1.  You are not going to do either perfectly.  If you think the only way to do it is to be perfect and a bad day of eating or a missed day at the gym is going to throw you off, then starting with these two goals isn’t for you.  You should consider dealing with perfectionism first.  Perfectionism is our way of not doing things, not our way of doing them right.
2. To the best of YOUR ability.  When I first started exercising my ability level was ridiculously low.  I would get winded walking down the steps at the gym.  I would get on an elliptical machine and pray to make it 20 minutes in the hopes of burning 100-150 calories.  It was tough, but that was my ability level at the time.  It has changed quite a bit.  Which means my routine has changed quite a bit.  I have to work harder to work out aerobically, and I have to work out longer.  Do what you can do, as you can do it.
3. If weight loss is your goal, I probably can’t come up with a single thing to say that will help.  A weight loss goal is a sure-fire way to sabatoge anything you are trying to accomplish.  Make the goal healthy living and your body will adjust to the right weight.
4. You don’t have to join a gym.  Stop putting the gym up on a pedestal.  Sure there are lots of machines and music and programs, etc.  But you don’t need a gym to work out.  You can walk ANYWHERE.  You can buy a few exercise items at a garage sale.  You can download exercise programs or check out exercise DVD’s at the library.  Fretting about the gym is a great way to NOT exercise. (See topic 1)  And before you say it, YES, I belong to a gym.  I did it for my own reasons and that has worked for me.  But I always walk a lot, cycle and do other things that provide me with exercise.  If I lost the ability to go to the gym tomorrow, my exercise program wouldn’t stop.
5. Check with you doctor first.  She or he can make great recommendations and help you start off with the right things, which reduces injuries that are motivation killers!

FTC sues Ariz. company over acai pill free trials

By CARLA K. JOHNSON, AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson, Ap Medical Writer Mon Aug 16, 4:23 pm ET

CHICAGO – Dreams of rapid weight loss and fake celebrity endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray lured customers into providing their credit or debit card numbers as they signed up online for a “free trial” of acai berry pills.

Instead, month after month, consumers got shipments of pills they didn’t want and charges of $45 to $65 that mounted despite their attempts to cancel. It was a scam that bilked consumers out of up to $100 million, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which announced Monday it has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to shut down a massive Internet scam.

A federal judge has frozen the assets of Phoenix-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc. and ordered the company and its executives, Graham D. Gibson and Michael A. McKenzy, to stop making false claims for their products and appointed a receiver to take charge of the company’s books. The judge ordered the defendants to appear in court Friday in Chicago.

Several other companies with the same Phoenix address as Central Coast Nutraceuticals were also named as defendants.

A recorded message on a phone number listed to a Michael A. McKenzy said the number was not accepting calls. A phone message left on a number listed to a Graham D. Gibson was not immediately returned.

AcaiPure and Colopure, two herbal supplements, don’t work for weight loss or to prevent cancer as the company claimed, the FTC said. The company’s Internet ads enticed consumers by saying its products break down and remove “toxic waste matter” stuck in the body “for years and years.”

“Our expert tells us that these pills were nothing but a laxative,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Vladeck said it might be harmful to take the pills for prolonged periods.

Acai, a popular beverage flavor, is a dark purple fruit from a palm found in Central and South America. Vladeck said it’s uncertain how much acai, if any, was included in the supplements.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago on Aug. 5 and sealed until Aug. 12. Both Winfrey and Ray filed statements with the court denying they’d ever endorsed the products.

“I did not approve or agree to the use of my name or my image on this website,” Rachael Ray said in her statement, which also said she doesn’t endorse any acai berry product.

Winfrey’s company, Harpo Inc., filed a similar statement. “Ms. Oprah Winfrey has never endorsed any acai berry supplement or acai berry related product by name,” the declaration said.

Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago, said the office wouldn’t comment on whether it planned to press criminal charges, in keeping with its policy.

Last year, the Better Business Bureau alerted consumers to the company’s alleged deceptive practices. At that time, McKenzy told The Associated Press that customers weren’t reading the fine print on the company’s website when they ordered the sample product.

The FTC’s investigation followed more than 2,800 complaints to law enforcement and the Better Business Bureau about the company since 2007.

Rhonda Wooten, 48, of Paxton in east-central Illinois, said she learned “a hard life lesson” after losing up to $500 trying to stop shipments of weight-loss pills and charges to her checking account.

She had given the company her debit card number after seeing a photo on its website of a supposed satisfied customer, who coincidentally also hailed from Paxton. In reality, Vladeck said, it was a stock photo and the company’s software had automatically inserted “Paxton” because it detected Wooten was from there.

