Unexpected Inspiration

This video isn't exactly lc related - but sure says a whole lot about life, working towards goals, and in the end, what's most important.

Atlanta based photographer Zach Arias made this video for Scott Kelby's website. For those who aren't familiar with photography circles, Scott in an amazing teacher and photographer. And in all honestly, so is Zach.

The reason I felt so compelled to share this video is because I know we ALL go through these phases - whether it be photography, writing, weight loss... or just getting through each day. This video has single-handedly brought some sanity back into my life. It's helped me see so much. I hope it's as helpful for you.

Free Skinny Songs CD's

Just a few days ago I reviewed a new CD called Skinny Songs. I've seen mixed reviews from other bloggers, but for the most part I liked it.

Here's the fun part - I have two brand spankin' new CD's to give away. Just leave a comment and I'll do the eenie-meenie-minie-moe method. Just kidding... sort of. Actually I'll use the old tried and true method of drawing your name from a hat. Just make sure you check the blog again on Friday so the winners can contact me with their address'. I'll include all comments made by Thursday, 11:59 pm central time.

I'll be gone most, if not all, of tomorrow on a photo shoot, but will approve all comments when I get home. So don't worry if your comment doesn't show up for a few hours since I'll be away from the computer most of the day.

Good Luck!

Review: Skinny Songs CD

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a marketing company who asked me if I'd be willing to review a new CD titled Skinny Songs. Here's what they told me:

SkinnySongs isn't about dieting, and it's not workout music. Rather, SkinnySongs is the first radio-hit-quality music specifically written for empowering and inspiring people to reach their weight and fitness goals. Some people listen while exercising or walking, while others find it helpful when driving or cooking - getting through rough days and strengthening resolve for reaching goals.

Sounds pretty good. But what qualifications would these people have in regards to knowing about weight loss battles? Have they been in our shoes? It sounds like Heidi Roizen has. Here's the story behind the CD:

Penned by Roizen herself, SkinnySongs reflects her own personal journey:

"About seven months ago I hit an all-time high, I had gone from a size 8 to a size 14. Facing my 50th birthday, I did not want to enter the 'back half' not feeling good about myself, and at an unhealthy weight. Since music has always been a motivator to me, it occurred to me that maybe there would be great songs I could listen to while walking, or even in my car, that would motivate me to succeed, much in the way 'I will survive' by Gloria Gaynor got many of us through a breakup. I couldn't find any, so I wrote SkinnySongs."

I thought it sounded interesting and told them I'd be glad to review it. I received it over the weekend and can only think of one word to describe it - unusual. I can honestly say I have never heard anything like it.

I enjoy doing housework or exercising to upbeat, energizing music. I have my list of usual favorites on my mp3 player. None of them sing about weight loss or shopping for skinny clothes, but they motive me just the same. This CD has a foot thumping mix of country, rock and hip-hop beats and will definitely get you moving. (I walked around all day Saturday with the Skinny Jeans song stuck in my head.) It's the words that throw me off a bit. I guess I'm just not used to lyrics such as:

skinny jeans, skinny jeans, you’re still hanging ‘round
In the back of my closet and that’s bringin’ me down
this morning, I woke up, and made me a vow
skinny jeans, gonna get back, into you somehow

OR...

I spent years in misery
‘Cause everyone who looked at me
Was thinking evil thoughts about my thighs

Made up my mind, I’d had enough
I was determined to get slim and buff
I hit the gym, and no more fries!

Not your average kind of songs. And not 100% politically correct, so if you are sensitive about certain aspects of weight loss and obesity, this might not be for you. (It's not rude.. they just don't tip-toe around the subject.)It does certainly keep me thinking about my weight loss goals, so that's a plus!

If you'd like to learn more about the story behind the lyrics of each song, you can check it out here.

The song list is as follows:
1. Skinny Jeans
2. Thin!
3. I'm a Hottie Now
4. Use It To Lose It
5. Incredible Shrinking Woman
6. Think I'll Go To Saks
7. You Da Boss
8. Objects In The Mirror
9. Who The H*** Is That?
10. Blowin' You Off at 8

If you'd like to hear samples of the songs, you can do so here.

Do I like it? Actually, the more I listen to it the more it grows on me. They really are pretty good songs, although there are a couple I can admit I'll probably not listen to often. Song # 5 is a bit cheesy (just my opinion) and song # 9 uses a word we don't allow in our house (at least not when used in the above context). But everyone has their personal likes and dislikes when it comes to music, so I have no doubt this CD will appeal to a large audience. They already have several glowing reviews from customers.

