tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51050618294047493722024-02-18T23:58:46.200-08:00I will not diet.Rejecting dieting in favor of healthy living and a positive body imageMolly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.comBlogger239125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-74045846797557479832011-07-07T21:54:00.000-07:002011-07-07T22:12:15.453-07:00We've moved!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_urdSTBeswyUViXhZyioGmK3H9ofemdyv_Gwb5BGHw5JB2Rr4BmOKGFNCAkfBEb0y4knClFvZ-f2RssEiqwd57SmegmeXmVHlMUB-s4jExDqlNqyiEkXbTwMciUAxVciAnTPjWAdHf7B-/s1600/moving+5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_urdSTBeswyUViXhZyioGmK3H9ofemdyv_Gwb5BGHw5JB2Rr4BmOKGFNCAkfBEb0y4knClFvZ-f2RssEiqwd57SmegmeXmVHlMUB-s4jExDqlNqyiEkXbTwMciUAxVciAnTPjWAdHf7B-/s320/moving+5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626844851049586818" /></a><br /><i><br /></i><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>I Will Not Diet</i> has moved! <div><br /></div><div>Please visit the new site at <a href="http://www.iwillnotdiet.com/">http://www.iwillnotdiet.com</a>.</div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-44596381906034730532011-07-05T20:45:00.000-07:002011-07-05T21:18:56.692-07:00Announcing a new website and a new look!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9CdOeK2bjcjMcVaNXtQqs0ChUnbI9gNnZDgQp6_i1TcJ6Tiln92xRdXJ7fIkbhJeD56bBSGKv6yaoD7RDxdG08Zid-fEkQrec-g-n7U2CdIZIW1KvkQ_T_FlpWoBx0Le1qIWIZWTUYp8/s1600/Statue-Of-Liberty-New-York-Wallpaper.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9CdOeK2bjcjMcVaNXtQqs0ChUnbI9gNnZDgQp6_i1TcJ6Tiln92xRdXJ7fIkbhJeD56bBSGKv6yaoD7RDxdG08Zid-fEkQrec-g-n7U2CdIZIW1KvkQ_T_FlpWoBx0Le1qIWIZWTUYp8/s320/Statue-Of-Liberty-New-York-Wallpaper.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626086697873790194" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">Great news, sports fans! The new website for<i> I Will Not Diet </i>is up and running.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">Like this original site, the new <i>I Will Not Diet</i> has blog posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the gallery of gorgeous women, and tips for healthy living/losing weight without dieting. It also includes more info about my history as well as a new section called “Unburden Yourself” where you can tell your stories and, if you’re brave enough, post your weight.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGztPteiXhtPI7eJwmCCyMDDg-dWqaof1CMIqw2gdzSoidEP4g_hvOltBF_Xcn0UcPI4zH4Z_96OuqFQPTdBzYja_XVekeeqiWAGxD_7kbexMmIHhgOg2s9g9ByZD8pYjODZCyU_LWS3Xn/s1600/Picture+1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">You can check out the new site here:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><a href="http://www.iwillnotdiet.com/">http://www.iwillnotdiet.com</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGztPteiXhtPI7eJwmCCyMDDg-dWqaof1CMIqw2gdzSoidEP4g_hvOltBF_Xcn0UcPI4zH4Z_96OuqFQPTdBzYja_XVekeeqiWAGxD_7kbexMmIHhgOg2s9g9ByZD8pYjODZCyU_LWS3Xn/s1600/Picture+1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGztPteiXhtPI7eJwmCCyMDDg-dWqaof1CMIqw2gdzSoidEP4g_hvOltBF_Xcn0UcPI4zH4Z_96OuqFQPTdBzYja_XVekeeqiWAGxD_7kbexMmIHhgOg2s9g9ByZD8pYjODZCyU_LWS3Xn/s320/Picture+1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626085060706379042" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px; " /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">Also, be sure to subscribe at the new site because this site will cease existence one week from today.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in"><o:p> I have to admit that launching the new website is a little bittersweet. I’ve been using this site on blogspot for over two years, so it’s hard to say goodbye.</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">It’s interesting to think about the fact that when I started <i>I Will Not Diet</i>, I told myself I wouldn’t spend any time or money on the design of the site until I proved that it was something that would stand the test of time—both for my readers and for me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">I honestly never imagined <i>I Will Not Diet</i> would become what it is now—something bigger than me, something about more than just my struggles to lose weight without dieting, which is how it all started. Now I’m not even sure I want to lose weight anymore. This blog has had that much of an effect on me. Yes, I want to be healthy, but I also want to believe what I preach—that beauty comes in more than one size. And if that’s the case, then losing weight is besides the point.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">I have to also say that I struggled to create a logo and a website that I thought fit the message fo the blog but also didn’t look too cute if you know what I mean. My web designer, <a href="http://www.karathurmond.com/">Kara Thurmond</a>, has spent months working through this with me, and I want to thank her for her patience, her tenacity, and her talent.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">Hope to see you all on the other side!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-indent:0in">P.S. I may have to add the Statue of Liberty to the Gallery of Gorgeous Women since she is the first lady of natural beauty. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-2818278654198358222011-06-30T18:20:00.000-07:002011-06-30T20:57:52.432-07:00Eat . . . Pray . . . Eat . . . Love . . . Eat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgAp0y2ubHwnWlDRQqB2MpjeyBmHQBjvQU87nxFI8mwKw9qW0R2Sotsk1JFvQ2KOMWZPUcGxabbTFbiawDL7XrVOf6rD9k-t_snpjkOMPP5ItAwjWlwtnqgrqDGkyVDmjEB03jTbnXAnx/s1600/skyline-chili.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgAp0y2ubHwnWlDRQqB2MpjeyBmHQBjvQU87nxFI8mwKw9qW0R2Sotsk1JFvQ2KOMWZPUcGxabbTFbiawDL7XrVOf6rD9k-t_snpjkOMPP5ItAwjWlwtnqgrqDGkyVDmjEB03jTbnXAnx/s320/skyline-chili.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624197803454004946" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I've had a problem this week . . . I've been insatiable.