Ho ho ho ha ha ha hee hee hee -- this is the cackling of a demented woman who had given up on achieving anything like -- oh, fitting into 7/8 of my clothes again, that sort of thing. The delighted sounds coming from a closet near you are the sounds of me slithering back into my jeans again. It has been a while. Ah, my clothes -- I missed you so!
I did it! Or -- it did me! It doesn't seem fair to say I did anything, because all I did was add Herbalife Formula One Shakes to my diet. As mentioned before in this space, I was at the time too depressed to exercise, and I watched in astonishment while the pounds melted away despite myself. While it's true that I don't eat a lot, I never really have. My body was holding onto weight while I tried to starve it into submission. That behavior no longer was successful after menopause. Only Herbalife had what it took to change my physical patterns; to smash into smithereens a lifelong imaginary rulebook of "do's and don'ts" that I'd evolved into some sort of dietary strategy which had failed me utterly.
Something else thrilling has been happening lately -- 14 visitors from the Ukraine to this website in the last week! What a wonderful world this can be! This thrills me almost as much as the 25 -30 lost pounds, because this big old world will be a lot happier when we all hold hands together across it.
The only reason that I do not say that the interest of international visitors thrills me more than my own weight loss is that few women in the world would believe me. I'd rather we kept things on an honest basis between us right from the start!
But WELCOME, to all of you -- from the Ukraine, the UK, India, China, Iran, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Brazil and Vietnam. I don't think many things could make me much happier than the way people have found this little site. The fact that we have such extraordinary types of technology to help us find one another across the world of words is nothing short of magical and miraculous, in my opinion.
I would also think that the appearance of visitors from around the world is another indicator that people are literally searching EVERYWHERE they can think of for answers to their questions regarding fitness, appropriate eating patterns and WEIGHT LOSS, which is a gigantic industry both on and off the Internet. Obesity and the problems that accompany it -- diabetes, heart disease, sexual dysfunction, high cholesterol -- and on and on -- are growing as rapidly as -- we are. We all know this has got to stop, but usually we prefer to wait until after dessert.
Next week's dessert.
Sound familiar? Well, it certainly does to me, as I have struggled with my body and its size and my image of its size throughout my life. If you've got something to say about your own life in the body, please know your comments will be welcome.
I've decided to moderate the posts so that people can feel safe to say whatever they might need to say without the fear of someone being inappropriate or rude or insensitive. It's something that is generally advised in order to prevent spam-bots from attacking sites -- the monitoring of posting, I mean! So if you feel you've anything you might want to chat about, start up a conversation! Surprisingly, people around the world ARE listening!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tying Up A Few Loose Ends
Hello out there!
Well, hmm. Before I go any further, I should catch you up on what happened with our adventure -- and it really was one -- with the Burning Man tribe. I have always known that good ideas are best launched when you have enough time to put them into play -- and so it was with us.
We made some -- mistakes. Only one, but it caused us some problems. My dear friend Troy posted something that looked suspiciously like an ad in his Lake Tahoe Hoopsters/Burners theme camp email list (tell you truly I have NO idea what happened, but they did not like it!) Suddenly we were "spammers" which is just NOT what you want to have a reputation for at a place like Burning Man -- it's just anathema to the basic principles of the Event, and nothing we would have EVER wanted. Accidents will happen -- and our ability to get a local permit was quashed.
In order to get some help with the local permit process, Patrick wrote his old friend "Danger Ranger", one of the two founding fathers of Burning Man, whom he's known for a few decades. Danger wrote him a scathing letter accusing him of being a heathen spammer. Patrick was crushed. After a few days I wrote Patrick's friend myself, explaining the situation properly and all was well. We'll be well prepared for next year -- our two boys got free tickets to the Burn this year and had a wonderful time, and all worked out harmoniously. We'll most likely be in Gerlach next year with a big truck and our survival paks, permit included.
Our momentum, though, was seriously messed up. We're just now getting it back.
I had great fun launching the B-Man Nutrition Pak website. We're going to have to come up with a better name for this new concept of ours: Herbalife energy foods for hikers, campers, athletes, festival goers, etc. -- the concept of "branding" is EVERYWHERE these days, and it is important.
We are very much open to suggestions relative to naming our nutrition survival paks, and in fact have decided to have a product-naming contest! OR -- if you think "Nutrition Survival Paks" is okay -- Patrick and I would like to hear about it. Details will come later!