I have to admit the lyrics are witty and several of them made me laugh. Hearing some of these thoughts expressed in song was pretty entertaining. And the preforming artists are fantastic. Superb voices with professional production. I could have done without the jean-clad rear end that greets you when you remove the CD. (Guess I'm not into looking at other female behinds... lol)

They are also selling motivational shirts. This one is my favorite:


Modeled by creator Heidi Roizen

I believe this CD definitely has a market. Whether you are a part of that market, only you can decide. This is one of those things that everyone will have to choose according to their personal tastes.

Cool New Toy..

They say if you can visualize it, you can make it happen. I believe it, for the most part anyway. My biggest motivation is stuck to my fridge door by a magnet. It's a picture of myself, taken at 132 lbs, wearing a size 6 jean skirt and grinning from ear to ear. Seeing that picture every time I walk into the kitchen really helps keep me out of the Oreos.

Now I have another great way to visualize my goal. And not only my goal, but to see where I'm at, and where I've come from. PROGRESS!!! How? Just look to your left.

You are now looking at the Virtual Sparky's Girl. See me blinking at you? No, it's not exactly like me. My hair is much longer, my.. uh... upper body is bigger (and sadly always will be), but you get the idea.

Go ahead and put your cursor over the start and goal buttons and watch me change before your very eyes! Cool huh?!? Want one for yourself? Just click the link at the bottom of my model, or go to www.cosmetic-makeovers.com, and make one for yourself.

The Honest Confessions Of A Carb Addict

(Hey everyone! I'm now a regular columnist for www.lowcarbnewsline.com! This is my first article. Please let me know what you think!)

Hi. My name is Amy Dungan and I'm addicted to carbohydrates. I can't really say when or where the problem began. I'm sure I could trace it all the way back to my childhood somewhere. I may never be sure. What I do know is that simple carbohydrates are a huge problem for me. One taste of chocolate cake - just smelling french fries - will start my mouth watering and send my willpower into a tizzy. It's not that I want to eat junk food or be unhealthy, it just seems like I have no control over myself when the cravings hit.


I first realized I had a serious problem back in 2001. I was desperate to lose weight. I had health problems that frightened me and only got worse with each pound I gained. I had a 5 year old, a toddler, and a husband to live for. I couldn't allow myself to go to an early grave. I envisioned someone one finding me unconscious, face down in the ice cream. What I was doing to myself wasn't fair to any of us. How do I take care of my family when I can't even take care of myself?


While doing Internet research on some of the health issues I was having, I came across a website that told about the trials of being hypoglycemic. It sounded very much like some of the suffering I had been enduring. But the author didn't stop there. She continued to tell how she overcame these maladies by going on a no-sugar, low-glycemic diet. At the time it sounded like an impossible task for me. How could I give up sugar? How could I live a normal life that way? It just didn't seem realistic. What I failed to see was that I wasn't currently living a normal life, at least not a happy one. My life consisted of fatigue, pain, IBS, mood swings, severe depression and a general lack of the will to live. I was blind to the answer that was in front of me. I was also scared to give it a try. What if I just failed again? I filed the information in the back of my mind and continued my search for the magic bullet.


A few months later I came across a copy of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. I sat down to read and spent the first few pages laughing. I was a disciple of the low-fat mantra. There was no way this low-carb stuff could be healthy or even help you lose weight. After reading further I started suspecting that someone had been watching my every move. It was as if he'd written that book just for me. I was the poster child for carb addictions. My mind flashed back to all the foods I preferred. The many times I was embarrassed because I couldn't seem to stop eating, even though I was full. The shame I felt as I hid in the bathroom while eating a candy bar, fearing that someone would notice and lecture me. The fatigue after a large meal filled with simple carbohydrates and starches. Tears filled my eyes as I realized I truly had a problem. I also experienced a huge sense of relief. I finally had an answer. All of my adult life I blamed myself for my lack of control. I berated myself for eating when I knew I shouldn't. I would become depressed over my weight, and eat high-carb foods to make myself feel better. I was in a vicious cycle.


I realized low-carb was my only hope. I spent many hours researching and asking questions. I think I lurked on every low-carb forum in existence. When I started Atkins in Nov. of 2001 I was loaded down with an arsenal of information and recipes. It didn't take long for me to realize I was on my way to a better life. In 2003 I reached goal and maintained for several months. But I failed to realize a very important truth--just as a recovering alcoholic can never go back to drinking, neither can a recovering carb addict go back to carbohydrates.


My backsliding started small. I'd have some pizza crust here, a small plate of pasta there. What I didn't notice was how often I'd started craving the very foods I had so religiously avoided for 3 years. It snowballed rapidly. The addiction once again had me in its grips.