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a feeling that hits me about once a month, and when it does, I am overwhelmed by my desire for food. Over the past few years, I've become one of those people who gets full pretty quickly (even though I was never like that when I was younger), but when a bout of what I call "The Insatiables" hits, I can never seem to feel satisfied, not to mention full. </div><div><br /></div><div>The result is that it feels like I eat all day long and simply cannot stop eating. </div><div><br /></div><div>Don't get me wrong—I'm not a binge eater. I don't sit down and eat a whole pint of ice cream or a bag of chips. Or both. But during these monthly bouts of insatiability, I can slowly make my way through all of the food groups in one day. More than once.</div><div><br /></div><div>This last round of insatiability started early on Monday and lasted through Tuesday night (thank God it's finally over), and I spent the first half of the week trying to figure out why I could no longer control my eating. </div><div><br /></div><div>Was I upset about something? Was I falling back on the old feeding-my-emotions trick? </div><div><br /></div><div>Those questions didn't lead me to an answer, but something else did . . . over the weekend (a time when I usually indulge), I had tried to make healthier choices. We ate light on Friday because we were going to the movies that night and didn't want to miss any of the film for bathroom breaks, and when we went out to dinner on Saturday, I intentionally ordered the lowest calorie item on the menu.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that's where things went off the rails because even after we finished dinner I still felt unsatisfied. Yes, I was full, but I wasn't sated.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we went out for drinks with friends, and the beer made me too bloated to eat a real meal that night. Translation: I still didn't feel like I'd had much to eat that weekend.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday was when the sh*t hit the fan. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were both struggling with our writing projects and, in order to cope, decided to indulge in some much needed comfort food: Skyline chili.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you don't know, Skyline chili is served over pasta. Yes, pasta. With cheese. A single entree doesn't get much more decadent than that. Well, unless you add sour cream, which I have seen people do when they make it at home. </div><div><br /></div><div>For some reason, every time I eat Skyline chili, I lose control of myself. It is so good that I feel I must go back for seconds and can't wait until I go to sleep that night so I can eat the leftovers the next day. </div><div><br /></div><div>So this is how Monday and Tuesday went—eat some Skyline, have some more Skyline, and have even more Skyline on top of that.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was like I was in a chili-eating contest. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I was winning. </div><div><br /></div><div>As cliched as it sounds, it was an unmitigated disaster, facilitated by the fact that <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/08/nothing-beats-home-cooked-meal.html">Dave and I usually make enough food for four people, so we can eat it for two days (and thus avoid cooking two days in a row)</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank God we ran out of Skyline on Tuesday night because, I swear on my mother-in-law's life, if there was Skyline in the house right now, I might not be able to stop myself from eating it. </div><div><br /></div><div>So part of the problem was the Skyline. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I believe the bigger problem was my meal on Saturday. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dave and I try to eat out only once a week, and when we did that last weekend, I picked something that was healthy rather than indulgent, which is where I think I went wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div>I always talk about how one of the reasons dieting doesn't work is because whenever we are denied something we want, we end up wanting it even more. (Remember how appealing beer was before you were twenty-one?) But sometimes I forget that even small changes in your diet can leave you craving the things you're trying to avoid. </div><div><br /></div><div>That's what I believe happened to me this week—instead of having a greasy pizza or a nice fat juicy cheeseburger during my one meal out on Saturday night, I had vegetables and shrimp in a curry sauce. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sure, it was delicious, but it was also light. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've known for years that we NEED to indulge ourselves sometimes, so it's kind of embarrassing to admit that even I still make the mistake of denying myself that indulgence. I guess it makes me human if I have to remind myself not to take the healthy living thing too far sometimes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The funny thing is that I know for sure that if I'd ordered the same meal last Saturday because I <i>wanted</i> it (rather than because it was healthy), I would have never had the problem I did after it was all over. I would have never had a raging case of The Insatiables. </div><div><br /></div><div>As it turns out, my need to feel satisfied was simply psychological. </div><div><br /></div><div>And now that I've figured that out, I just need to figure out what I can do the next time the psychological desire to eat chili for two days straight takes over every cell of my being. </div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-52916663698706379712011-06-28T17:43:00.000-07:002011-06-28T18:14:39.317-07:00How to Talk to Little Girls: a cross post by Lisa Bloom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYv9qPVygbnf-fmhvewMbGSMMHyXL9rrcZFApCbrR7VYaTJ7nrwCSFnxPOTRNjl0uT3OGymZ0DM5IHyfFryz3RwD5kNCyTEBbGdgtBvXi0anHxjadWLJXsEoWIDEd4rtgN-zS-pZTk6zI/s1600/talking+to+girls.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYv9qPVygbnf-fmhvewMbGSMMHyXL9rrcZFApCbrR7VYaTJ7nrwCSFnxPOTRNjl0uT3OGymZ0DM5IHyfFryz3RwD5kNCyTEBbGdgtBvXi0anHxjadWLJXsEoWIDEd4rtgN-zS-pZTk6zI/s320/talking+to+girls.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623442554349796466" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; font-family:Georgia, Century, Times, serif;font-size:13px;"><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Originally published on </span></span><a href="http://think.tv/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ThinkTV</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-gir_b_882510.