Marlene Speaks

Cell Phones and Intelligence

2009-04-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is my day to take out my dislike for the tax code on stupid advertising. Since my taxes are done and mailed and I no longer have to kick the cat I can concentrate on other items that raised my eyebrows.

Intelligent Design: now I understand intelligent design in the since of science and what is said about intelligent design at Wikipedia with all 245 Reference notes. I understand that intelligent design in also mentioned in science fiction supposedly something that looks human but only learns as it goes; such as an android. I understand Daniel Goleman’s Social Intelligence; which is the new science of human relations. What I don’t understand and, is probably done for shock value only, was a headline regarding the winner of Project Runway, as she got down to work, it was titled…Intelligent Design. Models don’t even come close to intelligent design with their grand total of intelligence…they don’t make the cut. Maybe it is the dresses; to me there never has been anything intelligent in the design of the Mod Look. Designers may be good in business with help but don’t come close to the ID that is talked about in Wikipedia. To me in fashion design: Intelligent Design would be the ability to make a pair of 3-4 inch heels that are fashion forward, great color and NEVER hurt your feet no matter how long they are worn. Now THAT would be intelligent design in the fashion sense!

Since I talked about tax day, I have decided that the Dior add for a cell phone is a little much, but I am sure the sales tax on that item would pay the tax bill of many. This little gadget just didn’t make any since for a CELL PHONE. Now we all know how we treat our little gadgets of wonder. We throw them in pocket filled with junk or at the bottom of a purse. We lose them. We get mad and throw them across the room and we drop them…sometimes in the toilet. They have become a…can’t do without them gadget that sometimes we lose. Then how can anyone of any intelligence (there is that word again with fashion) possible purchase one with 641 diamonds on the case and a sapphire crystal??? And they call it an Intelligent Jewel! (There is that word again) Wow talk about branding! http://www.diorphone.com/ I would like a Q or Black Berry in a great color…maybe purple but diamonds? Can you imagine walking anywhere in New York City with that in your purse?? Of course people who purchase those phones never walk anywhere!

Remember… the new watch word for the fashion world is: Intelligent…

I AM SO READY FOR SPRING

2009-03-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

What a treat it was to get the new Macy’s catalogue for spring titled Welcome Back Color! A wonderfully eye catching bright pink with a color spectrum slashed across the final page. What a breath of fresh spring air. I am so looking forward to spring now. Everyone needs the color that Macy’s is putting forth on its front cover. Looking at some of the other magazines of fashion they seem to be stuck in the same color doldrums.

With these colors I can see business coming back to that store. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by spring? The colors just pop off the clothes, handbags and shoes…ah yes the shoes. The styles are taking even us boomers into consideration.

Let’s be serious for a moment. The pricing is what it is all about right now. I was reading some information the other day on a book about women and sales in the U.S. We move that market and it is in much better shape than the one the men are in charge of.

Vogue tells us to splurge on a great pair of green shoes for only $1795.00. Whereas this catalogue has similar looking, in many more colors, averaging under $200 shoes. To me that would mean that if I wanted I could actually get 9 or10 pairs (Yahoo) for about the same price as that one green pair. Besides…they are on my feet and I don’t care whose name I walk on!! Shoes should be fun to look at, fun to wear and priced so you can have more than one or two pairs!

Color is something that I believe humans need to live. Recently when I redid my office, I wanted COLOR! Yellow on the walls makes every morning, when I come into the office, a happy morning. We should be putting color into our lives as often as possible. After such a long time of brown, gray and muted colors on everything I say bring the color in and make it BRIGHT!! If you can’t wear a certain color around your face…put it on your feet, carry it as a handbag, wear it as a bangle. If it makes you happy find a way. I really enjoy hot pink. However with my red hair hot pink next to my face makes your eyes hurt. Last summer I found a handbag in hot pink that I loved and got it. I got so many complements and enjoyed carrying it because the color makes me happy.

Surround yourself with colors that make you happy and feel good. Pass on your happiness to others…it will spread like the flu…makes you feel much better and lasts much longer.

Ah Yes I am ready for SPRING!

The First Male Interview for This Blog-- its great!

2008-11-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Today I am bringing you Nick Nanton, half of the agency called Dicks & Nanton Agency. An interesting business in Florida. How they started, what they do and what I like, they believe that almost anyone can be made into a celebrity for business growth. Great concept and this is a great interview.

1. Both you and your partner in your agency; Dicks & Nanton Agency, are lawyers but now it seems to be in the marketing business. Can you tell us how you meet and started the agency?

Well, Jack and I are both lawyers, but we also both happen to be serial entrepreneurs, which led us to marketing. Between the two of us we have directed the sales and marketing campaigns of products that have had over half a billion dollars in sales.

It’s a funny story of fate how we met. We actually met when I was in high school when my cousin dated his daughter. I wasn’t sure what he did, although I knew he was a lawyer, but we got to know each other casually. Then about 10 years later a good friend of mine in college married into the family and I reconnected with him. We started working on some projects together and over time found that we were a great team.

2. Now are you a talent agency or a marketing agency or are you carving out a new type agency niche?

Actually it’s a new kind of agency altogether. It’s a Celebrity Branding™ Agency. We coach people on how to become Celebrities and Gurus to their market segment and then we represent them and work with them to build their business and their income streams through various business structures like licensing and franchising.

3. For your unique type of business where does all the talent come from you, your partner or do you have that unique type of blend of talents? Tell us about what your talents are?
We both have similar talents of seeing how to build a Celebrity Driven business, but when you get down into the fine details we have a very complimentary skill set.

My talent is engaging people to learn what they can offer the general public and what the general public will accept from them. It’s very similar to my past as a talent manager and producer in the music business. You start with a piece of clay at some stage of the process and then you work with it to make it the best it can be. You can’t turn it into another material, or make it take on characteristics that don’t exist, but you can help it turn into the best end product it can be. I have an extensive background in television, graphics, event and audio production so I often create the “show” for our clients—how to present them to an audience in an entertaining and informative way.

Jack is truly a master at most everything. He can shape shift to meet any challenge. But I would say his greatest skill is monitoring the way money flows in any market and helping the client hop in the stream of cash flow in a way that makes sense for them personally, but still stays relevant to where the money is. He can help any client find multiple income streams that they never knew existed.

4. From what I have read, in doing what you do, it sounds like at times you do a complete make-over of the look of the business or do you just pick certain parts of the business that need real help?

It can be either. We can help at any stage. But we often do help people start from scratch. We work with clients from “Broke to $4 Billion” in annual revenue, so it really does span a very wide range.

5. The way that I discovered you was via a mailed out newsletter. Many entrepreneurs wonder if a mailed newsletter would bring them any business. How has your newsletter worked for the agency?

A hard-copy “snail mail” newsletter is the best business building strategy for any business and it has been for years. It has worked amazingly well for our business and our clients. People perceive something they get in the mail so much differently than they do an email newsletter. The email newsletter often falls prey to a mailbox full of personal tasks that must be responded to, so an informative piece of information that does not require a response usually gets deleted in order to make time for the messages that must be responded to. The email newsletter is essentially a pest that is exterminated, not that they don’t have their place because they do and we use them all the time, but I’m just saying that’s the real weakness of an email newsletter.
A hard copy newsletter on the other hand is usually one of the gems someone gets in their mailbox at home. Most people don’t get much real correspondence via us postal service, in contrast they get junk mail and bills. A newsletter that can actually help the person receiving it will move to the top of the pile over the other items, if nothing else, because of the contrast to the other items in the mailbox.

6. You say that if your website is not making you money it should be. Can you explain that statement…do you think every site should be a money machine?

By making you money we don’t always mean that it should literally have a credit card terminal that collects money 24 hours a day, although we never mind that! We mean that it should be generating warm prospects for you and your business and then you can use whatever the best process is for your business to convert those leads into dollars. Warm leads are worth dollars and ultimately lead to you making money. So we think your website should be put to work in the online world to bring visitors to you and help you with at least the first step of the process by turning visitors into warm leads who “raise their hand” for more information on you, your products and services. From that point on your correspondence turns from “unwelcome pest” to “welcome guest” because the prospect requested the information from you, rather than you just cold calling them or sending them unsolicited marketing materials.

7. Do I understand this right? You take someone and marketing them to become a celebrity then you teach them how to broaden their horizons with your legal knowledge?

I prefer to explain it this way: we take people and help them create celebrity status in their niche by generating a buzz and then we help them monetize their celebrity status into multiple income streams through capitalizing on their talents and expertise. We use legal structures and strategies to make these businesses operate at the highest level while protecting their assets.

8. Both you and your partner (JW) are also in something that is very new it is called Kennedys Barber Club. Tell us where the idea came from and how does a Barber Club Work?

Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club™ is a really unique concept that we founded with a couple of our other business partners. We believe that at the core of every business should be what we like to call “Continuity Income.” In other words, the business should generate automatic income on a continuous basis from the same customers. Memberships are a really great illustration of this. In most cases, when you join a gym or health club, you don’t pay a one-time fee to attend for the day, instead they get you to pay monthly for access. They get money from you every month, not only when you come in. We believe every business should have this philosophy and we have built it into every business we have, from our online marketing and PR agency http://www.celebritysites.com/ to our law firm and Celebrity Branding™ agency.

Continuity income can be created in any business with a little creativity. We even know a funeral home director who has added continuity to his business! And it really helps businesses to grow and thrive. Instead of having to go out and compete for the same number of dollars every month, all you have to do is go out and try to grow by getting a few more dollars. Some people will stop paying, move, change their minds or whatever, but for the most part if you can retain a % of your customers, you are already ahead of most businesses that have to re-convince their customers every month just to keep the doors open. Also, when you get someone to take on a monthly bill, they mentally add it to their “overhead” and move on. When you get into the “overhead” category of spending you move from discretionary spending to mandatory spending. At some time you could be removed from the mandatory spending, or “overhead,” category, but the point is it’s a mental switch that the customer doesn’t usually re-address every month unless they are having difficulties keeping up with their personal spending.

If you can get customers paying you monthly, and then bring in more customers every month, you now have a formula that will help you to grow quickly.

Kennedy’s™ is built around the concept of memberships and continuity income, but the reason it works is because we have taken a very mundane, necessary experience for most men and have turned it into a luxurious, even fun, experience. Men go to Kennedy’s for haircuts, straight-razor shaves, great conversation with other like-minded gentlemen and most of all they don’t have to deal with the discomfort of attending a women’s salon. Women’s salons just aren’t a great fit for most men, but that doesn’t mean that they want to go to “chop shops” either. We really saw a gap in the market between what the mass affluent (upper middle class) guy is looking for and what the market was offering, so we set out to create a concept that would fill the void. And so far it’s working out great! We are now franchising and expect to grow exponentially in 2009. You can learn more by visiting http://www.kennedysbarberclub.com/

Didn't I tell you this would be great!
Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

P.S. Let me know what you think of interviewing men on the blog.

Things Are Changing

2008-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Things are changing right here on my Blog. Let me tell you why. I have been receiving many emails from men asking me why I don't interview them on the radio. At first I said Duh…look at the name of the show guys that should be a big hint. Then one bright fellow said, you know we have good information too. Which made me stop and think what are we missing?

We (meaning us women) don't want to miss anything. That includes great information. That is the reason that I have decided to interview men in print on my blog. Now that doesn't mean that I won't put my two cents in on fashion and other things from time to time but I want to bring you my loyal readers well rounded information that we can all use.

The first one will be posted later this week, when I Interview Nick Naton from an interesting company that does what they call Celebrity Branding on almost anyone.

Information you can use!
Looking at a changing world

I will be looking for feedback on all the interviews from all of you. The more feedback the better. Now I am looking for men to interview. Men with information that will help us in what we want to do. So if you know any, email me at drmarlenebbs@gmail.com

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Funny and Oh so True!

2008-10-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I must admit this isn’t what I normally talk about. But many things are changing and since I was caught off guard with this great story I just couldn't help but share it. This was sent to me by a friend. (Thanks Cin) You will love this one.

A Michigan woman and her family were vacationing in a small New
Only women of a certain era will fully appreciate this.... True story.
(If you don't understand this, tell your mother, she'll get it!)England town where

Paul Newman and his family often visited. One Sunday morning, the woman got up early to take a long walk.
After a brisk five-mile hike, she decided to treat herself to a double-dip chocolate ice cream cone.She hopped in the car, drove to the center of the village and went straight to the combination bakery/ice cream parlor.

There was only one other patron in the store: Paul Newman, sitting at the counter having a doughnut and coffee.

The woman's heart skipped a beat as her eyes made contact with those famous baby-blue eyes.
The actor nodded graciously and the star struck woman smiled demurely.
Pull yourself together! She chides herself.

You're a happily married woman with three children; you're forty-five years old, not a teenager! The clerk filled her order and she took the double-dip chocolate ice cream cone in one hand and her change in the other.

Then she went out the door, avoiding even a glance in Paul Newman's direction.When she reached her car, she realized that she had a handful of change but her other hand was empty.
Where's my ice cream cone? Did I leave it in the store?

Back into the shop she went, expecting to see the cone still in the clerk's hand or in a holder on the counter or something! No ice cream cone was in sight... With that, she happened to look over at Paul Newman.His face broke into his familiar, warm, friendly grin and he said to the woman,
'You put it in your purse.'

I must admit that I laughed and laughed at this one. And oh how true it is something like this can happen. How do I know. Let me tell you a small story of mine.

Being a look-alike is fun. As I tell everyone in interviews…it gets you great seats in restaurants.

But sometimes it gets you more.

