CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

Intervention!

Well you've all wondered where I've been and now I can tell you - I've been watching the Food Network.

Honest to God, how did I not know about this before? My mom and brother have me turned onto all of these fabulous shows-- "The Best Thing I Ever Ate," "Chopped," "Diners, Dives and Drive-ins," "Ace of Cakes..." Do you know this is a fat girl's worst enemy and yet, I can't stop! I'm tivo'ing the hell out of this stuff.

Next question - how do I get a job there? LOL.

The thing that kills me, though? The commercials. Well, usually I can fast-forward through them (thank you, Tivo) but I've counted, at LEAST, one Jenny Craig commercial per break. I'm not kidding. And that is JUST what you wanna see,right? Whilst I watch Ted Allen relive his best BBQ experience, I want to be guilted by Valerie Bertinelli in a bikini.

Bitch. (Oh leave me alone. You know I've worked with her and she's cmpletely nice but I get to be bitter right now.)

In other news, as I clearly can't be trusted to blog here often enough, I want to remind you there are other ways to stalk me on the web:

My personal blog: http://confessionsofafatgirl.typepad.com/other/

My Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmandaJoy

I wish you all a lovely weekend. I'll be half-heartedly reading my new book while I whole-heartedly watch Food TV.

Quote of the Day

"Fat girls have to be freaks in bed. It’s the only way we’ll convince a guy to choose us over someone thin. "

-Stephanie Klein

(Have a sense of humor - it just made me giggle.)

I'm a Real Girl!

Oh look,I DO exist!

For starters, to the few people who like to e-mail me from time to time, reminding me I haven't posted, I remind you ths is not a job for me, just a labor of love. When you want to start paying me, then we can talk

I've not written for a number of reasons. To begin with, I don't have too much to say that's news to you.

Meaning? My weight has been fluctuating around these annoying five pounds. I had my annual physical yesterday and my health is miraculously great. I have my usual problems- the bad ankle, the exhaustion, the stress - but are these are weight related? No way to know. My job is in tact... they laid off some people in my department and I am astoundingly busy, but so be it. I am employed and try to stay happy about that. I am still single and still lonely. I have been on a couple dates, but clearly noting blog-worthy and so... I'm quiet.

I'll come up with material- I promise. I know I've broken promises to consistently blog more in the past, so you're just gonna have to bear with me, kids.

Hope you are all enjoying the start of Summer. Here in LA it's all June gloom. Everyone seems annoyed by the lack of heat and sun but I'm good with weather like this for a while.

Fashion Stretches

Thanks to Melissa for this link... It makes me happy to see it.

 

Fashion stretches to fit plus-size teens

By Lola Ogunnaike
CNN's American Morning

NEW YORK

(CNN) -- While companies across the country are downsizing, some in the fashion world have decided that it's time for a bit of upsizing. This spring, the cheap chic emporiums, Target and Forever 21, will launch plus-size lines for teenagers.

Forever 21's line, Faith 21, will have sizes ranging from XL-2X, while Target's Pure Energy line will go up to a size 30.

It's about time, said several shoppers scouring the crowded racks of a Forever 21 branch in downtown Manhattan,  New York, one recent afternoon.

"I would love to be able to shop in one store with my friends that are all different sizes," said one young petite college student, who was eyeing the $2.50 tank tops. "I think it's great that they're expanding."

Another shopper, a full-figured teen in a stylish baby doll dress, was also excited. "I tried on something earlier that was totally cute and it did not fit my breast size, which is really frustrating, because I liked it."

Faith 21 will feature of-the-moment pieces like sheer peasant blouses, denim leggings and curve-hugging mini dresses. Pure Energy will have skinny jeans, maxi dresses and sleeveless party tops.

"In the past we've had XL sizes and we would sell out of them so quickly," said Heidi Canalizo, a regional manager at Forever 21. "Our customers have been asking for this for so long and in the past few years we've really decided it's time to get into it. Not everyone is a size 2."

Apparently not. In the last 20 years, the rate of obesity among adolescents age 12-19 has more than tripled, increasing from 5 percent to 17.6 percent, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. Catering to bigger teens could potentially mean bigger bucks for the fashion industry, which has been adversely affected by the recession.

