Dont Be Misled. The Best Attitude and Action for Weight Loss

Weight loss can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. Today's media and the marketplace can sometimes make the effort of weight loss even harder. Like it or not most societies in the developed countries are heavily motivated by the media. Television, radio, newspapers, direct mail, and the Internet all contribute heavily to our beliefs, our attitudes and ultimately our actions. So, when it comes to weight loss, how do you determine the right solution for your situation? Who do you believe and who do you discount?

Are we as a society obsessed with weight loss? Or, is there truly reason to take notice and lose a few pounds? While there are some people, especially females during the teenage years, who take weight loss to the extremes, for most of us losing some weight would be the healthy thing to do.

It's no secret that "thin is in", yet turn on the news channel and you'll see where researchers are finding more and more of our youth are obese and more and more adults as well as children are being diagnosed with the chronic disease of Type 2 diabetes, often as a result of obesity. We see hear that thin is better, yet we keep getting bigger and bigger. What's the reason?

The reasons are many. Primarily, our activity levels don't match the amount of food we eat. We are constantly being bombarded with quick food and lots of occasions to eat. For example, some friends invite you over. The chances are slim that there won't be food involved. You go to a sports event. What's on your mind besides the game? Food! Somehow, we have become conditioned to equate food with socializing. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, the amount of food we consume at these parties and events often times are a bad thing. If you are trying to lose weight, whenever you eat, remember; don't eat more than you will be active enough to use! Let's face it! Watching the Super Bowl on television is far less energy focused, than the guys playing in the game. They're usually drinking Gatorade, we're eating everything in site.

Were The Cavemen Fat?

Consider this: Our forefathers were constantly working to simply survive. The men were farming, hunting, and fishing for food. The women were busy preparing, the food, and the clothing as well as raising the children. There was constant activity without an overabundance of food. Our bodies were not designed to be sedentary. Yet, today with technological advances, and the average lifestyles we live, our activity levels have all but disappeared.

Let's explore this a bit further? We get up in the morning, jump in the shower, drive a car or catch the subway or bus to work, grab some food at the fast food place for lunch, come home pop in a frozen dinner, plop down on the sofa, turn on the TV and our day is done. Compare that to the days of old. First off, you had to draw the water for the shower, then you had to fire the stove to stay warm and to cook( the food was hunted and grown by hand). If you left your home for work, walking was a major way of transportation,?Need I say more? Our bodies haven't evolved to the point to where activity is not necessary. Yet, we are the least active of any society since mankind was placed on this earth. Food must be matched with activity. To lose weight, you must consume less food than the body needs. That's about the only way you'll burn off any fat.

Steps to Losing Weight

Enough preaching about activity. You want to lose weight and have more energy. First, I strongly suggest if you have more than a few pounds to lose, see your physician before you begin any weight loss plan. There are some medications, and diseases that can contribute to weight gain. If you know the facts before you begin you'll be able to better determine the best method for your weight loss.

Secondly, as you think about losing weight, carefully and honestly evaluate your current situation. Is it just a few pounds, say 5 or 10 you want to lose? Maybe it's 20 to 30? These amounts usually can safely be lost without the help of health professionals. If you need to lose 50 or more pounds, I strongly suggest you see your physician before you begin any weight loss plan.

Next, you need to evaluate why you've gained the weight. There are many reasons people gain weight. Some eat more than they need as a mental pick-me-up. Some eat because they have nothing else to do. Others don't really overeat, they simply make the wrong choices of what they eat. Then there's those of us who have put on a few pounds each year and now all of a sudden, nothing fits anymore. Whatever the case, you can lose the weight. It will take the right attitude, level of commitment and the right actions. Yes, there are plenty of diets and pills available to help you along the way. They aren't all bad, but do keep in mind that unless permanent lifestyle changes are made, the weight will come back when you stop the diets and the pills.

Diets and Pills

There are almost as many weight loss methods and diet pills available as there are people who want to lose weight.

There are diet pills that stop your hunger so you eat less and burn more fat. There are diet pills that cause the body not to metabolize all the food you eat, so it's passed out of your system and not stored as fat. Then there's the combination of these two. As you begin your search for the perfect diet pill, be careful as some can have harmful effects on your body.

