The #1 Way to Stick To Your Diet

By Craig Ballantyne

The #1 way to stick to your diet is going to sound strange, but trust me on this one.

There's a popular new "social networking" website: Twitter.com. At first glance, it looks as dumb as it sounds. But after spending some time on it, I realized it could help my clients stay accountable to others - and that's key when it comes to sticking to a diet. Because if you promise others that you are going to lose weight, and you promise to report the contents of every meal, you'll think twice about cheating on your diet.

I use Twitter to post all of my meals, snacks, and nutrition tips over the course of the day, and I encourage my clients to do the same. No one likes to disappoint other people or look bad in their eyes. So when we say we're going to stick to a diet, AND we're going to post every meal we eat on the Internet, it motivates us to keep working toward that goal.

It's really simple. You just sign up for an account, and then you can post whatever you want (limited to 140 characters per post). Some folks call this micro-blogging, and most folks use Twitter for business networking - but we're going to use it for social support.

To get started, go to Twitter.com and sign up for your free account. Then you can search for people to "follow" - to see their updates. And other people can "follow" you to see your updates.

Of course, you don't need Twitter to be accountable for sticking to your fat-loss plan. You can keep a daily food journal for your trainer, post your meals on a weight-loss message board, or simply buddy up with a friend and check in every day. But Twitter is a quick way to do it online.

The Language Perfectionist: Me, Myself, and I

By Don Hauptman

Usage experts agree that the pronoun "myself" has only two proper uses: the intensive and the reflexive.

"I'll do it myself" uses the word as an intensifier, to convey emphasis. "I see myself as a leader" is reflexive - with the action referring to the subject.

Thus, avoid using "myself" where "I" or "me" is appropriate and grammatical. Example: Say "My family and I are glad to be here," not "My family and myself..."

Observes Bryan A. Garner: "Using [myself] that way... is thought somehow to be modest, as if the reference were less direct. Yet it's no less direct, and the user may unconsciously cause the reader or listener to assume an unintended jocularity, or that the user is somewhat doltish."

Often, the word can simply be eliminated: "I bought myself a new suit" is equally as clear as "I bought a new suit."

The same rules apply to other pronouns: "yourself," "himself," "herself," "themselves," etc. Many dictionaries are permissive on this subject, but it's usually wise to follow convention, especially in formal writing.

It's Fun to Know: How to Contact Santa

If you have young children, you may be interested to know that there is an actual mailing address for letters written to Santa Claus: Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO Canada. 13,000 volunteers ("postal elves") reply to the letters every year in 16 different languages, and even Braille. And for technically savvy tots, there's a website where Santa can receive e-mail, too: canadapost.ca/santascorner.

Word to the Wise: Coruscate

To "coruscate" (KOR-uh-skate) - from the Latin for "to move quickly" - is to sparkle, to give off or reflect bright beams or flashes of light.

Example (as used by Bill Roorbach in The Atlantic): "They pulled up at the farthest end of a loop path that looked out over the great basin of the Rio Grande under brilliant, coruscating stars."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2538, 12-13-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.