Back in skinny jeans

Angelina is stunning preggers with twins

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were at the Cannes Film Festival for Angie's new movie King Fu Panda. Just look at her. She looks so stunningly blissful and radiant pregnant with her twins.

Angie even knows how to make pregnancy look hot.

You can tell in the other photos of Brangelina in Cannes that she loves being pregnant. I'm really happy for those two. It's fantastic to see happy thriving celebs who do good things for the world and for their family as well as for their careers. Makes me like this couple more and more.

Pasta Queen is "Half-Assed" after dropping 200lbs

On Tuesday, we showed a clip of Jennette Fulda aka blogger PastaQueen.com author of "Half-Assed" on the TODAY show. Continuing on her blog tour to promote the book, we have the pleasure of Jennette's company via podcast. I sit down with Jennette and we chat about:

• Her thoughts on a blogger become a book author.

• Her "A-Ha!" moment, when she knew it was time to do something about her 372lb weight.

• What she basically did to shed the 200lbs. Did she go on any weight loss programs?

• How she started blogging about her weight loss journey and her advice to those thinking about blogging their own weight loss story including whether to use your real name or a pseudo-name.

• Jennette talks about how she has less fear in her life now that she's 200lbs lighter including the "pounds of protection" and how the weight loss has affected her career.

• How she trained to run her first half marathon two weeks ago. Will she run a full marathon?

• Finally, her thoughts on achieving your goals.

We're so proud of Jennette, and we wish her much success in the future! If you're going to BlogHer 08 in San Francisco in July be sure to stop by Jennette's panel on turning a blog into a book deal.

Play Podcast: Interview with Jennette Fulda (15 min.)

TODAY: Does a personalized weight loss program work the best?

In the final segment of the TODAY show's series, "TODAY Investigates Diet Programs", Matt Lauer show us the 3-month journey of Jennifer, 27, who has Type I Diabetes and has a weight loss goal of 24lbs. Jennifer is doing a personalized program with the help of nutritionist Heidi, and Dr. Lam.

On Jennifer's plan, she meets with Heidi and Dr. Lam weekly. Jennifer is eating 1900 calories per day with food planning help from Heidi, and she exercises for a minimum of 30 minutes 5 days a week.

In the video, Jennifer reveals how much she actually lost during the 3-months. A major roadblock she had to deal with was a plateau during the 2nd month. Heidi and Dr. Lam join in as well and explain to Matt what really are the important things to consider when trying to lose weight for long term success. I loved Dr. Lam's point of view at the end.

The only thing I felt missing from Heidi and Dr. Lam's advice was incorporating a support system and having help with emotional eating. Many of us overeat and become overweight because we use food to deal with emotional issues. We also over eat because we're lonely. I can say first hand, that having a therapist or healer, is highly beneficial in working on breaking the un-healthy emotional eating habits.

So, in conclusion, each of the three programs TODAY looked at, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and a Personalized Plan, have their strengths and weaknesses, and which one will work best for you depends on your needs. Personally, the personalized programs have worked most effectively for me.

Nosh bites: Nutritional comparison of cow milk versus non-dairy milks

Over at Noshtopia for your eating wellness pleasure:

• I always wanted to see a nutritional match up between cow milk: Non-fat, 1%, 2%, and Whole, versus non-dairy milks like rice, soy, almond, hemp, and oat. If you're curious too, check out the comparison chart I created. I was really surprised by the protein match-up and which of all the milks has the highest % of daily calcium. I can tell you it's not the cow milk like the dairy industry would like us to believe.

• My 7-day gluten-free vegan "Great Food Reboot Experiment" came to an end. Find out my final thoughts. I'd like very much to know how any of you U.S. vegans or vegetarians deal with the social situation I describe when you visit foreign countries.

• Want a snack idea that tastes like Pineapple Upside Down cake but without the cake part. Check this out.

TODAY: Does Weight Watchers work?

Weight Watchers is the next diet program to be probed in the TODAY show's series, "TODAY Investigates Diet Programs."

