Welcome

Hi everyone! Happy 4th of July!  I do hope many of you are going to be enjoying some of the awesome firework displays or parades in your part of the country.  We will be enjoying the company of our best friends, Jim & Tammy, so that makes this Independence Day extra-special.

My wonderful husband, Al, has written our article for today's visit.  I am always in awe of how great he writes (okay, I'm a bit biased too ☺ ) and how he knows just how to get his message across to us.  Thank you Al for bringing us yet another great article. You're truly the best!

It's that time to get settled into our most comfy chair with our tall glass of water! Don't forget to bring your beautiful SMILE ☺

The Selfish Angel  
by Al Coon

Many would say that a "selfish angel" is a contradiction in terms: an oxymoron. To be selfish is to be concerned only for yourself, to the exclusion of others. That doesn't sound very angel-like does it?

We are taught from childhood that being selfish is wrong. In fact the uncaring, and often harmful psychopath is defined as someone who is totally selfish and has no real concern for anyone else whom he might harm. Again, that is not how we would expect an angel to act.

Angels, on the other hand, are said to take care of others, putting others first. That is the very opposite of being selfish. So, how on earth can anyone be a "selfish angel"? Can you put yourself first and still act like an angel?

Turn it around and think about how much good you can do for others if you are weak and tired? What can you accomplish if you are so out of shape you are exhausted by crossing the room? What if you were dead; what could you possibly do for others?

It doesn't even have to be that extreme. The more out of shape you are, and the less healthy you are, the less good that you can do for anyone. To be the best angel possible, you have to be healthy, vigorous, and active. And if you are not selfish with your time, putting yourself first in order to take care of your basic needs, you won't be up to being an effective "angel" for others.

So, the first step in becoming the best selfless person you can be is to be selfish first thing in the morning. When you wake up, have a checklist ready and waiting. You will have listed on it the things you want to make sure that you will do for today. You may have many more things listed, but you will need at least these three items:

1. What will I eat today? Your first job will be to decide what you are going to eat for this one day. You will plan it out, and make sure you will have no major surprises for today. You will plan where you are going to eat, and what you are going to eat. If you need to prepare any of it, plan that too.
   
   
2. What exercise will I do today? Once your doctor gives you the go ahead to exercise, make sure you do something each day. Plan it right away after you get up. Be selfish and don't let anything else come first. Write down what you are going to do, and when you are going to do it.  Don't cheat yourself: you CAN do something. If part of your body is hurt, don't use it as an excuse; use another part of your body to get some exercise in. If your leg is in a cast, exercise your arms. Exercise your abdominal muscles. Do something.  
   
   
3. How much water will I drink and when? Set goals for the day: I will drink so many ounces by such and such a time, and so many ounces more by such and such a time.

The next thing to set in concrete is to never skip the checklist. Even if you know you are going to have a bad day, and you are going to fail to eat right, to exercise, or to drink your water, plan it anyway. Write down where you are going to fail and when.

"Planning to fail"  is not a pass on doing what you need to do to take care of yourself. However, this is still a positive step! You are building a habit. It takes about 6 weeks to get a habit well started, and so you must never skip doing your checklist. By doing your checklist each morning, even if you plan to fail, you will still develop the habit of doing the checklist.

It may sound crazy at first, but think about how it will help you in the long run. If you are going to get up and do your checklist anyway, you will find it easier to write something positive down and aim for that, than to plan to fail over and over again. If you are truly aiming at reaching your goal weight, and at being healthier, at least part of you every day will want to do positive things. One bad day will not change that! But skipping the checklist can, because you might break the habit you are trying to create; and then you will fall back into your old "comfortable" ways again. We are going to break out of those old negative ways, and we will create some positive comfortable ways for our new selves.

Once you have done your checklist and planned your critical items for the day, then selfishly follow your plan. Start off by telling yourself, "No matter what, today I will follow my checklist plan." Don't even contemplate promising anything about tomorrow, or even think about what you are going to do tomorrow. Tomorrow is not yours. You can't control it, nor even touch it, except by what you do today. This very day is all you have. Make the most of it by promising yourself that for this day, you will selfishly follow your plan, with it being your top priority for the day.

