Day 49: Losing weight

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 49: Losing weight

Everybody knows that carrying extra weight is not good. There’s the risk of heart attack or stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, gallbladder disease, and quite a few others.

For people, there are various ways of losing weight. They can change their diet, reduce their intake of sugar and alcohol, and start exercising. But how does one manage weight loss in animals?

I have two male and two female cats, and while the males are of a perfect weight, the females are overweight. I talked to the vet about this and he said that there’s little or nothing to be done about it. Females, especially after being spayed, tend to get chubby.

This is Holly as a kitten ...

But as you can see, now she is on the chubby side. 

When I took her to the vet, he suggested feeding her by way of the catmosphere. The idea is that if the cat wants the food that is inside, she has to roll the sphere around and nibbles will fall out. Well, that didn’t work. Not only did my cats not roll the sphere around, they wouldn’t even go near it. When I showed them what to do, they took off. They were scared of the ball.

Adjusting Holly’s diet is impossible too. I can’t very well let her go hungry or present her with a salad. Cats need meat. So, in addition to canned cat food, I started buying weight management nibbles. It didn’t have any effect. Holly’s weight stayed exactly the same.

So now I’ve resorted to exercising Holly. We play with toys and whenever possible we take walks up and down the 11th-floor corridor of the condo building. It doesn’t always work though, as my neighbor has a large dog with a frightening bark. One woof out of him and Holly runs back inside.

So now we’re exercising inside. Running, jumping, and of late … sit-ups. You don’t believe a cat can do sit-ups? See for yourself …

 www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 27: How to cope with things you’re dreading to do

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 27: Dread – How to cope with things you’re dreading to do

We all have things we don’t want to do or put off for as long as possible. For some people it’s house chores, for others it’s a task around the office, for others still it’s simply getting out of bed every morning. How to cope with things you’re dreading to do often have a simple solution.

Waking up

Few things are worse than waking up early in the morning to an annoying bell of an alarm clock. For a more pleasant awakening experience, select a musical tune on your iPhone. Waking up to music is far more preferable than hearing beep beep beep.

Personally, I hate waking up at 6:00 a.m. in the morning and I think I inherited this from my father. One morning he got so annoyed by his alarm clock, he pitched the bloody thing out the window.

Doing dishes

Ask 9 out of 10 people what their most hated chore around the house is and they might say doing dishes. Why do you think automatic dishwashers became so popular ...

If you have no choice but doing the dishes by hand, make things a little easier on yourself by doing part of the dishes before sitting down to lunch or dinner. 

After dishing up, you can wash the pots, that way after dinner all that’s left to do are the plates and cutlery. 

Or better yet, have your partner or children do the dishes. Hey, you cooked the meal, it’s only fair that someone else takes care of the clean-up.

Ironing

Another much-hated chore is ironing. The iron may have become more sophisticated over the years and lighter to handle, but it’s still a boring activity that takes its toll on one’s lower back and leg muscles. 

In all my life, I’ve ever come across one woman who stated that she loved ironing. She loved it so much, she ironed everything, from her husband’s underwear to his jeans. 

If you’re like the rest of the population and think ironing is boring, watch something on TV while you’re behind the ironing board or listen to an audiobook. You’ll be surprised how much more enjoyable ironing is while your favorite author is whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

Around the office

Personally, I love filing, but a surprising number of people hate it. I used to too until I decided to change my routine. Shortly after I started with the company, my filing basket was groaning under a number of papers and it took me hours to create order out of chaos. 

When I was finished I vowed never again to let this happen. From that day forward I did my filing daily. Usually, it took me less than 10 minutes to have everything in its proper place.

Going to the gym

Many people know that they should go to the gym to lose weight or simply stay in shape, but they keep putting it off. They’re too tired, they have too much to do, they don’t have the right clothes, they hate going alone ... you name it and they’ll use it as an excuse.