Karen is a working mom with one child and her own small business. Her goal is to drop 18 pounds in 3-months using Weight Watchers. Karen is given 24 points per day during the 3-months. Here is the mathematical formula WW uses to calculate points:

Where:
p = Points
c = Calories
f = Fat Grams
r = Dietary fiber Grams

(Note: min{r, 4} equals the number of grams of dietary fiber or 4, whichever is smaller. In other words, only the first 4 grams of fiber "count.") Luckily, WW users are given simple breakdowns so you don't have to do math just to eat a muffin.

Karen goes on the show with Heidi the nutritionist, and both share their opinions of WW with Ann Curry. I sware it was like a Hallmark card where I was waiting for one of the ladies to ask for a tissue. I do believe though that Karen has better odds of keeping the extra weight off, and I did appreciate her honest sharing of how hard it is to incorporate healthy eating when you are under enormous daily pressures.

The atmosphere for this WW show was very different from the Jenny Craig piece. Heidi prefers WW a great deal more than Jenny Craig because WW incorporates real food from the start and a support system is the cornerstone of the program. The price is also much cheaper at $125/month not including the food.

I'm not a fan of paid diet programs, but if I had to pick one to join, I'd chose Weight Watchers for the very reasons Heidi mentioned. Next program to be probed is plain old diet & exercise. Stay Tuned.

Things People Have Said to Me Too

Zandria had this interesting post about what people have said to her, and it got me thinking about what people have said to me. Here are some standouts:

1.) "You look better in person"

(During a first meeting from a guy I met through an online dating site.)

2.) "You're hot. Wanna hook up?"

(This is the average modern day pick up line online. Call me old-fashioned but I sure would love to live in a Jane Austen novel and have men court me the way of Mr. Darcy. Man, I love this movie.)

3.) "Is you one of dem dar ornamentals? You sure are purdy."

(Mr.Darcy would not dare utter these words. However, a spit patooning ornery old Texan in the tumbleweeds would. At a diner somewhere near Waco Texas, a collegue and I got lost on the freeway and decided to eat. I didn't react to the toothless old critter who said this to me because we were near Waco, and I thought he might get all hostage on me. I rationed that he was trying to be nice in his own way.)

4.) "Only one?!? Girl you need to be on at least three."

(From a dating pro I met when I told her I have just started doing the online dating thing. I told her I was only on one site, and she told me I needed to "spread myself out" and be on at least three. That's what everyone does apparently. I haven't dated in 4 years. Oh my the Internets have become more complicated.)

5.) "You are very welcome!"

(I was about 10 feet away from the entrance to my gym, and this cute young man in his early 20's held the door open for me until I got to the door. I looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you" and thought "wow! Some Jane Austen chivalry does still exist.)

What are some standout lines people have said to you?

Quote on maturity

TODAY: Does Jenny Craig really work?

The TODAY show started a series called "TODAY Investigates Diet Programs" where they will take a look-see at the most popular diets using real people wanting to shed pounds. The first program to be probed is Jenny Craig.

TODAY put "Lisa" mom of twins on Jenny Craig for 3-months to see if she could reach her goal of dropping 20lbs. Lisa ate Jenny meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and supplemented those dishes with veggies, fruits, and whole grains. The total calorie count for the day was 1200. Lisa was also put on an exercise plan.

In the video, Matt Lauer has Lisa and nutritionist Heidi on set to discuss Lisa's results and Heidi's opinion of the Jenny Craig plan. It is worth it to watch the video just to see the looks that Lisa gives Heidi while she basically poo-poos the Jenny strategy...in a nice PC way.

Heidi doesn't outright say, "Hell no, I think this plan sucks." However, Heidi's body language and her answers speak volumes which Lisa's body language obviously disagrees with. I'm totally with Heidi on this one. Now, you can watch the video and see something completely different, but that's what I saw. And yes I have a bias because I don't like diet programs that require you to eat pre-packaged foods to drop weight. I also don't buy the "it's a nice way to jump start your own efforts" reasoning. My two cents, you can start eating real foods at the get-go for a more effective long term jump start.

