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I have a love/hate relationship with my scale. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

About eight weeks ago I posted about how I started a pre-diet. I was trying to get reacquainted with the taste of healthy foods, and wean myself off of sugar. As far as that goes, I feel like I’m doing pretty well, I’ve even lost some weight. At the time of the post I had lost about six pounds, and since then I have lost another six. I’m now down 12 pounds from my heaviest weight ever (not counting when I was pregnant), I know because that’s what my scale says. If it wasn’t for my scale I wouldn’t believe I’ve lost any weight at all, so for that reason, I love my scale. However, I also hate that the number is still so high. And, I hate that even after losing 12 pounds, I still have almost 30 to go.

But, it’s always a better idea to focus on the positive, so that’s what I’ll try to do.

First, I have finally gotten over the sugar hump, and I’m not craving sugar the way I used to. I even made my world famous chocolate brownie cake with my daughter, and wasn’t tempted to eat any of it. That’s a pretty big deal for me. I’ve also stopped eating junk food, and I’ve stopped eating late at night (for the most part). Another thing I do, is always keep several bags of vegetables, and microwavable diet entrees in my freezer, for when I need a quick meal.

My daughter has been a great help by not asking me to buy cookies and ice-cream when we go shopping. It’s amazing how much easier it is to avoid eating junk, when it’s not in the house. Instead of ice-cream with chocolate sauce, she is now happy to get no sugar added ice-pops, and low-fat granola bars. We also had the opportunity to try something new. Skinny Cow sent us two boxes of Skinny Dippers, and they are very yummy (and only 80 calories). We both love mint chocolate chip ice-cream, so the mint Skinny Dippers were are favorite.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to for the last several weeks. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m not starving myself. I guess what I’m doing could be called a diet, but I’m sticking with calling it a pre-diet for now. Once I hit a plateau, and I’m not continuing to lose weight, I’ll kick it up a notch and go on an actual diet. For now, this is working for me, so why mess with it?

Have you been trying to lose some weight? How much do you want to lose? Have you been having any luck? What kind of things have been working for you? Are you calling it a diet?

Other bloggers dieting…

Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic…

So, some of you may have noticed my weight gain over the past few months… well, I’ve officially decided to do something about it. I don’t believe in “dieting” as in starving myself to death, but I do realize that I’ve got to make better nutritional choices. I’m also going to weigh myself weekly to track progress and post the results on my blog. (Hopefully, having to be accountable will help me beat any cravings for big fat fudge brownies or cool ranch doritos or Debbie’s “little Debbie bars”, etc!)

The Diet Naked Blog

Big Fat Deal

Dieting Battle

Down Home Dieting

Vickie’s Voice

Lilly Hydrangeas Blog

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Is It Possible To Eat Healthy on a Budget? - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

With the value of a dollar going down, and gas prices going up, the ability to make healthy food choices is getting more and more costly. Now that we are spending more money at the pump, we have less to spend at the grocery store, and many are resorting to just buying the cheapest food they can get their hands on. The trouble with that is…The cheapest food is most likely also going to be the least healthy food. And this isn’t just about the money, or the food. It’s about your life, and the life of your family.

It’s not just speculation anymore, we now know that poor eating habits and obesity, are directly related to serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Even more troubling is the rate at witch our children are becoming obese, and developing adult medical conditions in childhood. But, what can we do? Is it possible to eat healthy on a budget?

The answer is…Yes. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. Here are some links to women who are blogging about eating healthy on a budget.

Student Mum has a post on How To Feed Your Family For Less…

Feeding a family is done best by a family. Involve even the youngest members of your family in all aspects. They will feel they are appreciated and valued, and they will be learning valuable life skills at the same time. The phrase, “A family who play together stay together,” can be related to cooking and eating. Cooking a meal together can be great fun and eating together, especially in the evening, allows us all a chance to share our day, our thoughts, our ideas or our plans.

This is from MommyK at The Great Walls of Baltimore…

When a friend of mine went to her doctor in early January for her yearly physical, he had bad news for her. Her blood sugar was up, her cholesterol was in the high range, and she had gained ten pounds in the past year. He told her she needs to lose weight or face serious health risks. Frightened by the prospect of diabetes and heart disease, she immediately overhauled the way she cooks and eats. Since then, she’s lost that ten pounds she gained last year and she feels better than she has in years. In fact, there’s only one downside to the new eating plan. Buying healthy food has taken a big chunk out of her grocery budget.

