Author Guest Post
The Insanity of Dieting
By: Marie McGaha
If you are someone who has never had to diet, are one of those who can eat the entire cake and gallon of ice cream and never gain an ounce – you and I can never be friends, so just skip this post! Seriously, I do know a few people who never gain weight no matter what they do, but I am not one of them. I am exactly the opposite – I gain weight from looking at food, so just imagine what happens when I actually eat!
I hear a lot about that “middle age spread” that just happens to women with age. Mine happened a lot sooner than middle age. I think it happened somewhere around birth, since I came into this world at ten and a half pounds, which my other describes as being “cute”. And I have to agree, those roly-poly babies are adorable and everyone loves them, right up until they start high school, and then the “cute” is over like last years’ fruitcake.
Personally, I have been on approximately a thousand diets in my lifetime, and I’ve lost a thousand pounds, which is good. However, I’ve also gained back about two thousand pounds, which is not good. And I think that is the problem with America today. First, we are the fattest country in the world, and second, we believe every infomercial touting the latest diet drink, diet pill, diet food, exercise video, dance, or contraption advertised on late night TV.
What I’ve figured out over the years is that it isn’t weight or even the need to lose weight, it’s the changes in our society and the food we actually eat today as compared to what I ate as a child and the way my parents and grandparents ate. With the growth of our nations’ population and the technology used to preserve our food, plus the advent of the almighty microwave, most of our food is full of preservatives, sugars, sodium and fat.
Grocery carts in the local grocery store full of Twinkies, Little Debbies, sugar-filled cereals, potato chips and microwavable foods are silent witnesses to the deterioration of the family mealtime. Even though those foods have added vitamins and minerals, they are “white” vitamins, made synthetically in a laboratory, rather than “green” vitamins, those that come naturally in foods such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and other green foods.
So after more than a quarter century of dieting and failing, I finally quit and decided to let my body tell me what it needed. I quit using all the dieting products and I no longer eat anything that needs microwaved or comes from a box. I eat whole grains, raw nuts, fresh vegetables, chicken, fish and pork. Once in a while I get the craving for a ribeye thrown on the grill, but that happens only occasionally. And surprise, surprise, I haven’t felt the need for a magic shake in a can for a very long time!
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Book Review
One Good Man by Marie McGaha
Publisher: Dancing With Bear Publishing
Publication Date: November 23, 2012
Format: Paperback - 188 pages
ISBN: 0615723179
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BUY THE BOOK: One Good Man
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by CBLS Promotions.
Book Description:
Starting over is never easy, but Allison is determined to do just that and moves far from Chicago to the warm waters of Biloxi, Mississippi where she accepts a position at one of the floating casinos. For the first time in her life Allison feels like she’s truly at home. She loves her job, she loves her boss, who is like a father to her, and she loves being a part of all the excitement going on around her. Except for one little thing…
Her boss’s eldest son, Stephen is probably the most handsome, gorgeous, and sexy man she’s ever laid eyes on… and he knows it! And for some reason he acts interested in her. Then her mother comes to visit and winds up dating her boss. Her accounts start showing large amounts of money missing. And her ex shows up unannounced and says he wants her back. Can anything else possibly go wrong?
Absolutely!
Book Excerpt:
“I almost forgot to thank you for my room. I didn’t expect you to provide one for me.”
“You’re welcome. We thought that since you were here for a thirty-day probationary period, there was no reason for you to have to worry about finding a place to live. If it works out for everyone involved, you can find a place when the thirty days is up.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Jason looked up as a man approached the table.
“I thought you had gone home."
“I was just on my way out, so I thought I’d stop by and meet your new assistant.”
“Stephen Collins, I would like to introduce Allison Hamstead. Allison, this is the First Mate and my brother, Stephen.”
“Nice to meet you, Big Al," Stephen said with a grin, shaking her hand. Forcing Jason to move over, he sat in the booth with them.
“We spoke briefly on the phone," she told him. “But it’s nice meeting you too…Stevie." She shortened his name deliberately. He only raised an eyebrow, but Jason chuckled.
“I think she’s already got your number there big brother," Jason laughed, as the waitress set their dinner and drinks on the table.
The waitress looked at Stephen and grinned. “You want anything, Stephen?”
He grinned back and took a long, slow look up and down.
“Not right now, Heather," he drawled, “but thanks for askin’.”
“Anytime," Heather said as she wiggled away.
Jason shot his brother a stern look.
“You shouldn’t be flirting with the waitresses in front of Allison, she’ll get the wrong impression.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ve got the wrong impression about your brother at all," Allison commented, not sparing Stephen another glance.
Stephen laughed out loud and Jason grinned.
“Allison, I think you’re going to be around here for quite a while. There aren’t many females who can resist my brother’s charms." Taking a bite of pasta, he muttered, “Whatever they may be," loudly enough for Stephen to hear.
“Come on Jase," Stephen said as he elbowed his brother. “You know it’s harmless, I never let it go past the flirting stage with the waitresses.”
“Only because Captain would kill you if you did.”
“Be that as it may, I still keep my hands to myself." He shot Allison a wink, finished his drink, and set the empty glass on the table.
“Allison, it was nice meeting you. I hope you’ll decide to stay on in spite of your low opinion of me.”
“Thank you, but I don’t have a low opinion of you." She smiled innocently, and looked up at him as he stood.
“Really?" He grinned wolfishly down at her.
“Really. To have a low opinion of you would indicate that I have put forth the effort to care enough to have an opinion of you. Rest assured that I do not." She went back to her ravioli.
