Want Potatoes on Turkey Day? Here's What to Do
My childhood Monday dinner went like this: Mom would set my plate of food in front of me. Every Monday we had the same meal…baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and a veggie. Usually, the veggie was……
What’s the Secret to a Happy Family Gathering?
I was reading my latest issue of Real Simple magazine the other day and came across an article on family gatherings that I thought was interesting. They had done a survey of readers to find out what…
Turkey Tips
Most people think the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is the most intimidating meal to make. I never understood that. For Thanksgiving there was always a crowd at my childhood home. At least a dozen…
How to get Plan Z covered by your insurance
Our newest improvement will be welcome news! Plan Z is now covered by some insurance plans! Let me outline four options: HSA/FSA Coverage Two easy ones are FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA…
Spooky Times
Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday. I used to celebrate big. We’d invite about 70-80 people to dinner and dancing (we had a big house then and we hired a DJ). I’d make 13 courses. Starting…
Halloween Treats
My husband and I have always enjoyed Halloween. Years ago I declared it my favorite holiday. I like Halloween more than Christmas. Early in our relationship my husband and I decided to celebrate the…
Bread = Sugar = Dessert
I have to tell you I am reluctant to have this discussion. In the four years I’ve worked to develop Plan Z, I have never brought up the subject of bread and baked goods. I felt like if I ignored the…
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Zola
Guest Contributor Chris is married to Zola. They are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this month. "No one is born a great cook," said Julia Child. "One learns by doing." One of the…
Why We Go On A Diet
We survey Plan Z dieters on occasion and ask them all kinds of questions. In a recent survey, we asked them the biggest reason they decided to go on a diet and chose Plan Z. You know what the most…
What To Do With All Those Tomatoes
When you grow a garden, you know what it’s like when the tomatoes start coming in heavy and you have to figure out what to do with them. My mother used to can stewed tomatoes. It took her one long…
Best Food for Kids, Before and After School
When I was a grade-schooler my brother and I would walk home from school each day. He was one grade behind me. It was about a mile from school to the house. If we didn’t get any other exercise at…
Making Sweet Tea
I’m not a fan of iced tea but a whole lot of people are. It’s especially popular in the South. Sweet tea and unsweet iced tea are on the menu at every restaurant. Obesity is also a bigger issue in…
Three Months In
I’ve lived in Chattanooga, TN for three months now. I thought I’d chronicle some of my observations. Friendly I always thought Chicago was a friendly town, but it pales in comparison to this place.…
The Critical Difference Between Successful and Unsuccessful Dieters (and People)
I have two jobs. You know me as VP of Anger Management for the Plan Z Diet. And at the same time, I’m also a professional speaker and author. My book, The Accidental Salesperson: How to Take Control…
Eat Your Veggies
My mom never had trouble getting me to eat my vegetables; except those times when she served lima beans. I hated lima beans. I thought they were so disgusting to chew, that I’d swallow them like…
I Scream, You Scream
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Remember that jingle? When the cravings get tough, I think some people DO scream! The good news is there is a way to have your ice cream, eat it…
Small Town 4th of July
Flashback, if you can, to 1965. John Glenn had circled the Earth in Friendship 7 but we had not yet made it to the moon. The Beatles were in full swing and had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show the…
A Sharp Knife Can Save a Finger
My father was an engineer; a smart and precise man who had his weekend rituals. About once a month, I’d find my father at the kitchen table on a weekend afternoon sharpening the kitchen knives. He’d…
6 Wonderful Sweeteners Better For You Than Sugar
Even if you never touch dessert it’s still easy to have too much sugar in your diet. We all know now that sugar is virtually everywhere in our food system. Plan Z dieters know to stay away from…
Happy Birthday Tattoo
Happy Birthday Tattoo! Our kitty Tattoo turned 19 this month. This is a picture of her birthday kitty pate. Of course, we blew out the candle for her and sang a little ditty. Tattoo had a lot of…
How I Read a Label
When I was a young girl of 12, I became obsessed with weight. Twiggy was the super model at the time and she was rail thin. I thought I needed to be like that. I wasn’t obese by any means. Turns out…
Brain Gunk
As a youngster, I attended a Catholic grade school. In those days we gathered for morning Mass every day. When I was in second grade I was allowed to receive Communion, but that meant I had to fast…
Intermittent Fasting
There’s a new buzz phrase in the dieting community that is getting lots of coverage. It’s called intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is the concept of going 12 – 18 hours without food. Some…
The Miracle of Collagen
I went to my naturopathic doctor a couple of months back. I have been dealing with an infection in my digestive tract that I contracted after a series of antibiotic prescriptions. It’s been a…
Moving South
Whenever I have been asked, my answer goes something like this: “We think Florida smells funny and Arizona is too dry, so we think we will likely retire mid-south.” We are by no means ready to…
How Fast Can You Lose Weight and Stay Healthy?
