Health Expert Whitney shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/645465/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/645465/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/645465/index http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/111328/cravings Tue, 11 May 2010 13:30:00 -0400 Whitney I've reached a milestone in my weight loss progression: I've lost 10 pounds! The big 1-0 is pretty significant, not just because it feels like a "real" number that I will be proud to share with friends and family, but also because I'm a lot closer to losing 10 percent of my starting body weight. For anyone who has a big number of pounds to shed, focusing on the total number can be daunting. I knew that this was so for me, as I've unsuccessfully... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/111328/cravings http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/110195/clothing Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:57:00 -0400 Whitney Success! When I weighed myself over the weekend, the scale stubbornly only showed an 8-pound total weight loss. Not bad, but after three months of work, I definitely wanted more. But, I'm completely motivated and energized not by the number on the scale, but by what happened over the weekend when I went shopping for "career clothes." Unlike a lot of women with weight problems, I've always loved shopping, but recently the disappointment that... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/110195/clothing http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/109078/happy-sick Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:19:00 -0400 Whitney I'm now 100 percent certain of what people mean when they say that God laughs when people make plans. A week after returning from New Orleans and literally getting back in the saddle of exercising and eating right, I came down with what is sure to be the worst case of mysterious spring flu-like illness known to man. Being one of the millions of uninsured Americans, I ignored my instinct to seek medical care after I came down with a sore... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/109078/happy-sick http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/107248/beignets Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:26:00 -0400 Whitney These last few days back in Maryland have been hard. H.A.R.D! I miss the sunshine and laid-back feel of New Orleans. Back home, it's been a lot of work and trying to get back on track. Last week, I was slightly dismayed that my five-pound weight loss had plummeted to only three after a week and a half in the Big Easy. I figured it was probably a fluke, but when I weighed myself again the scale read the same. Bummer.   I really wanted to... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/107248/beignets http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/106471/avoiding Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:06:00 -0400 Whitney A better woman would have a better report from The Big Easy. Apparently, I'm not that woman, since I just weighed myself and not only did I not lose a pound this week, but I may have gained one back (I'm not sure if my weight is fluctuating, so I'll weigh again tomorrow). And, honestly, I'm not surprised after the free-for-all food feast I've participated in since landing in New Orleans for a 10-day business trip. Before I got here, I... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/106471/avoiding http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/105513/reducing Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:51:00 -0500 Whitney Weight loss this week? A pound. Yep, one seems to be my lucky number since I haven't been able to lose more than one pound each week for a while now. But after getting lots of encouragement from friends and family (and a great commenter on this blog), I'm happy with what I've accomplished so far. For new readers, my first post spoke about what I like to call my "long and glorious failed diet track record." In the past, I've never been able to... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/105513/reducing http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/104658/happy-week Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:29:00 -0500 Whitney When I weighed myself over the weekend, all I could do was sigh. I was one extra pound down, which brought my total to four pounds...in five weeks. After a month of re-structuring my diet, eliminating fast food and sugary drinks, cooking at home and being more active, the only thing I had to show for it were four measly pounds. I've heard of people's weight loss plateauing after initial success, but those people were normally months into... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/104658/happy-week http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/103617/happy-snow Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:15:00 -0500 Whitney Between last week's binge and this week's apocalyptic Washington, D.C. blizzard that forced me inside for six days straight, I was surprised when I got up this morning to see that I hadn't gained the two pounds I'd previously lost back. I was even more surprised to see that I was a whole other pound down. Yay!But, while I'm thrilled that some of the habits I've developed over the past three weeks have stuck and paid off, I honestly don't have... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/103617/happy-snow http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/102887/battle Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:50:00 -0500 Whitney This week started out great. I was on a high from my earlier fitness achievements, content to eat at home each day and do Yoga Burn DVDs each night. And for the first few days since I last posted, I did this, averaging about 1500 calories a day, feeling wonderful. Then disaster struck. Tuesday brought a very tight, impossible work deadline. Wednesday brought another. Thursday meant a little bit of a break, but with news of a snowstorm enveloping... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/102887/battle http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/102316/homemade Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0500 Whitney Big News: I lost two pounds this week! It only lowers my body mass index (BMI) a measly by a measly .4 points, but it's definitely a start. After last week's diet and fitness experimentation I really got serious this week, at least on the diet front. I decided that my major calorie, fat and sodium culprit was fast food. Even non-greasy, "fresh" food from restaurants and take-out joints is much more salty than the stuff you can make at home (read... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/645465/102316/homemade