Fact is, once you’ve been to a gym, you’ll want to go again and again. If you don’t like going alone, ask a family member, a friend, a colleague or even a neighbor to come along. They might feel the way you do and might just be waiting for an invitation.

If you don’t have anyone to accompany you, go anyway, chances are before long you’ll hook up with someone who is alone too.

Going on a diet

Most people have gone on a diet at one time or another in their life and failed spectacularly. In most cases, that’s because people tend to be way too hard on themselves. They make their diet so strict that within a matter of days their good intentions go out the window. Or they don’t see results quick enough and hurt their toes by kicking the scale in a dark corner.

The right way to go about a diet is to make an appointment with a dietician. These people are trained professionals who can advise you on losing weight the healthy way. They can also recommend the right book for your weight loss program.

For everything you dread to do there’s a solution. If you can’t think of anything practical, give yourself a reward once you’ve dealt with something.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 24: The 8 best beauty investments of all time

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 24: Give advice

The 8 best beauty investments of all time

Even though everybody agrees that real beauty comes from the inside, looking good on the outside is important too.  If it wasn’t, the cosmetics companies wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar industry.  Some visit a spa every so often, others make regular visits to the beauty salon, while others still try every miracle product that comes on the market.  Just what are the 10 best beauty investments of all time?

1. Moisturizer

If you want to keep your skin soft and supple and keep wrinkles at bay, a moisturizer suitable for your skin type is imperative.  A moisturizer will feed your skin the nutrients it needs and slow down the aging process.

2. Sunscreen

Nothing ages you faster than the sun, so you should make sure to wear this all year long.  Look for one that provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.

3. Dermatological check-Up

Any untreated condition is only going to get worse, especially acne, varicose veins, or in the worst case scenario, early signs of skin cancer. Invest in regular checkups to stay ahead of any potential problems.

4. Good haircut

A good haircut makes hair easier to maintain and won't require as many damaging styling products to make it look good.

5. Hand lotion and cuticle cream

You don't need a specially formulated cream for your hands - any rich body lotion will work -- but you do need to make sure to moisturize your hands and cuticles often. Your hands give away even more about your age than your face.

6. Fresh fruit & vegetables

No matter how many vitamins and supplements you may take, nothing can replace the nutrients you can get from food. Try organic produce to ensure you're not eating additives you're not expecting. Plus, seasonal produce will not only taste better but will ensure you're eating food at its height of freshness and nutritional value.

7. Gym membership, bicycle, or fitness equipment

Exercise not only keeps you fit and healthy but relieves stress, the effects of which can take a huge toll on your skin and cause premature aging.  The Mayo Clinic recommends 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a few times a week.

8. Comfortable mattress and pillow

The old adage about getting your beauty sleep is true; you should strive to get at least 7 hours each night. Since many of us have crazy schedules that make it hard to get your hours in, wasting an hour tossing and turning on an uncomfortable bed will only set you back.

Invest in yourself. It won’t be long before you’ll experience the benefits.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

Day 4. Dancing

Day 4: Dancing. The benefits of dancing.

 

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m depressed” or “I’m tired” or “I need to lose weight but I don’t know anything about exercising and I don’t want to join a gym”? There’s one answer for all those people … dance.

The next time you feel lousy or tired, put on some music, music with a beat to it and see what happens. Before long you will start tapping your feet. Instead of sitting there, feeling sorry for yourself, get up. Just get up, listen and feel the music. You don’t have to start dancing at full tilt, just sway your hips a little, or a lot, next put in some shoulder action and move your feet. Et voila, you’re dancing. If don’t exactly have the moves Michael Jackson had, who cares, you’re up, you’re moving, you’re dancing.

Dancing releases endorphins, also known as ‘feel good’ hormones. With the release of those endorphins, you’ll feel better, less depressed and less tired.

As for losing weight … what better way to shed those extra pounds than to dance. When you’re dancing you’re using every part of your body. Once you’re really getting into it, when you’re really letting fly (you know, dance like nobody’s watching) arms, legs and body are all over the place and you’re breaking a sweat. I guarantee you, if you do that a few times a week, you’ll lose that weight alright and you will like it.