"You're looking at an under $2 billion business that could easily grow to a $4 billion, $5 billion business within a relatively short period of time, like within a year or two," said Marshal Cohen, an analyst for the NPD Group, which studies the clothing market.

"Not only are the [fashion companies] leaving money on the table, they're not even looking at the table. It is a huge opportunity."

Historically, there has been a stigma attached to plus-size clothing, experts said. Many designers don't produce beyond a size 10, even though the average women is a size 14.

"These brands don't want the consumer to aspire to be a plus-size," Cohen said, "they want them to aspire to be that mini-consumer, that slim model that walks down the runway, that's a size 0."

But curvy girls want to be trendy too, said Emme, a popular plus-size super model.

"If you're squishing yourself into clothes that are a couple sizes too small or you're wearing men's clothes, how are you going to go out on a date? How are you going to go to parties with your friends and feel like you fit in? That all has to do with self-esteem and body image," she said.

"Could you imagine taking away all of the clothes for thinner women and saying, 'Sorry, you're too thin. You can't have that.' It doesn't make sense."

Not all are pleased with the supersizing of teen clothing.

"Yeah, as capitalists they have the right to address a growing marketplace and it's a smart business decision," said MeMe Roth, president of the organization National Action Against Obesity.

"However, when you look at the human cost, what we're doing is we're on the Titanic and rather than forcing our children into the lifeboat, we're telling them to join the band. Worrying about fashion rather than worrying about the food is a horrible message that we're sending these kids," Roth said.

The critics have got it all wrong, said Emme.

"I completely disagree that these lines are promoting obesity," she said. "You need to wear clothes to look cool at school. You need to wear clothes to be present in life. And when everybody else has fashion, you should, too."

source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/homestyle/04/29/plus.size.teens/

Daily Beast

Thanks to Roxanne for sending this link. Very interesting read from a surprising (well, for me) source:

Quit Talking About My Weight, Laura Ingraham

by Meghan McCain

Meghan McCain responds to Laura Ingraham’s attack on her weight: Why is this topic still a socially accepted prejudice—and why in the world would a woman raise it?

Recently my not-size-0 body has come under fire again by the conservative pundit Laura Ingraham. On her radio show recently, she sarcastically commented that I was “too plus-sized to be a cast member on the television show The Real World” and needled me about my weight with a comment about Barbie's 50th anniversary. Instead of intellectually debating our ideological differences about the future of the Republican Party, Ingraham resorted to making fun of my age and weight, in the fashion of the mean girls in high school. I responded on Twitter by saying, “To all the curvy girls out there, don’t let anyone make you feel bad about your body. I love my curves and you should love yours too.”

But now that numerous media outlets seem to have picked up on our tiff, I believe it warrants a more thoughtful response than can be contained in 140 characters. I have been teased about my weight and body figure since I was in middle school, and I decided a very long time ago to embrace what God gave me and live my life positively, attempting to set an example for other girls who may suffer from body image issues. I have nothing to hide: I am a size 8 and fluctuated up to a size 10 during the campaign. It’s ridiculous even to have this conversation because I am not overweight in the least and have a natural body weight.

But even if I were overweight, it would be ridiculous. I expected substantive criticism from conservative pundits for my views, particularly my recent criticism of Ann Coulter. That is the nature of political discourse, and my intent was to generate discussion about the current problems facing the Republican Party. Unfortunately, even though Ingraham is more than 20 years older than I and has been a political pundit for longer, almost, than I have been alive, she responded in a form that was embarrassing to herself and to any woman listening to her radio program who was not a size 0.

In today’s society this is, unfortunately, predictable. Everyone from Jessica Simpson to Tyra Banks, Oprah Winfrey, and Hillary Clinton has fallen victim to this type of image-oriented bullying. Recent pictures of Pierce Brosnan’s wife, Keely Shaye Smith, on the beach in her bikini raised criticism about her weight and choice of bathing suit—as if the woman should be wearing a giant muumuu to swim in the ocean. After Kelly Clarkson’s recent appearance on American Idol, the first commentary I read on the Internet was about her weight gain instead of her singing.