“I’m a preschool teacher and they don’t make good money, so $200 to $500 is a lot,” Wooten said. “It could buy a lot of food for my kids and my family.”

Martin Elliott of Visa Inc. said consumers should notify the bank that issued their credit card or debit card if they think they’ve been a victim of fraud. Elliott appeared at the FTC’s Chicago news conference.

I am proud of what I have accomplished, but trust me…

It isn’t easy…

I’m not GOOD at it…

I screw up on a regular basis…

I have days when I would rather do anything BUT diet and exercise…

It’s not easy.  Did I mention that?

And some days it absolutely sucks.

What I am really proud of is the fact that I haven’t quit, and to the best of my knowledge I am not going to quit. I am going to keep pushing, keep trying and keep applying myself and if it takes me the rest of my life to get to my goal weight, then so be it.  It’s not about the number on the scale anymore, its about my blood pressure, my ability to have a life, my ability to go out and do things like scuba dive.  It’s about a total journey to health, not just a moment on a scale.

THE CANDWICH

Like a cross between a Little Debbie and a cold Hot Pocket, but also in a can, the Candwich is the next batshit crazy convenience food hitting shelves. Although it’s targeting the pre-school, camping, and construction worker demographic, it seems more like a novelty or a military ration than something anyone would actually eat on a regular basis. The Candwich comes in three flavors: peanut butter and strawberry jam, peanut butter and grape jam, and, the most terrifying of all, BBQ Chicken.

The Mark One Foods website makes a claim that the Candwich would be good for camping, and, indeed, a German camping supply company at one point produced cheeseburgers in a can. An AV Club taste test described them as something you would “never want to relive, but that won’t stop me from telling every single person I know about it.” Although peanut butter and jelly seems like it might fare better from the in-a-can treatment than either the cheeseburger or the BBQ Chicken, it’s still likely that the Candwich is more an internet-meme-in-a-can than viable food source.

And, unfortunately, there is more: the yellow circle on the left side of the can says “Candy Surprise Inside.” Not clear whether the candy is in the sandwich itself or a bonus side item, but either way there should be no surprises in a sandwich in a can.

More people need to shed pounds, according to a CDC report released last week showing another uptick in the nation’s obesity rate. And one way to lose weight is to go online and head for Web sites designed to help. Participants in a study published last week in the Journal of Medical Internet Research who entered their meals and physical activity in online diaries at least once a month for roughly two years were more likely to lose weight—and keep it off—than others who did so less diligently. Many weight-loss sites offer this feature, but there’s more to shedding pounds than making diary entries, says study author Kristine Funk, a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. An effective weight-loss site is interactive, offering access to goal-setting modules and record-keeping tools. It provides support, letting users communicate with each other and with nutrition and exercise experts. It encourages accountability, prompting users with E-mails and phone calls to record their weight, exercise, and calorie intake. It’s personalized, tailoring meal plans and workouts to the individual. And it’s trustworthy, providing clear and credible health information. Registered dietitian Susan Burke March, author of Making Weight Control Second Nature: Living Thin Naturally, likes the five below.

CalorieKing ($12 monthly, $85 for a year). A food and exercise database linked to a personal diary converts meals and activities into calories so you can visualize if you’re hitting your weight-loss goals. A drag-and-drop interface makes meal plans easy to create, even for the least technologically savvy. Guidance to successful meal planning is provided. March believes that its weekly progress charts and graphs can motivate dieters.

Nutrihand ($9.95 per month or free when you join with your nutritionist or dietitian). Featurewise, this site is more plain vanilla than rocky road, but if you’re getting professional help offline, it allows you and your counselor to work together online on meal plans, shopping lists, and fitness goals. You can print out reports to bring to your sessions. Diabetics who use insulin pumps can upload data from their glucometer on a private and secure network and chart or graph glucose levels, blood pressure, and other personal data to tweak pump settings and track health status.

SparkPeople (free). It’s supported by ads that run the gamut from hotels to granola bars, but get-slim-quick gimmicks are blessedly absent. The focus is on meeting simple goals: eat less, exercise more. March advises her clients to take advantage of the site’s nutritional planning tools. Users can create meal plans based on calories and dietary restrictions, plan meals up to a week in advance, and save favorite meals to a daily log. Members exchange advice through forums, blogs, and message boards. Bonus: The more time you spend on the site, the more SparkPoints you earn towards prizes like T-shirts, water bottles, and exercise DVDs.