“Ouch!" Stephen laughed as he walked away.
“Congratulations, Allison. You are the first woman to ever work here that didn’t fall all over herself to get my brother to notice her," Jason told her with a chuckle.
“I’m glad I didn’t offend you, Jason. Although I should have thought before I said anything. Men like that just sit wrong with me.”
“Tell me what kind of man you think my brother is," Jason said as he wiped his plate with a piece of buttered sourdough bread.
“Well, you know, he’s the charming type that thinks he’s every woman’s dream, and all he has to do is snap his fingers for her panties to fall off." She looked up at Jason as she suddenly realized what she’d said.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry.”
Jason laughed out loud.
“Don’t worry about it. You really do know my brother.”
Allison felt the heat in her cheeks and shook her head, then downed the last of her martini. She looked up at him and smiled wryly. “Now if you’d just help me get my foot out of my mouth, I’d be forever grateful."
“You’re welcome. We thought that since you were here for a thirty-day probationary period, there was no reason for you to have to worry about finding a place to live. If it works out for everyone involved, you can find a place when the thirty days is up.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
Jason looked up as a man approached the table.
“I thought you had gone home."
“I was just on my way out, so I thought I’d stop by and meet your new assistant.”
“Stephen Collins, I would like to introduce Allison Hamstead. Allison, this is the First Mate and my brother, Stephen.”
“Nice to meet you, Big Al," Stephen said with a grin, shaking her hand. Forcing Jason to move over, he sat in the booth with them.
“We spoke briefly on the phone," she told him. “But it’s nice meeting you too…Stevie." She shortened his name deliberately. He only raised an eyebrow, but Jason chuckled.
“I think she’s already got your number there big brother," Jason laughed, as the waitress set their dinner and drinks on the table.
The waitress looked at Stephen and grinned. “You want anything, Stephen?”
He grinned back and took a long, slow look up and down.
“Not right now, Heather," he drawled, “but thanks for askin’.”
“Anytime," Heather said as she wiggled away.
Jason shot his brother a stern look.
“You shouldn’t be flirting with the waitresses in front of Allison, she’ll get the wrong impression.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ve got the wrong impression about your brother at all," Allison commented, not sparing Stephen another glance.
Stephen laughed out loud and Jason grinned.
“Allison, I think you’re going to be around here for quite a while. There aren’t many females who can resist my brother’s charms." Taking a bite of pasta, he muttered, “Whatever they may be," loudly enough for Stephen to hear.
“Come on Jase," Stephen said as he elbowed his brother. “You know it’s harmless, I never let it go past the flirting stage with the waitresses.”
“Only because Captain would kill you if you did.”
“Be that as it may, I still keep my hands to myself." He shot Allison a wink, finished his drink, and set the empty glass on the table.
“Allison, it was nice meeting you. I hope you’ll decide to stay on in spite of your low opinion of me.”
“Thank you, but I don’t have a low opinion of you." She smiled innocently, and looked up at him as he stood.
“Really?" He grinned wolfishly down at her.
“Really. To have a low opinion of you would indicate that I have put forth the effort to care enough to have an opinion of you. Rest assured that I do not." She went back to her ravioli.
“Ouch!" Stephen laughed as he walked away.
“Congratulations, Allison. You are the first woman to ever work here that didn’t fall all over herself to get my brother to notice her," Jason told her with a chuckle.
“I’m glad I didn’t offend you, Jason. Although I should have thought before I said anything. Men like that just sit wrong with me.”
“Tell me what kind of man you think my brother is," Jason said as he wiped his plate with a piece of buttered sourdough bread.
“Well, you know, he’s the charming type that thinks he’s every woman’s dream, and all he has to do is snap his fingers for her panties to fall off." She looked up at Jason as she suddenly realized what she’d said.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry.”
Jason laughed out loud.
“Don’t worry about it. You really do know my brother.”
Allison felt the heat in her cheeks and shook her head, then downed the last of her martini. She looked up at him and smiled wryly. “Now if you’d just help me get my foot out of my mouth, I’d be forever grateful."
My Book Review:
Coming soon!
Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway
Win A Signed Paperback Copy Of One Good Man
Giveaway Info:
Prize is 1 signed paperback copy of "One Good Man" from Marie McGaha. Contest is tour-wide and ends June 12. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
May 13: Triad Literary
May 15: Aspired Writer (Author Interview)
May 16: Janna Shay's Fair Play (Guest Post)
May 20: My Devotional Thoughts (Guest Post)
May 21: Mythical Books (Author Interview)
May 22: Samantha Holt (Guest Post)
May 24: 4 the LUV of SANITY (Guest Post)
May 27: Babbling about Books, and More (Guest Post)
May 28: Le'BookSquirrel
May 30: Dawn's Reading Nook
Jun 3: Kisses, Caresses & Whispers in the Night (Author Interview)
Jun 4: Jersey Girl Book Reviews (Guest Post)
Jun 4: Love, Laughter, Friendship (Guest Post)
Jun 5: The World As I See It
Jun 7: deal sharing aunt (Author Interview)
Thanks for being part of the tour, Kathleen. I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteMarie McGaha
Hi Marie! I will be reading and reviewing the book within the next few days. I will add the book review to this post. Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. :)
DeleteMarie,
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you...I just have to look at food and gain 20 lbs...I so want your new book...I love all of your writing....You are an amazing writer, publisher, editor, and friend...Love you dearly
Melinda
Hi Melinda! Thank you for visiting my blog and posting a kind comment for Marie. :)
Delete