Diet Pills work by shifting levels of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that control satiety (fullness) and desire for food. Some also slightly increase your metabolic rate - the rate at which your body burns calories.

Examples of weight loss diet pills include:

Diethylpropion hydrochloride (eg. Tenuate)
Mazindol (eg. Mazanor, Sanorex)
Phendimetrazine tartrate (eg. Bontril)
Phentermine hydrochloride (eg. Adipex-P, Ionamin)

All these can be used to help with weight loss. Be careful of pills containing ephedra, or caffeine. These can have negative and sometimes even deadly effects on the body. Use with caution.

Three Steps

Whatever method you choose to help you lose weight, here's three steps that will help.

Evaluate your situation and reasons behind the weight gain honestly. Sometimes it's difficult to accept the true facts about why we've gained weight, only by realizing and accepting the truth can you being to deal with it using a positive attitude.

Make sure your attitude is positive about the changes you make. Don't dread the changes or say things like I hate not eating the cake?. Instead whenever you have one of those kinds of thoughts think about how much happier you will be with your new slimmer body.

Visualize the positive effects your good actions are having. Get a mental image of the "new you." Whenever you're tempted not to be active or to eat the wrong things, picture the "new you" you will be if you overcome the temptation.

Don't believe the magical ads. You can't keep doing the same things, and expect something different to happen. You can use products to assist you with weight loss, but ultimately you must be in control for the weight to stay off without taking the diet pills.

Hilda Maria is a freelance writer with 5 children who knows the importance of a balanced diet for them. She enjoys providing useful knowledge about weight loss and regular exercise to her readers as well as to her children.

Why Many People Fail to Succeed

You are never a failure until you accept defeat as permanent and quit trying. Everyone faces defeat. It may be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block, depending o?n the mental attitude with which it is faced.

Very rarely do we find home business entrepreneurs succeed at their first attempt. o?ne has to learn through the school of hard knocks, before o?ne can emerge as a champion of success.

While failure forms the foundation for the building of success, we can shorten the route to our success by learning from the mistakes of other people. A smart person does not make the same mistake twice. A smarter person will learn from the mistakes of others!

Let us examine why most people fail in their work at home business

1. Selecting the right Business

We reap what we sow. We need to find fertile land before we sow the seed of our efforts, but o?nce we have found an opportunity that suits us, we should not uproot the seed and keep planting from o?ne field to another. The investment of our efforts takes time to set root and give the fruits that we desire.

It is important to research the right opportunity before we commit ourselves. Many people realise all too late that the business they have got involved with is not the ideal marriage partner, but they try stick it out anyway, o?nly to find that a divorce is inevitable down the roa ! That is why o?ne has to exercise due diligence before selecting a work at home business, fortunately, its not as difficult as selecting a marriage partner!

If you are with a stable business that has been around for over three years, has a good compensation plan and growing membership, you should be fine.

2. Attitude

People who fail in a work at home business usually tend to have the wrong attitude. They expect to build a business without putting in the required effort. Attitude is everything. We are what we think we are. The power of positive thinking is what breeds success. Nothing is Impossible unless you think it is. The habitual inclination of your thoughts determines your talents and your personality. If you find yourself dwelling o?n negative thoughts, you need to think them away by replacing them with positive constructive thoughts. Success comes to people with a win win attitude, who see the opportunity in every problem.

3. Persistence

Most people give up too early. People can enter and exit a home business as and when they like because o?nline business programs are easy to join, and most of them require no upfront investment. If you are o?nly kicking the tires, testing the waters, then it is fine to move o?n if you do not feel suited to a particular business. But o?nce you commit yourself, you should act like you have invested thousands of dollars in your business and treat your business that way. It may take a few months to even a couple of years but if you persist with the right business opportunity, you cannot fail.

Other Factors that leads to failure may be

- Wrong or misleading information

- Lack of Clear Directions

- Lack of Support from uppline

- Lack of money to invest in your business

- Lack of technical knowledge to build and manage your website

- Lack of time to run your business

- Products are not selling

- Fear of Rejection

But know this, all these are secondary reasons, or rather excuses for failure. With the right attitude and persistence, all of these factors can be easily overcome. Examine any person who has failed in an o?nline business and you will find that either they were with the wrong company, or had the wrong attitude or lacked persistence.