My weight was consistently criticized throughout the campaign. Once someone even suggested I go to a plastic surgeon for liposuction. Afterward, I blogged about loving my body and suggested critics focus their insecurities about women’s bodies elsewhere. On the other side, my mother was constantly slammed for being too skinny, so the weight obsession of the media and our culture goes both ways. It also goes to both parties. Hillary Clinton has consistently received criticism for her pantsuits and figure. Whatever someone’s party, these criticisms are quite obviously both wrong and distracting from the larger issues at play.

The question remains: Why, after all this time and all the progress feminists have made, is weight still such an issue? And in Laura’s case, why in the world would a woman raise it? Today, taking shots at a woman’s weight has become one of the last frontiers in socially accepted prejudice.

I also thought the media outlets that reported on Laura’s comments about me were out of line. I don’t listen to Laura’s show, so if journalists hadn’t picked up on it and reported on it, I never would have known what she said. I wonder how Laura would feel if at some point someone were to criticize her daughter’s weight and broadcast it nationally on the radio.

At this point, I have more respect for Ann Coulter than I do for Laura Ingraham because at least Coulter didn’t come back at me with heartless, substance-less attacks about my weight. All I can do is try to be a positive role model for women of my generation and, I hope, help show that no matter what industry you are in, what size you are has nothing to do with your worth.

Meghan McCain is originally from Phoenix. She graduated from Columbia University in 2007. She previously wrote for Newsweek magazine and created the website mccainblogette.com.

source: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-03-14/the-politics-of-size/

Rejuvenated

Last night, for dinner, I had a steamed artichoke. After, I had a mini green apple.

I was considering eating something else but I did the dishes instead. By the time I was done, I realized I was actually full anyway so no need.

In the last couple of weeks, I've been especially attentive to what I am eating though I've never deprived myself of something I REALLY wanted. I haven't been exercising as much as I could be but I definitely got some in where I might not have a few weeks ago. And the big news? I've nearly given up soda. I don't know if I'll ever be able to totally give it up but in the last week? I've only had one. ONE! That's the biggest miracle - you have no idea.

The results have been really fulfilling. For starters, I've lost 6 pounds in two weeks. I feel great and I've been sleeping a little bit better. Not perfectly, but better. I'm far less lazy and have been much more inclined to get shit done like cleaning my room, getting my car washed, running errands, etc. I FEEL good both physically and mentally. And, of course, my mother has been really proud of me and that's a helluva lot easier to deal with than the norm!

I'm taking a trip back east this Friday and if I am not able to blog from there, I promise a full report when I return. And I promise to update more often in the coming months. I think it will benefit me to report on things-- I have to hold myself accountable somehow.

On Saturday, I had lunch with friends at an organic, vegetarian Japanese restaurant where I ate tempeh and drank caffeine-free, organic green tea that was REALLY green... it was the funkest meal I've ever had and admittedly, delicious. Would I have tried something like this a few weeks ago? I don't know...

Baby steps!

Renewal

Last week, I was lucky that a friend was brave enough to be honest with me. And she told me she was worried about me and my health. She knows me well and it had probably ocurred to her that I might not respond well to such comments but she said it anyway, for which I thank her. It actually got me thinking. It sort of opened my eyes.

It's really hard for me, actually, to see myself as overweight. Even though I've been so almost all of my life, I look in the mirror and really, I just see ME. I just see this image I am used to. Even when I am naked in front of a mirror, I catch myself thinking "well, you look totally different in clothes so who cares..s" but the truth is, I need to do something before I reach that point where I can't do anything... because I sense that point is coming.

And so I made a walking-date with a co-worker for one night this week. And I walked to lunch one day last week. I went to Trader Joe's this weekend and bought a ton of fruit and healthy snacks I can keep at my office. I bought granola to have for breakfast instead of a coffee-like concoction and a mid-morning snack. I went to the market and bought an artichoke since I know I like those and could easily learn to make one myself. My brother actually e-mailed me how he does it in the microwave so that will be cake.

Yesterday, I baked a cake for my co-worker's birthday  and after, when I was craving something sweet, I had grapes instead of cake or cookies. That was a small triumph. And especially on a Sunday night which is when I tend to eat the worst for some reason.

