Obesity & Sex: New Study Finds Surprising Results

People who are obese are less likely to have been sexually active in the past year, but even though they had fewer intimate encounters, single obese women reported unplanned pregnancies four times more than thinner, unmarried women, according to a new study in the British Medical Journal.
In addition, obese people were more likely than people of average weight to have sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies, the researchers from France found upon surveying more than 12,000 men and women between age 18 and 69.
While weight didn’t appear to affect women’s ability to climax, erectile dysfunction was two and a half times as common in obese men as in men with healthy BMIs.
As iVillage so aptly points out, this research underscores “how important it is to always put your health first.”
From my perspective as a former sugar addict and author of the book Sugar Shock!, it seems that people who are obese or overweight often feel are more interested in sweets, refined carbs and other junk foods than in getting in the sack with a partner.
But from time to time, though, they realize that those nutrient-deprived foods they’re so reliant on don’t give them what they really want — which is to become emotionally and physically intimate with a significant other.
For those of you who are struggling with weight, I invite you to ask yourself: Do you want to seek “comfort” in food or in the arms of loved ones?
FYI, I realize that it can be tough to break free of your addiction to sugar and refined carbs, which is why I’m dedicated to helping people do just that.

Dolly Parton’s Funny Take on Dieting (an Audio Post)

Today’s post is mostly a short vlog (voice blog) post.
You’ll hear a very humorous quote from Dolly Parton about dieting.
Thanks so much to my friend Jena LaFlamme, a health and wellness expert, for telling me about this fun quote.
By the way, Jena — who shares my passion for living a healthy, sweet life — offers a cool Pleasure Weight Loss Summer Camp with her colleague Marc David.

Sugar Sugar Time (And I Don’t Mean Sweets!)

Thanks to talented journalist Dana Kennedy — creator of the clever blog, A Year Without Candy — for reminding me of the fun pop song, Sugar, Sugar by the Archies.
This song makes me smile. I can’t begin to remember how many times radio hosts have played this song before they interviewed me about my book Sugar Shock!
Please enjoy this. And of course, I’m not posting this to make you think about sweets (as in the sugary kind) but to think about having (non-sugary) sweetness in your life — something I invite you to find, get and create.
Dana 52 And, readers, please join me in congratulating Dana for making it 90 days without candies, cookies, etc. Way to go, Dana!
See my interview with Dana here, in which she articulately shared why she’s choosing to go A Year Without Candy.
Would you like to join her? Can you go A Year Without Candy or another unhealthy substance or activity?

How Bad Does it Have to Get Before You Kick Your Sugar Addiction?

This morning, I received a poignant email, from a woman who — like most of us sugar addicts — has found it hard to let go of sweets.
The sad lady — who I’ll call “K” — labeled her email, ”Connie, You Told Me So!”
Here’s what she writes:
“About a year ago, I purchased your book, Sugar Shock over the internet. Sugar has been a big problem for my entire life. Now, my doctor is angry, because this addiction has progressed, to the beginning of diabetes. Going blind, having my kidneys stop working, dialysis, and having limbs cut off is an ugly scenario. Please, give me some hope to be an overcomer in this. Thanks.”
K, I’m so sorry for your plight. But I congratulate you for finally reaching out and being ready to look at your sugar addiction.
By the way, please take heart. Perhaps that’s what you needed — to plunge to the depths of despair and fear before you took action.
FYI, this has happened with many of my clients. Things had to get really bad before they/we were finally ready to make some positive changes. A similiar thing happened with me. As I revealed in Chapter 1 of Sugar Shock, I was suffering from a whopping 44 ailments before I finally took a doctor’s advice. Pretty sad, eh? But now, because I overcame my sugar addiction, I get to help people like you through programs like Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction in 6 Weeks. Pretty cool, eh?
K, you’re probably a lot stronger than you realize. You can do this! I’m writing to you privately to see how I can help you.
Special thanks to Vin MIller of NaturalBias.com for the above photo.

