Everyone's Blog Posts - positively slim

Get walking....

2012-09-26T12:30:00.000Z

Following our motivational email this week about walking I'd like to give you some ideas on shoes.

There are so many brands out there. The key to finding the right one for you is to get to a shop and try on many pairs in order to find what is comfortable for your feet. I suggest you go somewhere that does a free treadmill assessment or is known for their educated staff. One such place in the UK is Run and Become. Their staff are well trained to help you. Their website lists running trainers, don't let this deceive you, many of the trainers can be used for walking as well. In Canada the equivalent will be The Running Room.

If you're looking for something a bit more stylish then check out the very popular FitFlops created by a Canadian woman.

Back to school - planning grocery shopping

2012-09-19T12:00:00.000Z

Our weekly motivational email was about back to school time and how powerful this can be even for adults. It is a natural starting point in a year to get organised for the winter and spring ahead.

The biggest task my personal training clients struggle with is thinking about and getting their groceries each week.

In the UK we are blessed with online grocery shopping. It couldn't be simpler! Once you take the time to setup your account and do an initial shop you'll find the tools on these websites invaluable! One such as "your usuals" list which brings up what you ordered in the past. This makes for speedy re-order each week of your healthy staples. You do this all from the comfort of your home and have someone deliver right to your door.

I am sure once you try this you'll love the convenience.

Charlene

Think positively!

2012-09-12T12:30:00.000Z

Thinking positively is a daily practice just like working out. The brain takes repetition to set patterns too, just like a skeletal muscle.

Here are some positive statements/affirmations for you to say to yourself, write down in a journal, tack to your mirror, say out loud in the shower etc:

"I am a healthy person"
"I eat well everyday"
"I feel good"
"I enjoy my exercise sessions"
"I am beautiful"
"I value the person I am inside"
"I am inherently a good person"
"I am loved"
"I enjoy the sensations I feel while being active"

Keep repeating those that work for you and they will be true.

Charlene

Nutrition on the job follow up....

2012-09-05T12:35:51.000Z

On Monday I sent you some tips on how to eat healthy and well while on the job.

How is everyone doing with these ideas?

Have you:

prepared some of your own lunches and taken in containers?
stocked your desk drawer or work fridge with some healthy, yummy snacks?
made more dinner the night before and taken left overs for lunch?

Charlene

Motivation to keep healthy

2012-08-28T17:04:16.000Z

Fitness motivation was the topic of our weekly motivational email. I feel we all suffer from lack of motivation on occasion, if not more!

Though I am in the fitness business I am human and I too have my days. What do I do when motivation escapes me? Here are my points of wisdom from years in the business, working not only on myself but with my clients.

Figure out what time of day works for you? Mine is mid morning. For some of you your best time to move may be early morning or evening.
Remember how moving makes you feel, during and after the workout or practice. Capture this in your mind or write it down so you can go back to this when you are needing motivation.
Make you membership count. Some of my clients feel they want to get their money's worth at their gym, facility or class. They have done the math and know how often they need to go in order to make it worth their money.
Call a friend or workout buddy to join you.
Have a set day or two where you participate in a course which runs for a certain amount of time.
Find a beautiful place to be active. Live near a beach? Then walk on it. Reside near a forest? Stroll through it.
Download some new music.

I could go on but I will leave you with these for today. Something will work for you....I just know it!

Charlene

DIY Bootcamps!

2012-07-18T11:30:00.000Z

Hello Positively Slim folks. I have returned from another wonderful annual holiday in Canada. Despite loving London I do miss so many things about living in Canada.

One of these things is the abundance of easy to access nature! While at a cottage area a few weeks ago I came across an enthusiastic bunch of Canadians partaking in their own bootcamp. I am going to term this DIY Bootcamp!

The group was keen for me to share their photo here on Positively Slim to inspire others to form their own groups. I hope they get to read this and know they will be inspiring others to create and participate in their own DIY Bootcamp.

