Six Simple Steps to Stay on Your Diet While Traveling or Vacationing

June 13, 2014 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

I actually lost weight while on the road for a month.

Please don’t hate me.

Having surveyed thousands of people about what is the biggest difficulty in keeping their weight under control, that which ranks highest is staying in control while traveling; not a shock I’m sure. However, for a few of us, it’s the opposite; I lose weight easier while on the road. So, although I usually don’t use this space as an “advice” or “how-to” column, since we are entering the “vacation and travel season;” I share my simple and easy techniques to avoid coming home with “extra baggage.” [Read more…]

Lessons from a Child

April 1, 2014 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

She was dressed in pink sweatpants with the word, “sweet” emblazoned on her diaper-clad bottom.

On her feet were brown clogs. Atop her head was a wool, knitted, patchwork cap of pink, yellow, and red, giving her a pastel “Rastafarian” look. However, instead of dreadlocks wrapped within, a waterfall of blonde, bouncy, curls framed her wide-open blue eyes and light complexion.

In her chubby, small, right hand, she carried what used to be a cookie; now, however, all that remained was a half eaten, saliva-covered, dollop of doughy goo with a smattering of pink frosting encrusting the edges. “Cookie” in hand, she bounded as if on springs from one corner of the bakery to the other, her grandfather always in eye shot, as she pointed to each of the items on the bottom shelf of the bakery’s glass case, looking to him for the correct word.

“Cookie,” he said, as she pointed to a green, sprinkle covered cut-out of a dinosaur.

[Read more…]

Placing the Control Within

March 19, 2014 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

Some time ago, I postulated that the locus of control for our lives is internal.

That might sound high fallutin’ and all, but it’s pretty simple; my take was that as long as we put control over what happens to us “out there” rather than squarely within, nothing will ever change. We will remain where we are in our development.

I state that without judgment, just pointing out a fact.

For example, it may be true that Aunt Margaret is pushing the deep-dish lasagna she made “just for you” like a pasta addict enabler. Equally true is she gets offended when you turn it down, and saying “no” to her home cooking causes a family rift. It might also be accurate that your husband is unsupportive when he sits next to you munching obliviously away on your favorite flavor of potato chips, while you’re stuck in a funk with celery sticks and carrots. Yes, you’ve told him a thousand times that you’d like him to not do that, and yes, you’re right, he doesn’t seem to care.

However… (don’t you just hate that word sometimes?) the decision about whether or not to succumb to temptation or pressure – as difficult as it might be – still lies within; nowhere else. In effect, it lives within. As long as we say things like, “She made me…” or “I had no choice…” or “It was too hard…” we are committing to stay put.

I’ve seen Aunt Margaret when she’s ticked off and I don’t blame anyone for avoiding a Hatfield-McCoy blow out. But, whether we’re trying to lose weight, increase our income, or just plain be happier; as long as we allow others to determine our actions, they’re controlling us. It’s understandable that sometimes the “social price” we have to pay to follow our path doesn’t justify the return. Again, I’m not placing value; been there, done that; I’m just analyzing.

So what prompted this rehash of a previous topic?

[Read more…]

Pocket Motivation: The 5 Best Weight Loss Apps

March 18, 2014 by Featured Author Leave a Comment

Now that you’re addicted, ahem, acclimated to your smartphone, you’ve undoubtedly started downloading a multitude of apps. Glorious, glorious apps! And studies have shown that keeping track of your food intake is one of the easiest ways to achieve your weight loss goals, and what’s easier than using a device you already keep on you 24/7? But, as you’ve undoubtedly also heard, it’s just an important to stay active. Staying healthy or losing weight is hard work, so here are five of the best apps for exercise, healthy eating and weight management.

1. Lose it!

By inputting both your current weight and goal weight, the app calculates an estimated number of calories to eat per day and helps you stay committed to small healthy habits that lead to big results. Finding and logging said foods is also as easy as scanning bar codes to pull nutritional information from a massive food database. This nifty feature helps you stay accurate when grabbing snacks on the go. [Read more…]

Shaking Up My Thoughts

March 12, 2014 by Scott "Q" Marcus Leave a Comment

After the day’s folderol has wound down, it’s time to relax.

Planted habitually on the left side of the couch, my wife places on herself an animal-print blanket she sewed, and the then places on said animal-print blanket three animals: two cats and a dog. I sit on the other side of the sofa and we watch TV, check out a movie, read, or – gasp! – possibly even talk to each other.

If you’re looking for wild parties, we’re not the go-to place. I’m not sure we ever were, but for a fact, I know we’re not now. We’re not exciting – and that’s the way we like it.

Recently, our pattern was most literally shaken up when the ground began trembling.

If you live in earthquake country, you know what comes next. If you don’t, there’s a mental and emotional checklist one goes through at the first inkling of a temblor.

1) Look for others nearby and check their reactions to decide if you’re just dizzy or disoriented, or to get validation that the movement beneath your feet is actually happening.

2) Determine if a large vehicle is rumbling down your street vibrating the entire neighborhood.

3) Check to see if hanging objects are swinging.

4) If indeed you are neither inebriated nor are tanks or eighteen-wheelers patrolling your street, and your favorite dangling knick-knack is making like a pendulum; then commence praying that this now verified earthquake will not be the “Big One.”

5) Feel fear rise up in your throat. Decide if you’re heading for safety. Wait for quake to pass. Realize how powerless you are in the grasp of Mother Nature.

Steps one through four pass blindingly fast.