone has her or his unique eating “triggers” (some food, some situations) but there are easy ways to stop cheating on your diet. Here are other triggers that I commonly encounter when I’m counseling people to lose weight. If your weakness is……

To find out four main dieting vices and how to help nip them in the bud, click here!

[From CNN Health]

When presented with a juicy cheeseburger, cinnamon bun, or other tempting treat, women may have a tougher time reining in their desire to eat when they are on a diet than their equally hungry male counterparts.

In a new brain-scan study, researchers flashed tasty food in front of men and women who hadn’t eaten anything in at least 17 hours. Both were told to fight their hunger, but only men showed a drop in activity in brain regions involved in emotion and motivation.

Men may have better tools for appetite control, which may help explain why women are more likely to be obese than men and have a tougher time dieting, according to the study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Something happens in the brains of men which does not happen in the brains of women. It’s quite amazing,” said Paul A. M. Smeets, of the Image Sciences Institute at the University Medical Center Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

“[The findings] suggest that in real life there might be a difference in how good men and women are at suppressing this kind of desire,” said Smeets, who studies hunger and satiety using brain imaging, but was not involved with the current research.

Dr. Gene-Jack Wang, of Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, and his colleagues used positron emission tomography, or PET scans, to observe brain activity in 23 normal-weight (or, at most, slightly overweight) people — 13 women and 10 men. They asked the volunteers to choose their favorite food from a list that included fried chicken, lasagna, barbecued ribs, ice cream, or pizza.

Then, 17 to 19 hours after their last meal, the volunteers had a brain scan while they looked at one of their favorites. Study participants could smell the food as well as see it (the researchers warmed it up to waft fumes throughout the room), and also were given a taste with a cotton swab placed on their tongue.
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Volunteers had three brain scans: once with no instruction on how to react to the food, once after being told to suppress their desire for the food, and once with no food in front of them. Health.com: Superfoods you need now

For women, brain activity was about the same whether or not they had been asked to suppress their desire. Men, on the other hand, showed a distinctively different brain activity when they tried to suppress their urge. They showed less activation in regions involved in “emotional regulation, conditioning, and motivation,” the researchers note, specifically the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex and striatum.

The researchers didn’t test to see if men truly were able to resist eating the food longer than women.

“We know that some people are very good — they can watch the food, they don’t eat — but some people can’t [be],” Wang said. He and his colleagues have shown a similarity between how people’s brains respond to food and how they react to addictive substances such as cocaine and alcohol.

Men and women were the same in one respect, however. They were both likely to say they felt less hungry when they were trying to suppress their desire to eat.

To read more about this study, click here.

[From CNN.com]

Having a senior moment? A new study suggests that cutting calories may help.

Older adults who cut down on the amount of calories they consume get a two-for-one special: weight loss and better memory.

Healthy women ranging in age from 50 to 80 who reduced their calorie intake by 30 percent for three months not only lost weight, but their scores on verbal memory tests also shot up by 20 percent, according to a study conducted by Dr. Agnes Floel and her colleagues from the University of Munster in Germany, who published the results in the January issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The results seem pretty dramatic,” said Mark P. Mattson, a senior investigator at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Maryland.

“Even though the number of subjects in the study was not really high, they had really high, statistically significant improvements in their performance on the memory test,” added Mattson, who studies caloric restriction and the brain in his role as chief of the Cellular and Molecular Neurosciences Section at the NIA’s Laboratory of Neurosciences. He was not involved in Floel’s investigation.

The study included 50 women, all of whom were either normal weight or slightly overweight. (The average body mass index was 28, which is about 175 pounds for a woman who is 5’6″.) Twenty were assigned to the calorie-cutting group, 20 upped their intake of unsaturated fatty acids (which some studies suggest may help aging brains), and the remaining 10 stuck with their normal diet.

Unlike the women who cut down on calories, the women who ate more unsaturated fatty acids showed no improvement in their memories, nor did those in the control group.

Why the improvement?

Find out by clicking here!

[From BlackDoctor.org]

Losing weight doesn’t have to be as difficult as most folks like to make it seem. Making a few adjustments can be the difference between losing one pound and losing ten. Use these 20 everyday tactics that will get you started on your weight loss plan and then help you stick to it. Soon enough, your diet will simply become the way you eat.

1. Always eat dessert

Yes, always. “A small amount can signal that the meal is over,” says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. She ends her meals with a piece of quality chocolate – and she’s a doctor. Other options include mini-cupcakes or fruit.

2. Blot out the fat

You can use a napkin to blot a teaspoon of fat off of a pizza slice. That may not sound like a lot, but multiply it by a slice a week, and that’s more than a whole cup of fat you won’t eat – or wear – this year.

3. Take the beltway

When junk food beckons, tighten your belt a notch. Not so you can’t breathe, but so you have a gentle reminder of the size you’d like to be. “The scale isn’t the only measure of weight,” says Roberta Anding, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

4. Go public

Enlist the help of coworkers, friends, and family – and know they’re watching. “The power of embarrassment is greater than will-power,” says Stephen Gullo, PhD, author of The Thin Commandments.

5. Get spicy with it

Capsaicin, the substance that puts the hot in hot pepper, temporarily boosts your metabolism. Just make sure you’re drinking a yogurt lassi with that searing-hot chicken vindaloo. Dairy blocks capsaicin’s sweat-inducing signals better than water.

6. Milk it

Consuming 1,800 mg of calcium a day could block the absorption of about 80 calories, according to a recent University of Tennessee study. Jump-start your calcium intake by filling your coffee mug with fat-free or 1% milk, drinking it down to the level you want in your coffee, then pouring in your caffeine fix. That’s 300 mg down, 1,500 to go.

7. Go organic

That’s where you’re likely to find bread and cereal with fiber counts that put the conventional choices to shame. Thought you were doing well with your 3-g-per-serving Cheerios? Nature’s Path Slim blows it away with 10 g. (And it really doesn’t taste like a shredded shoebox.)

8. Splurge on precut veggies at the supermarket

Sure, they cost more, but you’re more likely to eat them. “Make low-energy snacks as easy as possible,” Rolls says. “Keep vegetables as near to hand as you can. Make it so you have no excuse.”

9. Practice fine dining

Pick a restaurant where you’ll actually want to linger. “When the meals are not hurried, the presentation is beautiful and the portions are reasonable so you can regulate your attitude,” Anding says. That means your body – not the empty plate – will tell you when to stop.

10. Don’t skip your 3 pm feeding

“Have a 150 calorie snack [now], and it can save you 400 calories later,” Anding says. An ounce of nuts or two sticks of string cheese weigh in at about 170 calories.

To read ten more helpful hints, click here!