If you would like to start your own DIY Bootcamp in your area contact me at info@positivelyslim.com. I will create a new group for your area here on Positively Slim so everyone can stay in contact regarding dates and times. See other groups.....Positively Slim groups

Here's what you will need to start off:

an outdoor or indoor space with room to move
2-10 friends or colleagues to participate and have fun!
2-3 times per week to meet for up to 45 minutes
Easy park workout with tubing (find workout here on PS)
tubing (buy some at picture link)

Once you have gotten started after having a chat with me either here on Positively Slim or by email you can use the Easy park workout with tubing for your first 4-6 weeks. You can then get the next stage of workouts from me on Positively Slim under a new page DIY Bootcamps.

Charlene

Top Ten Exercise Tips for Stress

2012-04-20T11:30:00.000Z

Is it a good idea to exercise when you're feeling stressed? Yes.

Moving has many "de-stressing" benefits.

by Charlene Hutsebaut, Fitness Expert for The De-Stress Diet: The Revolutionary Lifestyle Plan for a Calmer, Slimmer You

Use these top ten tips to guide you:

Use short non-exhaustive sessions of varying intensities.

Do these shorter workouts more often in a week rather than only 2 or 3 longer bouts.

Weight train. It helps to increase muscle which in turn positively influences your metabolism.

Exercise at work. Walk at lunchtime or do a short office workout or yoga practice somewhere quiet.

Move outside. Studies show increases in mood and Vitamin D intake (great for weight management, bone health and cancer prevention)

Exercise with others. The benefits of social activities are:

Boost in mood
It’s fun and makes us laugh
We get a natural hit of the happy chemical dopamine because of the tribal nature of social settings
Stimulates healthy competition
Can bring more purpose to workouts for some people
Allows time with partners, family or friends which otherwise may not happen
Gives a designated time to meet someone to be active

Rest. The body needs time to rejuvenate and repair after workouts. This is just as important as the workouts themselves and you’ll come back stronger. Continually struggling through hard workouts day after day will only increase your feelings of stress.

Take the stairs. A British Journal of Sports Medicine study found that going up and down stairs for 2 minutes, 5 times per day boosted their fitness over an 8 week period. This is another way to take time out from your work day to “De-Stress”.

Vary and alternate your workouts. Move like our hunter-gatherer ancestors and modern Olympic athletes. One day have a short workout, the next slightly longer then take a rest day.

Try something brand new. It takes you out of your comfort zone. This will allow you time to be in the moment as you learn new movement patterns. Imagine being able to forget about the stressors of your life even for a few minutes.

For more free readings & ideas on "de-stressing" through yoga, food, breathing, moving and more check the De-Stress Your Life website, Official Site for The De-Stress Diet resources section.

The De-Stress Diet - 7 Day Meal Plan

2012-04-18T11:36:48.000Z

This 7 Day Meal Plan from The De-Stress Diet Official Website is proving very popular.

"...some meals to throw together simply and easily as you go along your De-Stress Diet journey - remember to note down which meals worked for you in terms of taste, satisfaction, digestion and practicality:"

Find it here.....

Woman Diet Special - "A flat tummy at any age" feature

2012-04-17T16:22:32.000Z

Check out my "Tone that tum!" - tips for fab abs section in Flat tummy tricks of the stars in the April 2012 issue of Woman Diet Special out now!

Very excited to be helping so many readers to feel great about their…

New Fitness Trends - "CrossFit" & "TRX Suspension & RIP Training"

2012-03-14T17:30:00.000Z

Hello all,

An article in the Evening Standard in London today has inspired me to write this post regarding new trends or shall I say new trendy workouts that are emerging.

TRX Training:

The first one I will mention which is my favourite is TRX Training. This company has been innovative with their equipment and delivery right from the start. They have an active youtube account with ongoing videos added and have recently introduced the TRX RIP Trainer. These names sound a little daunting but the equipment really is for all ages and abilities if taught correctly. I work with clients from 30 to 70 years old all who enjoy working with both pieces. You can find more on them here....

CrossFit:

The second trend, especially in the UK is for CrossFit. This has been around in North America for awhile now and is just hitting the UK in a big way. The workouts are based on Olympic Lifts, gymnastics, rowing, weight lifting and more. The concept is based on doing different workouts every time in order to stimulate the body. Workouts are short burst of between 10 to 20 minutes.

This workout is very intense but with the right instructor beginners will make it through.

Check them out here. http://www.reebok.com/en-GB/crossfit/Sport-of-fitness/Sport-of-fitness-has-arrived/crossfit-basics/?dvn=fitness

If you are new to working out always remember to consult your doctor first and be sure to inform instructors and or personal trainers of this fact too.