Stacy from Parent Traps also has a post on Feeding Your Family For Less…

Choose generic or store brands of healthy groceries, such as whole-grain cereal and frozen vegetables. Look high and low for them—the most costly options are shelved at eye level. Buy fresh produce in season. Try local farmers’ markets for fresher, less expensive options. Frozen vegetables are healthy and even more affordable than fresh produce, and you can get out-of-season vegetables less expensively.

Amanda from Mrs. W’s Kitchen has a post on Food Budget Issues…

Build menu plans based on what’s on sale at local grocery stores. Check those sale flyers! I find it’s useful to spend that $1.50 for the Sunday newspaper (we don’t purchase regular paper delivery) for the flyers and coupons. Most big-chain grocery stores also publish sale flyers online.

A must read (and also print out)…

Alanna Kellogg wrote one of my all time favorite BlogHer CE posts - Family Finance: How To Save Money On Groceries

She also did a follow-up post - How To Save Time and Money at the Grocery Store

Also See:

Mommy Points - High Price For Healthy Food

Nina Smith — How To Eat on a Shoestring

We Are What We Eat

Menus4Moms — Frugal Meal Planning

The Coupon Mom

So, the bottom line is. It’s not easy, and it will take a little extra work…But, you can eat healthy on a budget. Do you have any tips, stories, links, or recipes? I would love for you to share them with us in comments.

BlogHer Health & Wellness Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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Dooce on Nightline - Posted by Catherine Morgan

In a much better interview than had been done by Kathie Lee on the Today Show last week, tonight’s Nightline interview with Dooce was witty, clever, and informative. Here is a video clip of the full segment on Nightline…

Are you a woman blogging about politics? Join us at The Political Voices of Women.

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Mommy Bloggers and Dooce on NBC Morning Show — by Catherine Morgan

Is it just me or did Kathie Lee kinda “diss” mommy bloggers? Or maybe just minimize their importance? Here is the clip. What do you think?

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Blogging? Take This Quick Survey For Bloggers.

If you are a blogger or reader of blogs, please take a minute to fill out this BlogHer survey. In appreciation you will be entered into a drawing where you could win a FREE PASS to any BlogHer event you like.

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BlogHer Health & Wellness Blog Roundup — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Tonight I am surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll. So many great blogs, I wish I could tell you about every one…But you could always do a little surfing yourself.

So, in no particular order, here are eleven blogs that are new to me.

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In Health News: Autism Debate, Drive-Thru Mastectomies, and the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil) - by Catherine Morgan (cross posted at BlogHer)

When I heard this story, about a family with a child who appeared to developed Autism after her childhood immunizations, I wondered how this might affect other families dealing with this devastating disease. Also in the blogs, is a petition that women can sign, supporting an end to drive-thru mastectomies. And end they should, this practice is a disgrace, as well as a travesty against women. And, my pet-peeve issue (Gardasil) is also in the news.

Autism…

From Revolution Health - The Autism Debate Continues

This week news spread of results of a Georgia court case in November, which states that the parents of 9-year old Hannah Poling will receive compensation because multiple vaccines contributed to her symptoms of autism. Not all the details are known, as the court case has been “sealed,” but it appears that Hannah has an underlying mitochondrial disorder. After she received five shots in July 2000, at the age of 19 months, she developed a high fever and inconsolable crying within 48 hours. Within three months after receiving the vaccine, she went from being a normal, verbal toddler to one who showed signs of autism and, for a while, lost her ability to speak. She now requires one-on-one care at all times.

Also See:

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Living and Blogging with Chronic Illness — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I was surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll, looking for something to write about tonight, and I came across a new blog on living with autoimmune disease. As you might already know, I live with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and other chronic health problems…So, I decided to do tonight’s post, on living with chronic illness.

