Worried about your weight? Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? wants you to know why the Supreme Court Diet will have you worrying no more. Check it out, chuckle a little, and have a great weekend!

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To weigh or not to weigh. That is often the question. If you chose to keep a scale around your house, check out the creative finds at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? You can even print out some fancy labels for your scale.

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Do you bundle up before you hit the pool? Not this year!

Chant along with our friends over at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? and you’ll be on your way to bare it all… or at least bare what you want!

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Have you seen this?

Rebecca at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? says she’s got 10 reasons for picking up a copy. Which ones have you hitting the magazine stand? I’m all about numbers 1, 3, and 6. Go Valerie!

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Have you seen this?

Rebecca at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? says she’s got 10 reasons for picking up a copy. Which ones have you hitting the magazine stand? I’m all about numbers 1, 3, and 6. Go Valerie!

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Looking for a good laugh to end your week? Our friends over at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? have just what you need! Have a few giggles with the Diet Art Slide Show. Enjoy!

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You always hear how losing weight isn’t about dieting, but rather about making lifestyle changes, right? Ever think about what the difference really is between the two? Our friends over at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? have their own hilarious take on this:

Healthy Lifestyle Versus Diet

Healthy lifesylers eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein.
Dieters pay $20 to download an eating plan that promises they’ll drop 9 lbs. in a week.

Healthy lifestylers incorporate exercise into each day as if it were as integral to the day as brushing one’s teeth.
Dieters pay $1000 for a treadmill, use it for a week, and then hang stuff on it.

Healthy lifestylers sit down and luxuriate in each meal.
Dieters eat crap that’s off plan in the car hoping no one sees.

Continue reading Healthy Lifestyle versus Diet here…

All this talk about food has got me wondering – have you ever had a Foodtastrophe? What is a foodtastrophe, you ask? Check it out (pictures, too)!

Here’s hoping your weekend is foodtastrophe-free!

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Before we get to the Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur, I wanted to let you know how excited we are here at FatFighterTV to announce our new partnership with Does This Blog Make us Look Fat? – the hilariously clever adventures of Kiki and Greta as they try to lose weight. You can’t help but love these two wacky chicks! And since FFTV is all about fun when there’s not something serious happening in the news… and DTBMULF likes to have fun with the news, it’s the perfect fit really. Look for a sampling of DTBMULF here every week. And be sure to check out their blog every day. Do it. Now on to that letter…

Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur – By Kiki

Feel free to print the letter below and circle the items that apply to your workplace!

Dear (co-worker/supervisor/boss/assistant),

I am sure you’ve noticed that I have (struggled with weight my whole life/just had a baby/am retaining water for many people/drink too many beers). Recently I have begun to (crash diet/count calories/reduce carbs/adopt a healthy lifestyle) in attempt to (lose a few pounds/fit into my old prom dress/become smoking hot/lower my risk of a massive heart attack).

I have noticed that you enjoy (baking/bringing in band candy/celebrating even those most minuscule holidays). I would appreciate if you would stop putting treats (on my desk/next to my cubicle/on my computer monitor/in my face). You certainly have every right to bring these items to work but please put them in the break room. This way I can avoid the temptation and you can continue to enjoy bringing in treats.

In addition, after I decline your food items please desist from announcing loudly to the (entire office/free world) that  (one piece won’t hurt/I am on another crazy diet/you knew I couldn’t resist).

Your actions when I decline your food indicate that you (are jealous of my success/want me to continue to ignore my health/are a jackbag).

I enjoy our working relationship and hope that it continues productively, however if you persist in sabotaging my efforts I will get a safety pin and poke the voodoo doll of you I keep in my (purse/briefcase) in its (butt/eye/big toe).  This shouldn’t surprise you as you always knew I couldn’t resist.

Warmly,

The Dieter

Go here to get a printable version of Letter to the Office Diet Saboteur

photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/timpatterson/

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Manolo, Steve Madden, even a sassy pair of shoes from Target can look pretty yummy, right? So why not use fabulous footwear to motivate you to lose weight? Isabelle R. Shaw, Ph.D., explains just how to do it in her new book, The Shoe Diet. She talks to FatFighterTV about the science behind the plan, how to make it work for you, and oh yes – shoegasms.

The Shoe Diet is all about setting realistic weight loss goals and instead of rewarding yourself with food when you reach those goals, treating yourself to something that has zero calories, like a delicious pair of shoes!