During one of those occasions I was driving back from a television show on look-alikes. Yes I was in my full make-up as Carol Burnet; which isn’t much. I was stopped at a light and I was the only car at that light. As I waited for a pedestrian to cross the street; I felt I was being watch. You know that feeling.

As I looked up at the pedestrian I found where that feeling was coming from. He was walking directly at me smiling and staring. Directly at me was actually directly at the car. I tried to warn him but he thought I was waving at him and he smiled bigger and waved back and promptly ran into and fell on the front of my car. I have to admit I had to snicker.

I rolled down my window and asked if he was okay, and he just smiled, put his head down and kept on walking. I wanted to tell him I wasn’t her…but thought better of it as it would have made his embarrassment worse.

I get just a tiny taste of what celebrities go through and you know I do feel sorry for them from time to time. Until I talked to a real paparazzi one time….but that story is for another day.

We are going to be talking about a movie franchise that has lasted for over 40 years. James Bond on the show Amazing Women brains, beauty and style this Wednesday. Don’t miss the show live http://www.marlenesiersema.com/ just click on the E-card. Read more about the show on http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ .

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Colors for Fall & Image Stylists

2008-09-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

I am observing the new colors for fall and it seems many of the designers are getting stuck in a rut. Many of the colors have that gray undertone again. For many gray is not one of the best colors to bring out skin tones. Like black, gray seems to be a ‘safe’ color and many designers think that like black everyone can wear it. That simple is not true. Gray is one of those colors that needs just the right person and attitude to wear.

For many years it seems that workout clothes only came in black and heather gray. Because of that many women think that gray is a great color. Just remember that heather gray has lots of white mixed in.

Try this when you are shopping and pick up one of the new colors for fall. Wear or throw something into your purse that makes you skin look wonderful. Then, you have a reference point for the new colors. Then while you are looking stop in front of that all important mirror and take those new colors and hold them up to your face covering all of what you are wearing. Wait about 5 seconds and see what happens. Pick several places on your face that are problem areas. Circles under eyes, veins, we all those areas now see what happens. If they suddenly “pop” into view…be careful. Now take the new color down and see what happens…if you see a change…put it back…yes I know that it is hard to do but…you may not wear it more than once and that would be a waste of money. However, if there isn’t any change you may have a great new piece to add to your wardrobe.

Not to many months ago I was talking with a stylist to be on my show. We had set the date and were having a conversation on the color and industry and what was popular. I told her about my book Marketing’s Silent Language. How I looked at color from a scientific standpoint. That color likes and dislikes were buried in our DNA and visually actually depended upon a person’s skin undertones and the colors in a person’s eyes. I ended the conversation with: the show was going to be great as we have different views on color… two days later she cancelled being on the show.

That made me wonder…are some stylists there to make you look great or to push what is the latest fashion trend? When I see many of the celebrities in clothing that makes them look awful, and most of the celebs use stylists I wonder what is going on. Are the stylists and the celebs getting compensation for looking awful? Don’t you wonder? Who is doing who a favor?

My philosophy on clothing…regardless of what is in fashion…if it doesn’t look right on my body…it doesn’t get purchased. The times that I have not stuck to that philosophy…that piece didn’t get used and/or is given away. I have turtle neck cashmere sweaters that are very old and are still warn year after year. Know your style, and know your best colors and stick with them.

I was watching a show on haute couture clothing. Incredible clothing with truly incredible prices! I remember one women’s statement. She had been buying couture clothing for many years. Because of her style, taste and color choices, items that were 20 years old could still be worn today. Think about that. How many of us can wear anything from 20 years ago. (Yes I know we have to fit into it first!) But short of jeans, do any of us have clothing that could still be worn in 20 years?

Maybe there is something to be said about timeless style and correct color choices after all.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

If you want to get your shape into better shape get my book:
The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com
How to change your thinking to keep, or get that shape you have always wanted and deserve. To learn more about color and how it affects you everyday life get one of the last copies of my book:
Marketing’s Silent Language at www.silentlanguage.com .

Feeling Good!

2008-09-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again…no not fall…political season. And everyone has an opinion. One such opinion came to me in an email this morning about Sarah Palin. This one was different; because it really wasn’t about her so much as it was about you. About feeling good and being happy and isn't that what life is really ment to be and all about?

So I am sharing this with all of you with the writer’s permission of course.

Sarah Palin Just Feels Good

Reagan called it “Morning in America”….that special sensation the country felt when they listened to this very positive man talk about them. They felt good. And that’s what is happening with Sarah Palin….she makes us feel good. Or more accurate, we let ourselves feel good when we listen to her.

We feel good about our country, even when we know it has flaws. We feel good about the government, knowing it really can change for the better. And most important, we feel good about ourselves, and that alone goes a long way towards changing everything, since we are the country.

Conditions don’t change for the better just because you sit around and complain about them…they actually get worse. Nor do they change when you rush to action while still focusing and complaining about the problem…again, they are forever perpetuated; merely observe any government program. Yet conditions change automatically when we all feel good. It really is the only condition that does bring about any lasting change.

There is a big difference between a government who wants to give you everything, and a government who knows you can handle things on your own. One says, “Here, let me do this thing for you because I see you cannot do it for yourself.” Not very empowering. The other says, “I have faith in you and I believe that you are capable of doing anything yourself.” Pretty good empowerment. And since everyone wants to feel empowered, which statement do you think resonates more with who we all truly wish to be?

Sarah Palin is a happy politician. Happy people are just more fun to be around. Think about the people you hang out with. Who’s more fun? The ones who sit around and complain about everything in their life; blaming everyone except themselves, or the happy ones who view even the worst of conditions with irreverent humor and smiles. One could be called a Gloomy Gus and the other a Pollyanna. Yet, Pollyannas are not only much more successful, they are way more fun to be around, because some of that happy optimism always rubs off on you….and it does feel good….as John McCain is discovering.

Many wish for this type of life. See how many movies and books are written about how to achieve feeling this way. A pure version of this is in the Disney movie Enchanted. Even New York couldn’t stop the happy heroine. Watch the movie with this in mind. Go to the library or book store section of self-help books. There are hundreds of thousands. Without reading a book maybe Sarah is just making us feel good about ourselves. Great concept!

Remember to listen to my show Amazing Women, brains, beauty & style the women I interview will also make you feel good that ordinary women can accomplish amazing things.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Radio show website is: www.amazingwomenbbs.com

Having Passion

2008-08-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Wow what a show I had Wednesday. Esther Gokhale was so informative. She was also so helpful off the air as well as on the air. We talked during the breaks and she wanted to know what she could do for me. What a wonderful lady. With small changes come big results. On the show she talked about stretch sitting and having the ‘behind’ end of the chair slightly higher than the front. I was fascinated with that way of sitting. It was just the opposite of what I had been doing. As soon as the show was over I changed my chair setting, it felt different at first….BUT before I went to bed I noticed the pain in my lower hip was gone. Yip gone! Up till then that was part of the back area that I could not fix. I also love the fact that she has fun stuff on her website. http://www.wellstackedback.com/ She has a passion to help people with back problems. Because she finally got it and she wants the world to know.

The same holds true for my guest, the week before, Annette Sym. She is a super lady who after a lifetime of being fat discovered that she could lose the weight with small changes that got big results. She did change the way she ate, because she liked food. What I can tell you is, off the air, Annette is, just the same bubbly personality with that passion to tell the world what she found out about losing weight. What Annette and I learned off the air is our backgrounds are very similar. The weight gain and loss and although I finally out weighted Annette (Isn’t that a thing to say) we both learned how to get it off and keep it off. She is such a beautiful woman. Her love for cooking shows in all her books, check it out at http://www.simplytoogood.com.au/ . Her recipes transformations are just like her personal transformation. She is bringing her cooking ideas to America and I can’t wait to see what she does here in the land of huge food and huge fat grams. She has found her passion and can’t wait to tell the world. And we all might just be a little slimmer because of her.

When you have a passion you usually do well in that passion. If you find your passion early in life you are so lucky to enjoy that passion longer and tell the world. Work toward your own passion not others. Listen to your inner self. It is proven that people don’t do well with others passion. But don’t worry if you haven’t found that passion yet. It took me many years to find mine. Then one day I finally listened to my inner self and my passion was born. Interesting now I have two.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Don't forget to listen to my Aug 20th radio show. The 90 year old Darling will be on. You can also listen later at http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ or http://www.marlenesiersema.com/ click on the radio button on top of the front page of my site. Learn how I changed my life and also became passionate about weight loss at http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/.

An 8 Year Olds Fun Pays Off

2008-07-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

After months of practice and practice there she was an 8 ½ year old, standing waiting to march onto the field. What field? Why a huge football field as; she was about to perform in a baton twirling drum majorette competition. All the excitement of the last months, all the sore feet, blisters on fingers and toes, all the practice. At almost 8 ½ years old she was so excited! She loved her music, helped design her performance (AT 8 ½) and had worked at performing it over and over and over again. She knew it perfectly! Her Mother gave her small hand a squeeze and whispered “I love you honey”.

Mom knew the performance almost as good as her daughter. Mom knew how much her daughter loved all the tap dance classes, the ballet classes, the baton twirling classes, the acting classes that her young girl took. Mom also knew that her daughter was good. So there they stood waiting for the 8 ½ year old to march to the center of the field. The music came on and… she was off.

As she got to the center of the field and she turned to face the judges something happened….she forgot her routine!!! Oh NO…what was she going to do. In that split second, that 8 ½ year old realized the show must go on (as her acting and ballet teacher always told them)! As her routine music came on she smartly saluted the judges and off she went making it up as she went along. She knew the music so well she knew what was next so she did twirls, front back and over the head. She put in some one handed cartwheels while twirling the baton. (She had never done one before) She decided she was going to have fun and she didn’t care what happened or about the competition. At the end of the routine she threw the baton into the air so high it even surprised her and also to her surprise she caught it!!! She stopped saluted the judges again and marched off the field to loud applause!

Her Mom was standing there with her mouth wide open. What was that? What happened? That wasn’t your regular routine. "Oh Mom, I am soooo sorry I forgot the whole thing and decided to just make it up as I went along and have fun!" Her Mom put her arm around her and said that’s okay honey you had a good time today and you will always remember it. Her daughter asked if they could go home as she thought without the regular routine she didn’t have a chance to win. And off they went hand in hand smiling and laughing and discussing the made up routine.

The next day she went into the dance studio to a huge surprise. Everyone asked what happened to her the day before at the competition? Her teacher said she knew her routine that was performed was not the one they worked on but she did a great job and she were having such fun. You should have stayed, she said. Because SURPRISE you won second place!!! We are having a party for the whole troupe and you’re the STAR. She had won second place…wow…she was the STAR that day WOW!!! Wait till her Mother heard about this.

When you do something that you love and have a great time doing it, two things happen. First your love for what you do comes through, and second you become very good at what you are doing. When you love what you do success will follow.

Yip …this story is true, as I still have that medal for winning second place that day with a made up routine! My Mom was right I have never forgotten that day. You know that girls just gotta have fun! So...Go have fun...

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/ How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Scrambled Eggs of the Brain

2008-06-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Who would have ever thought that ‘The Devine Miss M’ (Bette Midler), Mallard Fillmore (cartoon strip), and Moi would have something in common. But we do. The dislike for the latest style sensations…plaids!

Mallard says that the ugly clothes from the 70’s are back and that is giving him a headache.

On a recent show, Bette showed a picture of her from the 70’s wearing a plaid jacket, with less than stunning commentary. Her husband was also wearing a plaid jacket, but with less color intensity. She thought he was showing harmony in the marriage.

And me…well you know how I feel about plaid. Plaids are scrambled eggs for the brain. And I don’t mean nourishment!

The plaids of the 70’s were missed matched color spectrums, that were large ugly combinations of depressing colors that only young inexperienced buyers would think were “wonderful and cool”. No different today.

Young buyers are the majority of the people that I see wearing these problems to match. Oh yes…what do you put with a plaid? The main color? The minor color? The background color? Or do you just do what most of the young designers do today when showing these scrambled eggs. Pick a color that isn’t in the plaid and wear that? If you want to get noticed…that is the way to wear plaid! But why would anyone wear plaid.

Of all the colors and designs plaid (as well as the mod patterns) MAKES THE WEARER LOOK FATTER! If you don’t think that is true try on a plaid skirt. Okay, now how much weight did you instantly gain? I don’t care if you are a size Zero; you look like you have gained weight.

This is due to what happens to the eye and relationship with storing the information in the brain. To make this simple…when too much is going on, the brain keeps looking and looking and looking at the colors and patterns to store all that information; so it (the brain) can get to the shape of the object. Because the patterns and colors are so big; the shape also looks bigger to the brain.

When I weighted so much, I steered clear of plaids. My brain knew that I looked fatter. It just didn’t know why till I did the studies later in life. Those studies also revealed the colors used in the plaids in the 70’s and today are mentally depressing colors.

If you don’t think this is true…just take a look at some of the plaids that men wear.

Talk about scrambled eggs in the brain…

I rest my case!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for one hour of high energy and intrigueing guests on Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style the #1 show on Voice America Women’s Radio network. http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ . If you want to get your shape into better shape buy my book The Thinking Side to Thin http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/ How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Balloons, Jokes and Exercise Not Your Usual Combination!

