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Dotti's Newsletter |
December 8, 2007 |
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Issue #037 |
Welcome Welcome to December! Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner? These last two issues of Dotti's Newsletter have been a bit behind schedule due to our busy holiday schedule, and a nasty head cold, that has lingered for over two weeks, first hitting me and now Al. Thanks for your patience! For Thanksgiving we went out of town up to Spokane, Washington, and we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our son and family in Spokane. Almost as soon as we got back home we went down and picked up Al's Mom, Betty, and brought her back with us, and she will be staying with us right through the New Year. Time has been in short supply, but love and laughter have not. For these Dotti's Newsletters, Al and I have decided to alternately present an article to you each month. We are on this Journey together and each of us has differences in how we conduct our Journey. We'd like to continually share that with all of you. Now it's that time where we get to relax and have a nice visit so let's pull up that comfy chair with our tall glass of refreshing water, and get started. Don't forget your beautiful SMILE. ☺ Your Christmas Resolution By Al Coon 
Timing is Everything The pitcher winds up and lets go with a 90 mph fastball right down the middle. How much time do you have to get the bat around on that pitch? To go from the mound to the catcher's glove takes less than half a second. Not much time to think about it. In baseball, home plate measures 17 inches from front to back, and that fastball will only spend one-hundredth of a second over the plate. The difference between hitting the ball over the center of the plate (perhaps hitting a home run) and hitting it either too early (pulling it for a long foul ball) or too late (sending it deep into the seats in foul territory down the opposite side) is only half of that time. A blink of your eye takes 30 to 40 times as long as the time the ball uses up in crossing the entire plate. This IS Rocket Science! Timing isn't limited to sporting events. There are far more important things where timing is just as critical. Your car's engine must have the cylinder's piston at just the right point in its motion when the spark plug fires to explode the gas and air mixture and drive the piston down to ultimately turn your wheels. Ten or more times per second this has to happen for each cylinder in your engine. If it happens at the wrong time your engine will either run less efficiently or possibly not at all. But one of the most spectacular examples of precise timing is the area of interplanetary rockets. Think of what it would take to send a spacecraft to Mars, and what difference timing could make to the trip. Mars and Earth are running circles around the Sun, and Earth has the inside track. We are moving in our orbit about 67 thousand miles per hour, and in a year's time we cover over 580 million miles in our journey! Mars is one and a half times as far away from the Sun as we are, and its journey is therefore longer: 880 million miles! And, being farther from the Sun means it will travel slower as well, at "only" around 54 thousand miles per hour. Since Mars and Earth travel different distances and at different speeds sending a rocket between them would require great timing. The distance between the two planets varies from 48 million miles to 234 million miles, and time is what makes that difference a reality. When you consider that the rocket is traveling at 16,000 miles per hour, the task seems almost impossible. That would be like trying to shoot a clay pigeon that is flying off at 60 miles per hour, while riding in a car on a racetrack driving 74 miles per hour, and shooting with bullets that travel only 18 miles per hour. Being off by just a whisker at the start of the flight would doom the mission. We normally don't expect true perfection in our activities, but in this case the timing would have to be virtually perfect. In many areas of life, though perhaps not as critical in precision as it is with space travel, or even hitting a baseball, the difference between a wonderful success and a dismal failure is often just a matter of when we act. The Failed New Year's Resolution Why is it that New Year's resolutions so often collapse into complete ruin? Could timing have something to do with it? Far too often we resolve to do something on New Year's Day that will merely undo what we just did since Halloween. In other words, we have made a pact with ourselves to correct the damage caused by the Christmas Season. The New Year's Resolution is used to allow us to continue some behavior, often a destructive one, right up until New Year's Day, at which time we are counting upon suddenly growing massive amounts of willpower and inner strength to change our ways. That doesn't sound very realistic does it? January 1st you are left to repair recent damage that can be substantial; created by cutting loose and eating too much. I have seen many people who have fought long and hard to lose a half pound a week, or even a month, suddenly cut loose and gain tens of pounds in just a matter of weeks. Doing this means that, if you gained only 12 pounds, even at losing half a pound per week, with no maintaining weeks, and no gains, half of the year will be gone before you can get back to where you were before! If you gain more, or you lose what you gained more slowly, it is very possible that next holiday season may find you still unrecovered from this short abandonment of your program. Another problem with this approach is that you may not be able to correct your direction once you have made this choice. When January 1 comes along, you still may have the Super Bowl Sunday get-together coming up, and even if you ignore the Super Bowl, you surely will have your appetite geared up for treats and sweets after throwing caution to