I won't bore you with the details, but in January 2007 I started back at square one. Thankfully, I'm quickly losing weight and regaining the ground I've lost in the last couple of years. But I've learned a valuable lesson: once an addict, always an addict. As Dr. Atkins said, one bite really can be the kiss of death. Trust me on this one. It's a lesson you don't want to learn the hard way.

The Journey

Hey Gang.. I'm very short on time again today so I thought I'd just share this with you. I wrote this poem back in 2003 after losing almost 50 lbs on low-carb. I thought back over all the things I'd been through to get to that point. All the emotions, fears, joys and victories that lead me to where I was on that day. Here was the result...

The Journey

There is a secret world

few people know about,

where fears run wild and free

in endless fields of doubt.


You can see the Mt. of Hope

far off in the distance.

But the only way to get there

is the pathway called persistence.


You see their peaks glistening

in the golden rays of sun.

You keep your eyes focused,

your journey has begun.


Though many times you stumble

and the road gets rough and steep,

the importance of this journey

keeps you on your feet.


So at the base of Mt. Hope

you find yourself at last!

The doubts and fears behind you,

the battles in the past.


As you step foot on that mountain;

all worries left behind,

you've successfully made the journey

through a place we call..

the mind.

Copyright 2003 A.M.D.

I hope this poem encourages and motivates you as it did others at the time I wrote it. This not only applies to dieting, but to the many struggles we face daily in life. Hang in there.. success may only be one step away.

Sticking with what works

When I read the article titled The Secret To Loss: Motivation it was all I could do not to cry. Not because it's necessarily sad, but because it's exactly where I have been for the last few years. My regular readers know that I've been battling health issues for some time now. I was diagnosed with depression and Fibromyalgia 7 years ago, but none of the medications ever worked for me. I was truly blessed to learn about low-carb back in 2001 and it literally changed my life. I felt like I'd gotten my life back. I once again had reasons to get out of bed every morning. Knowing I wouldn't spend my days feeling hopeless, stressed and unworthy, I was able to face each day with a spring in my step and smile on my face.

But.. (you knew there was a "but" coming didn't you.) I let stress get the better of me after maintaining my 50 lb loss for close to 6 months. In one year we had lost our only source of income due to downsizing, faced financial ruin and had 5 deaths in the family. It just turned out to be more than I could take. I reverted to my old ways of dealing with my emotions - food. After all my hard work and improved health, you would think I would have known better. Instead I let all I'd learned about health, particularly my health, fade away and my emotions took over all rational thinking.

Now here I am, over 2 years later, almost 70 lbs overweight and fighting to get through each day. I hadn't forgotten what I needed to do, I just didn't have the motivation. I didn't care anymore. It wasn't until recent weeks that I realized had truly hit bottom. I was determined, like the ladies in the article, that I HAD to do something. I knew low-carb worked and that it was the miracle I needed for my health. But where to start? It was overwhelming! After several failed attempts to start induction, I realized I needed something a little different this time. I knew that low-carb was still the lifestyle for me, I just wasn't sure what it was going to take to get my motivation back.

Motivation can be found in the strangest places. Sometimes it can be a picture of yourself. Sometimes it can be clothing that no longer fits. Sometimes it's a family member or yourself getting sick. In my case, it was a combination of this blog, my website, and my need for instant gratification.

(kimkins references deleted by Sparky's Girl)

No matter what diet you are on, if it works for you and keeps you healthy, keep at it. When you know it works, it's a lot easier to stay motivated. For those of you who still feel you are fighting a losing battle, remember that you are not alone, and many before you have overcome the same obstacles you are facing. It's not impossible. You can do it! Don't let life keep you from living! Determine to be the one who steps out and makes the change and you will find that you have motivated others to do the same.

Trying a new approach..

If you are like me, sometimes you need a good kick in the pants to get you started. Yesterday I think I found the place to get the kick from. I've been a member of the Kimkins community for a while now. I always thought of it as too strict for my tastes and figured I'd just lose slower, but be happier if I stuck with Atkins. Now I'm thinking maybe I need something a bit more radical to get me going. Kimkins just started a "boot camp" for her members and I joined yesterday. It's a very strict program of low-carb/low-cal and daily exercise. I honestly don't know if I can do this, but I'm going to give it a try. If it proves to me too much for me I can always go back to good old Atkins again, which will be my maintenance plan no matter what I lose the weight on. Wish me a great first day!

ADDED ON SEPT. 19, 2007: I have deleted almost all references to kimkins from this blog, except those I felt might be useful in fighting what we now know is a scam! I do not, nor will not ever again, advocate Kimmer or her diet plan. Please stay away from this plan. Do lots of reading and educate yourself. There is much to be learned from all of this. Thanks.