"Intense exercise 'changes your DNA' " - NHS Choices

2012-03-09T14:51:29.000Z

Read this:

Intense exercise 'changes your DNA' says newspaper - Health News - NHS Choices - http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/brief-intense-exercise-dna-epigenetics.aspx

Making exercise part of your life

2012-01-31T17:00:00.000Z

This week I have a guest blogger! Her name is Michelle Pierre-Carr, an amazing woman who is a former Great Britain athlete and now a business owner and new mother. She explains her journey from competing at the elite level, to today, showing that even those who have been at a high level of performance need to make exercise a part of their life.....

Michelle is 2nd from left in photo!

"When people ask me about my athletics career, I often have to do a double take. Was I really an athlete? As it’s seven years since I retired now and my life has changed so much.
But yes I can hold my hand up and say that I was a former international Great Britain athlete and spent 13 years representing my country with the highest accolade being a Commonwealth silver medal at the 1997 Kuala Lumpur Games and a 4 x 400 metre finalist at the 1997 Athens World Championships. Never quite made the Olympics as my Achilles tendon proved to be my weak spot and my demise towards the end, but given that I started out life as a child constantly in hospital due to asthma I can’t knock my achievements really.
My life then obviously was completely different, physically I was training six days a week with 3 track sessions and 3 gym sessions which included weights, and mentally I was travelling from South London where I lived to West London every day to train with my coach Ron Roddan. If anyone from London can appreciate how difficult that can be given the traffic on an average day I would have to say back then I had the determination of an ox to be prepared to do that every day without batting an eye lid to achieve my goal.
Now as a destination wedding planner and owner of Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings and more recently a mother there never seems enough hours in the day to get business things done let alone think about exercise even though the heart and mind is willing. Don’t get me wrong I believe exercise is the foundation for feeling good, looking good and taking years off. But I am like everyone else now seeing how I can fit it into my hectic schedule. So yes even a former athlete has those days when they just can’t get it together.

However what I will say is even though I don’t have time to go to a specific class or to the gym I walk a hell of a lot with the pram in tow. I do believe that it’s not about making drastic measures that you can’t commit to, but it’s about making exercise part of your life. So if you need to get off the bus a stop before then do it. It might not be a lot of exercise but you are doing something at least and you will be surprised that by doing something every day can make a huge difference in the long run."

Michelle Pierre-Carr
Former 400m GB athlete
Owner of Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings

How to deal with stress

2012-01-15T10:27:42.000Z

According to a recent article in The Daily Mail, "Stress is a nationwide problem and is costing the NHS and businesses millions of pounds. It develops when workers can no longer cope.....".

The article goes on to describe why workers are stressed and how to cope with stress.

Questions on your lips may be:

how do I deal with stress?
why am I stressed?
how can I decrease my stress levels?
why does stress happen?
what strategies can be used to combat stress?
what are the differences between good stress & bad stress?
how can I stay calm?
does breathing help with stress?
what types of exercise can I do while dealing with stress?
does yoga help stress?
can food I eat decrease my stress levels?

There are so many more questions I could list that I have been asked by clients over the years. Decreasing stress is a process which must be thought of as your own journey. There are many strategies and tools out there to help you with staying calm. Choosing the ones that are right for you is key.

Why not start by taking a stress quiz developed by Charlotte Watts and Anna Magee to compliment their new book "The De-Stress Diet"? Take Stress Quiz.....

If you check more than 3 answers it is time for you to take action and shift how you live your life.

Charlotte and I have developed a new website, www.de-stressyourlife.com specifically to give you tools to help you with your stress.

Visit our new website www.de-stressyourlife.com for resources to support the book "The De-Stress Diet". There you will find resources to cope with stress:

I know you will find something to help you in your journey to a calmer place.

Charlene

Remembering the events of 2011

2011-12-31T11:26:05.000Z

Hello everyone!

If you're like me, 2011 has been an extremely busy year! I have decided to write down my accomplishments and rewarding experiences and leave the rest behind.

Perhaps take a few moments to write your own down and then give yourself a lovely positive pat on the back, then look forward to an excellent and fulfilling 2012!