The new blog I discovered on the BlogHer Blogroll is - Life in the Autoimmune Lane

My name is Michelle and I decided to start a blog about my illness and my life. I became sick about 2 years ago and at that time I didn’t know what was happening to me. 2 doctors, 3 neurologists, and 1 rheumatologist later I now know that I have a couple of autoimmune diseases; still working on a definite diagnosis… So far I have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Dermatomyositis, and most recently what they think is the early stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Teen Driving and Twitchy Eye Syndrome - by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I’ve known this day was coming since the first day I held my son in my arms. The day he would start driving. I don’t know about other mothers, but this is sending me right to the edge of sanity. Since the first day (three weeks ago), I have had a constant twitch in my left eye. I don’t think it is a coincidence…I think it’s most likely an outward physical manifestation of my subconscious fears and anxieties over my son driving. I just made all that up, but you know what I mean, right? It’s what the doctor will put on my chart, just before they take me away in a straight jacket.

The best part is how my daughter keeps reminding me that in a little over a year, she’ll be old enough to get her permit too. Oh great! By then I’ll probably have twitches in both my eyes. Honestly though, how do parents do it?

The truth is, it’s not JUST that I’m a crazy, over protective mother. When I was in sixth grade, my step-brother was killed in a car accident…and up until that time in my life, I didn’t even realize that anyone other than ‘old people’ could die. I’ve since realized, that just about every senior class has at least one death caused by an automobile accident.

Years later, when I was a senior in high school, that person would be the girl who sat in front of me in accounting class. Then, about three years ago, my very close friend’s daughter was dating a boy in her senior class…and he would be the one. So, in my world, there is no pretending that these things don’t happen.

Even after all this, there is still a small corner of my brain that can still think rationally, and I know that both of my kids are probably going to be just fine. But, that doesn’t seem to stop me from worrying. And it hasn’t helped one bit with the twitch in my eye.

So, this post is my quest to try and find out how other moms cope with the stress of having a teen driver. It’s 2am here in crazy land, and both my kids are sleeping…I sure hope there are some moms out there blogging about this, I’d like to go to bed by 3am.

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Stop Talking About Race and Gender — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Care2 Election and The Political Voices of Women)

O.k. - I’m bored with Clinton and Obama going on and on about the “race/gender” non-issue. Voters are going to vote on the actual issues (the economy, the war, healthcare, taxes, etc)…I am sick of hearing them attack each other over twisted words meant to sway voters with race and gender tactics. Just stop it! You too, Main Stream Media! Stop making this an issue, when it is not the least bit important to how these candidates will handle “actual” issues important to the American people. You are wasting critical time. Voters need to hear these candidates talk about what they will do to “heal” our country, not continue to add to the “fracturing” of it. So please…Just Stop It!

READ FULL POST AT THE CARE2 ELECTION BLOG

Also See:

Women To Play A Key Role In 2008 Presidential Election

Why I’m Still An Undecided Voter

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Women Will Play A Key Role In 2008 Election — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at The Care2 Election Blog and The Political Voices of Women)

The presidential campaign has taken an interesting turn in the last few days. It’s finally become apparent to the media, the pundits, and the candidates, what has been obvious to women all along…Women hold the key to the White House, ignore them and you shall be locked out.

How important will the “women’s vote” be in the 2008 presidential election? The answer - It’s going to be more important than anyone can even begin to imagine. If that fact hadn’t been abundantly clear before now, it certainly should be after Iowa and New Hampshire. Obama won in Iowa with the majority of women voting for him there, and Clinton won in New Hampshire with the majority of women voting for her there. When all is said and done, the next President of the United States will be coronated not by the media, but by the women.

In 2004, 8.8 million more women voted than men, that number is going to be even greater in 2008.

So, do your homework candidates. This election is not about race, gender, or tears…It’s about the issues, especially the issues that are important to women voters. You will need a message that resonates with all women voters…all colors, ages, income levels, married, single, soccer moms, and single moms. Don’t feel bad men, women ultimately want what’s best for the country, so that includes you too. And NEWS FLASH…Just “pandering” to the women is not going to do the trick, we can actually see through that.

NOTE TO CANDIDATES: Now might be a good time to check in with Lisa Stone of BlogHer about the BlogHer’s Voter Manifesto. FYI…Women who blog not only vote, but they influence other voters. With that said, you may also want to check out The Political Voices of Women, where a list has been compiled of over 300 women blogging about politics and the election. And, don’t forget to check out our very own Care2 Groups, with millions of members, many of whom happen to be women.