The cost for the Jenny Craig program including the food that Lisa ate during those 3-months came to about $1735. That's about $578/month, and does not include the food to feed her two kids and husband. I thought that was pricey. Again, in the short term Lisa was successful, but what happens when she has to go back to eating non-Jenny foods again? Next up is Weight Watchers. Stay tuned.

"Mr. Big" replaces "The Rabbitt" and other delights around the skinny-sphere

• Remember when Charlotte went on a man break and found a new love in "The Rabbit?" Carrie and Miranda even had a Rabbit intervention because Char got addicted. Well, to celebrate the anniversary of The Rabbit and coincidentally, the new movie, we can all now enjoy the "Mr. Big." If it comes with a Tiffany box and a sub-Zero, I'm done. [The Sun]

• This high school girl got arrested because she caused a ruckus after her school wouldn't allow her into the prom in this dress. Um, I concur. Is that even a "dress?" [Huffington Post]

• ABC announced their Fall Schedule and they canned "Women's Murder Club." NO! I love Angie Harmon as a steely detective here in San Francisco. Sorry too, but Oprah's Big Give is not coming back and Cashmere Mafia is kaput but Lipstick Jungle hung on by a Choo. My faves Eli Stone and Private Practice did make the cut. Whew! [NY Times]

• NBC has a new mother/daughter comedy coming out called "Kath and Kim" based on a popular Aussie show and it stars Molly Shannon as mom "Kath" a foxy 40-something and Selma Blair as her spoiled Princess daughter "Kim" who moves in with mom after she separates from her hubby. Ok, did someone not do the math? Molly Shannon is 43 in real life and Selma turns 36 in 5 weeks. Casting mishap? [NBC.com]

• Want super power eye lashes that Steve Austin can't resist? Well, now you can with "Bionic Mascara." Oh yes! If we can have Bionic men, women, and dogs, why not eye lashes? That sounds like a natural progression, no? [Smashbox]

• Bitch doll fight: Barbie versus the Bratz in California courts. Apparently, Bratz designer Carter Bryant was still working at Mattel on Barbie when he started sending over designs for the Bratz chicks who are now, believe it or not, a $2 billion brand and popular with girls 5-9. In Bryant's contract, Mattel has dibs to any of his designs while he gets paychecks from them. Will Mattel win? The Magic 8 Ball says,"It's Likely So." [Way Odd]

What's missing in this Tommy Hilfiger ad?

Take a close look and see if you can spot the photoshop mishap in this Tommy ad. If it's not a mishap, then we all owe the model a huge mea culpa.

[via Photoshop Disasters]

Caption this: Sarah Jessica Parker at SATC London premiere

Okay kiddies, you all are so witty and wild over here. You gotta put a caption to this picture of Sarah Jessica Parker at the London premiere of the Sex& the City movie. I love her dress and the green, but I'm still wondering what that "hat" is. Reminds me of Whoville, but I'm no fashionista...lol...

See more pics of the gals over at PopCrunch. While you're at it, win a chance to see the movie with the Sugar Girls like Pop, Fab, and Fit by taking their SATC quiz. I got 6 out of 6. High bar indeed!

"Two Tiny Changes": 5 tips + update

Here's a huge upswing to start making those tiny changes, brain researchers have discovered that when you consciously develop new habits, you actually also create new spanking brain cells, and when you do that you become more creative and innovative. Woo-hoo!

The Tiny Changes strategy is not something new I came up with. There is a Japanese technique called kaizen, which calls for tiny, continuous improvements. But see the Inner Resistance Monster doesn't want you to know about kaizen because it puts the kai-bosh on his/her ploit to keep you stuck in your old rutty ways. So, this week's theme is going to be about starting to make those tiny improvements. Thanks to reader Claudia for the NYTimes tip!

• Stop thinking and over analyzing. Get a pen & paper and start free flow writing for 1 minute on tiny changes that pop into your head. Again, don't analyze or judge during the 1 minute, just write whatever comes out. Now, look at the list, and pick 3 things that you could do right now, and do them. Again, no ifs, buts, or I-can't-until. Just do it.

