Fitness for Flabbies

by Sherry Morris aka Sammie Jo Moresca

It's a new year and a new chance to become healthier and happier. Granted, I have adorable children and a hunky husband, and I'm privileged to be an at-home Mom. But I did slip into inertia last year and it caught up with me. Yep, gained some of my weight back. I will not buy larger clothes, yet I don't want to diet again...yet.

I know I eventually will have to cut out some of the goodies or I'll split my jeans. I have three pairs: The St. John's Bay jeans from JC Penney's are size 8 Petite. The Lee jeans from Wal*Mart are size 6 Short and the Denim & Co. jeans from QVC are size 4 Petite. They all fit me the same. Snug. I don't think it's fair to people that different manufactures size the same garmet differently. Even when I was at my fattest (over 50 pounds heavier than my wedding day), I still wore a size Extra-Small / 4 Petite at QVC. Those poor 3X gals must be 5X in reality. I don't shop there anymore. In all honesty, when I weighed this much in the early 90's I was a size 10 or 12. This is crazy and I think, contributing to the American obesity problem.

Right now, I'm gung ho on trying something I've never done whole-heartedly and with zest...exercise!

We ordered a Reebok treadmill from Costco before Christmas. Not too many bells and whistles, but it seems stable and sturdy and user friendly. Hunky hubby built me a reading rack so I can read magazines while I do the personal trainer level one workout while wearing my bifocals. I got a little obsessive/compulsive before Christmas and subscribed to dozens...about six...shh... of magazines.

Back before the turn of the century when we bought a PC and I discovered the Internet, Yahoo Groups, the Bee Gees (yep, I became a Bee Gees fan in 1999 not 1977 like normal people), writing and the Romance Writers of America, I used to read magazines. They made me feel happy and dreamy and secure. I loved the glossy photos of homes and gardens and magazines and yummy food and pretty people and pets. The short articles were just right to engage my dwindling brain without zoning out.

So, every weekday, I am doing a 30 minute personal trainer level one workout on my treadmill while reading a magazine. It's going well, except the sidebar fonts on Family Circle are a challenge for my over forty myopic eyes.

I then take off my shoes and do a fitness video workout. Miss 15 and I went wild...okay, so it was more me but she likes them to. We bought a variety of fitness DVDs from Costco and Amazon. Some of them are only ten minutes long, and just right for my attention span. This week I'm doing Yoga for Stress Relief with the Dali Lama! I've completed two workouts so far. The first one, Beginning and Ending Your Day was challenging. I was able to do all but one position. I had to come out of it early because my legs were tingling and I got light-headed. Today I did stress relief for my neck and shoulders and really felt better afterwards.

I also rotate abdominal exercises on week days. I have an old fashioned wheel with a handle on each side and and old ab cruncher thingy to help with sit ups. I am breaking up those exercises with ten minute DVD ab work. This week I'm using 10 Minute Solution: Quick Tummy Toners. I love the Crunch Free Abs.

How long can I keep this up? For at least twenty-one days, I'm hoping. Things are supposed to become habits after three weeks.

Are you doing anything fitness wise?

Take a peek at my books!

Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home

Walk away Your Waistline!

3 Mile Walk with 1, 2, & 3 Mile Markers

The Walk Belt is Included

Bored with laps around the neighborhood, and our old exercise DVDs, I surfed Amazon one day and they just happened to be holding a Summer sale on them. I sorted through for their bestsellers, then selected the one from each category which had the most enthusiastic user reviews.

I remember years ago, when we were a young family, and moved into our new home. The other young mothers on the cul-de-sac were getting rid of their baby fat using Leslie's walking at home VHS tapes and some little hand held balls, which they passed around. Well, I balked, I mean, walking in front of the TV? Thinking back, one girl did get her pre-baby figure back and the other poor thing, no matter what she tried, she was still looking dumpily adorable.

But reading the reviews on Amazon got me thinking. They all can't be Leslie's in-laws. And QVC sells her stuff too. So I decided to give it a whirl.

It's fun! And unlike choreographed aerobic dancing, I can kind of do most of these steps. It's split up into three segments, but I just keep it rolling and do the three miles. The first one is the slowest, it gets better. I will say the included walk belt does nothing for me or Miss Fifteen. We don't feel sore afterwards, that's how I judge if I worked muscles sufficiently. Our legs do feel it, but not to the point of pain. The belt is VERY LONG and actually it's so long that the Velcro won't keep the end flap down on us. Miss Fifteen is tiny. I've got an average Mom waist. So if you are a Big Beautiful Woman, I'm sure the belt will fit you, no problem. Both of us perspire and we get our heart rates up there in the fat-burning zone when we use this DVD.

Have I lost weight with this DVD? Yes! But I will add that I have also been eating a massive quantity of fruits and vegetables, so my overall calorie intake has probably dropped, since I'm not eating anything yummy like ice cream, pie, chips or candy.

I would recommend this DVD for everyone, especially for those with chronic injuries, those who are afraid to walk alone outside and those who have not exercise in a long time or ever.

Click here to see the reviews on Amazon

More, More, More! A Big, Beautiful Woman romance anthology featuring my novella, DIET ANOTHER DAY, is now in Print

Wishing Everyone the Best of Health,

Sammie Jo Moresca aka Sherry Morris

http://morrismoresca.com/

http://www.myspace.com/morrismoresca

http://www.morrismoresca.blogspot.com/

by Pamela Roller

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, let’s talk about things from the kitchen that spice up our sex lives.

These aren’t aphrodisiacs I’m speaking of.

Aphrodisiacs are supposed to arouse sexual desire; however, they don’t really work. Even Viagra is not an aphrodisiac. All it does is bring more blood to the penis and keep it there, which helps a man maintain an erection. He has to start out with the sexual desire in the first place.

The fact that some foods look like genitals classifies them as aphrodisiacs, so these might be considered sex foods. For example, think about the shape of a banana. Or a long, thick carrot. Not much brain power needed to know that those two reasonable a penis. More imagination is required to picture avocados resembling testicles, or oysters looking like little wet grey vaginas. Ehh, I don’t think so. In fact, picturing oysters like that sort of grosses me out. I like them fried anyway; then they look like testicles.

Other foods do yummy things to the brain, such as chocolate. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine and serotonin, two chemicals known to stimulate the brain’s pleasure areas. Chocolate doesn't make you more sexy, but it sure tastes good.

Supposedly, if a man smells pumpkin, penile blood flow is increased (vanilla scent does this for older men). Thanksgiving must drive the guys nuts, don’t you think?

A quick run on Google fielded all sorts of books on recipes for great sex. The main theme I found while reading the descriptions was that good nutrition and well-being have a lot to do with sexual energy. So we should get in shape, eat right, and maybe we won’t blow out the scented pumpkin candle and just fall asleep on that special night.

Books on recipes for sex:

The Passion Parties Guide to Great Sex: Secrets and Techniques to Keep Your Relationship Red Hot

RECIPES FOR HOT SEX: add spice to your sex life!

Great Food, Great Sex: The Three Food Factors for Sexual Fitness

The Orgasmic Diet: A Revolutionary Plan to Lift Your Libido and Bring You to Orgasm

The Hot Sex Handbook

Pamela Roller is the author of On Silent Wings, a sexy gothic historical romance set in Restoration England. Visit her website at http://www.pamelaroller.com/.©Pamela Roller