Vtrim ($695 for six months). From the University of Vermont, Vtrim requires dedication and a good chunk of cash. You sign on for a six-month commitment consisting of 24 one-hour classes with approximately 20 other members guided by a Vtrim-certified “facilitator” trained in diet, nutrition, or weight management. Groups meet weekly in chat rooms to discuss specific habits geared towards healthy living. They utilize graphs, charts, body mass index, featured recipes, and other tools to help track calories. Although the price tag packs a hefty punch, Vtrim takes a sensible approach to dieting that focuses on changing behavior, not starvation. In fact, it shies away from diets entirely and encourages walking as the primary form of exercise.

WeightWatchers ($47.90 for the first month and $17.95 for each additional month, plus a $23.95 start-up fee). If your chief concern is diet and not fitness, it’s a great resource. Although members are encouraged to exercise, the emphasis is on healthy eating and community support. Best known for its “points system,” WeightWatchers bases its program on choosing healthy foods that satisfy hunger as long as possible. The site keeps track of food intake; provides recipes, meal ideas, and dining out tips; and creates personalized weekly progress charts. Signing up online won’t allow you to attend local meetings, but it does allow you to access your plan from your cell phone.

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, ground to small bits
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 2 – 6 oz lean cuts of meat such as eye cuts, top round or sirloin tip

 Directions:

1. Mix the dry ingredients
2. Coat the beef in the dry rub
3. Grill!

This is fast and simple and delicious.  I tried it because I really like beef, but had to find a way to enjoy it less often due to it’s higher saturated fat content.  Your nutritional information will really be dependent on the type of steak you use.  Enjoy!

1. Walking is not as effective as running.
Sure, you’ll burn about twice as many calories running for 30 minutes than walking for 30 minutes. But if a runner and a walker cover the same distance, they burn about the same number of calories. So if you’re willing to take the ‘slow route,’ you’ll likely lose just as much weight. In fact, studies have proved that how long you exercise matters more than how hard you exercise.

2. Exercise increases hunger
It’s a common misconception: If you burn hundreds of calories during a workout, you’ll end up eating more. But research shows that exercise has no effect on a person’s food needs, with the exception of endurance athletes who exercise for two hours a day or more. In fact, research shows that exercise often suppresses hunger during and after the workout.

3. It doesn’t matter where your calories come from
Calories are not created equal. First, some foods (in particular, proteins) take more energy to chew, digest, metabolize, and store than others. Others (such as fats and carbohydrates) require fewer calories to digest and store. Second, different food types have different effects on your blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates (think white bread, cookies, and fruit drinks) raise blood sugar levels dramatically, which encourages fat storage, weight gain, and hunger. Fibrous foods like apples, as well as proteins, raise blood sugar less, making them friendlier to your waistline. Finally, foods that contain a lot of water, such as vegetables and soup, tend to fill the belly on fewer calories, so you’ll stop eating them way before you stop eating more calorie-dense foods.

4. Diet alone is enough for sustained weight loss
You’ll lose weight in the short term by slashing calories, but experts say exercise is what keeps pounds off for good. Exercise burns calories, of course. It also builds muscle, which takes up less space than fat. Muscle tissue also requires more calories to sustain it than fat tissue does. In other words, the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you’ll burn at rest. In fact, some studies suggest that over the long term, if you had a choice of eating consistently less or exercising consistently more, exercise would be the better weight-loss choice.

5. There is no best time for exercise
If you’re simply walking to get healthy or take off some weight, it doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you do it. But if you’re an athlete looking for the best-quality workout, choose the late afternoon, when body temperature is highest. Muscles are warm, reaction time is quick, and strength is at its peak. If you push yourself harder as a result, you will burn more calories.

Find that you can’t help it?  The psychological process is called ironic mental function.  Telling yourself not to think about something requires that you access the mental file on that thing to “place” it.  Whether you try to think of red, or try not to do so, you are going to picture the color in the process.

Fighting temptation to avoid exercise or eat outside a food plan is also affected by ironic mental function.  The harder you think about not cheating on a food plan, the more you are in fact thinking about it.  Continually telling myself I will not try to avoid exercising means that I constantly have to consider the possibility of avoiding exercise.  The two are linked together.

So how do we fight the temptation?  By getting off that train of thought altogether.  We have to do something different.  Go for a walk, take a shower, clean the bathroom, sort your sock drawer.  Find something else to do.  It’s the “bright shiny thing” technique.  Get your mental function off the thing you don’t want to do, and chances are you will have better luck at not doing it!