I also tackled a couple projects in the house. I did a huge load of laundry, reorganized some books, put away some stuff that's been sitting out too long and I put the massive collection of shoes on my bedroom floor away while also getting rid of pairs I never wear anymore and rediscovering pairs I forgot I owned. It was better than buying new at Nordstrom! It made me feel accomplished and gratified and like somehow I could now do anything I wanted (oh sure, it's just shoes but you have no idea what my bedroom looked like BEFORE I undertook this project). Thankfully, my roommate was out of town or else he would have had to see me strutting up and down the hall way in my pajamas and various pairs of dress shoes. On the outside, AJ the lunatic - in my head: Giselle.

So if anyone is feeling overwhelmed, I would suggest tackling a small project. And then another one. And let the feeling of pride and accomplishment from that propel you toward something a little bigger. And so on. Baby steps are okay. Baby steps lead to grown up steps, I swear.

One more thing I would highly recommend? Trust your best friends. And be wise enough to know when they are being supportive so you don't bite their heads off.

You are, of course, what you eat!

What you eat can improve your health, mind, and appearance

Translation from the blogger: An article about why my hair is a mess, my skin is bad, and I feel like crap... And thank you to my friend focaring enough ab out me and for having the courage to tell me so.

For many, springtime means revamping exercise regimens, improving appearance, reading more books, taking on a new hobby, and improving dietary habits.

Great news is that following good-for-you food goals will help your whole body -- from your skin to your brain -- so you can tackle those other resolutions with ease.

"The best way to have healthy hair, eyes, and skin is to take good overall care of yourself. That means eating well," said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center at Yale University. So whether it's your heart, brain, bones, eyes, skin, or hair you seek to nurture, there are foods up to the task.

"The more colors you get into your diet, the better," Katz said. A variety of fruits and vegetables supplies antioxidants and vitamins that are most powerful when working together. Daily servings of whole grains, lean protein, and dairy round out your body's needs. A diet rich in fresh, whole foods, full of colors and rich textures, satisfies with abundant flavor, and nourishes every part of your body.

For Silky Skin and Hair

Antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C, as well as soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, help keep skin glowing. Antioxidants have long been the rage in topical skin care, but those same nutrients work even better from the inside out. When skin (the body's largest organ) is exposed to the sun's rays, free radicals can develop, Katz explained. "These free radicals attack the skin and impair blood flow to the area, causing premature aging. Antioxidants fight that process."

Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits, facilitates collagen production, a critical component for vibrant skin. Another antioxidant, lycopene, found in foods like canned tomatoes and red grapefruit juice, also promotes skin health. Tofu is a good option since its omega-3 fatty acids help regenerate new skin cells and reduce inflammation, while its soy protein has been shown to boost collagen.

Shiny, healthy hair starts with the vitality of cells in the hair follicle, where hair is manufactured, says Katz. Eat foods high in calcium and quality protein like eggs, dairy, or fish. Eggs also provide biotin, a structural component of both bone and hair. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate nourish follicle cells, too.

Eat For Your Eyes

According to a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, people who ate two servings of fish weekly benefited from an almost 50 percent decrease in the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), said Dr. Emily Chew, deputy director of the division of epidemiology and clinical research at the National Eye Institute. Eggs, leafy greens, broccoli, winter squash, and Brussels sprouts all contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin (both associated with eye health), as well as vitamins C and E, zinc, and beta-carotene.

Scientists are still investigating how these foods promote eye health. Observational studies show they likely reduce the risk of AMD, Chew said. No one knows exactly what lutein and zeaxanthin do for the eye, but it's thought they filter damaging light and support cell structure. Expect more answers in 2012, when Chew and colleagues hope to publish research on the effects of lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids from a study following 4,000 patients for five years.

Build Better Bones

Calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus work together to build strong bones. Even though green leafy and cruciferous vegetables (like spinach and broccoli) contain calcium, the body absorbs it best from dairy products, said Joan Lappe, a bone health researcher and professor at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Dairy products offer a package deal: they are abundant in phosphorous, and vitamin D added to milk and dairy products aids in calcium absorption. Some nondairy foods high in calcium include canned salmon, sardines, and calcium-fortified firm tofu.

Greens are still good bone foods, however. Broccoli, kale, and bok choy may provide little calcium, but they offer plenty of vitamin K. Research is showing promise that vitamin K -- or some antioxidant or phytochemical in foods high in the vitamin -- boosts bone mineralization. Research published last year in Osteoporosis International followed postmenopausal women for three years, and found that those taking supplemental vitamin K maintained or enhanced bone strength, compared to those on a placebo.