The question is: How fast can you lose weight and stay healthy? I’m not sure anyone knows the answer for sure. In my experience with dieting, I’ve heard everything. Those who say you can only lose 1…
How to Eat French Fries
A low carb instruction manual. When you go low carb, the first thing they tell you is to cut out all the white stuff. The pasta, the bread and the potatoes are the first to go. I agree with all……
It's the Chili Chowdown
Chile is the pepper. Chili is the concoction. And now that we’ve got that straight, let’s talk chili. It’s chilly outside these days so now’s a perfect time. The history of chili is long and varied.…
Fat Tuesday in the Old French Quarter
Fat Tuesday is here folks. The end of Mardi Gras, and for many, the beginning of periodic fasting or giving up something special for Lent. The party’s over for those who follow these traditions; at…
Counting Calories
We were all taught the same thing. Calories in. Calories out. It’s all about the calories. When I was a young teenager, I bought one of those pocket-sized calorie counting books they sold at the…
How to Zolafy a Dessert Recipe
I’m one of those lucky people who can read a recipe and taste it in my head. I hope you are one too, but if you’re not, with a few guiding steps you can learn how to do it. When you look on the…
Why Resolutions Fail
The football game is over. The score is in the record books. The bets are paid off. Interesting fact: over $6 billion is bet on the Super Bowl worldwide. Most of that is illegal betting; the kind…
My 7 Reasons To Resolve To Eat Low Carb in 2019
This is why I recommend you resolve to low carb it in 2019: It lowers your cholesterol. Since 2002 over 20 human studies have been done that prove low carb eaters lose more weight and that it…
Potluck with Purpose
I held a potluck dinner party recently. It was my first potluck in decades. Years ago, I got turned off by potlucks. The last ones I attended didn’t work very well. No one did anything to organize…
Strategies for Success at Holiday Parties
People want to know how to keep from gaining the 6 – 7 pounds many do at the holidays. Some of these ideas are meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek. Others are dead serious. I’ll let you decide which…
The Promise of Pecan Pie
I’ll admit it. I never thought I’d be able to come up with a healthy version of a pecan pie. The thought of trying to substitute out Karo Syrup danced in my head and made me dizzy. Did you know that…
Happy St. Nicholas Day
When I was little, I attended a Catholic grade school. I learned about St. Nicholas Day from the nuns. I brought my new-found knowledge home to my mom and she went right along with it. I was really…
Tattoo Visits the Vet
While traveling in Chattanooga it became apparent that our cat Tattoo needed to see a vet. She was limping and obviously in pain. I found a holistic vet online and it wasn’t far away. I made an…
My Thanksgiving Wish for You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWe4GpTaO8I When this time of year rolls around my thoughts turn to you. Our dieters. I am grateful for each and every one of you, so I just wanted to say Thank You…
Does Wine Make You Fat?
We’ve talked about beer. Today we are going to give wine its day. People ask, “Does wine make you fat?” “How can I drink my wine and not gain?” Those are two big questions, followed regularly by,…
Diet Advice Gone Wrong
When I was a young teen in the early 70’s, I can remember coming to breakfast one morning and my father was sitting at the end of the table crabbing about his breakfast. My father had eaten the same…
THESE TIMELESS KITCHEN HACKS WILL MAKE YOU THE BOSS
“Hack” is a new slang word for trick. So what we are going to talk about today is kitchen hacks that make your life easier, and maybe more creative or efficient in the kitchen. Let me give you one…
Glug, Glug
According to familydoctor.org, half of your body weight is water. Some other organizations say it’s as much as two thirds water. Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue and organ in…
How to Eat Italian Food & Not Gain Weight
On my only trip to Italy I learned an important lesson. When it comes to food, it’s not how creative you can be but how authentic. While we traveled around, I kept looking for the Italian restaurants…
But What About My Beer?
When people embark on Plan Z we tell them that while they are in the ZReduction phase of Plan Z that it’s a good idea to not drink alcohol. We learned from those who experimented with wine, beer or…
Do artificial sweeteners make you fat?
I pulled the following from USA Today. Maybe switching from regular soda to diet doesn't help as much as we thought. A new study from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University links…
The Yogurt and the Muffin
This is a short little tale about my experience with a hotel buffet. The back story… My husband was honored recently. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The ceremony took…
Peel or No Peel
There is one major, basic rule of thumb I use to decide if I am going to spend a bit extra and buy organic. The rule is: Am I going to peel it? If I am going to peel it, I will likely buy…
5 Ugly Things I’ve Learned About Gastric Bypass Surgery
Right off the top, I have to admit I have no personal experience with gastric bypass surgery and I am not a medical professional. What you are going to read here are things I’ve learned in talking to…