2008-06-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about all of you but after my show on June 4th with Dr. Gayle Carson, I am rolling out of bed and getting my butt into my workout room. For a woman of 70 she has more energy than some 20 year olds. I stopped exercising months ago after having an accident that caused a back problem. Well I know enough to take it easy and slow but wow what a difference. Now I know what one of the stars of Dancing with the Stars meant when she said the dancing loosened up her back. So I must say thanks Gayle you are a real role model for all us boomers. You can read more about Gayle in Show Notes at www.amazingwomenbbs.com . Are you exercising?

I am an eclectic person by nature. When I find something that I think is wonderful, grand, or others should know about it, I like to spread the word. Today is one of those days to spread the word.

I found a young man who is writing a book about internet jokes and funny interoffice memos. Yes at last a place to really send these to someone who wants them! Mark is a wonderful young man who works for a boys and girls club in a large mid-west metropolitan city. As Mark says: “I spend my days raising money in one of the most challenged areas in our nation to offer kids hope and opportunity to do something positive with themselves”. For someone in their 20’s I commend him. Here is where you can help. How many times have you received a really good joke that made you laugh out loud in your office or alone at home? Those are the ones that Mark wants!! So email them to him when you get one. He said his research should be ongoing for about another 6-10 months. His email address is: ecomedian@gmail.com let’s all help him get that book done. I know that it would be fun to have a book available with the best of the best in it for future reading. Way to go Mark.

I don’t normally get into anything about politics but today is a must. I do believe that the new national pastime is Whining! Good grief it is becoming so bad. No wonder Dr. Laura wrote a book about it. I still can remember my mother saying to me “Stop your whining it will do you no good!” I guess now people think that it will do them good to whine to the world… in fact some are what I would call professional whiners. We live in the greatest country in the world…if you don’t believe this; then I ask you one small question… Why do we have so many people trying to get into this county??? And so few of us are not leaving!! Even the ones that whine they are going to leave this county if they don’t get their way…never leave! Now one big whiner is trying to take kids balloons away from them. Here in the state of California we have a state senator named Jack Scott that is being termed out. So as a big whiner he put in a bill to ban Mylar balloons. Then the senate as a gift to Mr. Scott, because he was getting termed out, passed the bill and sent it on to the assembly. HUH? The problem is all the reasons that Mr. Scott gave to get this bill passed never happened. Here is what I see. Mr. Scott has become the biggest Whiner in the state. He is an angry old man that wants to get even for being termed out and he is taking his anger out on the kids. The ultimate whiner! Well I guess he is trying to get even like the childhood bully for being termed out with his ultimate whine. As a kid don’t you remember the big whining bully saying: I’ll get even with you, just wait and see!!! Maybe term limits are good after all …… Tell me what you think.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Economy…Fashions…Fault?

2008-05-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Many pundits have tried to put the blame for our slowing economy on many things. Well I think that I know why this is happening and I am here to say that I think it is the fashion designers fault. YES… fashion designers and the MOD fashion fabrics.

Many of you that are out there don’t remember what happen the last time the MOD fashion fabrics were ‘in fashion’…well I do. Only back in those days it was called the Psychedelic era or psychedelic fashion. Meaning: weirdly distorted, wildly colorful, or otherwise resembling images or sounds experienced by somebody under the influence of a psychedelic drug… the drug of choice back then.

This psychedelic period lasted several years including a down turn in the economy, astronomically high home interest rates of 12-15% and higher. We had huge riots on campuses, riots in prisons; we had the flower children in San Francisco trying to stop traffic, “tuning in turning on and dying on the sidewalks; higher and higher food prices and the topping of this societal stew were the gas lines of the 70’s. That was when gas stations were only allowed to pump so much gas each day and you could only buy gas according to the last number on your license plate odd/even on odd/even days. Oh yes it was a mess. I do believe that it all started because some stoner thought it was be great to ‘draw’ while they were on their latest trip through their psychedelic land.

Who knows, maybe that person who drew was in the fashion industry but the next thing was the craziest designed fabric was everywhere. So I am telling you younger people right now…this is nothing new. But I digress.

Now I know you think that I am stretching on this crazy thought. But let me explain. During the research of my first book Marketing’s Silent Language www.silentlanguage.com I discovered interesting studies on many different types of fabric and the effects the fabrics have on the brain. One of those studies was the MOD fabric pattern. I only used a small portion for the book, but the research said that most of the patterns from the MOD fabric were disconcerting and disturbing to the brain. The brain is trying to work the pattern out but can’t. That would be like a Rubik’s cube without any way to win. The outcome of this usually showed up as putting people in a bad mood or mild depression and sometime just mean. It was interesting.

What was more interesting, as the MOD look ran its course and the newer look came out things started changing. The country started coming out of its slump, the economy picked up and people’s moods changed. Then something else happened. Many of the styles with the MOD fabric started showing up on “Sale Tables” and at the local Goodwill. What was more interesting was the MOD fabric clothes didn’t sell in either of those places.

After that the country started riding the longest growth period in our history. Till the end of last year when the MOD fabric pattern came back into style and the country started down the path of problems again. Now I don’t know what you think…but is this just a coincidence??
So I blame the fashion designers who have pushed this MOD fabric look for this bad economy and the bad mood of many people.

Speaking of clothes…my guest on the show next week Alexis Neely’s new book called… Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents www.wearcleanunderwearbook.com is a must for parents. Turn in to hear Alexis, who is a mother and lawyer, keep us informed. (Or download it later) If you are a parent you need this book!

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashionista or fashion icon.

Is This Guy Kidding?????

2008-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

The headline on the online news caught my eye. It was about weight loss so I took a look at the story. After reading the story once I couldn’t believe what I just read and I had to read it again…Is this guy kidding????

An inmate in jail is suing Benton County, Arkansas because he weighs 300 pounds. NOT and I mean NOT because he gained weight, but…because he lost 100 lbs in 8 months in jail. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080427/ap_on_fe_st/odd_jail_diet . I still can't believe what I had read.

Does he have any idea how lucky he is? At 400 lbs he was on the threshold of heart problems, joint problems, mobility problems and breathing problems just to name a few. All I kept saying was Stop Complaining!

The jail said that the American diet consisted of between 2000 and 3000 calories a day. (That alone has to tell us something) And the jail menu was at 3000 calories a day. AND THIS GUY LOST WEIGHT?!?!! How much was he eating before jail???

Does this guy know how many people work hard at losing weight all the time? They go to the gym and work out till sweat drips off them. They eat lettuce for lunch each day to get the weight off and keep it off. They take pills, tea, mix special concoctions to get rid of the body fat. They eat special cookies, bars that taste like cardboard and buy the latest gadget off the infomercial to get the body they want. That some diets people are on consists of 600 calories a day?? And this guy is complaining that he doesn’t get over 3000 calories a day??

He should be saying Thank You…giving the Sherriff’s department a big kiss. Without paying a single cent that the public pays to lose the weight; he managed to lose 100 pounds effortlessly in 8 months. That’s over 3 pounds a week that is almost as good as gastric bypass or lap band surgery.

Yes there are some drawbacks. One is he will probably look very different when he goes to court. Plus if he gets convicted he will be facing a long time incarcerated as a healthier person. Who knows where he mind is on this one.

All I can say is Stop Complaining about losing weight. Get out your pencil and paper and start writing your Weight Loss for Inmates book; who knows it could be a hit. But I can tell this guy this…There isn’t a woman alive that has ever had to lose weight that will shed one tear for him.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t some very enterprising entrepreneur somewhere in the world that would read that story and come up with a new way to help people lose weight…

Amazingly yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Coming to Terms with Pink

2008-04-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have avoided the color pink. I guess it all started with a great silk pink blouse in my first corporate job. I thought the blouse was soft and feminine looking. But, whenever I wore it people always asked me if I was feeling alright? Not wearing the blouse was out of the question because in those days my closet wasn’t bulging with clothes.
I became very creative and decided to dye the blouse, after all it was silk, and the box of dye did say it worked on all natural fabrics. So into the orange dye it went. Yes…orange. I know that color everyone loved on me. When the blouse was dry, I was stunned at the gorgeous color the blouse had become. The orange dye on the pink material came out as tangerine. Go figure? Even the buttons took on some color.

Wearing the same blouse to work, I kept getting complements on how great I looked. Not one person knew it was the same blouse. But in my head pink was a color to avoid. Until later when I was doing research for my first book Marketing’s Silent Language www.silentlanguage.com. The scientific system that I was talking about in the book made it easier to pick colors that were correct for your coloring and personality. I just thought my personality didn’t like pink!
Over the years you wouldn’t find anything in my closet that was pink till about a year ago, when the manufacturers finally got the differences in pinks. On the market were pink from the softest of “powder puff” (as they called them) colors to the deepest of magenta. Because of the spectrum and how pink is pulled together, I just had to find the right mixture of red and blue in the color to work on me.

Oh…one problem. I just loved the brighter neon like hot pinks, knowing I look like “walking death” in that color. Figuring out how to get that color into my life has been creative and fun.
It all started with a flower arrangement in the dining room. I got brave and put together an arrangement of three colors of pink and purple flowers, voila’ it was great and caught my eye every time I went by the room. Well that started something and I changed several arrangements on that side of the house to include my new love and use of the pink and hot pink colors.

I finally figured out how I could wear the hot pink color and not look like walking death. SHOES!! Accessories! I looked for the hot pink color pared with orange (Remember how good the feedback on that color was?) and kept the hot pink color away from my face and it worked. I even found shoes with pink pared with black, these are a wow!
I even became very brave in nail polish. Put on my favorite orange/red color then topped it with a color called Strawberry Electric. I look like spring walking.

Coming to terms with pink took me years. In the world of color today, our choices are huge and finding the right color or color mix is much easier.
So what is your Strawberry Electric??

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Add Color to Change Status

2008-03-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest ways to get notice is to wear color or to add color to your environment. If you what that new position at work, and know that you are qualified, wear color to get noticed. But not just any color such as a soft blue or green. What I am talking about is powerful color. Let me give you some examples where color is a status symbol.

The Oscars are a great place to see where color makes a difference. As I have said before black is so overrated for evening. The Oscars is a place where if you don’t wear the right color… you don’t exist. First let me give you a little background on the Oscars. Working in the background of the Oscars are the handlers of the stars and the people who keep the lines moving to the media and into the theatre. (Did you see any of them?) All people on the red carpet are dressed in evening wear. The handlers are usually wearing black, dark gray with very little color allowed in their outfits. They are the backdrop to the splashes of color that appears all over the newspapers the next day.

What did you see this year? That red Grecian style with roses across the shoulder made most of the newspapers. The color wasn’t just red….IT WAS R-E-D! It simply popped off the star. And I don’t have to tell you who wore that dress you remember. Last year, it was that GOLD dress worn by a star’s wife who is also an actress. A couple of years before was the best actress winner wore a purple and green dress. I saw knock off’s of that dress within 1 month of the show. I even tried one on. (A lot of dress to handle) Hence we have the handlers. But how often do you remember seeing any handler?

If you go to seminars see which speaker captures your attention. I remember one gentleman who wears a bright blue coat on stage. He captures your attention and you always know where he is standing. Even in the arena of politics, the ladies always have the advantage of capturing your attention and holding on with that remembrance factor. Now let us go back to wanting a new position at work or going for a new job.

Color is the way to be remembered. Not those weak washed out colors; as a friend and colorist use to call them “Lower Social-economic colors” K-Mart colors. She said upper social-economic colors are like Prada color. Now that doesn’t mean you have to buy Prada to get noticed. But walk into a store and just stop and scan the racks and see what stands out. Where your eye stops is where you should be looking at color to add to any black, gray or brown corporate uniform. If you want to get noticed and you can do the job, show the management that you know how to dress.

This same idea works in your home. Go to a bookstore and look at the magazines for “starter” homes. Then pick up a magazine for your higher end homes. Color is what will catch your eye. Now I know that, that doesn’t always hold true, some people like the cottage all white look; or the soft blue ocean cottage look. But even in the blue ocean cottage look, I have seen bright blue walls. Change things; add color in your life.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, or get that shape you have always wanted. To learn more about color get Marketing’s Silent Language at www.silentlanguage.com .

Men’s Styles are Changing…

2008-03-04T09:22:00.000-08:00

Along with different women’s style for spring and summer, the designers are changing what is in store for the man in your life. Most of the styling is for the younger man. I would guess the ages up to the early thirties or entering the corporate world.

Many younger and older women have decided the skinny jean and in some cases the skinny pant are great. Yes they are…if you have good looking legs and you don’t let the pants bag around the ankles. (I know that you have seen that with younger girls and skinny pants.) However if you have legs that are less than average these pants should not be your thing. I know I have two of those legs! After major weight loss my legs are just not a shining example of legs that look good in skinny pants. Bless the designers that brought out wider leg pants.

The skinny pant and jean is coming to men’s clothing. But what looks sexy and cute on a woman’s curves looks slightly different on men. Not that I am saying I don’t like looking at men, but…personally I don’t think that style has the same affect for men that it does for women. What was even more interesting was the body language of the models. Runway models are taught to only look a certain way. However, I noticed the men in these pants didn’t look like they were enjoying themselves. You can take it from there as to what I mean.

They other changed that I noticed was the new men’s carrying bags. Ladies if you don’t have enough room in your handbag you can borrow room in your guy’s new men’s carrying bag. They look like a cross between our totes and a store bag. It is different from the bags men were carrying a few years ago. These will rival our bags in size. In fact when these bags come out and women need a more tailored bag shopping for one in the men’s department might get you what you want.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, or get that shape you have always wanted.

Fresh Air in a Sea of Black

2008-02-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

I waited till today for this entry so I could post of the 29th of February. For all of you born on this day Happy Birthday and remember as the rest of us age you are still young.

