Carole L. Carson's Page

When it comes to fitness (and perhaps all areas of life), self-management has to be the ultimate challenge. We can't delegate responsibility for the choices we make to anyone else. And this responsibility includes what we eat and how much we exercise. (Some of us would like to blame dead relatives--our genetic history--but even this approach doesn't work.)

Mostly what I've learned about myself has been learned through trial and error (with much emphasis on the "error" side). My latest i… Continue

If you've been playing the dieting game for any length of time (a game I hope you've given up), you can remember food trends. One year, a food is deemed good for us. A few years later, we're told to avoid it. Do you remember when margarine was supposed to be better for us than butter? Later, because of trans-fats in margarine, we were encouraged to avoid it. Eggs, at one point, were bad for us because of their high cholesterol. Now, many experts tell us that eggs are an excellent source of prote… Continue

"Portion distortion" is the term used to describe the supersizing of servings. Whether you're eating at home or dining out, here's a quick guide to portions that doesn't require measuring instruments.

1 cup: Clenched fist
1/2 cup: Half of a clenched fist.
3 ounces: Palm of an opened hand
1 ounce: Bottom of a cupped hand
1 tablespoon: Thumb tip.
1 teaspoon: Finger tip.

Other ways to avoid consuming too much food are to use smaller plates, eat mindfully withou… Continue

Pick a teenager girl you know. Almost any girl will be do. Ask her to describe her body.

Chances are she’ll begin by telling you what’s wrong with it. Maybe her waist is too thick, maybe her eyes are too far apart, or perhaps she feels her belly isn’t flat enough. Maybe she thinks her calves aren’t shapely or her behind is too big.

Odds are good that she will not volunteer what she likes about her body—especially her good health, a feature she may overlook or take for gran… Continue

Dr. Wayne Dyer tells us that to change our conscious behavior, we need to alter our subconscious thoughts. His advice is "Treat the part of you that encourages the behavior that you would like to change as if it were a separate entity. Imagine that it has a physical form. Have conversations with it.

For example, if the little creature who craves sugar insists on a treat, tell it that you are now in charge and… Continue