Getting more exercise has been on my “To Do List” for quite a while.  Finally, I have been able to fit in a long walk two or three times a week.  That helps me lose weight, probably because it speeds up my metabolism.   I’m also trying to eat healthier, drink more water, and cut out some snacks and treats (not completely, though, because that’s when people have a tendency to binge).  I haven’t read any hydroxystim reviews or looked at any diet pills because I’m doing OK with more exercise, healthy eating, and having snacks and treats in moderation.  My goal has been to lose ten pounds, and so far I’ve lost two or three pounds.  I’m headed in the right direction!

Concern about so many Americans being overweight has been in the news for a long time.  There are all sorts of diets and various forms of advice on how to lose weight on the market.  For those interested in a natural product to aid in weight loss, click here.  Before anyone starts any new product or program, they should check with their doctor first to make sure it’s safe for them.

One of our favorite recipes for holiday dinners is sweet potato casserole.  I’ve listed three below.  The first one is from Michelle, a dear friend of ours.  The second one is from my mother.  She had a way of fixing canned sweet potatoes that did not taste canned, but she never wrote down her recipe.  This is the best I could remember.  The third one is a lighter recipe which sounds really good!

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• Holiday Sweet Potatoes
• Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole  Calories 160; Fat 4 g (Saturated 1 g); Cholesterol 25 mg; Sodium 180 mg;  Carbohydrate 31 g; Fiber 3 g;      Protein 3 g

Need some ideas for desserts that are delicious yet lower fat, lower cholesterol, or lower calories?  Here are four desserts that might work:

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• Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie  from Food Network  (might be better with graham cracker crust).    Calories 279; Total Fat 8.5 g (Sat Fat 2.7g, Mono Fat 1.7g, Poly Fat 1.7g) ; Protein 7g; Carb 44g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 43mg; Sodium 158mg
• Double Chocolate Pudding Pie  from Food Network.   Just a small dollop of real whipped cream on top will still give a taste of richness.
• Healthified Pumpkin Pie  from Eat Better America  (Cholesterol-free)
• Creamy Vanilla-Caramel Cheesecake  from Eat Better America.    Calories 180 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 4 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 17g); Protein 5g, Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices.

Here’s a recipe for those of you who like sweet cornbread but not the sugar!
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup flour (Spelt Flour or whole wheat would be good, too)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (or 3/4 cup organic cornmeal & 1/4 cup organic coarse cornmeal)
• 1/3 teaspoon KAL Stevia Powder  (or sugar substitute to equal 1/3 cup sugar)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk (I used reduced fat milk)
• 1/3 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Oil 9-inch pan with 1 teaspoon olive oil and place pan in oven to preheat.  After the pan is hot, take it out of the oven and add the mixture.  Bake until golden brown on top.

Losing weight is a struggle for so many people. I want to lose ten pounds, but right now I’m having a hard time eating as healthy as I want to. It’s not like I need apidexin or any type of diet pill, but I do need to cut out the sweets we’ve been having the past week while celebrating my husband’s birthday. And I need to exercise more which is hard to fit in with a busy beginning of school schedule.
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Here’s part of my problem. My husband received a birthday coupon from Cold Stone Creamery, and we discovered their “Founder’s Favorite Signature Creation.” That was so delicious! Then I got an email coupon from them to celebrate the Labor Day holiday weekend: “Buy One, Get One Free.” Guess where we went last night. You’re right!

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I am not going to lose ten pounds if we keep going to get ice cream, which we honestly rarely do. With my husband’s birthday past and one birthday left to celebrate the end of this month (our daughter’s), I hope I can stay off most sweets…until the Thanksgiving holidays get here anyway.
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One good thing about our daughter’s birthday is that she has been sticking to healthy eating for the past month while reviewing Freshology meals on her blog (Frugal Novice). And she’s going to be doing it (Freshology meals) for one more month. So, I’m thinking about maybe an angel food birthday cake for her birthday, topped with low-fat frozen yogurt plus fresh fruit to decorate the top of the cake.

Safety is just as important an issue during extremely hot weather as it is for water safety during the summer. Here in Texas, we have had over twenty consecutive days over 100 degrees, and the forecast for the next ten days predicts all ten days will be over 100 degrees.  Just a few minutes in that type of heat is like being in a sauna and having safe fat burners to sweat off the pounds.  Seriously, though, people need to take safety precautions in this type of weather and watch for signs of overheating in themselves and others around them!