I enjoy attending most events as I can always find something wonderful that makes it memorable. Many times it is something wonderful as an unexpected conversation or as simple as a great desert. This time it was fashion; and in the sea of black it was stunning and enjoyable.

The fresh air was taken right off the runways and into this event. Two smart amazing women took the bubble evening dress complete look and made it their own; one in black and the other in white. What made this even more fun was one had dark hair and other was…what else blond. The best was, unlike many women, who just wear the dress, they were able to take the entire runway look and make it their own. They looked stunning!

Heads turned when they walked by. Of course many loved the short skirts, but it wasn’t just the skirts that made head turners. It was the sassy approach these lovely ladies pulled off that made the look theirs. I had one glimpse when one of the women looked like she was posed for the latest fashion magazine. Well done ladies.

Each year I notice more and more color. It is wonderful. Who ever the people were that pushed for black to be the color for evening wear must have been color blind. This year one lovely lady in a flowing celery green evening pants outfit was wonderful, tall and blond; she was a breath of spring on a warm evening with a spectacular sunset.

Another white evening dress caught my eye. Although I only got a glimpse, the dress was wrapped like the look of a Greek goddess. The shoulder throw I didn’t understand and I think it took away from the great goddess look. White and flowing she walked through the room like mist.

Not to be outdone by the women, the men were bringing out the color for their evening look. I spotted many ties in a wide range of colors and patterns. I am beginning the think the usual black and white look for evening dress for men is a thing of the past. My comment is…it’s about time.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape you have always wanted and to, ahyes, become a fashion icon.

Ah…spring is in the Air…first a word about Jay

2008-02-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

Before I get started on the word about spring, let me say a word about Jay Leno. Yes Jay Leno! Jay has been a staple in our home as a funny before bed. The news is always so depressing that we didn’t want that in our heads while we slept. So we enjoyed the craziness Jay would give us. I was very happy when the writers’ strike hit and Jay decided to keep doing his show. Then I discovered something. While the writers were out…Jay was much funnier! The comments about the audience didn’t happen and the jokes were GREAT! The audience thought the jokes were funny and the entire show had a lift to it. Oh my; now the writers are back the jokes are back to being flat! Jay has to keep wondering about the audience and the show is back to really dumb jokes. Jay it’s not the audience…it is the stupid jokes the writers are giving you. You were funnier on your own. After all didn’t you keep audiences’ laughing for years before the show? It is only my opinion, but could it be the audience thinks so also?

Now for spring…I know that I am ready for spring, including clothes. I received one of my favorite catalogues the other day and flipped it open to a mouth dropping visual. I know I had a problem with the PJ’s but I think those designers are now into regular women’s wear with the same laze-a-fare attitude. Again I must say they are forgetting that grown women are not 9 years old.

Cutesy little clothes that have zero sex appeal. Little bows around the waist….peter pan collars (ugh). And those wonderful mixed spectrum mod prints. What are these designers thinking? I stopped into stores where I know the managers and asked about business. Most answers were business was off. A couple of managers said it was probably the economy. Oh Pleeeeze…we all know if a woman likes the clothes they will find a way. Shoppers were sparse.

Most people can’t afford Haute Couture or even high end designers clothes. $3500 for a simple handkerchief hem summer dress isn’t quite in most of our budgets. But taking the designs from kids clothes and sizing them up for adult women doesn’t work. Yes I know many times during Easter Mommies and daughters do have similar dresses. That is because the designs went from Mom down to daughter with many changes but, like fabrics. Now it is going the other way???

However once you weed through all the less than appropriate clothes out there, you can find a few gems…more on the gems later.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Spa Treatment – Skin Deep

2008-02-21T12:38:00.000-08:00

Different procedures in plastic surgery are becoming big business. The surgery techniques of today are nothing like the procedures used 10 years ago. One of the newest techniques you are even seeing in advertising is a fill product that can take away the deep lines around the mouth and into the laugh lines.

This is a great product and procedure that many people are thinking of using. Why…because it is not permanent. With these temporary procedures if you don’t like the look you get, you only have to wait a few weeks or months and it is gone. And if you like what you see, then you just make another appointment to get the touch-up.

This, to me, sounds like a wonderful idea. We all have different problems that we would not like to see when we look in the mirror. As any of you that have read my books know, I had the plastic surgery to remove the extra skin after losing all the weight. But I had the procedures done by a plastic surgeon. The latest trend that I am seeing is spas offering the fill procedures.

Having a skin specialist at a spa that has taken a seminar on how to inject the fill product is a little scary. Yes the product is very safe, but getting that product into a vain or worst yet getting air into a vain what is called a vain embolism is really scary.

I think the idea of the product is great. Boomers can keep that youthful appearance longer. Might as well look good, as boomers, because of better medicine, food and our own desire to stay healthy, are going to live a lot longer than our parents did. Many of us will probably see 100. Procedures to keep gravity out of our looks are fine with me. But, it scares me that women might go to a spa and have someone without a doctor’s degree doing the producer. Ouch!

Plastic surgery today is great with better procedures and products, but only when done by a professional that has been trained in the “art” of plastic surgery. And it is an art.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Learning Tricks from Even the Semi Pros

2008-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

During lunch the other day I realized just how much I learned being a manufacturer for the hair and beauty industry many years ago. One thing was little tips on how the pros make the celebs (and you) look when make-up is done by a pro. Believe me without the pros, celebs would not look as good as they do when they are out in public. There are so very few celebs that actually do their own make-up. However; learning what pros or even semi-pros do is one step closer to the right make-up look each and every time.

What better place to learn then at your local department store that has a “We will do your make-up for you” department. Now I don’t mean you sit there and get your make-up done. I mean you stand off to the side and watch what they do. For Semi-pros these people are very good. They have been taught how the make-up from their line works and what they can do with all age groups. They don’t do what a pro does, like mixing up to 8 colors for the eye shade, because a client simple won’t buy that many colors at a time. But their techniques are very close to the pros.

One simple trick that I learned from a pro that I saw a semi pro use was the use of face powder to soften and make corrections on eye shadow. I don’t know about you but there have been times when the eye shadow just goes on too dark or to high on the eye. Nothing is worst then trying to get it off. I can remember washing my face and starting over because of a blunder on the shadow.

After watching a pro fix a blunder they made, I almost had to hit my head like the V8 commercial. Duh! Now why didn’t I think of that? Now I simply keep a pressed powder the same color as my base to go over to dark shadow or to soften the shadow line or to use as a blender when I use more than one color. NO, it does not take a long time. Just get a good chisel brush and blend, blend, blend and ‘voila’ correction made.

What is nice is you can use at the side and under the eye also, as it is the same as your base color. It is like an eraser only it doesn’t eraser it simple hides! What magic it can do.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

Awash in Red

2008-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

Red is an exciting color and lately all advertisements have been awash in red…however I still can’t figure out what red has to do with cleaning a sink or toilet. How do you mix that with candy I am not sure. But all stores and even the grocery markets are busting out in red.
Walking through the market, even for green vegetables is a place of red these days. The marketing department of the stores have simple out done themselves. Balloons are everywhere; probably in the balloon count of 300-500. Candy everywhere and those ohsogood chocolate dipped strawberries were out in full display. They even had hearts strung over the meat department and Valentines on the hams!

Flowers were all lined up for the grab and go person. The only thing necessary was to sign the card that was attached. YES sign it!!

Ladies if your guy is always forgetting this day, send him to the market for a quart of milk, he would have to be blind to come back without something.
On my round of errands, I noticed it wasn’t only the market…the UPS store…the bank…the tailor all had the Valentine heart everywhere. If you love red this is a great time of the year.

This is the day for love…isn’t it a wonderful holiday to celebrate and enjoy? The color of excitement combined with a day of love. What a powerful combination.

For all of you who were lucky enough to be born on this day

Happy Birthday! This includes my sister. Everyone is celebrating! WOW how lucky can you be! Have a wonderful birthday and enjoy all the hearts and flowers. This day is special to all lovers and to all who love.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network.

www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a Valentine fashion icon.

Doesn’t Graphite Belong in Pencils?

2008-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

Before we get to graphite…

I send BIG cu-do’s to the Spanish Fashion industry. They are stopping the use of extremely thin models. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3351177.ece women were not intended to be shaped like boys. Designers…almost anything looks good on a post! Women have shapes!

Now to Graphite…

Good grief… here we go again…those wonderful designers, in their ultimate wisdom, have decided to try and change black yet AGAIN! They did this several years ago and they called grey the “new” black. Then pink was the new black. You know I have yet to figure that one out. Black IS black and women love the color no matter what time of year it is; a staple in the winter and an accent with summer whites for an extra classy look and brights for a sexy look.

What keeps coming to my mind is the colors are out shadowing the designs of clothes and fabric, which have much to be desired. I don’t know about the rest of the boomer population but I remember the last time mod was in fashion. And it wasn’t just a fashion statement. It was completely cultural. The mod phenomenon spread through most of the modern world, and was fueled by the music of that age. The designers wanted something new and fresh. Mod fashion was just that…fresh and different. There was always something within the mod look that could be incorporated into any age group look. I can still remember my Mother putting on a mod cap one day with her look. I must admit I had to do a double take…that wasn’t something I was expecting. But it worked!

Today, the designers seem lazy. We have a mixture of the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s all mixed together. So they make a color statement that Graphite is the new black.

What I have seen so far is graphite is one of those colors that drains the life out of colors it is used with. I think that is why they are pairing it with bright yellow, and sometimes black(?). So I can only say this if it takes the life out of other colors used in the fabric, imagine what it does to the color of your skin?

Boomers are the biggest group of buyer’s of fashion, and as I am observing we still are the best dressed. Other age groups don’t have the numbers of the boomers. If that is the case then why are designers pushing us aside? I can only think it is because we have evolved from the mod age when we would have worn almost anything (and did) to being fashion icons. We have style and an eye on beauty. We don’t like lazy designers. We like style and beautiful colors and wonderful fabrics. Hay designers…take notice we are still here and are hungry for great clothes in great colors.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Join me Wednesday’s for Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style on Voice America Women’s Radio network. www.amazingwomenbbs.com . If you want to get your shape into better shape get The Thinking Side to Thin www.thinkingsidetothin.com How to change your thinking to keep, (or get) that shape to become a fashion icon.

The Peacock Lady

2008-02-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

I have a wonderful place to shop here in Southern California. This store is set up as a typical department store, where you can see over the top of the clothes and other items; except in the handbag area. There, they have walls for the bags to hang.

I was shopping there and as usual I couldn’t resist the handbag area. As I went up one aisle and turned the corner there she was, and I was face to face with a lady who certainly had an interesting slant on fashion. I must admit I had to stop and take it all in.

She couldn’t have been more than 5 feet tall. On her feet were checkered high-top sneakers. Her pants were multi striped blue and green. The throw back style and fabric to the 1950’s and they were slightly short. Not cropped, not capris, just short of being long pants. Her blouse was lace, long sleeved. (After all we are in the middle of winter) Over the blouse was the wildest fringed wrap or shall or whatever they call them. There were multi-colored threads going in one direction and metallic silver, gold and black going in the other. Tied in a knot and draped over her shoulders with the knot hanging just below her shoulders.

This might sound completely in fashion for a teen, but as I got to her face she was somewhere in her late 50’s of early 60’s. And to top all this off, her hair was short platinum blond with the center spiked straight up multi colored red, green, purple and blue. The first thing that went through my mind was a joke that I had read that morning that is going around the net…where this woman’s father encountered a young man with a multi colored Mohawk. The older man couldn’t help staring. Finely the young man said to him…”Haven’t you ever done anything wild?” To which the older man replied…”Yes I have, I once got very drunk and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were the off spring.” I had to laugh at that joke and smile at the women as we passed in the aisle.

I couldn’t help myself; I had to turn around and look again, and noticed she had several bags on her arm, silver, purple and plaid. She was having a great time shopping and talking on the phone as the same time. (Isn’t everyone?)

What a woman! She had her own slant on style and on the time factor also. She was thinking young and acting young. She embraced the idea: you feel, as you think. Boomers remember that idea. You feel as you think. What a wonderful idea as we enter the next phase of our lives. We have been the leaders in many things, now let’s be the leaders on how to feel and think younger than our years.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Do forget to listen to my radio show this Wednesday February 6th, or listen later at http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com or www.marlenesiersema.com click on the radio button on my site. The feisty redhead Liz Goodgold http://www.duhmarketing.com will be on talking about digital marketing. See you on the radio.

Crazy Mixed-Up Monday

2008-01-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

A Seminar with Fuzzy Bunny Slippers:

What a great weekend. It only rained at night…yeah…and I attended a great seminar in fussy bunny slippers. OK before you think I am complete nuts let me explain.

Attending any seminar across town or across the country is difficult with the busy schedules that most of us keep. Taking the time and money to sit for three days in a hotel may not be time well spent. That is one of the reasons that I was excited about this seminar.

I attended the virtual Wealthy Girl Summit put on by Alicia Dunams www.wealthygirlsummit.com . Alicia will be on the Amazing Women’s brains, beauty & style Show www.amazingwomenbbs.com on February 20th. I discovered first day this summit was going to be well attended as I logged on just a little late and the summit was totally full. Alicia fixed that immediately. The following day was a blow out event. The speakers were exceptional and the information they gave was useful and timely. Adryenn Ashley is a ball of fire. About the same as when I meet her during a Summit in New York. Marci Shimoff and Loral Langemeier are tops in their fields; and the list went on. My suggestion is to buy the MP3’s of the Summit if they are available. Alicia great job!