Now you may wonder how we know anybody's reading this blog at all! Well, I have this wonderful little gadget called "Statcounter" at www.statcounter.com which allows me to see how many people see my site each day, how long they spend here, and where they're from -- I love that! I was so incredibly excited last week as 7 people from Ukraine visited this place! That thrills me -- the fact that people from as far away as India, China, Iran, Brazil, Moldova, the UK -- etc. come here makes me happy, and I would welcome dialogue with anyone who comes from a sincere and gentle space -- very much so!
This post is admittedly a little "rambly" as there were a few loose ends I wanted to tie up for anyone who might be paying attention. Now we are turning our attention to Local Weight Loss Challenges in our Marin Neighborhood -- after what has happened with my body and health -- and Patrick's in a different way -- I want so much to help people attain a greater state of wellness.
I've been sickly all my life and I've never felt better. I KNOW greater physical well-being is possible with PATIENCE AND THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND HERBALIFE PRODUCTS!! I have been both frustrated and amused by the number of my friends that have tried the products for a few weeks or a month -- "it's not working!" "It's taking too long!" "I like food too much!" -- it's a little hard to be detached and patient when you know what can be achieved with -- like I said earlier, patience, the right attitude (which is "I WILL SUCCEED at improving my health and losing weight!") and these magical Herbalife products.
Thirty years in the most sophisticated laboratories to produce the most absorbable, complete nutrition imaginable. Targeted -- vitamins, minerals, herbs and proteins all easily taken into the body in exactly the places necessary. Sounds good to me.
For those of you who are interested -- I won't push you, but I'd love to discuss diet and health with you. Herbalife literally saved my Patrick's life, and I am proud to distribute it.
Well, hmm. Before I go any further, I should catch you up on what happened with our adventure -- and it really was one -- with the Burning Man tribe. I have always known that good ideas are best launched when you have enough time to put them into play -- and so it was with us.
We made some -- mistakes. Only one, but it caused us some problems. My dear friend Troy posted something that looked suspiciously like an ad in his Lake Tahoe Hoopsters/Burners theme camp email list (tell you truly I have NO idea what happened, but they did not like it!) Suddenly we were "spammers" which is just NOT what you want to have a reputation for at a place like Burning Man -- it's just anathema to the basic principles of the Event, and nothing we would have EVER wanted. Accidents will happen -- and our ability to get a local permit was quashed.
In order to get some help with the local permit process, Patrick wrote his old friend "Danger Ranger", one of the two founding fathers of Burning Man, whom he's known for a few decades. Danger wrote him a scathing letter accusing him of being a heathen spammer. Patrick was crushed. After a few days I wrote Patrick's friend myself, explaining the situation properly and all was well. We'll be well prepared for next year -- our two boys got free tickets to the Burn this year and had a wonderful time, and all worked out harmoniously. We'll most likely be in Gerlach next year with a big truck and our survival paks, permit included.
Our momentum, though, was seriously messed up. We're just now getting it back.
I had great fun launching the B-Man Nutrition Pak website. We're going to have to come up with a better name for this new concept of ours: Herbalife energy foods for hikers, campers, athletes, festival goers, etc. -- the concept of "branding" is EVERYWHERE these days, and it is important.
We are very much open to suggestions relative to naming our nutrition survival paks, and in fact have decided to have a product-naming contest! OR -- if you think "Nutrition Survival Paks" is okay -- Patrick and I would like to hear about it. Details will come later!
Now you may wonder how we know anybody's reading this blog at all! Well, I have this wonderful little gadget called "Statcounter" at www.statcounter.com which allows me to see how many people see my site each day, how long they spend here, and where they're from -- I love that! I was so incredibly excited last week as 7 people from Ukraine visited this place! That thrills me -- the fact that people from as far away as India, China, Iran, Brazil, Moldova, the UK -- etc. come here makes me happy, and I would welcome dialogue with anyone who comes from a sincere and gentle space -- very much so!
This post is admittedly a little "rambly" as there were a few loose ends I wanted to tie up for anyone who might be paying attention. Now we are turning our attention to Local Weight Loss Challenges in our Marin Neighborhood -- after what has happened with my body and health -- and Patrick's in a different way -- I want so much to help people attain a greater state of wellness.
I've been sickly all my life and I've never felt better. I KNOW greater physical well-being is possible with PATIENCE AND THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND HERBALIFE PRODUCTS!! I have been both frustrated and amused by the number of my friends that have tried the products for a few weeks or a month -- "it's not working!" "It's taking too long!" "I like food too much!" -- it's a little hard to be detached and patient when you know what can be achieved with -- like I said earlier, patience, the right attitude (which is "I WILL SUCCEED at improving my health and losing weight!") and these magical Herbalife products.
