>> my hands were cold. >> well, hi, chelsea and mom. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. coming up, more on the story about the veteran tv reporter in california. she was covering the grammys over the weekend and she suddenly became incoherent. she could not really form any words that were comprehensible. a lot of medical experts have seen the tape and are speculating she suffered either a seizure or a mini stroke. we'll have the latest on her condition coming up. >> that had to be scary. if you are feeling confident about the economy, thinking about tushing back to using your credit card more, you may want to consider going on a debt diet. this morning jean chatzky will give us financial advice to help us avoid the pitfalls of overspending and sticking to a healthy budget. if you want to stick to a healthy weight loss plan, joy bauer is here to answer your nutrition questions on our joy's diet s.o.s. >> okay. >> when michelle obama was here she made quite a splash with the beautiful dotted dress she bought at h & m for $35. apparently dots are in again. everything retro is new again from video game joysticks to even the pac-man that you see and simon says. we'll get a blast from the past coming up with jill's fun finds. >> okay. before we do, let's go inside to ann curry at the news desk with the headlines. >> thanks, you guys. good morning once again. shock waves of anti-government protesters sweeping the middle east in the wake of egypt's successful toppling of its regime. in iran, at least two people are now reported killed and dozens wounded as police used force including teargas and batons against protesters who reportedly marched by the tens of thousands on monday. in bahrain this morning, police clashed again. this time with a funeral procession for a man killed in monday's protest, also inspired by events in egypt. meantime in tunisia one month after toppling the government people are reportedly fleeing the country by the thousands. the president holds a news conference today as lawmakers face off over a proposed $3.7 trillion budget plan for 2012. also today the top two white house budget officials testify before congress. republican leaders say the proposed spending cuts aren't nearly enough while some democrats say the plan cuts too deeply into programs for the poor. and an incoherent moment live on television for a local tv reporter has doctors investigating whether the young woman was displaying neurological warning signs. kristen welker has the story. >> reporter: serene branson is a seasoned reporter in los angeles, nominated for two emmy awards. but sunday night, something went terribly wrong. >> well a very, very -- [ garbled language ] >> reporter: she was reporting live during the station's post grammy newscast. her words seemed incoherent. the video was posted on youtube and comments came pouring in online, many expressing concern. one read, she needs to see a neurologist. another, this is very scary. she needs to get that checked out. her station addressed the issue on air monday. >> she was examined by paramedics on the scene immediately after her report. her vital signs were normal. she wasn't hospitalized. as a precaution, a colleague gave her a ride home. >> reporter: the station said branson went to the doctor monday for follow-up tests. medical experts say from what they have seen watching the whole thing unfold on tv one thing is certain, the episode should be taken seriously. >> this is what we call a classic neurological event. she was obviously aware that she was having difficulty. >> reporter: dr. keith black is the head of the department of neurosurgery at cedars-sinai medical center. he says watching the video, in his opinion, there are two possible causes. first a transient ischemic attack, much like a temporary stroke. >> the way to think about a t.i.a., you get a block in blood flow to the brain. >> reporter: the second possibility? >> it could be a mini seizure located in the language area. a seizure can be caused by almost anything that can affect the brain from a brain tumor to infection. >> reporter: medical experts say the fact that there is video of the incident may actually help doctors determine a diagnosis. >> serene thanks everyone for their concern and good wishes and hopes to be back on the air very soon. >> reporter: a wish no doubt shared by her colleagues and everyone who watches her. for "today," kristin welker, nbc news. the nephew of the dalai lama was killed last night along the florida state highway. he was struck by an suv while taking part in a 300-mile-long walk for tibet. the driver was not charged. from generation to generation for 3,000 years the ancient tradition of falconry has been kept alive in asia through the present day. falconers are testing golden eagles and hawks in a competition that shows off the bird's hunting skills. it is now six minutes past 9:00. now back to matt, natalie and al. >> it's cold out here. >> our crowd has doubled to the point where our viewers actually now out number the crew members out here. >> wow. >> that worked out well. where are you from? >> new york. >> just hanging out? >> we're going out in our pajamas. >> you're not really. >> we are. >> why? did you get up late? >> we're having a slumber party for dr. oz. >> oh, dr. oz. if i were you, i would have people check these folks out. let's check your weather. they are angry and in pajamas. we have a big storm coming in the pacific northwest. a winter storm warning in the cascades, tahoe. along the coast, anywhere from two to three inches of rain down to monterey bay. you go inland, the sierras and we are talking the cascades from two to four feet of snow. look at the temperatures. yesterday, 52 in boston. 