Here is my list for you:

worked with talented and motivated Personal Training and pilates clients
took some very interesting seminars for professional development
- Suspension training
- STOTT Pilates pregnancy workshops
- Nutrition for the Competitive Athlete (and "Joe Public" too!)
- various other business seminars to improve my skills
cycled to work as often as possible over the spring/summer months
helped people on twitter to feel motivated and positive about their health & fitness
took role of Fitness Expert for the Huggies Diapers Little Swimmers Campaign
co-authored exercise chapter in the upcoming book "The De-Stress Diet"
created brand new website & online shop www.de-stressyourlife.com with business partner Charlotte Watts
interviewed twice on Hammersmith onfm 101.4 by the lovely Viv Oyolu of www.dreamcorner.co.uk
interviewed for various articles to help people with their fitness & motivation
did more walking & jogging to get out into the fresh air
planted & tended to my balcony garden (very stress relieving indeed!)
helped a friend move
recovered fully from an illness in 2010
continued my favourite exercise of weight training
started Positively Slim podcast Jan 2011
worked with many of the members on Positively Slim to get & stay fit & healthy

Reading that back makes me realize that I did in fact make a difference to many and it makes me smile. I hope you write your achievements and fine moments down today too.

Cheers, to an amazing year ahead in 2012!

All the best,

Charlene Hutsebaut

"The De-Stress Diet" Book

2011-12-17T12:30:00.000Z

Through 2011 I was asked by my business partner Charlotte Watts to contribute to the exercise chapter of "The De-Stress Diet" book written by Charlotte and award winning journalist Anna Magee. Of course I jumped at the chance to help the world get, stay and enjoy being fit and healthy.

The book officially launches on Jan 2/12!!!

You can find it on our new website De-Stress Your Life.

This site includes free tools to guide you through the book including videos and audios. A shop to order food, videos and other items from the book as well as free yoga and exercise directories.

More information to come early 2012!!!

Making fitness video for "The De-Stress Diet"

2011-12-07T14:30:00.000Z

Hi all,

A quick update with photo of our video shoot day last Friday. We were shooting the 25 minute fitness video to compliment "The De-Stress Diet" book release in January 2012. There will also be a five minute office workout for you!

The video will be available early January. Hope you like it and it gives you all some new motivation.

Charlene

Find the videos here: De-Stress Your Life Videos

Secrets of Health Experts - by Anna Magee

2011-11-15T07:30:30.000Z

Read this short snappy article by Anna Magee for Australian Good Health magazine. Charlotte mentioned along with Positively Slim!

Secrets of Health Experts

The truth about sugar - Quote with Charlotte on www.netdoctor.co.uk

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000Z

Read "The truth about sugar" from netdoctor.co.uk

Quote from Charlotte regarding the link between sugar and sleep.

Read it here...

Steel Cut Oats Recipe - Slow Cooker

2011-10-10T12:30:00.000Z

Do you have a big day ahead full of work, family & perhaps a nice workout too?

__________________________________________________________

Try making Steel Cut Oats (Pinhead oats) in your slow cooker overnight! This recipe will keep those of you who are active......going longer.

4 cups milk (or soya milk)

4 cups water

1 3/4 cup Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries last night)

2 tsp of cinnamon

Mix it all in slow cooker & set on low overnight for 5-7 hours.

Voila! Ready for you in the morning to sprinkle ground flax or hemp seed, nuts/seeds etc.

Sets you up for an excellent day of activities.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
You can get Steel Cut Oats (Pinhead Oats) here....Healthy Supplies (UK)

Recipe courtesy of the lovely Marci Manness owner of Fitness Edge for Women in Wpg, MB, Canada.

Radio interview - Onfm Hammersmith-Personal Trainer - Charlene with Viv Oyolu of Dream Corner

2011-09-25T19:00:00.000Z

This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely Viv Oyolu of www.dreamcorner.co.uk

We chatted for an hour about fitness, health, nutrition, children's PE, my career & reasons for helping people be fit and so much more!

Interview with Charlene & Viv

Sit down with a coffee or on the terrace and get to know Viv and myself.

Stylist Magazine - Ladies Who Tweet

2011-04-05T16:30:00.000Z

Our girl Charlotte has made

Stylist Magzine's Top 20 Ladies Who Tweet list!