If you find that your plan for today turns out to be uncomfortable and difficult, remember that the next time you make a checklist plan. Remember, don't shoot for the moon; set reasonable goals.

There is a common phrase that everyone has heard: No pain, no gain. This is incredibly destructive thinking for anyone on a weight loss journey. If you think you have to suffer each day by eating "rabbit food," and starving yourself, or by exercising yourself to death, you are going to fail. Period. Pain is a bad thing for our journey. We need to be comfortable. We need to be happy with what we are doing. We need to HAVE FUN! The food we choose must be tasty and filling. The exercise we do must be enjoyable.

Continuing in pain will ultimately drive our desire to succeed away, and we will give up. Sadly, we sometimes can stand the pain long enough to lose all the weight we wanted to lose, but then we give up and put all the weight back on with "added interest" for our trouble. So, from the start we are going to agree: pain is out.

So, our checklist plan will contain only food that we like, and only exercise that we enjoy. By looking around, today there can be found an amazing selection of tasty foods, and even desserts that can fit into your plan. There has never been a time when planning a tasty on program meal or snack was easier.

For exercise, we should pick something that we really like. Sometimes a team sport is good, because there is a social side to it, and we don't want to let our team down by not showing up. Group activities like a hiking club can help motivate us. Or if you prefer solo activities; just make sure that you don’t pick something you hate to do, and then expect to go out and do it each day for the rest of your life.

Another thing to consider, something that you might find to be boring by itself could be dressed up. If you don't think walking sounds fun, what about walking while reading? Many people do that on the treadmill. Perhaps walking while listening to an audio book, or some music could make it fun. Or maybe you could take an audio recorder with you and talk into it, saving your thoughts that you can use later for planning out your day, or even for writing a book. 

By daily following your checklist plan you will reap these rewards:

1. Over time you will move your weight down to your goal weight.
2. You will then maintain your weight at your goal weight for the rest of your life.
3. You'll have more energy and desire to do more things of all kinds.
4. Be in the best possible position to do the most good for the most people.

Just think: being a selfish angel can be one of the most selfless acts you can perform.

Motivation - Live Your Life to Its Fullest

This life is yours
Take the power
to choose what you want to do
and do it well
Take the power
to love what you want in life
and love it honestly
Take the power
to walk in the forest
and be a part of nature
Take the power
to control your own life
No one else can do it for you
You deserve the best
Take the power
to make your life
healthy
exciting
worthwhile
and very happy
Take the power
to reach for your dreams

Susan Polis Schutz

Come Join the Fun!    

Do you want some extra support during your Journey? Would you like to have a place you can call "home," where you can be yourself? Our Message Board is just the place.  It's home to all our Zonie friends who share their Journey experiences and are always willing and ready to offer support, laughs, friendship and ~ 24/7.  Our DWLZ Message Board is at:  http://www.dwlz2.com/forum/.  Don't forget to register if you haven't already done so.  

"Enjoying Weight Loss" by Dr. Roberta Temes

As many of you know, I use Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs to help me to continue to move in the right direction, and to live my journey from day to day. They have been an irreplaceable part of my journey back to goal.

I am happy to see that the Hypnosis Network is continuing to offer Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs for $97. For anyone who is "hypnosis-friendly" (about 90% of the human population can derive some benefit from hypnosis) the money could not be better spent. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs you can read our review at http://www.dwlz.com/hypnosisreview.html. I would not recommend them if they hadn't of worked for me.

Here is what the Hypnosis Network says:

Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss was tested and recommended by the National Health & Wellness Club.

In the National Health & Wellness Club's Product Test Program, club members conduct their own independent tests of health and wellness products. The fifty independent testers who tried Enjoying Weight Loss gave the program a 92% approval rating.

The Hypnosis Network is still offering a special on the Enjoying Weight Loss CDs. The Enjoying Weight Loss CDs are only $97, a savings of $22 off the regular price. They are also including the Mental Toughness CD.