My Complaint with a Local Media Writer:

Maybe you have one in your town also. There is one in a magazine I receive, I would like to meet to see if he has ever had to lose weight or go through the psychological process of losing weight. Usually he isn’t too far off on most of his information, the problem I have with this ‘guy’…is he is coming from a man’s perceptive on eating plans. In a two week period he managed to put out two lists and part of one list was contradictory to the other. He said tell everyone that you are going to lose weight and what your goals are. Two weeks later he says “You let family and friends tempt you with bad choices” GOOD GRIEF…let’s get real! If you don’t tell anyone that you are on a diet, they won’t tempt you! They may not even know you are on a new way of eating. And if they do notice, that is all you tell them. You have decided to eat healthy. (Period!) Don’t give them one little inch to get into your head to change your mind.

Every year the majority of the people that go on diets are women. Why? First… men don’t have the stigma of gaining weight that women do. Second…when was the last time that anyone heard that any male actor needs to be a size 2!! If a male actor gains a pot belly, they just put loose shirts on him. If you look closely you will catch the bulges not matter what camera angles they use.

With women being the majority of people on diets at any one time…why do we listen to men on how to diet??? Our bodies are different!! If you want to learn what one women has done try my book The Thinking Side to Thin at www.thinkingsidetothin.com or on Amazon. Not that I know it all. Each person is different, but some weight loss problems are all the same. One is telling others you are dieting.

Old habits are hard to break. Once you start using new rules to break old habits why let anyone change your path to success!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

If you want another book on sales, marketing and a new segmentation on both check out my other book Marketing’s Silent Language at www.silentlanguage.com . There is a limited supply of books left so hurry.

P.S. Congratulations to Tony Orlando on losing 103 pounds. I saw him in a diet ad and he looks like the mature version of the heart throb he use to be. Keep up the good work Tony.

OKAY Now What Do I Do to Clean Up This Stuff!!

2008-01-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

When I have Regina Leeds http://www.reginaleeds.com/ on my Amazing Women, brains, beauty & style show http://www.amazingwomenbbs.com/ it is always a pleasure for me; because I am somewhat of a neat nick. That doesn’t mean that I go around after people and clean up at a party. What it does mean is that I like to have things in place so when I need to find something, I can find it quickly. As a business owner when I had many, many employees, having that kind of order in my office to me was necessary. It just seemed to overflow into my home life.

However, when you are the only person in the home who wants neat order it can be a challenge. Instead of getting order, you store everything because no one wants to part with ANYTHING. So for years, I have been a hide it and forget it person. No one wanted to make a decision of what is needed and not needed, so I stored it. Now that we are organizing just for us I have another problem. What am I going to do with all this stuff?

We are a society that is drowning in stuff…stuff that in most cases is not important. I see more and more storage locker companies being built in this area, where stuff can be stored. What good is it to just pay money to just keep it hidden? The more I think of that crazy logic, the less it seems logical. Some people say they don’t want to get rid of things because they don’t want to fill the landfills. Okay, so at least they have a reason. But is it logical? We all keep buying but many of us don’t throw away.

Today I read a story about a large company that was getting rid of all the‘ad gifts’ stuff http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080119/D8U8U5C80.html that was being delivered to all the employees by potential products manufacturers. These manufacturers wanted the company to buy these products so they give little gifts of every shape, size and color with company and product names on them. This stuff was being taken out of the office and instead of just trashing it, they were shipping to Africa where the products were not sold, but the gifts could be used effectively. What a great concept!

Now if the rest of us just could have that same concept when it comes to our personal stuff! Part with it happily and know that whoever gets it after you will be very happy with what we have parted. I am starting spring cleaning early in fact if we all started now, we would be free to have a spring to remember. Spring is an amazing time of the year to be out in nature’s wonderful tapestry of foliage and flowers.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

P.S.
You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or http://www.thinkingsidetothin.com/ . Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your business and sales advantage see more at www.silentlanguage.com

Blood at the Rude Guerrilla

2008-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

The other evening we attended a networking event and play put on by the British American Business Council www.babcoc.org at a small theatre called the Rude Guerrilla www.rudeguerrilla.org . An interesting thought, have a great time networking with business minded people then ‘rest your feet’ during a provocative and thoughtful play called: The Cut. What a great concept, networking before the play and after with the actors included.

The British American Business Council is one of the top networking groups in the area. The group has a variety of people that are actually interested in doing business. In fact I met Anne Berryhill at a BABC event and we are now collaborating on my radio show Amazing Women, brains, beauty and style to do the next two weeks shows on how to get the weight off and get healthy. See the information on the shows at these sites. www.amazingwomenbbs.com or www.marlenesiersema.com or try this link for my book on how I lost 170 lbs after 50 with simple changes to years of bad habits. www.ThinkingSideToThin.com

The Rude Guerrilla is a typical small theatre in a store front with a loyal following and some really good actors. As we came into the theater there were only a couple of seats left in the front row at the far left of the theatre. We took our seats and the play started…as you can tell from the title someone or something is about to get cut.

At the end of the first act, I found out what and who that person was that was getting cut. But more important I discovered WHERE! Right in front of me! The cut was made and the stage blood came squirting out right on me, my pants and shoes. Red sticky stage blood…actually no problem if the pants and shoes had not been suede! I couldn’t help myself; the words came out before I could even stop…“Oh Sh_t!” As I watched the actors, only their body language told the story. Oh No…we got someone! Plus they got several feet of stage blood on the stage, which was fun watching because they had to avoid that part without seeming to avoid that part of the stage the rest of the show.

As the actors came out for coffee after the show the “cut” actor and director of the show came over to me. My first words were…I will never sit in the front row at a play again. My foot still looked like I needed stitches, my hands were sticky (stage blood is mainly sugar water) and to my luck the pants were black. It will come out. But the actor won’t forget the two words uttered at his big moment. We all had a good laugh and I think I made some new friends. I also discovered that champagne works great at getting the sticky off.

But more important I learned never sit in the front row is you even think blood will flow!!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

Books are also available on Amazon, Borders and by special order at most bookstores.

Open Letter to Pajamas Designers

2007-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Dear PJ Designers:

The other day I was in a large national store looking for PJ’s as a gift. I was having a hard time finding anything. As I wandered the department I noticed other women with scrunch noises, a-gasp mouths, scrunch eyes and just plain rotten looks.
Finally I said to one woman; “Having Problems?” Her comment was just my thoughts. “Everything is ugly! There is nothing worth buying!” I went to the next woman; “You look like the rest of us…having problems?” Her answer was the tops: “Did they get this department mixed up with the pre-teens?” The next one wasn’t so nice: “This is garbage!”

Designers… how long has it been since you have walked the floor of a PJ’s department in any store that is not in New York City? How long since you were in any other state but New York? Or are you just sending the junk out to the other states? The one woman had it right…we are not pre-teens and pre-teens should not be dictating what adult women wear to bed!

Just because we are going to sleep doesn’t mean that we have lost our fashion flare. Scotty dogs, ducks, lambs, bears, moose or any other animal on our sleeping or at times, our lounging attire we left years ago! And by the way there are more colors in the rainbow than, pink, blue, extra pale purple oh yes, and GRAY. And why do most of you think we all like to get ready for bed in pastels? I prefer something just a little sexier in colors.
Oh Please, we have been setting the fashion curve for decades. Including the mod designs: which, came to some designer in London on an acid trip during the late 60’s. But the PJ’s of today are an actual shame.

We are not trying to look like our pre-teens, or our teen daughters. You might think that is ‘cute’ but most of us don’t. We want stylish, designs with great interesting fabrics. You can’t tell me that they can’t print almost anything on fabric these days? They print the moose don’t they? Designers; watch what stores are putting on sale and how soon they go on sale after the item hits the stores. This should help you in what you design.

We don’t want the cramp your style, but the last thing my husband wants to see is me coming to bed in PJ’s with ducks on them. It is demining to women that have been setting the style longer than most of the new designers are old. We might have worn and made the mod designs a hit; but that was back in the 60’s when our mothers were still wearing full skirts.

Happy Holidays
Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

I sincerely hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday season. No matter how you celebrate it the only thing that is important is that you do celebrate and enjoy life.

Decorating like Chanel

2007-12-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

This is my most favorite time of the year. Almost everyone is in a good mood. Stores are in their best finery, houses are lit up with sparkling lights and there is a mood in the air that can be felt and best described as wonderful.

In the local newspaper last week I read an article about what an interior decorator would do for Christmas in a particular home. One line that stuck in my mind was “Decorate for Christmas like Chanel. When you think you are done, remove something…or know when to stop.” That statement got me to thinking. Why?

When you looked at the house, you can see why the decorator said what they said. The house was huge and the decorations were the same. The fireplace alone had decorations on the mantel that most homes would only be able to put on the floor. And the floor decorations were life size. If I had a place where I could put up a life size Nutcracker like the one that is taller than me at Costco, I would have a great time decorating. The wreath above the fireplace was 4 feet across. But most of us don’t have homes of that size.

How many of us can put a 25 foot tree in one room? My neighbors could; where the ceiling in the living room is two stories. But the width of the bottom of the tree would take up most of the rest of the room. So it is not practical.

What is wrong with a little excess this time of year? Isn’t Christmas the time of the year when we over do almost everything? It is a season of excess! An extra bow here and a tad bit more garland there and more lights…more lights! So what if it takes you all year to pay off the electricity bill! Isn’t it worth it? It is fun and beautiful.

Besides it gives all of us a chance to be kids again. The wide eyes, the hopeful thoughts, the music, the tastes; this is the time of year that feeds all of our senses. Including thoughts that take us back to our childhood.

Decorate like Chanel…not…go ahead add that extra bow, garland or whatever. It’s that short time of the year when we adults can become kids again. ENJOY!!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

This would make a great New Years gift. And be a fun read that can also teach you the secrets I learned on losing over 170 lbs. pick up my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. It will be a good one to have around just after the holidays. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use what the eye sees first, to your advantage.

Decorations from What??

2007-12-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had Bonnie Dell from Design Style Taste on my radio show. What a fun show. What was even more fun was all the similarities we have. What really hit home was the story of her Father bumping into furniture when he came home because her and her Mother kept moving it around. Oh my; what memories. My Father would do the same because my Mother and I were always moving the same furniture around, and I was always changing the decorations in the house.

This is the season of memories. The ones I love the best are the stories behind all the different tree decorations that have been handmade. My Mother made decorations from almost anything and I am sure I got her love of the season and her ‘different eye’ to seeing that almost anything (within reason) could be made into a decoration.

My most fun story is a couple of lovely decorations that I have done from what could be called box throw-a-ways. The story starts with was I received for that Christmas. It seemed that I got enough perfume to last me about 8 years! Talk about like minds! That was the year that perfume manufactures were presenting the fragrances’ in interesting boxes.
As I was cleaning up and getting rid of the papers (etc.) from the openings…these boxes caught my eye. One looked like a little gold treasure chest. It seemed such a shame to just throw this away.

So with box in hand off I went to find something to decorate it with. About 2 hours later I have conjured up a lovely little gold box with several red ornaments stacked in the box with a few greens for balance. It turned out great. And what could be better than instant Christmas decorations. Take out of storage…sit on table…bingo…holiday!

Looking to almost anything to become a decoration with a sprig of holly or a bit of ribbon gives a different perspective. Yes I caught my Mother’s eye. And that eye takes me through the season with the wonderment of a child at times. Thanks Mom.

Oh…that decoration came out of the storage box this year with a broken ornament on top. I already knew the color of those ornaments were difficult to get. So this year in place of that broken ornament, I placed a silk red rose. Voila fixed and beautiful as ever and still an instance table decoration.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

If you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use what the eye sees first, to your advantage. Or if you want a fun read that can also teach you the secrets I learned on losing over 170 lbs. pick up my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links. It will be a good one to have around just after the holidays.

Remembering Those Who Serve Us

2007-12-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

We are all rushed and stressed this time of year. Most of that is self-imposed. All of it is not others reasonability. This is a wonderful time of the year and it is also the time to remember all of those who help us get all our goodies; the salespeople behind ever counter regardless of the store or restaurant.

It is a wonderful time of year to remember the salespeople are stressed also. In fact probably more so then us as they must deal with ‘us’. Wouldn’t it be a great time to Thank them for doing a great job and putting a smile on their face? Let me tell you how this started.

Many, years ago I was in line during the holidays and behind one of the rudest shoppers I had seen ever. By the time she got finished with the salesclerk the poor person looked like they lost their best friend. (You know the look) So I stepped up, with a smile on my face and chatted with them how great a job they were doing. How I could not do what they are doing, it takes a special person to handle their kind of job and all ‘Us’ shoppers really appreciate them; as I left the counter with my goodies, the person was smiling and happy! Not only did they feel great, so did I!

No matter how many problems I have during the holidays, I complement the salespeople. They feel good and because it makes me happy my holiday shopping goes easier. Happy is a wonderful feeling!

Years later, I tried something new. Each year I buy more cards then I need. (They are all so great!) And I always have left-over’s. So I have taken to carry several with me to hand out to the salespeople with the simple phrase written in them “a grateful shopper”. I handed the salesperson a card as I left the counter. Wow…what a high!!!

Sometimes I feel like that “Secret Santa”. Try some of these this season. It can make your season brighter.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

Give the gift for the New Year
“The Thinking Side to Thin”
7 Mental Secrets to Successfully Winning the Weight Loss Game
Available on Amazon or www.thinkingsidetothin.com

Freaky Friday

2007-11-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

I must admit that I actually added to the rest of the people getting out early on what is usually called Black Friday. I have always wondered why the media called it Black Friday. There is really nothing black about it, except maybe the sky.