Thirty years in the most sophisticated laboratories to produce the most absorbable, complete nutrition imaginable. Targeted -- vitamins, minerals, herbs and proteins all easily taken into the body in exactly the places necessary. Sounds good to me.
For those of you who are interested -- I won't push you, but I'd love to discuss diet and health with you. Herbalife literally saved my Patrick's life, and I am proud to distribute it.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thoughts About Letting Go, Weight Included!
September 19, 2009
Just came home from seeing one of my two beautiful daughters off on a great journey. She is on an airplane to London for a year of extremely intense training as a classical Shakespearean actor. She will be studying in a highly regarded Master's program at Drama Centre, part of. She is well-prepared for this moment; I wouldn't deprive her of it for the world. My other beauty is a brilliant free-lance journalist living with her love in Paris -- working on her third (fourth if you count Hindi) language. They are amazing creatures, and I am so proud of them.
A rather large part of me I will confess wishes I had my darling girls back with me in their younger days when nothing was more important than -- me. Sigh -- that's what it all comes down to, doesn't it? But your children are not your pets; that wonderful unconditional love matures into something different and equally precious, if you're lucky. Letting go is an essential part of life.
Letting go of weight comes along with that. Sometimes the weight represents an area of life we do not want to deal with. I have read -- and seen in my life -- that victims of sexual molestation can pack on the pounds as a subconscious way of signaling "don't touch me!" I've also noticed that young women who feel uncomfortable with their sexuality and the way it is reacted to in our society can tie themselves into all sorts of unhealthy knots around food and weight gain.
And then there are the eating disorders. Whew -- we're a society that's both obsessed with food and obsessed with body image -- I don't think our habits and attitudes necessarily serve us. I spent a lot of useless time feeling like food was my enemy earlier in life. I didn't know I had a thyroid disorder (we're going to go into THAT in one of these posts -- a huge, under-reported problem in our country), and I felt like a bad person for eating ANYTHING at all.
If I had known about bulimia in those days you can bet I would have tried it. Yes, I know exactly how crazy that sounds. My body was out of control and I didn't know what to do. That's one of the reasons I decided to go into this business -- there are so many people struggling with this one issue. I've been through it myself, more than once, and I am very much interested in being of support to others who need some assistance in the consideration of what it takes for each individual -- and we are all so different -- to attain the level of weight and fitness they desire.
That's what Herbalife is all about -- conquering obesity one person at a time. I'm one! They can count me! 25 pounds in 5 months, whoo hoo!! All right, that's enough gloating from me (laughing at self) -- I'll be back soon!
Just came home from seeing one of my two beautiful daughters off on a great journey. She is on an airplane to London for a year of extremely intense training as a classical Shakespearean actor. She will be studying in a highly regarded Master's program at Drama Centre, part of. She is well-prepared for this moment; I wouldn't deprive her of it for the world. My other beauty is a brilliant free-lance journalist living with her love in Paris -- working on her third (fourth if you count Hindi) language. They are amazing creatures, and I am so proud of them.
A rather large part of me I will confess wishes I had my darling girls back with me in their younger days when nothing was more important than -- me. Sigh -- that's what it all comes down to, doesn't it? But your children are not your pets; that wonderful unconditional love matures into something different and equally precious, if you're lucky. Letting go is an essential part of life.
Letting go of weight comes along with that. Sometimes the weight represents an area of life we do not want to deal with. I have read -- and seen in my life -- that victims of sexual molestation can pack on the pounds as a subconscious way of signaling "don't touch me!" I've also noticed that young women who feel uncomfortable with their sexuality and the way it is reacted to in our society can tie themselves into all sorts of unhealthy knots around food and weight gain.
And then there are the eating disorders. Whew -- we're a society that's both obsessed with food and obsessed with body image -- I don't think our habits and attitudes necessarily serve us. I spent a lot of useless time feeling like food was my enemy earlier in life. I didn't know I had a thyroid disorder (we're going to go into THAT in one of these posts -- a huge, under-reported problem in our country), and I felt like a bad person for eating ANYTHING at all.
If I had known about bulimia in those days you can bet I would have tried it. Yes, I know exactly how crazy that sounds. My body was out of control and I didn't know what to do. That's one of the reasons I decided to go into this business -- there are so many people struggling with this one issue. I've been through it myself, more than once, and I am very much interested in being of support to others who need some assistance in the consideration of what it takes for each individual -- and we are all so different -- to attain the level of weight and fitness they desire.