22 today. by friday, up to 56. ditto for new york city and washington, d.c. >> it is a breezy and chilly start on this tuesday morning. we will take up a significant amount from the temperatures yesterday. low 40's this afternoon. low 40's this afternoon. and that's your latest weather. ann? ♪ money, money, money >> this morning, keeping your spending in check with a debt diet. credit card debt is on the rise for the first time in two years so it's important to set a budget and stick to it for successful financial health according to our experts jean chatzky and mandy walker. good morning to you both. this is interesting. not only savings are down in addition credit card use being up. what explains this? >> we saw credit card use top for the first time -- revolving credit card use and i think consumers are tired of saving money combined with the fact that the spigots have opened a little bit more for debt and consumers are taking advantage. >> a little bit more at christmas, too. and they are saving a little bit less. savings is down to just over 5% of pretax income up to 7% at the end of 2009. consumers say -- we ask them about financial troubles they have had and they say they are having trouble paying bills again. they have had negative changes in the credit card terms. >> you really want to flash warning light this is morning a little bit and say to people -- in fact, i wonder why we have to, given that we have just gone through this terrible downturn in the economy. you think if that didn't teach us to save money, what wille? >> we need reminders. it's like a regular diet. it's not that people don't know they need to eat less and exercise more. >> it's like chocolate. >> sometimes we have to remind ourselves to spend less and save more. we can tell you how. >> you're going to tell us how this morning. j number one, you suggest to budget backwards. save first. >> save anywhere from 10% to 15% of what you bring in every single month without fail. once you do that, i don't care what you spend your money on. go spend it however you want. put that savings aside first. by the way, the money in a 401-k and the matching dollars count. we get that question all the time. >> and you should max out contributions. no matter how young you are and how much should you donate? >> it can make a big difference. we crunched numbers over two decades and found someone who put the maximum in their 401-k versus someone who put the 7% in gets $36,000 more. that's after paying taxes. it can make a significant amount of money. $16,500 away if you're under age 50. an additional $5,500 more. >> here's the thing. if you put 3% in, 4%, just increase it by a percentage point. just try it out. i guarantee you that you won't miss that you're doing it. take it up by another point and eventually you get to the max. >> and matches are up this year. more companies are reinstating them which had eliminated them and some are adding them. >> there's good news. also you say to consider using home equity. how? >> well, you can tap your home equity in the form of refinancing the mortgage which is not the easiest thing to do now. the paperwork is a bear. >> but the rates are so low people want to do it. >> the rates have topped a little bit, but home equity lines of credit are more available than they used to be. i have had this debt diet out for a long time. when you look at i it, the most popular thing people want to do is find money to reduce interest rates, reduce debt, using home equity debt is a terrific way to do that, but make sure you don't go out and charge the credit cards right back up again. if you don't think you have the willpower to leave your hands off the plastic, leave the home equity alone. >> that puts your house at risk. >> we have two more and not a lot of time. get your portfolio in shape. how? >> well, you want to make sure you have the right asset allocation for future goals. they are online calculators and questionnaires to help. vanforward h vanguard has a great one. check it once a year to be sure you are in the right place. >> if not, put it in a target date retirement fund. they will keep you balanced if you're not going to do it yourself. >> be smart with the tax refund that's coming in. >> split the difference. >> don't buy a new coat without having done that. >> absolutely. yes, ma'am. both of you are giving good advice this morning. jean and mandy. coming up next, should you eat six small meals to lose more weight? joy answer that is and other questions in diet s.o.s. and later, it's on the news stands now. the "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue. we'll talk to the model on the front cover after this. ry purch. so we earned a trip to vegas twice as fast! [ brays ] and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. is caesar home? we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. thank you! thank you very much! [ garth ] it's hard to beat double miles! if anyone objects, let them speak