We tried Freaky Friday a few years ago and found the people that set their alarms and made it to the stores while the raccoons were still out were really nice people. But why did they do it. Was it the extra $10 gift certificate you got at one place, or the free breakfast you received at another? What made them participate?

It all starts with the ads that run on Thanksgiving. That paper in our area is bigger than the biggest Sunday paper we usually receive. So you pour over the ads, seeing who has the bargains that are on your list of gifts for Christmas. Then the decisions! Which store do I get to first? Do I have to get up at 3AM or 4AM? And, when will I have the time to get to the store that is giving away breakfast? Oh…the decisions…

So you roll out of bed at 3:30AM (the store is close) and hit the road while those raccoons are still scurrying the neighborhood. Under an almost party like atmosphere you line up outside the store. Bundled up…coffee in hand…then the doors open. BUT, unlike that you see on television when Feline’s has their sale on bride’s dresses. This group of shoppers is cautious, happy, helpful, funny, and calm for such a stressful time. Many consider this fun!!? Many do this every year! Stores reward these people with extras, bonuses, gift cards and more.

The one thing these Freaky Friday shoppers have learned is those items with the biggest discounts don’t last. In some cases…they don’t last to the end of that line outside. This is found primarily these days at the electronics stores; where a $200 laptop or a $300, 42inch plasma is waiting for the really brave who camped out all night for those bargains. Some stores are even using a way of handing out a ticket for their limited supplies. Starting at the front of the line for all the super specials they have in the store. That way they have order instead of chaos, and everyone still stays happy.

Here is the interesting observation. The people at the back of the line don’t leave just because they did not get a ticket for the super specials. They stay. They still shop, they still have the experience and fun and sometimes…people who have the tickets for some items give them away because they are already over their budget. So they get to play Santa Clause too.

What a great concept. Bargains, fun, new friends, food… that does sound like a party. So why doesn’t the media rename black Friday to something more fun; like Sparkling Friday or Freaky Friday. Yes it is freaky to get up that early to go shopping. But it is fun! And it’s only one day a year!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr Marlene

If you want a fun read that can also teach you the secrets I learned on losing over 170 lbs. pick up my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. It will be a good one to have around just after the holidays. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use what the eye sees first, to your advantage.

Fast Time Usually Unsuccessful

2007-11-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

The seasons are upon us and so are the weight loss ads. You think this is bad just wait till after the holidays. What can I say; I will be presenting a program on my radio show about losing the holiday weight and getting healthy. However, unlike most of the ads for this pill or that pill, we will be presenting a healthier way.

Back to the ads…the biggest problem that these ads and pills have is according to them, you can lose the weight FAST! The public on a whole, can’t wait for anything these days…change your hair color in an instance, have your teeth look like the latest movie star in one visit even surgeries are being done quicker. While all this is very true and it seems we are racing towards science fiction being science fact; our bodies haven’t gotten the message; it is still operating on its own schedule not societies.

If you gain the weight slowly over time, losing it fast just puts you in the category of the 97% of the people that gain back 110-125% of the weight. What is even more interesting is that of the people that have the weight loss surgery 60% gain back as much as 30% of the weight. Now for this category of weight loss people that can be a huge number.

The body is the body and will always win out. No matter where we are in science, the body is a machine that operates at a certain level. With some people that level is smarter than others. With others, that level is their muscles are better focused to sports. But on the whole, the body operates within a certain range to get all the daily functions completed.

So why even go on a “diet” to lose weight??? Duh! Function is very important to the body and if you carry around excess weight, that body starts to breakdown sooner. Ladies that means you get older faster!!! So losing the weight is like stepping back in time. (Sort-of) Haven’t you ever seen pictures of people that have lost a lot of weight…most look younger!
Because of those statistics the best way to lose that weight is slowly.

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

My show this week is an incredible inspirational story of an amazing woman who loved, lost, lost again, and again then came back to a wonderful new beginning.

You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your advantage.

Ode to a Cold

2007-11-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

NOT!! I do believe that a cold is actually worse than the flu as aliments we humans go through. First it lasts longer. Second there isn’t much that you can do about it short of taking something to relieve your symptoms.

I just spent the worst cold week that I can remember in years; including losing my voice the day before last week’s radio show. Oh what fun that was. I don’t know about you but I think a cold is the biggest waste of time and energy there is.

And don’t you just love the term…we catch a cold. The visual to that is we run after the cold virus with our little nets till we catch it…like a butterfly. Oh Please! Why would anyone in their right mind want to have a cold?

Your head fills up….your nose fills up…your ears fill up…my word you feel like you are drowning! And In what!!! You know what it is! Then you take all that ‘stuff’ to make you feel better. I don’t know about you but when I take that stuff…I lose my brain power! It goes right straight down to running at 2 miles per hour instead of 65. After all you don’t want to go over the speed limit.

So off to the drug store (great term) your go to fill up your basket. You have the AM/non-drowsy ‘stuff’; the PM/help you sleep ‘stuff’(when I take it keeps me awake); and that wonderful ‘stuff’ you squirt up your nose to ward off the cold!!! So here you are at the counter with $50 of stuff for a cold that, with or without it, will last 7-10 days! What is wrong with this picture?

With all our wonderful science breakthroughs and all our great minds in medicine, you would think that after all these years those scientists could have come up with something? Maybe they just don’t want to…after all $50 times millions and millions of people each year with colds does add up to a nice tidy sum. Hummmmmmmmm?

Than about 7-10 days after all this starts…your body says okay I am done and that cold is going….going…gone! The head drains, the ears drain, oh yes…hand me the Kleenex…the nose drains! The voice returns to almost normal (I say almost because you kind of forget what it is suppose to sound like), and ‘they’ say you should be immune for at least 6-12 months. Obviously they have never had small kids in school where a cold is passed around all season.
Yes, my ode to a cold is a plea to the scientific community…please can’t you at least find something that can get rid of this waste of time illness in less than 7-10 days!

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene

We have a great woman on today that is a jeweler. Catch the show at 1PM Pacific time on Voice America Women or later in the archives.

You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your advantage.

Entering the Season of Beige Food

2007-11-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

We are now entering the season of Beige food. The Holidays of turkey (beige), gravy (beige), dressing (beige), sweet potatoes (almost beige), pumpkin pie (dark beige) get the picture?

Most people put on about 3-6lbs during the Thanksgiving four day holiday. WOW!! Just imagine how much food must be eaten to gain that much weight. Why do you continue to put on that weight and sometimes keep that weight on every year?

Tradition! Tradition started during the time of the pilgrims when adding a little weight during the fall to early winter, help the people make it through the winter months when food from the fields was scarce. We don’t have that problem today; in fact, we have the opposite problem. We have abundance!

Abundance in the form of a markets teeming with all the goodies of the season and more; because of world trade and markets open to everyone, we can get all the great foods of the world all year long. When it is winter in the northern hemisphere it is summer in the southern hemisphere and vice versa.

The other problem that we have is we no longer have to tend the field and go out and hunt for meat to put on the table. In fact we are more of a sedimentary society than ever. This computer that I am typing on is one of the big reasons.

So we stick with traditions and we gain, and we gain, and we gain weight each and every season. No wonder 67% of the population of the US is overweight, with the world catching up quickly. 38% of our kids are overweight, that number is frightening.

Now is the time to break with tradition and think before we buy this season. The turkey is wonderful; but hold back on the butter. (That bird will taste just as good and be better for you) Skip the dressing if you can, if not make as little as possible and go for no left-over’s. Skip all the potatoes and go for more than one vegetable. You will even be able to have more than one helping of those green beans. Make your own cranberry sauce (it is so easy) don’t use sugar…use something else and it still tastes great. Now that dessert! Try other pumpkin delights that are not a pie. You can get the same taste but cut the calories. You might even cut the nap time problem.

Stay in amazing shape for the New Year!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

I have a personal jeweler coming up on the show on 11/14/07 don’t miss this one she will give you hints for your holiday giving.

You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your advantage.

Small World Getting Bigger

2007-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

Talk about sending mixed signals. Big news this week…Disneyland is shutting down the Small World ride to make all the boats bigger to accommodate today’s larger people. At the same time there is news that schools are trying to get younger students to eat better. Studies have shown if the fat is put on at a younger age it is harder to get off later in life. (That is so right)

So here we are as a nation; making it easier to be fat and telling our younger people you should not be fat. HUH??

Talk about sending mixed signals. I still can remember when I was very fat the availability of larger size clothes was next to nothing. Today…not only do we have lots of choices, but every store, including the very high end, has teens and younger big size clothes.

Are we becoming a nation of fat people? What happen to the trying to get the weight off and get healthy trends of the last few years? I have noticed on some websites of large size clothes they are not offering size 40 or 6X for women. What size is that?? We have never heard of that size before.

I have been doing some research, and let me tell you this. If you want to shorten your life get fat! The body and the skeletal system can’t support all that weight. Why do you think fat people have a hard time walking? And those who are really fat sit most of the time. Remember the story of the 1200 pound man who had grown into his couch? He couldn’t walk!

I will get into this more on Friday. For my Amazing Women I will tell you this now. To slow it down or even bring that aging clock to a slow crawl…losing the weight and getting the body healthy and balanced is the number one thing to do. Until Friday…

Amazingly Yours

Dr. Marlene

You can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites. Or if you want to learn more about color, my book Marketing’s Silent Language includes how to use it to your advantage.

Small Color Change – Big Appeal Value

2007-11-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE MY POLL ON COLOR

WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT IT WEDNESDAY ON THE SHOW

We will be talking about color this week on my radio show, but it will be in regards to clothes. Today let’s take a look at a small change I did for a huge change in visual value.

I have a glass top table in my family room that had granite stone (gray) pedestals since I bought it at auction. It was originally purchased for an office that was decorated by a blue base person that I moved out of a long time ago. The room that it is in has a warm wood floor, warm honey colored chairs, and one small wall above the bar that is a warm yellow base red. We are both yellow base people and we love this room.

The table had always been jarring to my eye in the wonderfully comfortable room. Fixing the problem was like a wonderful bolt of lightning that cost us nothing. Sunday morning, while drinking my coffee, I remembered that we still had the pedestals from the old dining room table. Those pedestals were made of stone (keeping the overall look the table) but the stone was a wonderful yellow base color, pretty close to the entrance hall stone color.

So we did a switch. We went from 4 corners of gray pedestals, to two center cream pedestals. WOW what a difference. Not only did it change the look of the table, but the whole room suddenly came together. An added bonus was the look of more floor space.

Why…because the eye did not stop at the gray corner pedestals any longer. Because the new pedestals were a warm base stone, the flow of the colors in the room was complete. The eye and the brain no longer had to “get past” the wrong color; they were no longer jarred. When the eye stopped at the old color the room suddenly shrinks to the brain and the room took on a cramped feeling. By keeping the warm base color in the room, the eye and brain no longer have a problem with the flow through the room.

The same holds true with color on the body. If you put on an outfit that you think suddenly makes you look old or fat…check the base color against your skin…if it is the wrong base color get rid of it! After all no one (male or female) wants to look old or fat. Do we??

Amazing Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can read all about the systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language, http://www.silentlanguage.com/ or…you can learn more about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available at Amazon or under links to my sites.

A Little of This and A Little of That

2007-11-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget to take the poll on my posting from 10/31/07.
We will talk about it on the show 11/07.

My mood today is about some of the following.

Speaking of Halloween…isn’t nature wonderful. Here is Southern California, after all the fires and all that heat with the raging winds…what happens…a couple of days before Halloween right on cue nature changes and fall weather slides in with coolness and great Halloween weather.

Speaking of nature…I wish that congress would just leave day light savings time alone. In fact we are not saving anything at all. Nature does what nature does on the earth with seasons and a few hundred people in a room really have no control of what the earth does at all!!
Yesterday I drove about 70 miles to an appointment. What I noticed was before 6:30pm it was starting to get dark and within a few minutes most people had their headlights on. (Some these days are automatic, yeah!) So where is the savings? I was taught in, way back when, in electrical engineering classes that you can’t save energy. It must be used or you will lose it. Hummmmmm isn’t the sun a HUGE energy ball?

Working on a program for the New Year for the radio show, it is going to be about getting into shape, losing weight, eating right and getting the right mental attitude to make it all happen and stay with you for life! OK so this is a teaser. The show is evolving and I will be adding more features.

Speaking of the fires…EVERYONE should stop by their local fire department and thank them for all they do. They are our first responders. Here in Southern California we love all our fire people. I know that during the summer our local department is out sometimes 4 or 5 times a day. These guys do it all. Just think what it would be like without them.
Have a great weekend!!

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can learn more about color in my book Marketing’s Silent Language including how to use it to your advantage. Or you can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Happy Halloween and Spooky Colors

2007-10-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! If you are here from listening to my radio show today welcome. Sorry this is going up so late. I had to help out all the little trick or treat ghosts and this year really cute costumes.

This is what the poll is all about:

I just spent the most frustrating time last weekend looking for some new clothes. (Yes I have become a major clothes-horse since the weight loss) Here is my problem as I see it.

The styles themselves were great when I wore them back in the 70’s but with persistence and a few good places I can get around the style problem. My problem is the colors in the clothes. One thing that I learned while writing Marketing’s Silent Language is that clear or clean colors look best. I do not include that statement for the “heathered” look of two colors of thread like what the designers call oatmeal: that, is a specific woven effect.