Dr. Shaw has over 10 years’ experience in psychology research, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Biomedical Science. She used shoes as a reward to help her exercise more when she was trying to lose weight. But Shaw first came up with the idea when she was trying to kick the habit:

Heel-ing Power
I knew I had to quit smoking and it was a really hard thing to do, so I started to bribe myself with shoes along the way. I thought, “If I don’t have a cigarette today, then I’ll get to have the shoes that I saw in the store last weekend.” I just kept looking at that dangling shoe, if you will, and that kind of helped me to stay on track.

If it feels good, we do it
It’s basic reward psychology. We’re very simple people. We are driven by pleasure. When you think about it, that’s what we do – when we do something and it makes us feel good, we’re more likely to do it again.

Name your price
It makes no sense to spend too much money if it’s going to stress you out. I was a graduate student when I was on this diet. I was not making more than $15,000 a year.

It’s not about how much money you spend on shoes because these days you can find $10 shoes, $5 shoes – sometimes just little flip flops help me to reach my goal that week. If you put money aside, let’s say, for the lattes you’re not having… you get a nice little chunk of change to get a pair of shoes.

Why shoes?
There are a lot of people out there right now who you don’t have to ask, “Why shoes?” It’s a great motivator but it’s absolutely whatever makes you feel special. Whatever is a great reward for you, use it. A lot of people use food to make themselves feel good. The idea is to replace the food with something else. So it could be shoes or it could be anything else, really.

Putting your best foot forward
Most people in this country know what they have to do to lose weight. They understand that they have to eat better and that they have to exercise. It’s very simple. However, it’s so hard to apply on a daily basis, especially when your rewards are so far away. What I like to tell people is The Shoe Diet really teaches you how to achieve a long term goal using shoes as a short term reward. It’s the positive reinforcement throughout the process. And when your healthy behaviors become habit, then it becomes easier.

So, tell me – what is a shoegasm?
I think if you’re a shoe lover, you understand the concept. You see a pair of shoes and you’re like, “Oh my God, I will do anything to get those shoes!” You will get this great sensation – you feel so pretty, you want them, and you will do anything you can to get those shoes.

If the shoe fits…
It’s like – I’m worth being pretty, I’m worth the effort I’m putting into my body. I think that’s something people forget. They treat themselves badly. And one of my mottos is, “Why treat yourself badly when you can treat yourself to a new pair of shoes?”

When you start realizing that you are worth it, those shoes become your little trophies. You can say, “Wow, these are the shoes I bought the week that I had a breakthrough – I went to the gym three times and I never thought I could do that” or “I managed to incorporate healthy eating this week” – just little goals that you set for yourself. Then at some point you wear your shoes proudly and it makes you realize, “Wow, I can do this!”

Whatever it takes
People would rather take a pill than to actually go walk for 20 minutes a day and we need to change that. And that’s the whole idea of The Shoe Diet. There’s a quote on my website that says, “We’re not willing to exercise for our health but we might be willing to do it for a pair of shoes.” It’s crazy when you think about it, but if that’s what it takes to get you on a healthy pattern, then why not.

How many pairs of shoes do you have?
I decided I’m never going to divulge that information. Honestly, because I don’t know. I don’t count. And throughout the years, I give away a lot of shoes. It’s just not something I even know. But I wouldn’t tell you even if I did know.

###

Dr. Shaw says you can use other rewards besides shoes, like fun jewelry, CDs, even giving yourself time off. Again, the idea is just to replace a food reward with something else. And of course, you can use the reward system to help you reach other tough goals in life.

You can read an excerpt from The Shoe Diet or order a copy here.

Since I can’t use my first reward-of-choice (chocolate!), I guess my second choice would be spa treatments… or maybe cool earrings. How about you?

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I gotta admit – the songs are stuck in my head. And that’s exactly what Skinny Songs songwriter, Heidi Roizen, wants. Because with her lyrics on your mind, you’re bound to stick to your weight loss goals. There’s the love song she wrote to her skinny jeans, the tune about how determination can turn you into a hottie, and one of my favorites – how you’re “da boss” of what you eat.

The new CD is filled with hip music, funny lyrics, and the motivation to get you moving. Heidi Roizen gives FatFighterTV the skinny on “Skinny Songs.” And FFTV gives Heidi a Weight Loss WooHoo! – Just our fun way of celebrating healthy weight.