Are You Among the 85 % of People With Low Self-Esteem? It Can Lead to Weight Gain & More

Did you know that a whopping 85 % of people suffer from low self-esteem?
So, if you’re having challenges kicking your bad habits such as sugar addiction, you could be among the more than 85 percent of people, who lack high self-esteem.
In other words, MOST of us don’t have the high self-esteem we need to attract abundance, have rewarding relationships, be happy and achieve fulfillment.
Keep reading, because you’ll get 6 valuable tips below to boost your self-esteem from my friend, the bestselling author Dr. Joe Rubino, creator of the popular Self-Esteem System.
Just think about it.
Since 85 percent of us have “self-esteem deficit” — a phrase coined by Dr. Joe — that means you may:
•Be consumed by fear of failure
•Fail more often than not
•Tend to procrastinate
•Feel unfulfilled, frustrated, angry, unloved, unlovable, nervous or shy
•Be indecisive
•Suffer from many other uncomfortable feelings that prevent us from our realizing full potential
Diminished Self-Esteem isthe #1 cause of not living your dream life, according to Dr. Joe, who has coached thousands around the world to improve their self-esteem.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have self-esteem?
That means:
* You feel happy, valuable, fulfilled
* You feel worthy of many good things life can offer you
* You can easily cope with life’s challenges
* You are productive, and you have personal power
* You feel accepted by others, who consider you worthy of their attention and affection
Because there’s an 85% chance that you, too, experience these unpleasant feelings of low self-esteem every now and then, Dr. Joe was kind enough to share with you 6 tips to raise your self-esteem. (You can get more pointers here.)
1. Identify the source of your low self-esteem. What negative thoughts did you buy into or interpret about yourself? What new interpretations can you create?
2. Create 2 lists — one of your negative qualities and another of your strengths. Figure out ways to work on the qualities you wish to manifest.
3. Identify lingering upsets from your past. Then take action to complete each one and move on with your life in a positive, productive manner.
4. Decide today to forgive yourself and those who have hurt you. Figure out how to resolve your strained relationships.
5. Decide to remove yourself from abusive relationships. Inform people in your life of your commitment to reinvent yourself and notify them that you will no longer permit others to treat you without respect.
6. Create a detailed, newly invented declaration about who you are that addresses every aspect of your self-image.
Dr. Joe can help you more with his popular, life-changing Self-Esteem System, which has helped thousands of people around the world.
You also can learn more about his Self-Esteem Book: The Ultimate Guide to Boost the Most Underrated Ingredient for Success and Happiness in Life.
Just like I seek to help you (and others like you to) Break Free of Your Sugar Addiction, Joe strives to help you:
•Heal your painful past
•Carefully assess your current state of affairs
•Uncover the source of your diminished Self-Esteem
•Find out the #1 Secret to regaining Total Self-Esteem
•Create a vision of a life with No Regrets
•And much more.
By now, I hope you realize how important healthy self-esteem is for you to get the life you deserve and to realize your full potential for happiness, fulfillment and success.
I invite you to look at Dr. Joe’s book and Self-Esteem System, which can help to make a tremendous impact on your life. (When you check it out, Dr. Joe is giving you a free audio, “7 Steps to Soaring Self-Esteem,” and free Success Club Membership (a $129 value).
Please do NOT get upset when you realize that you could be among the 85% majority who suffer from diminished self-esteem. Dr. Joe’s program can quickly give you a solid, easy-to-implement formula to quickly become happier, healthier, stronger and more confident and so you can achieve your goals and dreams.
By the way, as a compensated affiliate, a percentage of sales will go to help people around the world break free of bad habits, achieve their goals and boost their happiness and success. But please know that I only partner with people, who I believe offer great services that can enhance the quality of your life. So I invite you to learn more about Dr. Joe’s Self-Esteem System now.
Feel free to share this info with friends. Just send them to: http://tinyurl.com/SelfEsteemSystem-Connie