So, what are some of the women of the blogosphere saying about the events of the last few days? Here is a little sampling…

READ FULL POST AT The Political Voices of Women

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Top 10 Hot Topics From Health and Wellness in 2007 — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

It’s the last day of 2007, and I thought I would do this post on some of the hot topics from BlogHer Health and Wellness. So, in no particular order, here is what I think are the top ten.

1. A big issue for both BlogHer and women, has been body image. And recently I did this post…”Body Image, Dieting, and Your New Years Resolution“, here are a few others.

Maria Niles had “Learning the Lessons of Ugly Betty“.

Suzanne Reisman did a this great post “The Swimsuit Brigade for Honest Photos“.

Iainad did “Black Women and Body Image“.

Jennifer Satterwhite did “Moms, you are beautiful“.

2. In a related story, this year the world was introduced to a dieting product called “Alli”. But names can really be deceiving, and that sure is true with this product. Here is my post from July…Alli: “The Diarrhea Diet“.

Denise also posted on Alli, “Alli Has Allies“.

3. Another controversial drug was Gardasil, I did two posts on this topic here and here. But the Gardasil story started before my two posts.

Denise began the story with “Gardasil - for HPV - for Cervical Cancer“.

Mir Kamin did a follow-up to Denise’s post “More thoughts on Gardasil“.

Amanda Shaffer posted on “The People vs. Perry: Fallout of the Texas Gardasil Decision“.

4. Vaccines in general have always been somewhat controversial, and with all the new ones that are being developed (and mandated), this has been a hot topic. My posts were on the Chicken Pox vaccine being mandated and also, Are the Cures Becoming the Cause,.

Denise did this post on “Immunization Awareness“.

5. At the BlogHer Convention this year, I met many women who blog about Autism. Just before the convention I did this post on Autism, here are a few others.

Mary Tsao did “New Autism Study Points Finger at Moms” and “Autism: The Parent’s Perspective“.

Jennifer Satterwhite did “Children with invisible special needs“.

6. Then there is the Healthcare Crisis and SCHIP, I also did “Univeral Health Care: The Health and Wellness of Our Entire Counry Is At Stake“.

Rita Arens did “SCHIP: We’re All One Horrendous Medical Bill Away From Needing Government Aid“.

Morra Aarons did “SCHIP Childrens’ Helath Insurance: Bush Uses Executive Power to Harm America’s Children“.

7. The issue of Reproductive Rights has gotten a lot of attention…I’ve done, Man Spikes a Womens drink with RU-486, Letting Our Voices Be Heard, Battle Over the Aurora Planned Parenthood, and Is It Now A Crime To Have a Miscarriage?

Suzanne Reiman did “When Pro-Life Mean Terrorist” and “More Contraceptive Use, Fewer Abortions“.

8. Stem Cell research is another controversial issue, and I posted on it here.

Dana Tuszke did “Bush Promises to Veto Senate Stem Cell Bill“.

9. Breast Cancer a big issue at BlogHer, my posts are here and here.

Suzanne Reiman did “Pink Ribbon Madness“

10. The issue members of BlogHer have chosen for BlogHer’s Act…Is Maternal Health.

Cooper and Emily — Important Facts on Maternal Health

Well, that’s it. Happy New Year! See ya in 2008.

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Women Political Bloggers: Are You On The List? If not…go here to have your political blog added.

I am pleased to announce that our list of women blogging on politics, has today reached over 300. When I started the list only a few weeks ago I had 100 blogs, and now thanks to so much participation by other women bloggers, we now have 316 women political bloggers on the list.

I would like to take this time to thank some of the many bloggers who have helped grow and promote The Political Voices of Women. Now, in no particular order…

• Today, Dee from Conservatism With Heart not only promoted the blog and our list, but used her post to send me over 25 links of blogs that were not yet on the list…Single-handedly bringing our list to over 300. Thank you Dee. Dee also posts at Grizzly Groundswell.

• Earlier in the week I was honored to be mentioned in an article at The Huffington Post…How cool is that? I did a post about it here, and this is the link to the article by Carol Jenkins.

• Jill Miller of Writes Like She Talks, did a very kind post supporting the list here. Thanks Jill.

• Faye Anderson of Anderson@Large, not only did a nice post promoting the list, but she was also my very first guest blogger at The Political Voices of Women. Thanks Faye.