Click Here to go directly to their site and find out more about the Hypnosis Network, and how you can order your CDs.

Thank you to all of you who continue to be there for me and support me in my Journey to becoming a healthier me. Thank you for caring. 

Always remember, "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got."

Dotti   

Need more dairy in your diet?  Try some of these ideas...

          ♦ Try having cereal and milk for breakfast at least 3 times a week
          ♦ When using cream soups add evaporated skim milk to help increase the calcium and flavor
          ♦ Sprinkle low-fat cheese on your soups and salads
          ♦ Instead of half and half try adding low-fat or skim milk to your coffee
          ♦ On your baked potatoes try using plain, low fat or nonfat yogurt

~~~Smart Guide to Getting Thin & Healthy by Katharine Colton

Software You Can Use!

Weight Commander

The Weight Commander is an awesome program for your Journey.  I highly recommend it to everyone who is on a Journey of their own.  It is a wonderful program to track your progress on any weight loss program you are using.  You can read My Review of the Weight Commander or go straight to the source and check out this great software by following this link to Weight Commander. He has many tips and ideas throughout his program which will help you be successful on your Journey. 

Comic Relief 

Don't Do That!

Dieting is an emotional roller coaster and to be successful at weight loss, you are going to have to learn to control strange compulsions you probably have never experienced before.

• Don't kidnap the Good Humor man and tie him up in your basement.
• Don't take naps on bologna.
• Don't lick the tasty glue off all the envelopes at work.
• Don't beg pigeons for scraps of food at the park.
• Don't attend sporting events just to graze on spilled food under the bleachers.
• Don't begin dating the children of local bakers, butchers or grocers with the idea of marrying for food.
• Don't bite the neighbors.
• Don't plead guilty at your trial.

~~~The Absolute Last Chance Diet Book... by John Kolness & Tim Halle

Penny's Low Fat Desserts

Note from Penny

There's a great special going on at Penny's for a limited time--$4 off selected muffin boxes!  Sign up for Penny's newsletter and receive first hand info on specials as well as short and sweet weight management tips!  
PENNY'S NEWSLETTER:  http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/newsletter  

This is a tough time of year with the BBQ parties and vacations, so it's important to keep the right foods on hand at home and during travel.  When vacationing,  mealtime is erratic and sometimes we're starved by the time we get to eat.  That's why it's so important to have the right snacks to hold us over.  Penny's offers a wide variety of muffins and cookies so you can enjoy a different flavor every day of the week.  They are delicious, loaded with fiber and all natural.  All desserts are individually wrapped in single servings so they are easy to take-along and guilt-free!

Try our Zucchini, Orange-Cranberry, Apple Cinnamon, of Cherry Muffins to name a few.  Cookie flavors include Chocolate Chip, Lemon, Macaroon, Maple Walnut.  There are 10 flavors of cookies and 10 flavors of muffins so you may want to give a try to the cookie or muffin Assortment Boxes! 

Specials on certain product offerings and discounts may change so be sure to check our website frequently. 

TO ORDER:   http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/  
NEWSLETTER:  http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/newsletter 
TESTIMONIALS:  http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/testimonials.asp
EMAIL PENNY:  Penny@PennysLowFatDesserts.com  or call (866) 221-5109

Bar Food - How much will it 'cost' you?

Even if you aren't having an alcoholic beverage while visiting with friends you will still be tempted to 'munch' on the bar food sitting in front of you. The calories sure do add up when you are mindlessly munching.