What I am talking about is the gray undertone to most of the colors in the stores. I went to all the big stores…I live close to South Coast in Southern California and everything and I mean everything is either in those malls that are very close to South Coast. It made no difference if it was very high end or very low end price range. The colors to me all had a gray cast to them. This made the garments look dirty or old or an out of fashion color. Except for black or white

My problem is, all the colors seemed to be affected. I remember this happening a couple of times before, as I mentioned in the book, just before the tech bubble burst a few years ago, Gray was in the “in” designer color. It is a depressing color to be an “in” color. I am beginning to think they had a lot of gray dye left over and are using it up now. I don’t know…the colors seem old looking.

Am I the only one seeing this? Are you seeing this also? Are you having a frustrating time shopping with the colors that are in the stores?

Next week on the show we will have a personal shopper, designer and movie costume designer. I would like to discuss this problem with her and I would like your opinion also.

Go out and take a look where you usually buy clothes. Are the colors good on you? When you put on the clothes do you feel good?

After you have formed your opinion take my poll. If this is not enough of an answer email me at drmarlene@excite.com. This should be fun. Can't wait to see your results.

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

P.S. Don’t forget to listen in next week, Nov. 7th to our personal designer and see how the poll came out. Or you can always listen later on iTunes or download from the archives.

You can learn more about color in my book: Marketing’s Silent Language including how to use it to your advantage. Or you can learn the secrets about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Now About the Delicious Pictures…

2007-10-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

In my last posting I promised to tell you about the pictures, ah yes those beautiful pictures of wonderfully delicious food. Perfectly arranged, dripping with enticement, visually cooked to perfection. Yeah right!

When people ask me how I stay on my eating plan lifestyle change, they always want to know my secret…I have never told anyone. What I think of when I order at a restaurant or fast food chain. What goes through my mind as I scan the beautiful color menu of luscious dishes…until now!

I think of a photo shoot of food I assisted on years and years ago. I have no idea if they still style food the same today because of digital photography and photo shop. However what they use to do to food was amazing. To get food to look appetizing, they had to go through the most un-appetizing things. Food is just plain hard to photograph and did not hold up well under all the hot lights.

Here are a few ‘styling tricks’ they used on food.

Meat of any kind with those “grill marks”…stamped on with a mixture of steak sauce and dark furniture stain.

Milk always use to shoot a little blue,(like skim milk looks) so most of the time photographed milk was either regular milk with Elmer’s White Glue mixed in or just glue and water. Yum…
You could forget getting any little moisture drops on any food under the hot lights. So all moisture drops are glycerin, sometimes put on one drop at a time, sometimes sprayed on. So all those salads with the just cut freshness look is lettuce with cardboard under it, (so it won’t wilt down) sprayed with glycerin.

That great cup of coffee! Ever notice that coffee has a few bubbles just to the side along the edge of the cup? Most of the time that will happen in a regular cup for just a few seconds after the coffee is poured. To shoot that look in a studio, you had to whip up good ‘ole Elmer’s Glue with water and sometimes a little egg white for those bubbles. The stylist would put in a few bubbles, and then step back for the shoot and hope they would last.

That hot off the grill look of most anything was glycerin again and if you wanted just a slight bit of vapor or smoke coming off the meat with just a tiny smoke pill or a tiny tube under the food attached to canned smoke. Now I am sure they use photo shop for this now as this was a huge time waster when it was used. I remember that shot took about 30 takes. And remember that food doesn’t move.

Ice Cream was a real winner and each stylist had their own little tricks on how they made perfect ice cream cones. The one I sat in on used a combo of paint, ‘Playdough’, plaster and whatever goodies are in the ice cream, like chocolate chips etc. Bingo…forever lasting ice cream cones.

Now you know a little trick on how I analyze food on a menu or in a fast food chain and how I don’t eat as much in restaurants. Enjoy your next outing to any restaurant.

Amazing Yours,
Dr. Marlene

Don’t forget to listen to my show on Wednesday: Halloween, I will be talking with a Wicca or what they use to call a Witch.

You can learn more secrets and about my weight loss of 170 lbs. with the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Two of the Three Senses…Gotcha!

2007-10-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

Eating out instead of at home when someone is trying to lose weight, can be one of the toughest things to do. It doesn’t matter whether you are going to a nice restaurant or a fast stop to fast food you must manage the restaurants advantage of appealing to two of your three main senses.

First as you walk into the food establishment, you are engulfed with the smell of food! Your personal smell sense with pick out the smell that you like the best, if you are in a group note that one person will smell one thing and another with hit on another smell. (The only time this will not happen is if something has been burned in the kitchen)

Second, comes the sight. The wonderful pictures of all the great dishes the place offers in perfect full color just dripping with enticement. Gone are the days of a simple list of what the restaurant has to offer. Children, teens as well as adults are hooked. Then comes the mega plate meal for each person including the children. What can you do?
Children are easy: an adult can order for them or better yet, if the child is old enough get regular food an extra plate and let them have part of your food. Trust me you have more than enough in today’s market. I will tell you how I avoided the picture trap later.

Teens: Teach them how to make the better choices when they are not eating at home. Here are some quick fixes to today’s problems. Mexican Fast Food: Sticking with the tacos is the best bet. Here is where the boys will appreciate this. Tell them instead of ordering 3 get 4 (more food) then take all the filling out of the tacos onto a plate or wrapper and toss the shells!! Eating the inside, without the shells makes a much better less calorie and fat meal. And it is good! If their peers start ‘hassling’ them, use the allergic to something in the shells comment and let it drop. They may also discover that eating this way will lessen that mid-afternoon sleepiness.

Learning to get rid of most of the breads or fillers in fast food means, while not a perfect meal, will be better. Hamburger places are starting to put out more ‘low carb’ burgers. Again for teens, teach them this way to eat a burger, and let them add an extra slice of cheese; again more food less problems.

Now let’s tackle the problem with those wonderfully rich ‘coffee’ drinks you get at those coffee places on every corner. Teen girls seem to be addicted to them. So I asked one while waiting in line for my coffee. Why do they get those drinks? “Oh, it’s my lunch…so much better than all that fast food!” I almost fell over!! So I asked them do you know how many calories are in each of those drinks. Well…in most of the large ones, there is over 800-1000 calories and you don’t want to know the fat grams! Do you know that you could get many tacos or a couple of hamburgers for that many calories! They were stunned. I explained how I knew, and one in front of me didn’t order her drink. Yeah, changing one mind at a time!

For the girls: if they ate the food instead of the rich coffee drink, maybe some of the “muffin top” hang over on the low rise jeans would go away; which is the start of midriff bulge in many women in their 20’s and 30’s.

For the boys: more protein would help them build better muscle to take into manhood.

I will tell you about the pictures in the next posting. More hints in future postings.

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

You can learn more secrets for teens and about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Training Teens and Eating Right

2007-10-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

One of the comments that I get when it comes to my weight loss is “You have such will power; I’ll bet you never eat anything bad and never eat in a fast food restaurant”. Yeah, right, sure…NOT!

During the entire time that I lost the weight, I had fast food. Mexican, hamburgers, even hot dogs (which are the worst) and pizza, I still ate. The difference, I didn’t make it a habit and I was very careful in what I choose.

Teens on the other hand practically live in these places. Or should I say, they drive through them often. Dashboard dining is very common amount those teens with drivers licenses.
What can you teach a teen to; either lose weight or keep it in check, when all the choices of food are spread out on a wall in full color pictures looking enticing and delicious, perfect to eat? Then there are their peers…what can you do?

Let’s take the peer problem first. The age of the child has a lot to do with what is said. As I tell them, if you are losing weight or trying to stay healthy the easiest way to explain the difference in eating habits is one of two ways.

The first is you have discovered that you are allergic to what you are cutting out of your eating. Flour, sugar, bad fat, those items make a huge difference. If peers say they have never seen you with a runny nose, the answer is, this allergy hits me inside. Enough said then drop the subject.

The second is a little harder to pull off. That a coach suggested this is a better way to eat for the child’s or teens build.

Here is what I teach the teens. Within a few weeks to months the body will start to change. They will look better and have a lot more energy. With the right changes they will have more alertness and not be so tired. They will be changing their system to be more efficient. And in some teens, their skin might start to clear up. Wow what a benefit that will be.

They are right in the middle of raging hormones. The body is going through many changes at once. Taking a few of the problems away from the body makes the hormone changes easier on the system.

This is an easy ‘sale’ to teens; they may call you crazy at first, but challenge them to try it. It is easier than they think.

Friday I will discuss what to look for and choices at fast food, or eating away from home. They will be surprised that quantity may not have to change.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can learn some of the secrets for teens and about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available on Amazon or under links to my other sites.

Teen Agers and Eating Right

2007-10-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

At least once a week I read in the newspaper or even a magazine how nutritionist or psychologist are training pre-teens and teens in school how to eat better so as to not be one of the 38% of children that are overweight. Then, because I live very close to a high school I see kids do as they want. The places that are the busiest during lunch is the pizza parlor, the convenience store, the Mexican fast food place and now the ice cream truck with a line of 20 deep. At this age nothing is worst than not fitting in. Peer acceptance is what drives most teens.
It is almost as if the nutritionist and the psychologists forgot what it was like when they were a teenager. That their “new way” of teaching ‘children’ is going to work. Good grief ! Telling teens that they should not be eating in fast food restaurants, is like telling them not to breathe! Then you have the peer problem.

Rather than teaching them the ‘new way’, which is no different from the old way, wouldn’t it be better to observe them, then teach to their needs and life style; giving them a few secrets on how to eat, not get fat, still fit into their peer group and not get teased by others?

The biggest problem these ‘teachers’ have is they never had the problem of gaining weight or losing weight. Or they have the problem of being overweight while teaching and the teens blow them off immediately. Teens are not stupid maybe just a little ill-advised, and when presented with options they can use in everyday life, they usually respond.

Presenting a science to teens and pre-teens in a non-scientific way is a hurdle the nutritionist and psychologists need to understand and presenting it at the right time of the lifecycle when it is best absorbed.

More Wednesday on what to present and how.

Amazing Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can learn some of the secrets for teens and about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available at Amazon or under links to my sites.

Most Stupid Mistakes While Losing Weight

2007-10-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Personal responsibility is always necessary in business as well as when we are taking the big step to lose weight. So I am going to give you my 6 Biggest and Most Stupid Mistakes we make with weight loss!!

Mistake #1: Say you are… Going on a Diet! Good grief diets don't work because they slow your metabolism down to a snail's pace. The best way to lose weight is to feed your body, not starve it. Helping to speed your metabolism while feeding your body the food and nutrients it needs. Find out your clock for eating. Work on a new eating plan for healthy living. If you must snack…do so wisely with the right kind of food. Don’t eat junk!

Mistake #2: Eating "Low Fat." If you eat anything purchased that says low fat…you can bet it means high sugar. If you don’t get the healthy fats in your eating the results can be a super-slow metabolism, unhealthy skin and hair, depression, and reduced fat burning. To optimize weight loss, eat a cold-water fish like salmon. And increase your protein intake in other ways.

Mistake #3: Speaking of Protein…Eating Too Little Protein! Most people's diets are comprised mostly of carbs such as fruit, vegetables, breads, grains, cereals, pasta, etc. These foods are important... but you must not neglect your protein intake! Protein is important to help you build up lean muscle tissue, which in turn will help you burn away more body fat! While you are losing increase your protein as it takes the body longer for it to process and you don’t get as hungry between meals.

Mistake #4: Not Getting Enough Sleep: To lose weight, you NEED to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night... and preferably 8 to 9 hours. Why? Because, any fewer than 7 hours of sleep will cause your levels of cortical to shoot off the charts. Cortisol is your body's "stress hormone." It actually causes you to GAIN FAT! Getting more sleep will cause your cortisol levels to stay low and steady. Personally I tried this several times during my 170 lb loss. It is so true. When I had a few extra pounds to wanted to get off…I would go to bed earlier. YES EARLIER! When it is your body and it is becoming a new slimmer body don’t you want to treat it different? Because the old way of treating it was one of the reasons you were FAT!!

Mistake #5: Thinking Self-Destructive Thoughts. If you are constantly thinking thoughts of "I just cannot lose weight no matter what I do," you will make that a self-fulfilling prophesy. Stop the pity party! The old statement…you are what you think…couldn’t be more true! Get rid of that little devil that sits on your shoulder that is telling you all the bad things. When the bad ideas creep into your head, flick that little devil off your shoulder. Then learn new attitudes! The Law of Attraction states that you bring into your life what you constantly think about. The power of positive thinking and new ways are almost magical. You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll lose weight when you keep your mind focused on your health and learning new ways to handle life.

Mistake #6: One Bad Meal Destroys the Eating Plan: Good grief, one bad meal or one bad thing will not destroy your new eating plan. I can’t tell you how many people will go along just fine for weeks and weeks then just have to have a candy bar (280 calories). Then say oh well, I guess I can’t keep eating like I should, I will just give up. Believe me they wanted to give up, because it is taking them out of their comfort zone. As long as the bad item or the bad meal doesn’t become a habit, say more than once a month, your new eating plan will survive! Just get back up on the “bike” and start peddling again!

As your weight drops and your metabolism changes (and it does change!) many or those cravings for candy and potato chips will almost go away. To say once or twice a year. I know my candy craving has disappeared to the point when I do allow some during the holidays, I find I am really not as interested. Now that is a real “trip” for any fat person or recovering obese person to go through!

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

You can learn more about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available at Amazon or under links to my sites.