• And since Faye’s guest post, I have also been lucky enough to have many other women contribute as guest bloggers…

Robin Gerber did a guest post here.

Sue from Nailing Jello to the Wall has done two guest posts…here and here.

Olivia Morgan from Women For Obama did a guest post here.

Sarah at One Mom’s View did a guest post here.

Heather Johnson from Moms4Mitt did a guest post here.

and our most recent guest post is by Julie at Moms Speak Up, and that post is here. Julie also promoted the site here. Thanks Julie.

Thank you to all of these wonderful women blogging on politics.

• Yankee Cowgirl also did a post promoting our list.

• Jenn from Ft. Hard Knox just did a very nice post here.

• Sandy from Around Des Moines just posted about the site, and she also joined our new community and even put a post up there too. Thanks so much Sandy.

• Deborah from Girl With Pen mentioned the site here.

• Amy from Georgia Women Vote did a nice post here.

• Mixter’s Mix, Modern English, sairy, Pondering Penguin, Mauigirl’s Meanderings, and opit, all have The Political Voices of Women in it’s blogroll. Thanks.

Thanks to all of these women (and the one man “opit“), for helping to make The Political Voices of Women the “go to” place for women bloggers, and people who want to know what they’re thinking.

I’m sure that I’ve missed many (and for that I’m sorry), so if you have done a post or added me to your blogroll please leave me a link in comments…And the next time I do a thank-you post, I will be sure to include you.

*I hope you will also consider joining our Political Voices of Women Community.

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Women’s Media Center Introducing Progressive Women’s Voices — by Catherine Morgan

I was pleasantly surprised today, to find that my political blog “Informed Voters” was receiving incoming links from The Huffington Post. It seems Carol Jenkins wrote a post about women in politics, and my list of over 275 women political bloggers got a nod. As happy as I am about being recognized by The Huffington Post, the overall message of Carol’s post is an extremely important one…

“Don’t let your voice be silent. Let’s change the conversation together.”

The Women’s Media Center has created Progressive Women’s Voices, a new program to change the conversation and ensure that all of our voices are heard. Through this program, the Women’s Media Center will train, brief and support 15 progressive women whose stories and expertise are critically missing from the national debate.

The Women’s Media Center is seeking participants who represent diverse backgrounds, with experience and knowledge of specific subject areas and with strong communication skills which they will help to further develop. Full program details are available here.

We need your help now - to identify these women and give them a chance to receive the training and support they deserve.

So tell us: Who are the great women out there whose voices deserve to be heard, but who are not yet a part of the national dialogue? Leave your suggestions here, and we’ll make sure that the program information gets in their hands.

And if you’re reading this and think that you may be that woman, then let us know. Whether your expertise is war or peace, leadership, climate change, health care, or technology, chances are you follow the news, and realize that progressive women’s voices, like yours, are missing.

READ THE FULL POST BY CAROL JENKINS HERE

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Where are all the women political bloggers? Well, over 240 of them are now at my new blog…The Political Voices of Women.

So…I want to take todays post to tell everyone about my newest blog…The Political Voices of Women. From a list that began at just under 100 women blogging on politics, and has now grown to about 240, I have started a new blog. Each day I link to many of these women and their political posts.

Here is a taste of what you will find…

SCHIP and the Moral Bankruptcy of the GOP

Newly released ’snowflake’ memos from Rumsfeld…that were used to deceive the press and the people.

Video of Arianna Huffington on Countdown…about the trouble with Giuliani

Coulter…Insulting Jews, Women, and Political Bloggers

More Information Coming Out on Blackwater.

Video Recap of the Democratic Debate in Philadelphia

GOP and the Media are taking notice to Ron Paul

Voters Will Say Who Wins The Elections — Not The Media

Is Global Warming A Fallacy?

Cheney’s Plan To Attack Iran

Are you loyal to a particular candidate or party?

How do you explain poverty to a child?

Is Peace in the Middle East possible?

An Iraq Snapshot

and much more.

These are just a sample of what you will find. I hope you will check it out, and comment of issues that are important to you. All are welcome. Eventually, I will also be having even more women as both guest bloggers and regular contributors. So check back regularly.

You can also join our Political Voices of Women community.

O.K. This was my second post for NaBloPoMo, two down and twenty-eight to go!

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