          ♦ Pretzel sticks, 10 [10 calories/0 g fat]
          ♦ Cheddar, 1 inch cube [70 calories/6 g fat]
          ♦ Goldfish crackers, 60 [75 calories/3 g fat]
          ♦ Potato chips, 10 [105 calories/7 g fat]
          ♦ Snack mix, half cup [150 calories/6 g fat]
          ♦ Peanuts, in the shell, 35 [161 calories/14 g fat]
          ♦ Peanuts, oil roasted, 35 [165 calories/14 g fat]
          ♦ Beer nuts (cashew), 35 [170 calories/13 g fat]
          ♦ Beer nuts (peanut & almond), 35 [170 calories/14 g fat]
          ♦ Mixed nuts with peanuts[175 calories/16 g fat]
          ♦ Macadamia nuts, 35 [200 calories/21 g fat]

Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance

New Food Find -- VitaMuffins

Are you tired of chewing yet another nutritional bar, but you still want 100% of your vitamins and minerals, plus 8-10g fiber without any fat? Vitalicious gives you the VitaMuffin:

	Taste - winner of the American Tasting Institute's "Award of Excellence"
	Nutrition - fortified with 15 vitamins and minerals
	Control - only 80-100 calories per 2-oz serving
	Health - high in fiber (4-7g), with fat-free or low-fat... and they're kosher
	Satisfaction - leaves you feeling full and satisfied
	Peace of mind - all natural; no artificial additives or preservatives

VitaMuffins are fortified with at least 15 essential daily vitamins and minerals. And each is packed with fresh, fruity, delicious, home-baked taste. There currently are four varieties for you to choose from: BlueBran, CranBran, MultiBran, AppleBerryBran, Deep Chocolate, Low-Carb/Sugar-Free BananaNut and Velvety chocolate, VitaBrownie, and Double Chocolate Dream.

Each VitaMuffin comes to your door fresh-baked right out of their ovens, and they're individually wrapped for your convenience.

I have tried their VitaTops, VitaMuffins and VitaBrownies and love them all.  I am saving the mixes for this weekend when my best friend will be here to help me eat them! ☺ They are healthy, taste great and fit within any program you are using to attain your healthy new lifestyle. Why not try some today? 

Click on the 10% off coupon to the left to learn more about the Vitalicious family of VitaTops, VitaMuffins, VitaBrownies and mixes to bake yourself.  All DWLZ visitors receive 10% off their order by using the coupon code to the left.

Vitalicious - Vitamin-fortified, delicious, better-for-you baked goods

Did you know...?
Our Journey is not just about weight loss; it's about constantly learning new things...

"Dinner guests during the medieval times in England were expected to bring their own knives to the table."

"In eighteenth-century France, visitors to the royal palace in Versailles were allowed to stand in a roped-off section of the main dining room and watch the king and queen eat."

"Each year Americans spend more on cat food than on baby food."

"Yogurt intake among North Americans has quadrupled in the last twenty years."

"China produces 278,564,356,980 eggs per year."

~~~Book of Useless Information, The by Noel Botham & The Useless Information Society

Pizza Fit'n Free 

Note from Pizza Fit'n Free

At Pizza Fit'n Free we believe in making a great tasting pizza that is fat free and nutritionally complete.  That has been our goal since starting the company back in 1991.  We know that it is hard to diet and eat your favorite foods.  Since pizza is one of America's favorite foods we are here to help.  For over 15 years we have been helping America's lose weight and keep it off. 

FREE PIZZA!!
As a thank you to our wonderful customers buying Pizza Fit'n Free in increasing numbers and telling their friends about us, we have started drawing names to win FREE pizza! Click HERE for more details.

Order Online at Pizzafree.com

Kiwi-Melon Coolers

Makes 2 servings

          ♦ 2 cups chopped honeydew melon
          ♦ 1 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
          ♦ 1 to 1 1/4 cups apple juice, chilled

Line a baking sheet with plastic. Arrange the melon and kiwifruit in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. 

Pour apple juice into blender and add the frozen fruit. Cover and blend until smooth.  You can use some additional melon and kiwifruit for garnish, if you wish.

Per serving: 145 Calories, 1 g Total Fat, 37 g Sodium, 3 g Dietary Fiber, 36 g Carbs, 1 g Protein

~~~Recipe Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Smoothies & Healthy Snacks

PurFoods Fitness 

Fresh, Healthy Food Delivered To You

How would you like a personal chef and nutritionist to do all your food shopping and cooking? You would never again worry about eating healthy and you’ll save so much time. PurFoods Fitness makes it happen.