Stylist Magazine - Ladies Who Tweet - Top 20…

Pregnancy & Exercise Client Testimonial

2011-03-30T15:30:00.000Z

"I started working with Charlene when I found out I was just over 12 weeks pregnant. For me it was extremely important I kept my fitness and general well being at an all time high whilst I was pregnant.

Working closely with Charlene gave me the confidence to keep my mind, body & spirit balanced in order for me to undergo one of the most life changing experiences I was destined for. Charlene helped prepare my body by helping me work on my posture and strength as well as keeping me fit and healthy. I also practiced Reflexology and Yoga whilst pregnant and I believe by combining these elements I had the most relaxed and wonderful birth of my baby girl.

Charlene offered me advise and I would always enjoy our sessions together, she is now a great friend too!"

Anonymous

Image: phanlop88 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lose weight for my wedding?

2011-03-18T16:00:00.000Z

Getting ready for your wedding? Just that question alone can make a bride-to-be stressed! Not only is there planning to be done, families to be kept happy but also this driving need to “fit into” their wedding dress. I will leave the first two elements to the wedding planners and life coaches out there and stick with what I know....the issue of weight loss. Should a bride lose weight before her wedding?

Much media hype at the moment is of course about Kate Middleton getting ready for her wedding. She looked wonderful, fit and healthy before the engagement and recently has started to shed body weight. My question as an exercise professional is why? She looked and acted confident before she started dropping weight. Another celebrity in the limelight is American Country singer LeeAnn Rimes who has lost a lot of weight and does not look better for it. In my mind there was absolutely no need for either of these fit healthy women to lose anymore on the scales. My professional approach to health and fitness is to not use the scales but other measures such as girth measurements, energy and fitness levels and feelings of wellbeing. I will come to explain these later.

A very popular wedding planner has been quoted as saying that many brides lose weight in the lead up to their wedding because of the stress. This may be true, but isn’t this supposed to be a happy day? If a bride wants to be healthy and happy there are ways to look and feel great & combat stress! I believe stress can be avoided by making positive choices, being organized and delegating tasks.

How to do this is the question? I feel getting married is a great time to have a health/fitness goal to work towards. The reality is, no matter what anyone else says a bride will want to look and feel great on her day. If she wants to be fitter, more toned and healthier she should start at least three months to a year before the month of the wedding. There are scientific reasons for this. Physiologically the body needs to have time to set new motor patterns, lay down muscle, shrink fat cells and develop healthier tissue. This all takes much more than a month, which some brides feel is more than ample to get fit. It’s not.

The benefits for starting as far away from the wedding date as possible are many. Regular exercise, meditation, yoga/pilates and other alternative health practices will keep stress at bay, keep energy levels even and feelings of emotional wellbeing positive. These things should be done consistently and regularly each week with a well-balanced nutrient rich food plan. This will most likely result in girth measurements lowering, perhaps some weight loss, but not unhealthy amounts and a start on a healthier lifestyle for a lifetime past the wedding. Imagine being a bride and actually enjoying the lead up to your wedding, feeling stress free and happy on the day itself and finally staying healthy and fit for years to come!

I strongly suggest that a bride does not focus on the numbers on the scales but on healthy goals such as girth measurements, how clothes fit and most importantly how she feels. As many people may have already read, muscle tissue weighs more than fat. If one starts a fitness routine in the lead up to their wedding they will build new muscle which will most likely not show a change on the scales but will certainly allow them to feel more toned, energetic, stress free and have clothes feeling better. A good way to think about this comparatively is to visualise two women of the same height and age, one being an athlete or regular exerciser and the other a sedentary (non-active) person. The reality is that the former will be heavier on the scales because of having more muscle tissue than the sedentary woman but will look more toned, healthier and fit. So in my professional opinion this means that the scales are negligible. What do they really tell us if the heavier woman in our example looks and feels better?

One of my objectives as a Personal Trainer and Exercise Professional is to teach women how to discover that being healthy, fit and happy is not about the scales. It is about living a full, active, well balanced lifestyle which makes you feel energetic and happy on a regular basis. Have you ever stood on your scales and seen a number you liked or felt elated by what you saw? Most women I have worked with have never gotten the result they want. This has to tell us something about using scales as a measure of ourselves or how we feel.