Now that you know the exact recipe for failure, you should be able to create your success. The right business worked with a positive attitude will eventually lead to success when there is persistence.

Remember that failures are o?nly stepping stones to success, if you fall a few times, just get up, dust yourself, and be o?n your way. When a child is learning to walk it will have to fall few times,

One has to fail, to succeed in a work at home business. With the right attitude, o?ne cannot fail to succeed in a work at home business. Now Read that o?nce again!

This article may be reproduced provided the authors name and website are included.

Mufad is the founder of the popular Work at Home Community website Biz-Whiz.com that features free membership, home business articles, ebooks and a discussion forum. Become a Member of the Biz-Whiz.com Work at Home Community today.

How To Accept Credit Cards

If you plan to do business online, then your website will need to accept credit cards. For many, the idea of applying for a merchant account sounds like a daunting task, but the truth is that building an online store is incredibly easy these days. The major credit card processing companies have improved and streamlined the process of setting up accounts, and software companies have had several years to improve their software to the point that it is easy for non-technical business owners to create and operate an online store effectively.

3rd Party Processors ? The inexpensive way to start For the beginning web entrepreneur, the most important issue in credit card processing is how much product you think you can realistically sell in a month. If you are selling less than $1000 per month, then you will want to go with a "third-party processor". PayPal is the most widely known and reputable third party processor, and you can easily set up an account with them.

Unlike traditional merchant accounts, PayPal accounts are free to set up and cost nothing on a monthly basis. You will pay more per transaction with PayPal than you would with a traditional merchant account, but for low-volume start-up businesses making less than $1000 per month, you will gladly choose higher transaction costs over account set-up fees, monthly account fees, minimum charges, interchange fees, gateway fees, and perhaps worst of all, account cancellation fees (just to name a few).

Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A PayPal Account

• Bank Account ? you will need a bank account for PayPal to deposit your funds into.
• Apply for a PayPal Account

Traditional Merchant Accounts If your processing volume will be higher than $1000 per month, then you will probably want to go with a traditional merchant account. Credit card processing companies generally charge a minimum monthly fee that is approximately equal to the amount of money you would pay to process $1000 per month. Generally speaking you can expect to pay around $50 per month in minimum charges for a merchant account. As you process more, your costs will go up, but the percentage of your gross sales that you pay for processing should go down.

Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A Traditional Merchant Account It is not difficult to set up a traditional merchant account, but you will need to follow several steps in order to pull it off.

• Get a business license
• Get a business bank account at your bank
• Make sure your web host supports your shopping cart system (you might even be able to get your shopping cart system bundled in with your credit card processing services for free).
• Try to determine the amount of business you will generate. Your credit card processing company will want to know how large each transaction will be, and how many transactions you expect to have per month.
• Negotiate with merchant account providers and establish your merchant credit card account (see list of merchant account providers).

Following are several merchant account providers you may be interested in contacting:

• www.paypal.com PayPal allows you to accept payments instantly without the need to set up special accounts or sign long-term contracts. You will want to strongly consider using this one if you are processing less than $1000 per month.
• www.totalmerchantservices.com Total Merchant Services is one of the largest resellers of merchant accounts both on and offline, and are trusted by literally tens of thousands of businesses of all sizes. They use First Data as their back-end processor.
• www.merchantexpress.com This is a well-respected processor that services both on and offline businesses.
• www.expandyourbusiness.com CardService International provides a very helpful eBook that you can download for free

Some Issues You Want To Consider

• Generally speaking you will be more concerned with up-front and recurring fees rather than the discount rate that processing companies will quote most prominently. The hidden fees generally eclipse the discount rates ? especially for low volume start-up businesses.
• Try to accurately estimate your business volume when you fill out your applications. The risk department at your processing company can put a freeze on your account if your volumes move significantly outside the estimates you have provided them.
• If you do experience a sudden spike in orders, you should contact the risk department of your processing company to make them aware of the spike BEFORE it hits their system. They may want to have you send them details about the orders and provide proof that the orders are legitimate. As inconvenient as this is, it is far better than getting your account frozen.
• Make sure you understand what fees you will be responsible for if you need to cancel your account before the end of your contract. You may find that you need to shut down your account for a variety of reasons, and you don't want to find out about exit fees after you get the bill!