That's what Herbalife is all about -- conquering obesity one person at a time. I'm one! They can count me! 25 pounds in 5 months, whoo hoo!! All right, that's enough gloating from me (laughing at self) -- I'll be back soon!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Nephew Working for "The Biggest Loser" !!
I received some very interesting news from my nephew today. Seems that he has scored a job (he's very good at what he does, whatever it is) on the hit show 'The Biggest Loser." I couldn't be more thrilled, as the show operates on the same principles as the Weight Loss Challenges held by Herbalife Distributors all over the world. It is enormously popular and heading into its eighth season -- I am quite proud of my nephew, who is a very special person. I'm not sure he would want me to mention his name, so until I have that permission, I will not.
I'd only heard mentions of "The Biggest Loser" when I joined Herbalife. I had NO idea what a phenomenon it is -- a guilty pleasure for many! Full disclosure: I haven't seen it yet but I intend to -- Patrick and I both want to watch it for a while, to get a sense of their process. I will most likely become hopelessly addicted to it, but that's an occupational hazard I rather enjoy.
Simply put, this show is a weight loss competition that challenges a group of people to lose the most weight (proportionate to their height, etc.), and there are rewards involved! Prizes! Money! Sparkly Shiny Things to Win! Being involved in a difficult journey on television in front of tens of thousands of people!
And finally, and of most importance to those of us who are dealing with weight issues -- we are allowed to watch the transformation of people's lives in what I imagine to be a positive fashion -- I can't really comment at length until I've seen the show. But I appreciate any program that encourages people dealing with obesity to accomplish what seems so often to be the impossible -- weight loss. It is a huge problem, and there's a ton of misinformation out there.
As I began to learn about Herbalife I realized we even have an online Weight Loss Challenge (WLC) for those who do not have the time or inclination to leave their home, but still want to participate in a 8 week online weight loss contest. We also have regular Weight Loss Challenges all over the country in every sort of meeting place imaginable. Patrick and I are gearing up to do our first Marinwood/Terra Linda Weight Loss Challenge very soon. We'll keep you posted!
This idea of the online WLC is a concept unique to Herbalife.
Every week, we meet online for a webinar hosted by Herbalife. Weights and measurements are reported on a frequent basis -- logged in online along with our (shudder) "before" pictures -- and every week there is some sort of educational presentation relative to diet and health. The meetings are brief -- from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Everyone who participates has his or her own coach to report to and consult with.
It's about the mutual support. Prizes just make it more fun!
Lots of bonding has been done among participants, and large pots of money have been won! Most importantly, the online Weight Loss Challenges provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the healthy transformation of our puffy, chubby, badly-nourished selves into much healthier, sleeker versions of the same people!
Herbalife is most of all a "wellness" company -- there are scientists working in our labs globally, studying micro-nutrition so that we can continue to advance the health and well-being of all who come to us. They are cognizant of the enormity of the obesity epidemic and are dedicated to helping people conquer their problems with diet and health -- one person at a time.
I have not yet participated in the online challenges, but I'm going to be on board this time. I've lost the weight I wanted to lose -- to my astonishment and overwhelming gratitude, I AM 25 - 30 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN I WAS 5 MONTHS AGO -- 5+ POUNDS A MONTH THANKS TO HERBALIFE.
I AM IN LOVE!!!!
Yes I am -- I have that devoted feeling towards a product I never imagined I could love like this -- how odd! And odder still -- I have to defend my feelings toward this company, this business model, and these products. How odd and bizarre! These are the best things, nourishment-wise, that have ever happened to me, and I appreciate it when those who know me understand I don't put my name on just anything. This stuff is for real and will have my eternal gratitude, plus I'll be using it for the rest of my life.
Back soon!
I'd only heard mentions of "The Biggest Loser" when I joined Herbalife. I had NO idea what a phenomenon it is -- a guilty pleasure for many! Full disclosure: I haven't seen it yet but I intend to -- Patrick and I both want to watch it for a while, to get a sense of their process. I will most likely become hopelessly addicted to it, but that's an occupational hazard I rather enjoy.
Simply put, this show is a weight loss competition that challenges a group of people to lose the most weight (proportionate to their height, etc.), and there are rewards involved! Prizes! Money! Sparkly Shiny Things to Win! Being involved in a difficult journey on television in front of tens of thousands of people!