the wind for a few weeks. If your appetite were a simple switch that you could easily control that way, would you ever have a weight problem? I know that is decidedly not the case for me. If I eat out of control, I normally want to continue to eat out of control, and the longer that I allow myself to wander, the harder it is for me to return to safe and sane eating. There is nothing magical about January 1. It will not heap copious amounts of willpower and inner strength upon you as you ring in the New Year. If you wait to make a New Year's Resolution before acting in your own self defense, you will step on the scale and cry, or cry out, or both! Please, let's not do that this time around. This time let's make a Christmas Resolution instead and step on the scale with confidence on January 1st. Events Aren't Enough! Another failure of the New Year's Resolution is that it treats the object of the resolution as an event. Here are a few examples of common resolutions that people make. I am going to:
With this in mind, why would we wait until January 1 to begin? You won't be able to do any of these things in a single day, and many of them won't be accomplished in 1000 days. At Thanksgiving this year Dotti and I were up in Spokane, and I was walking through the mall with my best friend Jim. We came up to a cigar shop and all at once I found myself pricing the cigars through the window, and even picturing what the various cigars would taste like if I lit them up. Suddenly I was struck with the very pertinent question, "What am I doing?" I immediately turned away and put some distance between myself and that store. It has been nine and a half years since I have smoked, and I am obviously not finished with this process. (Those cigars tasted way too good in my mind.) I have to continue to stay on top of myself and to make sure that I do not upset this smoke-free apple cart that I have been building for nearly a decade. The process to control my weight has been going on for over 6 years, and it is also a continuing thing. I am not done and I never will be. Weight control, like most of the New Year's resolutions people make, is not an event. Events are temporary and we are done with them once they are completed. In contrast, a lifelong process takes daily effort applied without end. The effort can be large or small on any given day, but it is never the end, because the process is never completed. The journey itself is the destination we seek, because the journey is what lowers our weight to our target on the scale, and then maintains our weight at that place. Cause and Effect When a doctor sees that his patient has some symptom, he doesn't just jump at the symptom and try to get rid of it. He will treat the symptom of course, but if that symptom might indicate an underlying disease or other cause, the doctor is eager to treat that, because by curing the disease, he also will be curing the symptoms, not only for today but for the future as well. When you focus on your journey from day to day, you are creating the active cause that will produce the effect of being thin. It is the exact opposite of what a doctor is doing; he wants to remove the cause in order to get rid of the undesired effect. You conversely are going to intentionally create the cause to produce the desired effect. Our weight control journey will be our self produced cause, and thinness will be the welcome resulting effect. The Christmas Resolution Have you noticed how the Christmas Season seems to begin earlier and earlier each year? Even August is not safe from Christmas merchandise appearing on some shelves, and September is often included by many of the stores in their Christmas Season. Once Halloween passes, all bets are off, and the Christmas Season is in full swing. Suddenly Christmas trees, decorations, and trappings pop up everywhere. With well over 90% of the population celebrating Christmas in some fashion in America, the merchants are not passing up this opportunity. That means a Christmas resolution will have to begin early to include the whole season. In fact, to really do the trick, a Christmas resolution should be ready to go into action by the time the kids head back to school after the summer. The earlier you set your course the less effort that is required to hit your target. Timing is everything, and in this case your timing is perfect. You are "starting your swing" early and are going to meet that fastball right over the heart of the plate and knock it out of the park! You plan your attack on the cakes, pies, turkeys, parties, drinks, and sweet delicacies before they are even in view. While passions are still low, and desires not yet fully kindled, you can safely make your Christmas resolution and apply it throughout the entire season. You can be ready and able to meet all challenges. Another advantage of a Christmas Resolution over a New Year's Resolution is the focus is never on damage repair! Instead you are planning for a great success where you not only avoid gaining weight that will take months to lose, but you will actually lose weight as you enjoy the Christmas Season. That is a wonderful difference! Legal "Insider Trading" Many people, even famous and otherwise good people, have found to their chagrin that using inside knowledge about a company that can affect the price of stocks in order to make money, or even to protect the money that they have already invested, can lead to unhappy results—including jail time! However, you can still use your own inside knowledge to reap huge profits in your life. You know that this time of year is loaded with temptations to wander off course. There is that office party that comes along every year. Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws will be arriving right on time. Christmas dinner is on the 25th, and shopping will include planning so that you don't get caught in the middle of the day with nothing to eat and only high calorie restaurant choices available to you. There are very few real surprises in front of you during the Christmas Season. You have one important decision to make between two paths: planning, and failing to plan. You also have knowledge of what choices you have that will further your goals, and which ones will sabotage them. If you go into each situation that you know is coming at you with a plan in hand, your preparation can win the day each and every time. You can come out as a smiling "inside trader," reaping rewards on the scale that you previously thought to be impossible. Stop It—Because You Can Each year I hear many people say that they are going to struggle through the holidays, and are dreading what they will weigh in January. Don't be one of those people, because you can do better than that for yourself. You are not a boat at sea without a rudder or compass, to be battered and torn by the events that come to you during this time of year. You are a vibrant thinking person, and you can choose your own course, if you allow your mind to accept this fact. This Christmas Season don't create damage for New Years to repair. Instead, throughout this joyous time, build a better you, who is reaching out and grabbing the opportunity to move towards your goal and not away from it. This is a great time of year. People are smiling at each other and sharing Christmas greetings, and the Christmas red and green is ubiquitous. Santa is in the mall, and trees are glittering with decorative trimmings of all sorts. Good food is everywhere, and we have a very special chance to gather with friends and family to enjoy this season. With your Christmas Resolution in hand, you can move along this happy path, having fun, and success at the same time, while making the good planned choices you set for yourself, and so, reaching your goals. Go ahead . . . you can do it; make this the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year," on your journey as well as in the rest of your life. Then you will say "Happy New Year!" to yourself in the mirror and mean it. Wishing you the very best, 
Thanks Al! Have an awesome couple of weeks everyone, and remember to SMILE ? that beautiful smile of yours all the time. You will cheer up all those you come in contact with, leaving you with a good feeling. It doesn't get any better than that.  Dotti
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. An Update on my Journey I've had a rough couple of weeks on Program while dealing with a bad head cold. I have not made it to the gym in a couple of weeks, nor have I listened to my hypnosis much. I maintained at my 11/28 weigh-in and was up a half pound at my meeting on 12/5. My cold is just about gone and I plan to get back to the gym and start listening to my Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs. I have found that if I don't work out or listen to Dr. Roberta's CDs on a regular basis, my whole program is off. So, my goal is to get back on track and record a loss on weigh-in day. On a good note I've been doing pretty well on staying within my points. On a bad note, my water intake is hurting because there is diet Dr. Pepper in the house. So, that's on my list also - get rid of the diet pop. I know better. Why is it even in the house? Amazing how old behaviors creep in when you are at your weakest. My December is not filled with parties and celebrations so I won't have too many food obstacles in my way. I am having a small get-together with my two brothers and their families but it's at my house so I'm in control of what will be served. That is a good thing. We picked up Al's Mom last Thursday and she will be staying with us through December for the holidays. What a joy it's been having her here with us. We've kept her busy with shopping and Christmas lights and bazaars. I've posted a few photos taken on 12/6/07 at Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR. Click Here if you'd like to look at them. Onward and downward, Until next time, take care and remember to SMILE☺ Dotti
Motivation I am Thankful for ...
"Enjoying Weight Loss" As many of you know, I use Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs as one of my "tools" on my lifelong Journey to a healthier me. They continue to be 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:
3 Easy Payments! The folks at Hypnosis Network have been receiving a lot of positive feedback about their new program of accepting 3 equal payments for these CDs. They rightly feel that your decision should be whether or not the product is right for you, and not about whether you can afford it. Click Here to go directly to their site and find out more about the Hypnosis Network, and how you can order your CDs.
Weight Watchers in 1966 ~ WOW! I am a Weight Watcher. I am also glad that Weight Watchers always works on continually improving their Program for us. Take a look at what the Program looked like in 1966 - very restrictive. One thing about Weight Watchers today is that we can eat what we want while on Program. Check out that Forbidden List of foods below - WOWSA! No substitutions are allowed on this menu. All of the asterisked items must be eaten at the meal specified. (Men may add another slice of bread at breakfast and lunch, another two ounces of meat at dinner, and two extra fruits during the day.) I Breakfast
II Lunch
III Dinner
IV Sometime During the Day
~~~From The Reader's Digest Software You Can Use!  Weight CommanderThe Weight Commander is an awesome program for your Journey. I highly recommend it to all those who are 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 to be successful on your Journey. Creamy Spinach and Brown Rice Makes 4 servings
~~~Recipe adapted The Weight Loss Bible Penny's Low Fat Desserts Note from PennyOne way to take care of yourself during the holidays is to make good food choices. Have some healthy snacks on hand while we offer 10% off our MUFFIN or COOKIE Assortment Boxes: Enter code: DPEMC Valid thru 12/16/07. We also have individual muffin flavor specials---check our website. No code required!