1 Powerful Tip to Break Free of Sugar: Ditch Your Deadly Deprivation Mindset

What’s one of the first thoughts that comes into people’s minds when they decide that they should kick sugar to lose weight, get more energy or boost their libido?
Many people get bummed because they focus on how they’ll be deprived.
They start thinking with longing about their favorite sweets.
Wait a minute!
Feeling bummed that you’ll never get to eat your favorite sweets again is NOT the way to health, happiness, weight loss, energy and a strong se*x dri*ve.
Think about it: Cookies, cakes and candies are NOT worth:
* Gaining a lot of weight
* Feeling moody
* Being wiped out
* Not wanting to get intimate with your honey
* Finding it tough to focus
* Getting diabetes, heart disease or cancer
* Looking older
* Dying before your time
So, Ditch those Deadly Deprivation Feelings!
Every time you begin to think “I don’t want to be deprived,” IMMEDIATELY instead think “I will feel so happy and fulfilled when I reduce sugar.”
Again, your goal is to focus on what you’ll GAIN – and we’re not talking about weight.

Slip Into Your Skinny Jeans & Live Like a Champion — Free Telesummit Begins Tomorrow

Imagine being able to zip up your jeans without having to suck in your stomach.
Slip into jeans Did I get your attention? I hope so.
So, think about how great it would be to slip into your skinny jeans. Plus, feel how great it would be to get fit, boost your energy, to live like a champion and to let go of your self-sabotage, stress and feelings of unworthiness.
To learn how to do all of that, join seven of us experts for a free, four-week Skinny Jeans Telesummit, which begins tomorrow at 2 pm EST (11 am PST).
The seven-session event is held Tuesday and Wednesdays at 2 pm EST (11 am PST) for the next four weeks, from May 18 to June 8.
This event is brought to you by my friend Ashley Mahaffey, a certified personal trainer and fitness strategy expert.
For the Skinny Jeans Telesummit, Heather Fleming, Dr. Melissa McCreery, Sean Croxton, Ann Vertel, Dr. Dennis Waitley, Ashley and I will help you get fit and healthy in mind and body.
You’ll hear us help you succeed in:
* Performance
* Conscious nutrition
* Hormone balancing
* Stress reduction
* Fat burning exercise
* Champion visioning
* Ending overeating and emotional-eating
* Conquering your sugar addiction (That’s my topic.)
Here’s the schedule for the Skinny Jeans Telesummit. All events take place at 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific.)
* Tuesday, May 18 – Denis Waitley
* Wednesday, May 19 – Ann Vertel
* My program — Tuesday, May 25 – Connie Bennett
* Wednesday, May 26 – Melissa McCreery
* Tuesday, June 1 – Ashley Mahaffey
* Wednesday, June 2 – Sean Croxton
* Tuesday, June 8 – Heather Fleming
Sign up now to join the free Skinny Jeans Telesummit.
Feel free to invite your friends and loved ones, too. Just send them to http://tinyurl.com/SkinnyJeansTelesummit-Connie

Get Secrets to Becoming Slim, Sexy & Sleeveless with Celebrity Wellness Expert J.J. Virgin

Often, I hear from many of you with questions about how to get fit, toned and lose weight.
It’s time to get your exercise questions answered.
It is my honor and privilege to interview celebrity wellness expert J.J. Virgin next Wednesday, May 12 at 2 pm EST on my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show.
JJ — whose clients have included Hollywood elite, Olympians and CEOs — will tell you how to get fabulous arms such as she has.
She also will share some of the secrets she shares in her new book,Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy: The 5-Stop Plan to Sleek, Strong, and Sculpted Arms.
I also invite you to sign up for a recent program JJ conducted. You can listen now still. Just sign up to catch a replay of this fabulous program, “Is Your Cardio Workout Making You Age Faster, Gain Fat and Lose Your Sex Drive?”
In her free program — which you can listen to at any time — JJ will reveal how your exercise program may be working against you!
She also shared insider secrets on the most effective way to work out for the quickest and most dramatic results, and promote the release of your “young” hormones! And the best part is, it takes far less time than you think, and you don’t even have to go to the gym!
Feel free to spread the word. Just send your friends to http://tinyurl.com/JJExerciseSecrets
And make sure to mark your calendars for next Wednesday when JJ shares more secrets to being slim and sexy on my Gab with the Gurus Radio Show.
Got any fitness questions? Ask them here.