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Huffington Post</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></i></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I went to a dinner party at a friend's home last weekend, and met her five-year-old daughter for the first time.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Little Maya was all curly brown hair, doe-like dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown. I wanted to squeal, "Maya, you're so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!"</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I didn't. I squelched myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse, which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed/ well-manicured/ well-coiffed they are.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What's wrong with that? It's our culture's standard talking-to-little-girls icebreaker, isn't it? And why not give them a sincere compliment to boost their self-esteem? Because they are so darling I just want to burst when I meet them, honestly.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hold that thought for just a moment.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This week ABC news reported that nearly half of all three- to six-year-old girls worry about being fat. In my book, </span><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Think-Straight-Women-Smart-Dumbed-Down/dp/1593156596/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308777821&sr=8-1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World</span></a></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, I reveal that fifteen to eighteen percent of girls under twelve now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly; eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down; and twenty-five percent of young American women would rather win</span><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">America's Next Top Model </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">than the Nobel Peace Prize. Even bright, successful college women say they'd rather be hot than smart. A Miami mom just died from cosmetic surgery, leaving behind two teenagers. This keeps happening, and it breaks my heart.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What's missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's why I force myself to talk to little girls as follows.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Maya," I said, crouching down at her level, looking into her eyes, "very nice to meet you."</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Nice to meet you too," she said, in that trained, polite, talking-to-adults good girl voice.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Hey, what are you reading?" I asked, a twinkle in my eyes. I love books. I'm nuts for them. I let that show.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Her eyes got bigger, and the practiced, polite facial expression gave way to genuine excitement over this topic. She paused, though, a little shy of me, a stranger.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"I LOVE books," I said. "Do you?"</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most kids do.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"YES," she said. "And I can read them all by myself now!"</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Wow, amazing!" I said. And it is, for a five-year-old. You go on with your bad self, Maya.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"What's your favorite book?" I asked.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"I'll go get it! Can I read it to you?"</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Purplicious </span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">was Maya's pick and a new one to me, as Maya snuggled next to me on the sofa and proudly read aloud every word, about our heroine who loves pink but is tormented by a group of girls at school who only wear black. Alas, it was about girls and what they wore, and how their wardrobe choices defined their identities. But after Maya closed the final page, I steered the conversation to the deeper issues in the book: mean girls and peer pressure and not going along with the group. I told her my favorite color in the world is green, because I love nature, and she was down with that.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Not once did we discuss clothes or hair or bodies or who was pretty. It's surprising how hard it is to stay away from those topics with little girls, but I'm stubborn.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I told her that I'd just written a book, and that I hoped she'd write one too one day. She was fairly psyched about that idea. We were both sad when Maya had to go to bed, but I told her next time to choose another book and we'd read it and talk about it. Oops. That got her too amped up to sleep, and she came down from her bedroom a few times, all jazzed up.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, one tiny bit of opposition to a culture that sends all the wrong messages to our girls. One tiny nudge towards valuing female brains. One brief moment of intentional role modeling. Will my few minutes with Maya change our multibillion dollar beauty industry, reality shows that demean women, our celebrity-manic culture? No. But I did change Maya's perspective for at least that evening.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Try this the next time you meet a little girl. She may be surprised and unsure at first, because few ask her about her mind, but be patient and stick with it. Ask her what she's reading. What does she like and dislike, and why? There are no wrong answers. You're just generating an intelligent conversation that respects her brain. For older girls, ask her about current events issues: pollution, wars, school budgets slashed. What bothers her out there in the world? How would she fix it if she had a magic wand? You may get some intriguing answers. Tell her about your ideas and accomplishments and your favorite books. Model for her what a thinking woman says and does.