And finally, and of most importance to those of us who are dealing with weight issues -- we are allowed to watch the transformation of people's lives in what I imagine to be a positive fashion -- I can't really comment at length until I've seen the show. But I appreciate any program that encourages people dealing with obesity to accomplish what seems so often to be the impossible -- weight loss. It is a huge problem, and there's a ton of misinformation out there.
As I began to learn about Herbalife I realized we even have an online Weight Loss Challenge (WLC) for those who do not have the time or inclination to leave their home, but still want to participate in a 8 week online weight loss contest. We also have regular Weight Loss Challenges all over the country in every sort of meeting place imaginable. Patrick and I are gearing up to do our first Marinwood/Terra Linda Weight Loss Challenge very soon. We'll keep you posted!
This idea of the online WLC is a concept unique to Herbalife.
Every week, we meet online for a webinar hosted by Herbalife. Weights and measurements are reported on a frequent basis -- logged in online along with our (shudder) "before" pictures -- and every week there is some sort of educational presentation relative to diet and health. The meetings are brief -- from 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Everyone who participates has his or her own coach to report to and consult with.
It's about the mutual support. Prizes just make it more fun!
Lots of bonding has been done among participants, and large pots of money have been won! Most importantly, the online Weight Loss Challenges provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the healthy transformation of our puffy, chubby, badly-nourished selves into much healthier, sleeker versions of the same people!
Herbalife is most of all a "wellness" company -- there are scientists working in our labs globally, studying micro-nutrition so that we can continue to advance the health and well-being of all who come to us. They are cognizant of the enormity of the obesity epidemic and are dedicated to helping people conquer their problems with diet and health -- one person at a time.
I have not yet participated in the online challenges, but I'm going to be on board this time. I've lost the weight I wanted to lose -- to my astonishment and overwhelming gratitude, I AM 25 - 30 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN I WAS 5 MONTHS AGO -- 5+ POUNDS A MONTH THANKS TO HERBALIFE.
I AM IN LOVE!!!!
Yes I am -- I have that devoted feeling towards a product I never imagined I could love like this -- how odd! And odder still -- I have to defend my feelings toward this company, this business model, and these products. How odd and bizarre! These are the best things, nourishment-wise, that have ever happened to me, and I appreciate it when those who know me understand I don't put my name on just anything. This stuff is for real and will have my eternal gratitude, plus I'll be using it for the rest of my life.
Back soon!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Getting Ready for Burning Man
Well -- wow. Two of my "lost boys" (I suffer from prolonged "empty nest syndrome" and like a houseful of kids around) are taking advantage of the tickets to Burning Man that were given to us by Patrick's old friend Danger Ranger. We hated to pass the opportunity by, but we thought the tickets would be best used by boys in their twenties.
The tradition of Burning Man (you're wondering what this has to do with Herbalife, right?) has to do with -- well, first of all, there's no money exchange there -- just coffee and ice can be bought there. Everything else you bring or trade for.
As an Herbalife Supervisor, I am extremely fortunate to have a fantastic young man named Troy as one of my distributors. He's taking my ticket along with a few Herbalife products especially selected for the desert. As we really didn't have much to donate, we decided to concentrate on just a few items. He's going to set up a "Hydration Station" near the Medical area, where people that have had too much sun can refresh themselves with Herbalife's H30, our specially formulated hydration drink.
He'll also have protein bars (in an ice cooler!) for the hypoglycemic. This gives us a way to take the best advantage of just a small amount of products -- put them where they are most needed. Troy can get a list of people who appreciate them, and work from there! Perhaps the main office would be interested in sponsoring an event at that party of fifty thousand people. If I were the company, I certainly would be!
The tradition of Burning Man (you're wondering what this has to do with Herbalife, right?) has to do with -- well, first of all, there's no money exchange there -- just coffee and ice can be bought there. Everything else you bring or trade for.
As an Herbalife Supervisor, I am extremely fortunate to have a fantastic young man named Troy as one of my distributors. He's taking my ticket along with a few Herbalife products especially selected for the desert. As we really didn't have much to donate, we decided to concentrate on just a few items. He's going to set up a "Hydration Station" near the Medical area, where people that have had too much sun can refresh themselves with Herbalife's H30, our specially formulated hydration drink.
He'll also have protein bars (in an ice cooler!) for the hypoglycemic. This gives us a way to take the best advantage of just a small amount of products -- put them where they are most needed. Troy can get a list of people who appreciate them, and work from there! Perhaps the main office would be interested in sponsoring an event at that party of fifty thousand people. If I were the company, I certainly would be!
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