• Think of someone you admire, and focus for one minute on the one thing that you admire most about that person. Most often the thing we admire most in others is something that we'd like to be more of ourselves. Do one thing that mimics what your admired person does in that admired quality. By being in their shoes for a moment, you can start building up the confidence in yourself. When you've accomplished that first thing, try another.

• What's the one thing you've been putting off recently? Making an uncomfortable phone call? Talking to the bill collector? Going to the doctor? Make it a point this week to stop putting off that thing and get it over with and do it. You have to do it anyway and putting it off only makes things worse not better, and it sure isn't going to go away the longer you ignore it. It will be one less thing on your To-Do list.

• Take a different route to work one day this week, and when you get into the building take a different path to your desk. One way we show our habits is by literally driving and walking the same paths day in and out. Breaking up the path will help break up your monotony, and you may just see things you've never seen before.

• When you go out to dinner this week, make it a point to order a different side dish than you would normally order. If you get stumped ask the cute waiter or waitress what they would recommend. Try eating something new that you've never eaten before. It can also be a great conversation starter with your spouse, at work the next day, or with your online friends.

Things I did last week:

• I tried a new brand of hemp milk after another hemp product manufacturer asked me if I would revisit my opinion of hemp after my not-so encouraging review. I'm sure glad I did because the new brand is absolutely delicious. See this chocolate chiller drink I made.

• I exercised one extra day. Lately, I've been exercising 5 days/week, but last week I did 6 days because I had all kinds of energy. This week, I'm happy to go back to 5 days ;-)

 

Here's a huge upswing to start making those tiny changes, brain researchers have discovered that when you consciously develop new habits, you actually also create new spanking brain cells, and when you do that you become more creative and innovative. Woo-hoo!

The Tiny Changes strategy is not something new I came up with. There is a Japanese technique called kaizen, which calls for tiny, continuous improvements. But see the Inner Resistance Monster doesn't want you to know about kaizen because it puts the kai-bosh on his/her ploit to keep you stuck in your old rutty ways. So, this week's theme is going to be about starting to make those tiny improvements. Thanks to reader Claudia for the NYTimes tip!

• Stop thinking and over analyzing. Get a pen & paper and start free flow writing for 1 minute on tiny changes that pop into your head. Again, don't analyze or judge during the 1 minute, just write whatever comes out. Now, look at the list, and pick 3 things that you could do right now, and do them. Again, no ifs, buts, or I-can't-until. Just do it.

• Think of someone you admire, and focus for one minute on the one thing that you admire most about that person. Most often the thing we admire most in others is something that we'd like to be more of ourselves. Do one thing that mimics what your admired person does in that admired quality. By being in their shoes for a moment, you can start building up the confidence in yourself. When you've accomplished that first thing, try another.

• What's the one thing you've been putting off recently? Making an uncomfortable phone call? Talking to the bill collector? Going to the doctor? Make it a point this week to stop putting off that thing and get it over with and do it. You have to do it anyway and putting it off only makes things worse not better, and it sure isn't going to go away the longer you ignore it. It will be one less thing on your To-Do list.

• Take a different route to work one day this week, and when you get into the building take a different path to your desk. One way we show our habits is by literally driving and walking the same paths day in and out. Breaking up the path will help break up your monotony, and you may just see things you've never seen before.

• When you go out to dinner this week, make it a point to order a different side dish than you would normally order. If you get stumped ask the cute waiter or waitress what they would recommend. Try eating something new that you've never eaten before. It can also be a great conversation starter with your spouse, at work the next day, or with your online friends.

Things I did last week:

• I tried a new brand of hemp milk after another hemp product manufacturer asked me if I would revisit my opinion of hemp after my not-so encouraging review. I'm sure glad I did because the new brand is absolutely delicious. See this chocolate chiller drink I made.

• I exercised one extra day. Lately, I've been exercising 5 days/week, but last week I did 6 days because I had all kinds of energy. This week, I'm happy to go back to 5 days ;-)