In conclusion, you should start off your search for credit card processing by making a realistic estimate of your processing needs. If you believe you will be processing less than $1000 per month, then you will probably want to work with a third-party processor like PayPal. If you will be processing more than $1000 per month then you will want to work with a traditional credit card processing company (see list of processors above). You should be more concerned with upfront and recurring fees than with the discount rate. Once you have selected a processing company, you will want to make sure you have your business license and business bank account. Finally, you will need to make sure that your shopping cart system supports your processing company.

Mr. Coers specializes in helping entrepreneurs build effective web businesses. His website, http://www.profitchoice.com contains useful articles and "how-to" guides to help organizations build their brands and sell more effectively.

If you still have questions about Merchant Credit Card Accounts, you can access a free in-depth article on the subject here.

9 Myths About Being Single

More than 48% of US households are headed by unmarried individuals. The American Association for Single People projects that by 2010, 47.2% of adults will be unmarried. Being single does not mean being alone, nor does being in a couple for the holidays ensure happiness. Let's dispel some myths!

Myth #1: Single people are lonely at Christmas.

Reality: No moreso than anyone else. This is a projection of people who fear "being alone for the holidays," a fear of the unknown.

Myth #2: Single people need you to invite them over to your celebration.

Reality: Contrary to perceptions, single people are v. popular at Christmas, and we generally receive lots of invitations. If you want us over, we'd love to be invited, but would prefer it's because you like us, not because you think we need it.

Myth #3: Single people don't know what to do for the holidays.

Reality: On the contrary, we are used to planning our social lives actively, good at generating options, and used to making unilateral decisions. We're pros!

Myth #4: Single people are available to perform certain social tasks during the holiday celebration.

Reality: We like to be cherished guests. We don't like to be the steer among the bulls ? invited to get people who don't get along off of one another's throats. If you don't like your family and friends, why would we? "Can you come over and help out with Aunt Edna?" is not an invitation.

Myth #5: Single people are available to do certain physical tasks during the holiday celebration.

Reality: Nor is this an invitation: "It's John's in-laws and I want to impress them. Can you come over and help with the hors d'oeuvres?" As best-friend, yes; as the only working-guest, absolutely not.

Myth #6: Single people are misfits, outsiders.

Reality: On the contrary, most of us have highly developed Emotional Intelligence skills; that's the reason we get the 'rescue us' invitations! Outsiders? It's about half the adult world now. Take another look!

Myth #7: If a single person isn't part of a couple, or doesn't spend Christmas with a couple or family, they will be miserable.

Reality: Come on now. Is it so horrible to celebrate Christmas on a cruise to the Caribbean, coming back rested, tanned and relaxed?

Myth #8: The only "happy" way to spend the holidays is if you are a couple or part of a family.

Reality: If that were so, half the articles on the Internet this time of year wouldn't be about how to cope with the annual holiday dinner with the relatives, and the divorce rate in the US wouldn't be 50%.

Myth #9: Single people have "nowhere to go" for the holidays.

Reality: Nowhere to go? We have everywhere to go! I loved my years as Mrs. Santa. Now I'm on-the-go. I'm thinking about Germany this year. There are so many places to go I can't decide!!

In fact I have so many neat ideas for spending Christmas on-your-own, if you're stuck I'll give you a FREE coaching session.

About The Author

? Susan Dunn, MA Clinical Psychology, cEQc, The EQ Coach?, http://www.susandunn.cc. Coaching, teaching, training, and eBooks for your personal and professional development. Check out the best ebook library on the Internet - http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine. I train and certify EQ coaches. Email me for information on this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program.

Three Poems: The Monkey Man of Lima, Plus Two More

What Hides behind the Minute?

What hides behind the minute?
It seems, no one really knows;
How many times will we wakeup,
To count the minutes gone?

The rose was dead when I arrived;
The sword, was rusty and dull;
The window curtain was open,
And there was music in the hall.

Oh lovely minute, where art thou?
One, is not like the other-:
Whirling in an earthly orbit,
As the boundless world discovers.