now or forever hold their... [ bleats ] [ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one. money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? cannonball!! [ clang ] these 4 brands took home more allure best of beauty awards than any others. pantene... olay... venus & gillette... and secret. the four most awarded brands. keeping you your most beautiful from head to toe. if you want to build a healthy heart, it's about being active and it's about putting the right fuel in your body. it's that simple. and here's the good news -- it's never too late to start. quaker oatmeal is proven to help lower cholesterol. it's a staple in my diet. in fact, it's the only cereal i eat. it powers you up and it makes you feel great. are you eating quaker for breakfast? ♪ for a limited time, choose any pan pizza, any size, with any of your favorite toppings for just ten dollars! the legendary pan pizza. only ten dollars. and only at your pizza hut. ♪ four decadent flavors. 60 calories. it's me o'clock -- time for jell-o. for adults, stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, or have had cancer. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. serious allergic reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses, it's stelara®. this morning on joy's diet s.o.s. we are answering your questions like whether eating six meals a day can help you lose weight and is coconut water worth the extra calories? joy, good to see you. >> hey, al. >> we have lauren in beachwood, new jersey. what's your question, lauren? >> i hear people say that you should eat five to six small meals a day or three regular-size meals a day to lose weight. i'm not sure which is the right way to go about doing it. >> good question. >> really good. the truth is that one eating style over the other is not more effective when it comes to losing weight. the key is simply to make smart food choices and to control the collective amount of calories you eat at the end of the day. for weight loss it should be between 1200 and 1600 calories. i find people typically choose to eat the traditional three square meals a day because of hectic schedules and it's easier to socialize that way and we have a heartier appetite so you get more volume less frequently. if that's the direction you choose, you want each of the three meals to be between 350 and 500 calle ories. that gives you room for a snack. if you want nibble meals be a stickler for portion size. keep those mini meals mini which is no easy task. they should be between 200 and 250. that's a banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter, rice cakes with cottage cheese or half a sandwich. choose whichever you like. they are equally effective. just watch your calories. >> good luck. >> thank you. >> the next question from sarah is something i have been wondering. she's on the phone in new york. good morning. >> caller: good morning. >> your question for joy? >> caller: my question is about coconut water. i have heard how hydrating and how great it is for you. i want to know if it's worth the extra calories and if you're better off sticking with plain old water. >> coconut water is only worth the extra calories if you absolutely love the taste or you are a serious endurance athlete. here's why. companies can claim coconut water hydrates you better because it contains some electrolytes, things like potatoes y potassium and sodium. it's the same science behind sports beverages. we know for serious athletes exercising longer than 60 minutes at a time -- for example, marathon runners, hikers or serious basketball players, they do better when they sip on a beverage. they have more staying power and they have better hydration when the beverage has carbohydrates and electrolytes. now, for everybody else, who either is not a serious athlete or a casual exerciser, plain water does the trick fine. then it just boils down to drink the coconut water because you love it and account for the calories. one cup has about 45 calories. eight to ten grams of sugar. natural sugar but it's still there. and 40 to 100 milligrams of sodium. water is free of all that stuff. >> do you think it's better than sports drinks? >> it's kind of a wash. it really is. it does have good things in it. if you like the taste, by all means, drink it. there is no magic to it. >> last one is a viewer e-mail from colleen writing, what is the difference between soft spread marge rarine and hard st? are either good for you? >> soft tub spreads clearly win. the story is that butter has a lot of saturated fat which drives up cholesterol. most stick margarine has a worse fat. it's the trans-fat which drives up bad cholesterol and lowers the good. the nice part about soft tub spreads, they have zero trans-fat. look at your favorite brand, look on the nutrition panel, make sure it says 0 trans-fat and look in the ingredient part to be sure there is no high dodge nadroj nated oil. for purists try the whipped butter. there is a lot of air incorporated into the butter to drive down the calories and fat. it tastes delicious and it's in a soft tub. >> thank you. still to come on "today," we're going to show you what's in vogue with jill martin in her fun finds. first, these messages. eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. better taste. yum! 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