The weight gain factor
“About a year ago I got on the scale and I weighed 190 pounds which was 45 pounds more than when I got married and more than my husband! And it was kind of one of those moments you have where you look down and you’re like, ‘I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe I got this big.’”

It’s all about the music
“I wanted music I would listen to that would be just like listening to Top 40 Radio or anything that you normally listen to, but would leave me with this message in the lyrics that would give me some backbone about sticking to my plan. I went out looking for it and I didn’t find anything.”

Motivation to lose it
“If I were driving in the car and I was going to listen to something that was going to make me not touch the cookies when I got to work, what would that music have to be like? I thought — it has to be upbeat, it has to be take charge kind of music it has to sound like Top 40 Radio, and it has to be about things that I’m going to achieve because I lost weight.

You know, it’s going to be — you fit in your skinny jeans, you can buy a Dolce dress – those are the things that motivate me. As much as it’s nice to think lowering your cholesterol and feeling healthy motivates you – yes, but the visual image of looking great at your reunion or whatever is a lot more exciting than lowering your cholesterol. So that was really the genesis of the idea.”

Not just any lyrics will do
“These lyrics, they are specific. Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ is the ultimate going through a breakup or going through a divorce song, right? It isn’t just about ‘I’ll survive in general,’ it’s ‘I’ll survive this person having left me and made me feel bad and now I’m strong again.’

I think that for me, it’s one thing to just listen to generally upbeat music, but it’s another thing to listen to music that says, ‘I’m a hottie now, I’m a hottie now… Now I adore the clothing store… No plus sizes anymore.’ (From Track 3: I’m a Hottie Now) It empowers you to sort of release your inner hottie. It empowers you to say, ‘I can be hot, I can look good again, I can feel good about myself.’”

And check out these lyrics: (From Track 7: You Da Boss)

“But you don’t need that piece of pie
Gotta let it go and pass you by
and I’m here to remind you why
‘cause you want to be lookin’ and feelin’ fly
You Da Boss, You Da Boss, yeah”

Better yet… watch this music video with sample clips from “Skinny Songs”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Don’t take it the wrong way
“This music is really about empowerment and it’s really about feeling good about yourself. I have had the negative feedback: ‘Oh, you’re just telling women they have to be skinny.’ No, no, no… I’m not at all. When I approached this music I asked, what’s going to motivate me? And it’s going to be compelling stories about success but they have to be upbeat, they have to be kind of funny, they have to be tongue in cheek.

My goal is not to tell women ‘You have to be skinny.’ There is nothing about any ideal in there. In every one of the songs, the woman takes charge of her own life. It takes time. It’s about making choices. It’s about exercise. There’s no quick fix here. But it’s also about feeling good. And a little bit of vanity, I think, is a good thing.”

The music worked – Heidi lost 35 pounds and went from a size 14 to a size 8…

Just in time for the big 5-0. She sooo does NOT look 50!

Who loves ya, baby?
“A lot of my listeners are moms. (But Heidi has fans who are men, too!) Often they’re facing a milestone – they’re facing a reunion, their kids’ graduation party, maybe their wedding, their kids’ wedding, maybe a milestone birthday like I was. And they’re just saying okay, it’s time. I want to change my life. We know how to diet. We know how to exercise. We know it’s important. Getting your head in the game and doing it consistently is the hardest thing. And that’s what the music is about. The music is about giving you that boost.”

The perfect fit
“There’s music you can listen to when you’re exercising. This is music you listen to in the car in the morning so you’ll actually drive to the gym. This is helping you stay motivated to stay on your path. And that’s what I think makes it so powerful and unique. It’s for anyone who’s decided they want to take charge of their life, lose weight and get in shape, and is looking for a motivational boost… and likes this kind of music.”

###

More info
You can read weight loss success stories from “Skinny Songs” listeners, check out the lyrics, and buy the CD here.

BTW, the songs are still stuck in my head! Not only do they really make me want to get moving, they always leave me smiling.

Want to see who else got a Weight Loss WooHoo!? Check out the Wall of Fame!

If you know of someone who deserves this honor, just let me know – send me an email at sahar [at] fatfightertv [dot] com

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• Weight Loss WooHoo! to Roni (Roni’s Weigh)