NEWSLETTER: http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/newsletter TESTIMONIALS: http://www.PennysLowFatDesserts.com/testimonials.asp EMAIL PENNY: Penny@PennysLowFatDesserts.com or call (866) 221-5109 Comic Relief Are you a Chocoholic?
Pizza Fit'n Free Note from Pizza Fit'n Free
TO ORDER: www.PizzaFree.com Nutrition Facts: www.PizzaFree.com/FAQ.htm TESTIMONIALS: www.PizzaFree.com/reviewsdb.asp Contact: www.PizzaFree.com/contact.html Note: Points® is a registered trademark of Weight Watchers International, Inc. The Points® values displayed were calculated by Pizza Fit'n Free, and is not an endorsement or sponsorship of Pizza Fit’n Free’s products by Weight Watchers International, Inc. Food Finds Here are a couple of my recent food finds.
Vitalicious — Vitamin-fortified, delicious, better-for-you baked goods Note from Vitalicious
Try Vitalicious™ muffins today! They come in at 1 point on Weight Watchers and are the perfect snack. Why not try some today while you get a 10% discount!
Ways to Burn 100 Calories Holidays are a time when extra calories seem to make it into our mouths so why not burn them off in fun ways ~
Baja Bob's Cocktail Mixes ~ Home of the Original Sugar-Free Margarita Mix Note from Baja Bob's Try some Baja Bob's Sugar Free Cocktail Mixes today - What a great way to enjoy an occasional cocktail without any guilt! Enjoy and stay on your program! Enter Code dotti10 when ordering and receive a 10% discount...
Did you know...? Our Journey is not just about weight loss; it's about constantly learning new things... The Amazing Advertisement of a Brand No one has ever run a bigger, longer-lasting advertisement than Henry Heinz did for his Heinz "57" products. In a grand gesture, Henry bought an ocean pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And it wasn't just your average pier. It was huge, extending the length of three football fields out into the Atlantic Ocean. The pier was so big it contained a long boardwalk, a lounge, a reading room, a theater, a sun deck, an organ, an art pavilion, and an exhibit hall. It was free to the public and, of course, included displays of Heinz products and free food samples. Over the years, millions of people visited the Heinz Ocean Pier. Attached to the roof was a seventy-foot-high electric sign with a large "57" that glowed each night and could be seen for miles. The gigantic advertisement lasted for forty-six years - until a hurricane in 1944 destroyed it. ~~~Strange & Fascinating Facts About Famous Brands by Charles Reichblum Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance Al has written many in depth essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance and they are now available on the website! Al's article in this edition of Dotti's Newsletter (Your Christmas Resolution) goes hand in hand with his latest addition on the web page, to help us during the holiday challenges: Successful Feasting
You can find Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance at: Chunky Guacamole Lime juice keeps the avocados green and provides a zesty zing. Makes 16 servings
Transfer to a serving bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap and chill for up to one hour. If desired, garnish dip with chopped tomato. Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish with tortilla chips, sliced avocado or toasted tortilla chips, if desired. Serving Size: 1/16th of complete recipe Per serving: 48 calories, 5g total fat, 1g fiber, 2gcarbohydrate, 1g protein, 40mg sodium ~~~Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Smoothies & Healthy Snacks PurFoods Fitness
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. Philly Swirl
Every day is a good day to stock up on some great tasting Philly Swirl's Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Swirl Pops! They are delicious and only 10 calories. 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 Lists of all my updates can be found on the Message Board in the DWLZ Website News & Updates forum at: US restaurants updates can be found at our Restaurants TOC page at: Canadian restaurants updates can be found at our Canadian Restaurants TOC page at: "Today is the first day of the rest of your health." ~~~Jamba Juice 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 (You can also unsubscribe from Dotti's Newsletter there.) 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. |
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