having fought the battle of the bulge all my life I know a little about it. Have a plan for your life and write it down. Include a health plan. You MUST KNOW that God the creator of the universe loves YOU so it is ok to love your self. Love is a decision not a feeling so do not follow your feelings for you can get off track so follow the roadmap you have set for your life. Get to know God through his word in the good times so they are your anchor in the tuff times. It is no good trying to build spiritual muscle when you are in a life and death strugle cos it don't work. Build muscle in the good times and they will sustain you in the tuff times. Jesus said "My word is spirit and it is life to them that find it". Become an encourager and encourage yourself for an aginners atract depresion not positive atitudes. eg I can do All things through Christ WHO strengthens me for with God nothing is impossible, never ever say "I can't" for that word kills.
How do you eat an elephant "one bite at a time" . Rome wasn't built in a day. A holistic aproach to life works diets don't. Unless God builds our life we labour in vain. Old habits die hard and lead to death, balance in all areas of life is esential. People perish from lack of knowledge so get educated in life skills. Religion is not life. Jesus is life and he called the religious white washed walls. Pretty on the outside but rotten inside. It is not to run fastest that counts but finishing the race. Your final destination is who YOU chose to follow so don't Blame God develop a thankfull heart in all things.

Foxy,
Are you boasting you foxy thing you? ;-)
I seem to remember you telling us you go running every day and were, well, foxy. :-\

As for me I'm not that sure that it's all that simple as your head line suggests.
I agree that is the sequence but is it cause and effect?

when I got married I was indeed thinner, however, there were a number of evens that may also be described as causal factors.

Life style changes;
- regular meals, 3 squares instead of perhaps 3 in two days.
- throw in birthday cakes, deserts etc for the children's benefit.
- stopping of bar being a fly less vitamin Chivas Regal (scotch)
- Financial responsibility/set backs.
*7 yrs in - Giving up smoking for the benefit of the family (me incl.)
*12 years in - Greater business pressures
*16 years in - on going Medical issues
- sea change 10 years ago. PS I now drink my own German style beer. beer
*2years ago- finally cancer and arthritis meant limited physical activity.

My weight gains were incremental and can be correlated to about the '*' timings.
As stated I'm about 7KG overweight! :-(

I guess my point is that I seen many people put on pounds after marriage, but, on closer examination the causal factors are lifestyle changes and other issues.

I'm not saying that the findings are incorrect, just that they are statistical and in my demented mind, not necessarily bullet proof.
Or am I just....a......denialist? (yuk) Oh the shame! Woe is me! ;-)

Thanks for your excellent inputs.

Dear Herman,

When you mentioned Italian women - I immediately
thought of the beauties of the past eras - women
like Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren, Isabella
Rossellini to mention just three.

However, you've got the current bevy of beauties -
the exquisite Monica Bellucci (Mary Magdalene in
Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."). She's
also the face of "Dior." Then there's the magnificent
Elisabetta Canalis - who's captured the heart of
George Clooney. Of course there's Carla Bruni Sarkozy -
wife of the French President. And we have our very own -
Carla Zampatti, Tina Arena, Natalie Imbruglia ...

I guess it's in the genes perhaps?
Not everyone inherits from their mamas.

Dear Yabster,

I've been reading Labels for quite some time -
checking the ingredient list and the fat, sugar,
and salt contents. I haven't actually written to
anyone yet - but it's an excellent idea.

Dear walk with me,

It sounds as though your daughter has things
under control. Merry Christmas to you and your family,
and may the New Year bring you many Happy Days!

Dear Richie,

Thank You for sharing your thoughts. A health plan
is the best of all concepts - all we need is the
will to succeed.

Dear Examinator,

Of course I'm boasting... got your attention didn't it?
(giggle).

Seriously though, you're right (as always, damn it!). Lifestyle
changes do have a tremendous impact on a person's weight
and well being. I remember when we sailed to the US - those
weeks at sea had devastating results.

Frankly I wouldn't want to be too thin - I notice when visiting
relatives in Aged Care Facilities - the people that are very
fragile are the very thin ones - they tend to become almost
bird-like and very frail. The ones with a bit of weight tend
to have a softness about them and they also look healthier.

With eating and life-style - I guess its the old adage -
"Everything in Moderation!" (well, nearly everything, -
it's good to indulge in some things - sometimes - right?) ;-)

Dear Foxy,
That is where Jesus comes in for he is the saviour of our soul which is our mind, will, Interlect and emotions for in our weekness we have access to his strength. That is why he taught us to pray "not my will but thine be done help us to resist temptation" It has taken me 30 years to get a rudamentry grasp of Gods word even with the Holy Spirits help. I was a loner and didn't trust so as a result I was a slow learner. After 2 strokes I now have a health plan . I guess I am a bit slow but better late than never.

Thank you Richie, your time is always valued. The world as one, we will wait for commonsense for all concerned, religious or not. Foxy. The elderly also must keep health in check, and Xmas is a great time to go and see your grandmother and father in this time of all you can eat, and your post is of great reality in any-ones sense of joyful times and I share them with you.
So after the peaceful time has past, back to the tread-mill for all of us.

Again. Your heart is always something special. And yes, you too.

Dear Ritchie,

I agree - prayer is a gracious act - it honours not
only those that pray but also those that you pray for.
As the writer Marianne Williamson said,
"No conventional therapy can release us from a deep
and abiding psychic pain. Through prayer we find what
we cannot find elsewhere, a peace that is not of this
world."

Our family recently suffered the pain of
the death of a family member. Prayer certainly helped
us to cope.

Dear walk with me,

At our home - the feast of Christmas
is always preceded by four weeks
of Advent, a period of "fasting and contemplation."
"Kucios" or Christmas Eve, is the last day of fasting,
followed by a sumptuous meal.

No less that 12 dishes must be served at this special
Christmas Eve meal (predominantly sea-food)
beginning with the recitation of
Grace and the breaking of a special unleavened wafer,
called "Plotkele." This wafer, blessed by the Parish
Priest, (Lithuanian), is shared by all at the table
signifying a spirit of unity.

I'll have my mother and my mother-in-law (ages - 8os and
90s) say Grace. I do all the cooking Christmas Eve, as well
as for the Traditional
Christmas Day Lunch (again at our home).
I'll keep up this tradition for as long as
I'm able.

I'm sorry to hear about your strokes - but very glad that
you've survived them. My step-father wasn't as lucky.
He lost his power of speech and was partially paralysed
down his right side after one of his strokes - then he
continued to have seizures - until he finally passed
away in September of this year.

A health plan is an excellent idea.