The Cooler Cleanse

Salma Hayek is singing the praises of a 3- to 5-day liquid fast called The Cooler Cleanse, where you buy drinks made of fruit, veggies, and nuts that total less than 1100 calories—and cost a healthy $58—per day. Just for the record, Mayo’s Bauer says, “I would like to see a study that measures the levels of toxins before and after the so called cleanse.” THE ONE GOOD IDEA: Adding a natural juice—as long as it doesn’t come loaded with sugar and calories (which many do)— into your normal diet can be a good nutritional shortcut, according to Lippert. While some Cooler Cleanse drinks are quite caloric, the “essential green” (cucumber, spinach, and kale) has only 80 calories and 15% of your daily calcium—a nutrient many women fall short on.

The Coconut Diet

Whenever a wacky food craze hits the gossip pages, Jennifer Aniston seems to have tried it. This is one of them. The idea is to incorporate coconut—meat, oil, and water—into your daily menus, based on a small amount of research suggesting that the fruit’s particular form of saturated fat may help weight loss. Meanwhile, all kinds of celebrities are slugging coconut water. Madonna, Mathew McCounaghy, and Demi Moore are reportedly investors in Vita Coco, which makes the trendy beverage. THE ONE GOOD IDEA. The research on coconut fat is controversial. “But coconut water—the fat-free liquid from the young fruit—is fantastic for you,” says Lippert. “It’s really high in potassium and helps replenish electrolytes when you’re dehydrated. It’s like nature’s Gatorade.”

The Lemonade Fast (aka The Master Cleanse)

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore twittered this month that they were both doing the Master Cleanse. For at least 10 days, you drink a concoction of lemon, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, salt, herbal tea, and water. Period. (Let’s hope the couple that fasts together lasts together.) Beyoncé says she lost 20 pounds for Dream Girls on the Cleanse, although she gained it back. And that’s a problem for all ultra-low calorie diets: They’re like a trampoline. Your weight drops for sure, but on impact with normal food again, it bounces up again—ebulliently—often higher than where it started. THE ONE GOOD IDEA: Hot water with lemon (forget the rest) is a great little diet trick for when you feel the urge to eat, says Lippert . “It allows you to recognize thirst versus hunger,” she says. “It also aids digestion and is just…refreshing. I tell my clients to try it all the time.”

The Baby Food Diet

Rumor has it that Reese Witherspoon, Marcia Cross, and other celebs have resorted to this mushy diet, which allows one normal meal a day and the rest: baby food. Hollywood is definitely hung up on youth, but not exactly the kind in diapers—and since dining on Gerber doesn’t give quite the image most stars are looking for, none have actually admitted to doing it. THE ONE GOOD IDEA: “To get most of your nutrition from baby food is silly, and you’re not using your digestive system, which isn’t healthy for an adult,” says Lippert. “However a jar of strained broccoli, or squash, is a great, portable quick-fix of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants with very little fat. Not a bad idea to throw in your purse to snack on—in private.”

The Purple Food Diet

Mariah Carey supposedly loves this color-coordinated eating plan, where three days a week you stick to purple foods. The goal isn’t so much weight loss, but anti-aging. Remember the buzz about resveratrol, the “longevity” nutrient in red wine? THE ONE GOOD IDEA: Going completely purple may be a little absurd, but throwing a few more plums, beets, grapes, and eggplants into your diet is an excellent tip. “These foods are generally high in antioxidants, says Mayo’s Bauer, “so they do have a role in an aging-well diet.”

The Raw Food Diet

This diet, favored by Angela Bassett, is as close to eating like a bird (minus the worms) as you can get: dried fruits, nuts, seaweed, seeds, sprouted seeds, raw vegetables, and whole-grains. Ideally, at least 75% of your food is raw, because cooking, the theory goes, destroys various enzymes that help you absorb the nutrients. Most followers are vegans, but some raw foodies eat uncooked eggs, milk, meat, and fish. THE ONE GOOD IDEA: While this plan is extreme (and some vegetables, like tomatoes, actually release more of their nutrients when cooked), no one can argue that it’s healthier to choose fresh produce over processed foods whenever possible. Also, there’s compelling science to suggest that when you eat higher-volume fare (say, a crunchy apple versus applesauce) it really fills you up more.

Going Macrobiotic

More a way of life than a flashy fad, the macrobiotic diet sets pretty strict limits: whole grains, beans, miso soup, seaweed, soy, tofu, seeds nuts fruits and occasional fish. Gwyneth Paltrow has been an advocate; so has Madonna. THE ONE GOOD IDEA: Although going macrobiotic puts a huge crimp in your dining-out style (except for eating Japanese), the nutritional blueprint—mostly vegetarian with soy and a little fish—is sterling: “This diet has a fair amount of research behind it,” says Mayo’s Bauer, “and may deserve a closer look.”