Heart Helpers

Whole grains, fatty fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables are the keys to keeping your heart in prime condition.

A recent review of seven studies showed that two and a half servings of whole grains per day reduced heart attack and stroke risk by 21 percent, said lead author Dr. Philip Mellen, then an assistant professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Whole grains are rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin E (also found in almonds, peanuts, and green leafy vegetables), which helps maintain healthy blood vessels. And soluble fiber from fruits, vegetables, and nuts helps lower harmful LDL cholesterol and control weight, both of which have a positive impact on heart health.

Further cut your risk of a heart attack by eating fish, especially those high in the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats like salmon, mackerel, or rainbow trout. Omega-3s make platelets in the blood less sticky, reducing clotting and the likelihood of a heart attack.

Brain Boosters

Omega-3 fatty acids and whole grains are good for your heart -- and they're good for your brain and mental health, too. "People who are heart healthy are brain healthy," said Dr. Joseph S. Kass, assistant professor of neurology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

Kristen E. D'Anci, a research psychologist in the Nutrition and Neurocognition Laboratory at Tufts University and professor of psychology, noted, "Diets rich in vitamins C and E are consistently associated with lower levels of cognitive impairment in aging." Abundant in fruits, vitamin C may also reduce the risk of stroke.

Additionally, vitamins B12, C, E, and folate may play a direct role in keeping your mind sharp. Research shows that B12 (found in lean protein like turkey) and folate (found in many grains fortified with the vitamin) help improve memory and lower the risk of Alzheimer's. They may also help people over age 60 with learning, attention, and response speed, according to study results from Tufts University.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/08/cl.body.boosters/index.html

Discount!

Just a little FYI, friends...

Overweight on TV

What does this article teach us, boys and girls?

1. Overweight people are "average looking?"

2. We are not entitled to good looking bachelors.

3. We never use jacuzzis or get massages.

The idea is nice and it could just be the fault of the article's author, but I am sort of insulted by the implications....

Fox orders overweight dating series

'More to Love' will feature 'real women' as contestants

By James Hibberd

March 30, 2009, 01:00 AM ET

Fox is teaming with "The Bachelor" producer Mike Fleiss for a new dating-competition series that casts "average-looking" people.

The series, titled "More to Love," is billed as the first "dating show for the rest of us," throwing open its doors to overweight contestants.

"For six years it's been skinny-minis and good-looking bachelors, and that's not what the dating world looks like," Fox president of alternative Mike Darnell said. "Why don't real women -- the women who watch these shows, for the most part -- have a chance to find love too?"

The project has a similar format to "The Bachelor," where a group of woman compete for one man (producers describe him as a "Kevin James-type"). It marks the first time Darnell and Fleiss have teamed for a series in about nine years. The duo's previous dating show was the controversial, groundbreaking 2000 special "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" which set the format template for ABC's "Bachelor" and a legion of imitators.

"More to Love" was inspired by the recent ratings success of "Bachelor" and the popularity of NBC's "The Biggest Loser," which Darnell credits with shattering an industry assumption that TV viewers only wanted to watch highly attractive people.

"This show is going to get a lot of people talking," Darnell said. "It may be a little controversial, but I think it will mostly be positive. This is so simple and so obvious, yet it has never been done."

Broadcast reality-dating shows such as the CW's "Beauty and the Geek" and NBC's "Average Joe" have featured less-than-handsome men but paired them with model-esque women.

"Most of the country isn't a Size 2," Fleiss said. "It's the dating show for the rest of us."

Contestants will do the sort of activities seen on "Bachelor," but producers suspect Jacuzzi or massage dates will take on a different perspective. "More to Love" will have makeover aspects -- when contestants wear ballroom gowns, for instance -- but Fleiss said the focus will not be on physical improvement.

"We want to send the message that you can be the size you are and still be lovable," he said. "We aren't going to thin these girls down so they can find love -- that's a backwards message."

But Fleiss has left open the possibility of twists. "More to Love" is casting, and no airdate has been set. For Fox, it marks a return to the relationship genre years after the network aired such shows as "Multi-Millionaire," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance" and "The Littlest Groom."

 

source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4034a50ec696a005d8608d7be351f484