A friend of mine just reminded me that Holy Child's Mayfield Market is happening this weekend in Potomac. If you haven't been, it's this great fundraiser they do. This year they're supposed to have 75 vendors selling all sorts of hand-made clothing and jewelry and other accessories, baked goods, original artwork, and even items for your pet. You can order your holiday poinsettias there, too. It's similar to the Landon Azalea Festival, with the holiday shopping season in mind.

Speaking of poinsettias, did you see Homestead Growers of Davidsonville, Md. has over 53,000 poinsettias on display this weekend? DC Urban Gardener News had a chance to tour the growing facility, about 15 minutes from the Beltway, east on Route 50. They link to a way to keep your poinsettias alive so they might one day rebloom. ...

I'm always amazed at magazines that say you can have the arms or abs of your favorite celebrity with 6 simple exercises and just 30 minutes a day. What the magazines generally don't mention is how much time celebrities like Madonna or Gwyneth Paltrow actually spend working on their chiseled bodies.

If you want a physique like Madge's, you're gonna have to work for it. This article from the Washington Times alleges that her recent break-up with husband Guy Ritchie was in part due to her four-hour-a-day work-out, six-days-a-week work-out routine. Us "normal" women ought to set more realistic goals.

Exercising for 30 minutes a day (or better yet, an hour if you can) is something we all need to make time for to stay healthy. For celebrities it's a different situation. Their livelihoods depend on their bodies. You can bet they're exercising with a trainer, upward of four hours a day, and on practically a daily basis . For them, working out is a full-time job! I guess what I'm trying to say is don't let yourself be discouraged or misled by articles like these. For us "normal" women, the goals need to be a little more realistic. Read this article from today's Washington Times for a better picture.

It's easy and fun to do!! I will give you the big secret!!!
To estimate your caloric requirement:
Take your target weight in pounds and multiply by ...
10 for light activity
15 for moderate activity
20 for heavy activity.
Then ...
Subtract 100 calories for age 35 to 44
Subtract 200 calories for age 45 to 54
Subtract 300 calories for age 55 to 64 and
Subtract 400 calories for age 65 and above.
This should give you a daily calorie level appropriate for weight loss but should not be less than 1200 calories per day.
Double check with me if you have any questions.
Tomorrow--Check back for an 1800 per day caloric intake sample meal plan. Thanks for reading my blog, please write me with question, I will do my best to answer.
Sheila@whgmag.com

This e-mail came through my inbox the other day, and I wanted to share in hopes it might encourage some of you other readers to comment and write in with your thoughts. Special thanks to Darby for allowing me to share this on my blog!

When it comes to Halloween candy.....a simple suggestion I make to anyone and everyone (those who will listen to me) is to purchase trick or treat candy that you don't like or would not eat!

The next morning get the candy out of the house...take it to work or give it away. Only purchase candy that you hate, after all the candy is for the kids.

What are the things we need to know about why we struggle with weight control so much????

Get these facts.....plain and simple....

I had the unexpected pleasure of spending my weekend at the Exercise Etc. Health and Fitness Conference (exercise etc.com). I had not been looking forward to a weekend spent working and dragging myself out of bed at 7 am both Saturday and Sunday, thinking all I would learn would be more blah-blah health and fitness
information wrapped in new packaging.

But sitting in Guy Anderson's class on Exercise and the Aging Baby Boomer, I realized I was totally enjoying what I was hearing. The first thing that got my attention was the fun fact that 30% of American pets are obese! WTH is that all about? Two-thirds of American adults are overweight and half are obese. Well, 58% of Americans want to lose weight, but only 21% of Americans are trying to lose weight! Sounds like it's time to chase the cat around the house or take the dog for a walk!

(Forwarded reprint from the American Counsel on Exercise newsletter http://www.acefitness.org/)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) has just released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, a comprehensive set of recommendations for people of all ages and physical conditions to easily fit physical=2 0activity into their daily lives.

These new physical activity guidelines represent the first time that the Federal Government has issued comprehensive recommendations for the Nation. These recommendations are a basic foundation to healthier living and consumers will be looking to certified fitness professionals to design appropriate exercise programs to meet or exceed the general guidelines.