With PurFoods Fitness, you design your own personalized meal program from hundreds of delicious meals tailored to your tastes and healthy eating goals. PurFoods Fitness’ award-winning chefs prepare your meals and ship them fresh – never frozen – right to your door. Each week, a box of healthy, great-tasting meals and snacks arrives. No more shopping, cooking, or worrying about portion sizes and fat content. Eating healthy has never been this convenient.

Their food is absolutely delicious!  I loved how it was delivered fresh to my door, ready to eat for whenever I wanted.

Click Here to read our review of PurFoods Fitness ~ we have tried these meals and they are absolutely delicious! 

If you prefer you can Click Here to go directly to the PurFoods Fitness website to find out more about this wonderful program.

DWLZ Cookbooks One and Two

Have you ordered your DWLZ Cookbooks yet? These cookbooks are filled with recipes that are Zonies' favorites, dishes that are delicious but on program, with nutritional information listed. This is two books in one package: DWLZ Cookbooks Volumes One and Two. The recipes are easy to make and don't use hard-to-find items. They are together in one PDF file, viewable in your free Acrobat Reader (Version 5 and higher). These make wonderful gifts.

Food Finds

Check out this new food find I've recently discovered.  We loved the Snacksters, which I got at Costco.

          ♦ Snacksters, Hersheys, 1 pkg [100 calories/3.5 g fat/ 0 g fiber/15 g carbs]
          ♦ Snacksters, Reeses, 1 pkg [100 calories/4 g fat/ 1 g fiber/14 g carbs]

Receive a 1 day shopping pass to Sam’s Club from Philly Swirl   

Now that the sun is shining and the weather is warming up, it's a great time to stock up on some great tasting Philly Swirl's Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops!  They are delicious and only 10 calories.

Don't forget to get your FREE 1 day pass to Sam's Club from Philly Swirl.  All you have to do is go to http://www.phillyswirl.com/aboutus/1day.cfm to get your Free 1 day pass to Sam’s Club. Shop as if you were a member all day and don't forget to stock up on

Philly Swirl’s Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops
[10 cal/0 g fat/1 g fiber/4 g carbs]

Keep your freezer stocked with these great 10 calorie pops which can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about the Philly Swirl products please visit them at http://www.phillyswirl.com/ and drop them a line. They would love to hear from you. Psst...don’t forget to pass the word! We want to see these awesome Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops remain available to all of us on our Journey. Let's take the power we have to make a difference by passing the word about these awesome pops and keeping them available to us in the future.

DWLZ Website Updates

All my updates can be found on the Message Board in the DWLZ Website News & Updates forum at:

US restaurant updates can be found at our Restaurants TOC page at:

Canadian restaurant updates can be found at our Canadian Restaurants TOC page at:

"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of." ~~~Author Unknown

Goodbye

Until our next visit, always keep in mind you are never alone on this Journey.  We are all here with you, right beside you, rooting you on. 

Take care until next time...

Dotti    

"I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn’t here yet, so I will just deal with today." ~Dotti

Newsletter Sign Up

If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for it yourself at:

Dotti's Newsletter Subscription Page - http://www.dwlz.com/eletter.html

Dotti's Weight Loss Zone

And please don't forget to come and visit DWLZ!   

If you are not already a regular visitor, it is time for you to come and make yourself at home at my web page, where you will find lots of tips on losing weight, and help in picking out good things to eat at your favorite restaurants, while still remaining on program. We have motivation, success stories, and much more. It is a lot like Disneyland: you'll have lots of fun, and you could never see it all in just one day! However, unlike Disneyland, Dotti's [ http://www.dwlz.com ] is open 24 hours a day, every day.

Copyright and disclaimer

Copyright  ©  DWLZ, Inc. - 2007, all rights reserved. This document may be reproduced freely as long as it is always reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright message, and the disclaimer below, and as long as it is always distributed free of charge.

Disclaimer - This newsletter is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling. We are not doctors. Any information contained in this email reflects our own opinions and experiences. It is not intended in any way to serve as or take the place of medical advice from a physician.