#675 5/18/05 [at the bookstore caf?; Roseville, MN USA]

12) Vietnam: Shrapnel

Here under the ball of blood
In Vietnam, the moon rises
The battlefield reeks with flies-
I swear I'll come out in one piece,
Or die?

The air-is melting Hot!
The heavens vomit shrapnel out.
A towering inferno-
My helmet, ashes and stones
Shrapnel rips by my face
The ground shakes.

You know you're all alone
With the blast and heap of metal.
One dies today, trapped?
In the middle of the blast;
Two wounded!...

#671

The Monkey Man of Lima
[Miraflores]

Advance: He is the last of his breed, I do believe; the Monkey Man of Miraflores, Lima, Peru. Who winds his wooden music-box up, while the monkey dances, pulls out a slip with your fortune on it, from its drawer, and hands it to you; he is seventy-four years old, small framed and I confess, whenever I go to Lima, about once or twice a year, I look forward in visiting him; which he is normally in the park seven days a week, from about 2:30 to 9:00 PM. He vacations about three times a year for about two weeks each time.

I used him as a character in one of my previous books, "The Mumbler," and gave him a copy, as one of the artists did a water color painting for the cover of the book, of him, and his monkey, and his music-box. His son read the book to him, since it was in English, and not Spanish. He thought it quite the item.

I know he is getting up in age, and his back will not hold out forever, carrying that big wooden box on his back ((a belt tied around him and the box))this man of five-foot three, 110-pounds) with his monkey in it-which he has carried for 60-years-but until it does, until he retires, he is worth seeing, if one takes a trip that way, that is. Permit me to echo an almost lost tradition in the poem that follows, one I saw when I was a kid for a short time in Minnesota, and one that lives on in Lima, Peru, today, but may not tomorrow. #661; 5/14/05.

-I get a-thinking!
Thinking of the 'ol Monkey Man
In Miraflores Park-;
As he carries his heavy load:
A music-box and Monkey-
Down the road
On his aging, solid back;
Looking for his special spot!
Once found-he cares and feeds
His long-tailed monkey?
Then settles down.

-I get thinking!
Thinking how he waits for the curious
To entertain them;
For a solid-metal coin!...
Once given, he winds the music box
As the monkey dances about
And gives a slip out;
Always of good fortune.
A music-box and a Monkey-
Down the road he goes
Goes home at 9:00 PM
With his monkey, and friend.

Dennis Siluk, Poet and Author, his website is: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Network Marketing Business Tips: Put the Law of Average in Your Favor

Network marketing is a number game. The higher the number of people you speak to, the better you become, and the bigger your organisation becomes. When you speak to many people, you will get different sorts of rejections and objections. As long you keep learning from this objections, you will be able to turn any negative objections in your favour. The law of average will then start to apply.

If you do something often enough, a ratio will start to appear. The ratio increases as you practice even more. The ratio increases to a point where it remains constant.

For example, when you start to speak to prospects in network marketing business, it may take 20 prospects to get 1 who is interested in changing their life. That is a ratio of 1 in 20 people. As you practise even more, you get to a point where you will be able to get 2 out of 20. Then 3 out of 20, then 4. As you continue talking to more people, without letting rejections and objections hold you back, the ratio will continue to around 6 out of 20 people.

When you get to this level, nothing can stop your business being very successful. You will be on your way to reaching the top of success ladder. The important thing is that you should make up in number what you lack in skills. You don't have to worry about other business builders who have super sales or recruiting skills. Take time to learn from them but don't wish you were like them. You should make up in number what you lack in skills.

If the super salesman can get 18 out of 20 prospects and you can only get 2 out of 20, if you compete with the super salesman you can still beat him. How? You make up in number what you lack in skills by speaking to more people. If you speak to 100, you will get 20. You beat him.

You should always get your message out there. Don't prejudge anyone you should or should not speak to in this business, because you never know whose time is right to take a look at your business opportunity. Once someone's time is right, you will not need any special skills to convince them to see the opportunity that is lurking in network marketing business.

You should prepare different presentations for different situations and commit them to memory. You will need 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 1 hour business presentation scripts. You will have to commit them to memory because you will need to use the same scripts for everyone you appraoch. Don't make mistakes of trying to adjust your scripts to suit everyone. You never know what part of your presentation will get your prospect's attention. Use same business presentation for everyone. More important, repetition is the master of all skills.

