The August "Consumer Reports on Health" has an article entitled "Seven Steps
to a Stable Weight: How to keep exctr pounds from creeping on."

Most of us know all of these things, but I'll send them along as a reminder.

The chief of the division of endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at St.
Luke's Roosevelt Medical Center in new York says that a stable weight for
most people includes weekly fluctuations that stay within about four pounds.

To calculate your BMI (body mass index), which is another matter related to
weight health visit www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

The seven points are:

1. Fight denial, i.e., develop some way of monitoring your weight regularly
either by weighing, monitoring the size of your clothes, keeping a food
journal, and tracking your activity. I remember that in one of her books
one of Marion Woodman's patients makes the remark that now she knows that
she can never be complacent again.

2. Eat consciously. This is probably one of the hardest things for most of
us, i.e., bringing awareness back to our eating. The report suggests ways
to do this include sitting down to eat, making every meal an event in some
way (so you can focus on your food), and designate and keep to "eating
zones" at home, i.e., no eating in front of the TV.

3. Shave calories. Reduce high caloric liquid drinks; adjust toppings (put
mustard on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise. Get salad dressing on the
side. Reduce the amount of break you eat and substitute whole-grain
crackers and breads instead of regular. You all know this; it's just that
so many of us ignore it.

4. Plan ahead. Evade temptation by creating a list of "safe" dishes for
your favorite type of restaurants and then don't look at the menu. Order
first so you're not tempted by what others do. Never go out of the house to
eat, office, or wherever "starving. Have a small snack or take it with you.
Shop at the supermarket with a list and concentrate on the outer aisles
where most of the fresh food and produce are stocked. Inner aisles house
less-healthful processed fare.

5. Get a move on. Bump up your physical activity. Count steps rather than
calories; move a lot; schedule exercise and do it. This is probably my
hardest problem, and I know it is true for many of you, as well.

6. Love your food. Well, really! But what they mean is to choose foods tht
make you full and that also tickle your senses (smell, taste, sight); snack
on healthier foods.

7. Get support. Find someone to cheer you on, a friend or a local support
group, to support what you're doing. Get online support if the preceding
does not work for you (they suggest eDiets.com and Nutricise.com which offer
message boards and chat rooms. These websites are commercial and charge a
fee. On the other hand Americaonthemove.org appears to be one that offers
customized goal-setting and a log to track your progress.

NOTE: THIS GROUP, WHICH I HAD INTENDED TO WORK AS A SUPPORT GROUP FOR TAROT
PEOPLE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE DOING WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD. I DO NOT KNOW IF
IT IS THE MESSAGES, OR THE FACT THAT WE DON'T LOG WEIGHT, ETC., WITH MORE
REGULARITY (i.e. HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE), OR WHAT. THEREFORE, I AM CONSIDERING
DISCONTINUING THE LIST BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY TWO OR THREE OF US WHO WANT T0
WORK IN SOME DEPTH.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING SOME INTENSE WORK AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER
IN THAT WORK, YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME PERSONALLY (sthomson1@...)
AND WE WILL FORM A SMALL, PRIVATE GROUP.

Sandra