My hope is that by reading this article you will be able to make a start on the road to feeling better about yourself. Not only in the lead up to your wedding day but for a lifetime.

For more information on how to feel great while planning your wedding, on the day and beyond contact Charlene for one to one PT & pilates sessions in London or via skype, or join www.positivelyslim.ning.com online FREE today for interactive guidance on health, exercise, nutrition and more.

Meet Charlene Hutsebaut - Personal Trainer - Intro to Podcasts

2011-01-29T18:30:00.000Z

Find more videos like this on positively slim

Subscribe in a…

Total Body Workout in 20 mins!!! - New Video Series

2011-01-01T12:00:00.000Z

Hello all,

Happy New Year!!!

For those of you who don't already have our toning videos we have put together a new series in one package for you......including a FREE accompanying ebook.

Toning - Total Body Workout in 20 mins

Get started today.....Feel & look fabulous in January 2011!!!

Christmas and New Years Workouts/Activities & Food

2010-12-27T12:46:19.000Z

Hello all,

So Christmas is officially over for another year. Yes, you probably indulged in many treats! So did I!!!

Remember that this is ok, we are human and allowed to enjoy our lives. Now you move on and continue to eat healthy, be active and believe in yourself and your ability to be ok just as you are. Sound too difficult, well it's not.

Here's a link to a previous blog post we did about enjoying eating and re-programming the way you think and feel about food:

Reprogramme the way you think and feel about food.

And another previous post about The Power of the Mind.

I hope these two posts remind you about how much influence you actually do have over yourself and the way you think and feel. I will be posting more information and tips over the next month to get you motivated for this New Year of 2011!!!

Be good to yourselves, always.

Charlene

Winter Workouts!

2010-11-27T09:26:16.000Z

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is truly here!!!

Whether you're knee deep in snow or dealing with freezing temperatures and rain combinations many of you will say, "Forget going outside to be active, it's too cold!"

I am here to tell you that if you get your clothing layers right you can enjoy being active outside all winter long!

Read about layering here in a quick article from Canada's Mountain Equipment Coop. They outline the basics that can be applied to any winter temperatures. All of these types of
clothing are available in most places in the world.

Mountain Equipment Coop Layering Article

If you're getting ready for skiing this winter check out our short & sweet squats video!

Squats Video with Charlene Hutsebaut

Enjoy the great outdoors everyone! It's free and the fresh air makes you feel fantastic!

Action Against Hunger Photos

2010-09-20T08:30:00.000Z

Check out preliminary photo of me leading the warm-up at the Action Against Hunger, Corporate Challenge 10km race last week.

So much fun leading all the 120 runners through a great session!

A big Thanks goes out to Lynne and here amazing team of volunteers and staff who worked so had to put this event together. And of course a huge "Well Done!" for those runners on the day who got around…

drinkme.ca

2010-09-14T13:20:15.000Z

Just a quick little plug for the amazing Christina Laham Paganelli BA, B.Sc. who has created www.drinkme.ca

Her company was the Winner of the Manitoba Food Fight 2008 competition.

All the best to her! If you are in Canada please support her educating the masses on healthy eating!

Autumn/Fall Session

2010-08-30T13:03:25.000Z

Hello all!

After a lovely summer holiday for both Charlotte and I we are back to regular scheduling. Watch out for our upcoming newsletters and blog posts to keep you motivated and living a healthy lifestyle every day. September is a natural starting point with the kids going back to school, sporting teams and clubs starting again and people planning their autumn/winter schedules. Depending on how you organize yourself and/or your family a great idea is to use the next few weeks to plan with either your computer or hard copy diaries. Find space for general daily active living, weekly grocery shopping and perhaps some more organized forms of activity or sports. Once this is all done you will have a loose schedule to get you started. Remember as much as you are caring for others in your life you must care for yourself first. Someone said to me the other day it is like being on the airplane when the attendants go through their safety instructions and tell the adults to put their oxygen masks on first and then help others around them in need. Pretty straight forward if you ask me.

So, get planning, prioritize health, wellness, relaxation time and excellent nutrient rich eating.

Of course when you have questions you can contact Charlotte or myself here on www.positivelyslim.ning.com When you sign up as a member be sure to add us as friends to be able to send us direct messages or to use the chat feature.

Speak with you all soon,

Charlene