Weight Loss/Gain and Personal Responsible

2007-10-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

I was at lunch recently when the desert tray was offered. My guest could not believe that I turned down anything on the tray. First after the meal that I just ate, my body was telling me that desert was NOT an option. Second, I have had to make choices in my life to stay at the weight I am.

I have had people tell me that I am strong when it comes to food. ARE THEY KIDDING???? I can hear a taco or a bag of potato chips call to me all the way across town. Oh yes I would love to dive into the biggest bag of chips that I could find and just eat that for each meal till the bag is gone. But I don’t!!! Why?

Personal choice…a choice to be normal weight instead of being obese! Yes I use the word obese. Because the difference between normal weight and obese is partially choice.

Now the reason that I say partially is that we train the body to accept the amount of food that we eat. If we keep training the body to accept more and more and more food we are training the body to be obese. The body will begin to expect more food. In doing so, the body will make room for that extra food. More skin, more storage cells, more veins and arteries. What happens when the body is working like it should…it becomes obese.

The body is a machine. Living but working like a machine. The only part of the body that we have any control over is our brain and our thinking process. But there are two processes in the brain. Our own thinking part; then there is the part of the brain that handles all the processes that we have no control over. Functions that are automatic. Now you are beginning to see what happens. When you give the body more food…the body just builds MORE BODY!

Yikes what a process. That is how people get to be 250, 400, 1200 or even 308 lbs. I read the food intake of a man whose body had grown to 1200 lbs. Breakfast started out with 1 dozen donuts…then went on to 6 eggs and on and on. Trust me this man would not eating 1 piece of whole wheat toast for breakfast. No matter what the media might say. This guy made a choice to be as big as he was. Weather it was a psychological reason or just laziness; he made the choice to eat.

I made the same choices when I was morbidly obese. Such as: eating a huge sandwich for breakfast, never listening to my body that enough was enough at less than half way through. Now with practice, I made different choices. I have learned to listen to my body and my body has trained me very well and rewarded me with considerable weight loss. I will go into more of this next time.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can learn how I got to 308 lbs. and what I did to get back down in my book The Thinking Side to Thin. Available on Amazon and on my book website the link is at the side of the page.

Weight Loss and Kids

2007-10-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Two happenings came together last week with shades of the past and many memories. First the good: I was on a panel with Travis Jones, a chef and the CEO of Green Kidz. This new and exciting company is developing, distributing and manufacturing natural and organic prepared foods for children, in order to provide our younger generation a healthy future. Second the not so good. The story of the young girl who got a note sent home because her weight to height ratio landed her in the overweight range of the body mass index. How did these two events create shades of the past?

First…the mother of the girl did not want to face the facts that she was partially responsible for her child being overweight and to make matters worse she gave herself and her child an out or excuse to keep eating, by saying that her daughter was ‘big boned’. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that from my parents and teachers and doctors. On Pleeeze! Most kids do not fall into the ‘big boned’ category.

Second…currently we, as a nation, are feeding our kids the cheapest nutritional deficient and chemically laden foods in our country…why…because it is easy and quick. Today, we seem to be busier than past generations and the food industry have made it easier with “quick meals” in boxes and cans. With most of the packages loaded with sugar, fat and lots of chemicals. Most of the time our bodies don’t know what to do with all the chemicals so it turns most of it to glucose and stores it; the body does know what to do with sugar…it turns it to glucose and stores it. That storage we call FAT!

Currently Green Kidz is trying in a small way to help the busy mothers with the hardest meal of the day. Lunch! Giving the kids the boxes from the store, is easy, but…it is just giving them the sugar, fat and chemicals; and what does the body do even at that young age…stores it! Giving them a boxed lunch without the junk is just as easy and much better for the child.
The shades of the past: I can remember hearing all the excuses from everyone why I was FAT. The only thing that happened was I continued to get fatter and fatter till I weighted 308 lbs. My Mother, bless her, was a great cook. I was never at a want for good home cooking. But, even in those days sugar, fat, and white flour were used a lot in home cooked meals. Today we really do know better and are cooking lighter and better at home. In the past us kids played outside a lot. I also had dancing as a passion. Lots of exercise! Today we are a sedimentary society. One reason is because of what I am using right now…a computer.

Okay, so how does this all fit together? We should be smarter now with all the information that is out there. Excuses don’t work! Never have and never will. That mother should stop giving her daughter excuses and start taking an interest in what her child eats and how much exercise she gets. Teaching her the right way to eat and what is good for the body. Green Kidz has a great idea for mothers. Great meals without all the junk, that gets stored. We must learn the ratio of how much intake of food we can have to the amount of exercise the body gets. We are no longer plowing fields or doing the energy using every day events or the past. Smaller meals that are more balanced to today’s health and exercise standards are necessary. Why? Because we are teaching are children to be fat adults. 69% of the nation is overweight or obese; and that number is rising. Good for Green Kidz for giving us an option.

Making choices for health and weight balance is an option that can be learned, even by children.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

You can learn more about my weight loss of 170 lbs. and the mental methods that I used in my book: The Thinking Side to Thin: available at Amazon or under links to my sites.

Color Comes before Style

2007-10-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

One Monday of this week I said that color has a profound effect on each of us every day. It assaults our senses, envelopes our every waking moment. It pulls pokes and prods us, and has a profound effect on our emotions. It stops us in your tracks, can make us hungry and makes us want to buy. It moves at the speed of light and helps program the brain to accept or reject the spoken or written word. For each of us it is buried somewhere in our DNA. That means that each of us knows instinctively colors that make us look good. The problem that most of us have is…we are swayed by style.

Developing a way to get to the colors that will always make us look good can be a problem as you walk into any store today. The array of clothes, styles and colors is mind boggling! Being able to cut through that array just to the color and cut of clothes for our own personality can be time consuming. Knowing a time saying method can help. This method works for men or women even teens that want to develop a true look that is there’s.

As you walk into any store, stop! You want to be far enough away from the clothes that styles will not influence your decision. Now from this vantage point, scan the entire area of clothes slowly several times side to side. As you do notice where to eye stops. If it keeps stopping on black keep trying. Black is a safe color. You are looking for the color that your eye and brain knows is right for you. (This action may surprise you at first.)

If there are only one or two areas, great note them then and only than wade deep into the clothes and see what style is right for your body in those colors. If you don’t find anything, it just might be that the buyer for that area is only buying colors they like. Thus not understanding there is another whole world of color lovers out there. If it is a small shop, you may be up against the same problem and that shop may not be right for you no matter how great of styles they have. Remember color is always the first thing people notice.

By using this method, you will discover that matching items in your own closet will become easier. Colors will work together better. And more clothes in your closet will be used. Letting go of the items that are the wrong color for you no matter how great the style will become easier. Compliments will follow. Go have some fun shopping and experiment.

Amazing Yours
Dr. Marlene

You can read all about the color systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language, http://www.silentlanguage.com/

Understanding Color With Science

2007-10-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I gave a speech and decided to try one that I have been working on for some time. The speech had to do with the psychology of being evaluated when you first meet someone. Although there are 7 different items in the process I left the color item till the last because of past experience with other the audiences.

Because I announced this was an interactive speech, I took questions throughout the talk. I knew that the color item was going to draw the most interest. Even the men in the audience had questions and statements as to how color has helped them many times in business.
Early during interest in color one woman mentioned the…winter, spring, summer, fall aspect of color; at that point I noticed the body language of the men and the eye rolls. However, when I explained that the scientific method of color and the blue base – yellow base system, the men were intrigued; and they got it!

If you stick with the real provable science of any theory it will always win. So speaking from the scientific end of color I explained the two different classifications and how you tell the difference. I explained how they are measured. Some people (a little over 66% of the population) have more blue in their skin; while the remaining people have more yellow in their skin.

Each system (blue and yellow) have an entire color wheel except for two colors.

In the blue base color wheel there is no orange -- Why? Because there is too much yellow in orange.
In the yellow base color wheel there is not magenta – - Why? Because there is too much blue in magenta.

Simple to understand for the men and quick to check.

Over the years what I have learned is that men, when they understand and “get” this system, can be better at spotting the differences then most women. Men don’t seem to be affected by the “styles” of the hour.

When you understand this system, buying clothes and decorating your home can become easier. However, the real help in business in understand this system when present, sell or market to others. You can use the system to your advantage. And in todays market any advantage helps. More next time.

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

You can read all about the systems and how they work in my book Marketing’s Silent Language, www.silentlanguage.com

Why is Color Important?

2007-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Over the next few posts I will be discussing color, how it works and why it is important. We are engulfed in color daily; but have you ever really thought about it what it does and how it works?

It assaults your senses, envelopes your every waking moment. It pulls pokes and prods you, and has a profound effect on your emotions. It stops you in your tracks, can make you hungry and makes you want to buy. It moves at the speed of light and helps program the brain to accept or reject the spoken or written word. Color is an incredibly powerful business tool.

How does color work? We are assaulted on a daily basis of over 16.3 million colors. This assault is actually due to the science of color…the chemical make-up of the object being viewed along with the light under which it is viewed. You make constant choices based on this science. There is a chemical and light reaction in the eye and this process creates a physical reaction that is unique to color or color combinations. (Such as my reaction to certain colors of blue used on certain objects.)

Two important psychological things take place when you view color.

You will feel more comfortable with and desire that colors that are in your spectrum. (The spectrums will be explained in the next posting.) To your eyes, the colors in your spectrum are more desired to you and obviously better taste. Each color of the spectrum that is opposite to your eyes might appear dull, or not as sharp, harsh, garish or even a little cheap. While the colors that are in your spectrum have a more pleasing look.
There is also a reaction in your mind. You are automatically drawn to certain colors because of past associations and experiences with them. That has nothing to do with your “color within your DNA”, but rather the psychological associations you have had with those colors in the past. For example many little girls love pink and many times mature women revert back to that same color to bring back youth that is past.

Color is one of the first things other people notice about you when you meet for the first time. It does not have to be their spectrum for an appealing reaction. It must be in your spectrum to make you look good. It might even be part of that memorable combination necessary for you to stand out.

Imagine what the world would be like without color. Think about the movie Pleasantville. It all started as a black and white with shades of gray existence…then color was added. Things were never the same. Become amazing learn about color. More later...

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene

Taking Control of One’s Life

2007-10-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

On the show on Wednesday (10/3/07) I talked with an organizer (Regina Leeds) about what it meant to a person when they organized parts of their living space. She said that when you organize you are taking control. That got me to thinking about taking control of other parts of our own lives.

When I wrote “The Thinking Side to Thin” one of the themes throughout the book is taking control back from being overweight. Understanding what we put in our mouths and what is the affect on our bodies. Supplements are a great place to start.

Supplements today in the US are I think a trillion dollar business. (Give or take a billion) But how many of us really understand what those supplements do to each of us and how they react to other medication that we take.

At one point on my road to losing the 170 pounds I though since I was not eating the huge amounts that I use to eat, I would need supplements to help keep me active and energized. Was I wrong! When I increased my supplements my weight loss came to a screeching halt! My body said “Oh good you are giving me what I need, why should I go get it from the stored fat!” So I had to become a detective and started investigating about every supplement I took.

We have a lifetime of information available to us (both good and bad) on the internet today. But with diligence we can weed out the bad. What did I discover? Many of the supplements I had been taking were completely unnecessary. And with others, I found out that taking them together made them useless. At another time I had a bad reaction to two supplements that I was taking. In my body, taken together, I GAINED WEIGHT…not the outcome that I wanted at the time.

As I say in “The Thinking Side to Thin”, I became a walking experiment. I worked at finding out what was the best possible combination for my body. I TOOK CONTROL! Then my outcome was what I wanted. My weight loss was much easier and I had the energy and I was more active than ever.

Taking control is very empowering. The control radiates out to other parts of your life. This type is not control of arrogance, but the real control and the feeling that you understand what is going on. An internal confidence, that radiates to others. You can get the book on one of my favorite links on this page.

Again today I want to thank all my radio listeners that have made my show Amazing Women, brains, beauty & style the #1 show, after only 8 weeks, on Voice America Women.

Amazingly Yours,
Dr. Marlene

WOW - Thanks to all my Listeners!

2007-10-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have a great big thanks to all the growing number of listeners. After only 8 weeks with a radio show I hit #1 on the Voice America Women Network. Today we crossed 13 weeks and that is a magic number in radioland. Jeff, the president of Voice America said he expected good numbers, but these surprised him. And Me! Of course now they expect more.

What ever is going on...please... keep it up! I am working hard at bringing great interviews to the show; Amazing Women, brains, beauty & style. Bright, sharp and smart women and we have a great time on the show. Most guests think the hour goes by too quickly. So keep telling everyone about the show. In the coming weeks I will have some additions to the show that I think everyone will like. My list of amazing women to interview is always in need of new people. I do have a place on my website (see favorite links) to contact me with names and don't forget their email address. If you think of something you would like discussed on the show...send me that also. I am open to suggestions.

The amazing woman I had on today Regina Leeds, the guru of organizing and decluttering was so good with all her stories and information (pick it up from the rss feed) she could help all of us live life less cluttered. I talked to her off the air today after the show and she has agreed to do a show around the first of the year on how to make the post holidays less stressful and what to do to get organized for 2008. So don't miss this one. If you sign up for my E-Card that goes out each week telling you about the show, you won't miss a thing.

Hey advertisers...if you are looking for a show with a growing female audience, this is the one you are looking for; with more on tap for 2008.

One last posting. Congratulations to Tim and Cathleen (our youngest boy) they are making us first time Grandparents!! Yahoo! You will make great parents and just imagine it should only take about 25 years to get it right.

Amazingly Yours
Dr. Marlene