Personally, I never liked the idea of going to the gym. Some people go to the gym before going to work, others go after work. I couldn’t do either. For starters, I’m not a morning person. When my alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. I want to throw it out the window. Can you see me getting up an hour earlier to go to the gym? Not on your life. And after work … no way. Some days I feel fine, most days I drag my sorry ass home, collapse in a chair and don’t even feel like cooking. If I had to go to the gym, I would fall asleep on the threat mill or drop a dumbbell on someone’s toes.

Dancing on the other hand I can do at home. I can do it to my kind of music, either blasting it through the speakers or turning up the volume with headphones. 

Actually, always wanted to learn to tap dance, but I think my downstairs neighbor would object to that.

Anyway, next time, if you’re feeling less than perky or you’re feeling like the air has gone out of your tires, put on some music and start moving. You’ll feel better, you’ll see.

As for those who want to lose weight, don’t expect results after just one day, or one week. Give it a month and then step on your scale … you might just do a couple of high kicks of sheer joy.

www.connymanero.weebly.com

The 8 best beauty investments of all time

Even though everybody agrees that real beauty comes from the inside, looking good on the outside is important too.  If it wasn’t, the cosmetics companies wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar industry.  Some visit a spa every so often, others make regular visits to the beauty salon, while others still try every miracle product that comes on the market.  Just what are the 10 best beauty investments of all time?

Continue reading at:
http://connymanero.weebly.com/blog/the-8-best-beauty-investments-of-all-time

Santa can no longer smoke his pipe

I noticed an article this morning that right away put my teeth on edge.  The smokers are being attacked again, this time by Pamela McColl.

"What was her explanation for the publishing of a new version?  According to a Telegraph article , she is quoted as saying, “I just really don’t think Santa should be smoking in the 21st century. Santa is the most powerful character in the world. "

McColl’s father died in a fire, apparently caused by smoking in bed.  Now she’s made it her mission to join the ranks of smokers haters. 

McColl couldn’t sleep at night until she accomplished one thing … changing the line in a Christmas song “The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth / and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath”. It was too much for her, she couldn’t make peace that Santa smokes and thought this was a bad example for kids.

This let me frown on more than one level.  Does McColl believe in Santa?  Perhaps she hasn’t heard the news, but Santa doesn’t exist, he is an imaginary figure.

If he exists, than he is thousands of years old.  Who (smokers or non-smoker) can say as much?

Children who believe in Santa don’t smoke.  Any normal child only believes in Santa until the age of 5 or 6 and then one way or another the mystery is revealed.

By the time they are ready to make the choice whether to smoke or not, they no longer believe in Santa, so what difference does it make whether Santa smokes or not?

But let’s leave smoking out of the picture for a second.  Let’s look at what else McColl should be interested in.

As we all know, North American children are not just fat, they are obese.  Should Santa advertise junk food McColl?

With alcohol being the leading cause of accidents and spousal abuse, should Santa advertise alcohol?

What about this Santa, this not only looks like indecent exposure, it looks like plain bad behavior.

What about this Santa … that looks like marijuana to me.

How does Santa feel about the sport of ice skating?

 How does he feel about men going to the gym?

And what about this Santa, McColl, what is he up to?

This anti-smoking campaign is getting more ridiculous by the minute.  Perhaps McColl should learn a lesson from the sun and the wind.

Have you heard about the bet the sun made with the wind?

The wind said “I bet I can make that man take off his coat.”

The sun said “I accept that bet.”

The wind blew as hard as he could, but the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held on to his coat.  Then the sun came out and the man took off his coat.

If McColl doesn’t understand the bet (after she must be of limited intelligence if she still believes in Santa as a grown woman) she can contact me and I will explain it to her.

http://www.forces.org/evidence/index.htm

http://www.rogerwallace.com/smoking.html

http://www.smokersclubinc.com/