Put the law of average in your favour. Speak to as many as possible daily. Speak to everyone no matter their status, you never know if the time is right in their life. Once you undestand that not everyone join network marketing business for the monetary benefits alone, you will have the right mindset to approach anyone no matter what you assume is their current financial status .

Get your message out there, talk to everyone, everywhere. You don't know who is looking for opportunity. If you get a NO, brush it off by saying...

"Some Will, Some Won't, So What? Because Somewhere Someone Is Always Waiting"

Free Network Marketing Tips Online
Author of Beginner's Guide To Network Marketing
Read my previous articles from here

A Perfect Partnership for Business

Too often we small business owners get caught up in our day-to-day bottom line, and miss the needs of the community outside our door. By doing this, we miss an opportunity to include "socially responsible marketing" -or sponsorship- in our yearly promotional plan. Sponsorship is a perfect collaboration, considering the similarities that entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations have in common. We are value-driven, highly motivated and creative risk takers, results-oriented and close to our clients. With this in mind, consider exploring sponsorship as a humanitarian duty, first and foremost, as well as an investment. This is a business investment or partnership between two parties, who work together for mutual benefit

Sponsorship can open cost-effective doors to target markets, and media that you or they may not be able to access on their own. It also creates an incredible opportunity for your business to boost an awareness of social issues that match your values and goals as an organization.

This leads to a valuable and exciting exercise for your company. Make a list of the values of your organization, as well as a list of the things that your organization does better than anyone else. Studying these two lists will lead you to the best organization with which you partner.

Refer to these lists when you approach or are approached by an organization which may fit your values criteria. This partnership needs to be based on an honest and clear commonality of goals and values. It is much bigger than just writing a cheque. Ask questions, lots of questions. Go and see what the organization does. Try to think of as many options for sponsorship as possible. Be creative when looking for events or campaigns that match you as an organization.

You can donate money, of course. But you can also donate products or services. This is usually known as a donation in kind. Can you involve clients, suppliers or staff? Are there resources, staff or office equipment that can be shared or given? Think of opportunities that will bring people through your doors. Or where people will be able to try your product or service. Is there a special promotional item that you can use in connection with the event/campaign? Where can you put your corporate image or phone number? Are there opportunities for potential business? Remember that you already have something in common: You are both supporters of the same organization. What a terrific way to begin a client relationship.

Once you have confidently selected a partner, throw yourself into it. Be passionate, be proud and, most importantly, be very clear. Outline in writing the details of promotion, money, image, description and responsibilities, all with time lines attached. Evaluation is an important thing which could be included here.

Above all else, you want to create a positive experience that eventually will lead to other partnerships. These first steps are the beginning of a community relations or fundraising policy as your company grows.

There are many examples of excellent sponsorships. Take a look around you and see if anything catches your eye. Entrepreneurs and small business people are resourceful and always looking for opportunities for additional profile and revenue. Sharing a mailing, donating goodies to be handed out, giving children a small toy, promoting a food bank or a free meal program, buying an ad in a theatre program-all are useful to the community in which we entrepreneurs do business.

Lastly, remember that sponsorship acts as a lubricant to the goals, values and promotion plan that you have in place. It is meant to compliment, not replace, the promotion that your company already has planned. People will not necessarily buy your product or service because they saw your name/logo as a sponsor on a T-shirt. But they may buy something from you if they saw your name/logo on a number of different promotional items.

Philanthropy is the love of those around us. This in mind, you are invited to attempt to embrace this principle through sponsorship of events or campaigns that affect you and the people around you. But be prepared, and be clear of your values and goals. A partnership is a serious commitment and is not for the lighthearted. Walt Whitman said it well: "When I give, I give myself."

Sponsorship then might be a perfect partnership for small business. It can be one of the most valuable tools available to create revenue, profile, goodwill and relationship building-and it may be far more meaningful than just a "charity" money exchange.

Presented by Mari-Lyn Hudson of Heart@Work The Business Development Group. You can reach her at: 1-866-667-0166 or kindnessinc@myway.com