It can be difficult to come to terms with failed fertility treatments, but when it’s time to move on there are places to turn.

There are many reasons people come to the decision not to continue fertility treatment. It may happen when the consultant says there’s little or no chance of success. For others, there comes a point at which they can no longer endure the emotional roller coaster of treatments, or the financial cost is too high and they can no longer afford treatment. After several - or many - attempts that haven’t resulted in the birth of a baby, a couple may just feel it’s time to move on.

For others, there comes a point at which they can no longer endure the emotional roller coaster

At whatever point it’s decided to call it a day, it’s vital to know the decision has been made without pressure and that the time - and money - spent having treatment hasn’t been wasted. There shouldn’t be a feeling of personal failure.

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The problem with quick-fix diets

Quick-fix diets are usually short-term with a rigid set of rules. While you may lose weight, the diets are often too constraining to sustain for long. They’re also likely to be nutritionally inadequate, could lead to problems such as iron deficiency or poor bone health and don’t help you to address your real obstacles to losing weight and keeping it off. Plus, they can make you lose confidence in your ability to slim successfully.

Stay active
Being more active in daily life helps to boost your mood and self-esteem, regulate (not increase) appetite, maintain muscle and make long-term success more likely.

Be realistic
Expecting more from your weight-loss programme than is really feasible only sets you up for failure, so be realistic about how much weight you’ll lose and how quickly. Developing skills to achieve the lifestyle changes needed to reach your realistic goals is the safe and sensible approach.

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For many, the really tricky part isn’t losing the weight but keeping it off, It can be done as long as you believe in your ability to do it. Here are some tried and tested strategies used by successful slimmers.

There’s no going back
If, once you’ve reached your realistic target weight, you go back to your old eating habits and activity levels, the weight will come back on. It’s as simple as that.

This is usually the problem with quick-fix diets, they don’t help you to make changes that you can maintain in the long term.

Stay realistic
Now you’ve got there, beware of the ‘how to be even skinnier’ media messages that might lure you into feeling dissatisfied with your great achievement.

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Biting into a juicy burger or slicing a filet mignon, few people realize that beef isn’t what it used to be. Before World War II, beef cattle were raised on grass. It could take four years to fatten a steer. But then the industry switched to corn, a sort of time machine for a steer. Today calves start out on milk and grass but then, when six months old, they’re sent to a feedlot. By the time they are about 14 months old, corn-fed steers weigh enough to be slaughtered. “Corn-fed” may sound wholesome, as normal as Kansas in August and blueberry pie, but in fact corn is not healthy for cattle.

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Anna Nicole Smith’s mother, Virgie Arthur, is attempting to block her granddaughter’s return to the US it has been reported.

The late Playboy playmate’s ex-lover, Larry Birkhead - the proven biological father of Dannielynn - was granted freedom to leave the Bahamas with his seven-month-old daughter by a Nassau court on Wednesday.

But Arthur has filed an appeal objecting to the judge’s ruling, an unusual decision as she lives in the US and had previously argued that her daughter and her grandson Daniel should be buried near her Texas home, and not in the Bahamas.

There will be a public court hearing regarding her appeal on Friday.

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Makes 11 cups

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1cup chopped green peppers

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 dry chipotle pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cups Vegetable Stock
3 cans (15.5 oz each) Black Beans, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic & Onion
1 medium yam or sweet potato (about 1/2 lb), peeled, diced 1/2-inch
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 Tbsp Hot Cocoa Mix
2 Tbsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

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EXERCISE: GET UP AND GET GOING!

I know, I know - the dreaded word. People would like to think that there is a way to look and feel terrific without exercising, but there truly isn’t. (Not for long, anyway!) Exercise does so much for our bodies besides improving metabolism. Some of the many benefits include: decreased risk of certain cancers, firmer muscles, improved blood circulation (this is great for the skin), strengthening of bones (especially important for women), increased energy, and improved digestion.
All of this is fantastic, surely reasons enough to make exercise a priority. But there is more… The way I see it, the true benefits are spiritual and emotional. I have no doubt that exercise improves one’s self esteem dramatically and nurtures our spirit with a sense of accomplishment. Like smiling, exercise inexplicably improves our mood. (It’s that serotonin again.) It is a must for our well-being! The days I don’t exercise I don’t have as much energy. My thoughts don’t flow as well, and my skin doesn’t glow.

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