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And let me know the response you get at </span><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/lisabloom" target="_hplink" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(230, 20, 5); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.Twitter.com/lisabloom</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's to changing the world, one little girl at a time.</span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For many more tips on how keep yourself and your daughter smart, check out my new book, </span><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><a href="http://think.tv/" target="_hplink" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; color: rgb(230, 20, 5); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.Think.tv</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></p><p style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-iX9c8KBhQyRL32RyRNARh6i03PwN1vLQrr5IlWJ-NpSO3vy_rXoRabgL0nYWiD6rZqew_rh_PHiUSQpoy1cOfIzDW9nvEuZOKqqfsdNu2Zpft2fdCETUS98OKv76GSnsMxbTn_qHUBF/s320/cover21.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623442352694250818" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 184px; " /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">LISA BLOOM, author of </span></span><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed Down World</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, is an award-winning journalist, legal analyst, trial attorney, and the daughter of renowned women's rights attorney, Gloria Allred. A daily fixture on American television for the last decade, Bloom is currently the CBS News legal analyst, appearing frequently on </span></span><em style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Early Show</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and</span></span><em color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> CBS Evening News</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> with Katie Couric, as well as the legal analyst for </span></span><em color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Dr. Phil Show</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Bloom has written for the </span></span><em color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Los Angeles Times, Family Circle</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, the </span></span><em color="initial" style="list-style-type: none; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border- font-style: italic !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">National Law Journal,</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> CNN.com, the Daily Beast, and many more. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she runs her law firm, The Bloom Firm. </span></span></p></span>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-38740014169571612722011-06-23T07:43:00.000-07:002011-06-23T10:22:24.898-07:00What are they teaching these kids in Sunday school?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0uFInh3No7MJVc9tU3CcYpisdKOmTkvbmGtkQDxVsJvESHW5mZ2EYOHSAofjLB-VsBhU8BslmaAR7iz8_eO-y_p3_2OSy8cj3YhRpfkXHuNvEWqhNav901yglzrlp5PcRkhsJohwORpA/s1600/hate-mail-response.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0uFInh3No7MJVc9tU3CcYpisdKOmTkvbmGtkQDxVsJvESHW5mZ2EYOHSAofjLB-VsBhU8BslmaAR7iz8_eO-y_p3_2OSy8cj3YhRpfkXHuNvEWqhNav901yglzrlp5PcRkhsJohwORpA/s320/hate-mail-response.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621428807067874082" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Yesterday I got an email message from a former student telling me that I am “fugly” and I need to get on a treadmill and have plastic surgery.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Sure, I’m hurt by this message, but not on a personal level as much as on an intellectual one. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For instance, it doesn’t really hurt my feelings that the student called me fugly or implied I’m overweight. Since I don’t think he really believes I need plastic surgery, his attack is rather toothless. In that sense, it's</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"> kind of obvious to me that he was just trying to wound me.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">But what really hurts me is that he doesn’t respect me. Because if he did, he wouldn’t be trying to wound me at all.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Like most of the teachers and college professors I know, I work my butt off trying to help students learn the material and become better writers. I give it everything I have, and when school is in session I basically live and breathe my job. Though I don’t have “summers off” in the sense that I still have to work on my writing, I honestly don’t know how I would survive if I didn’t have these three months away from the classroom to recharge.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So when a former student sends me a hateful message—and it happens almost every semester, though it’s usually not this personal—it bothers me because it tells me that the student doesn’t think I work hard or care about my job. Because if the student believed that, he wouldn’t intentionally try to hurt my feelings.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">To be honest, it’s hard to imagine any student—this one included—not knowing how hard I work after spending a semester in my classroom, and that’s what really burns me about this message. This kid knows I bust my butt for my students, and despite this, he’s basically saying, “I don’t care how hard you work or how much you care about your students because I still hate you. “ He’s pissing all over my attempts to be a good teacher.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It also bothers me because it’s the kind of comment that’s designed to attack me where I’m most vulnerable, which seems especially cruel. Most of my students learn over the course of the semester that I have a blog about body acceptance, so it’s clear this student thought he could undermine my self-confidence by attacking my physical appearance. It’s a cheap shot, but one he apparently thought would work.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Finally his comments bother me because they imply—especially the “get on the treadmill” comment—that I don’t exercise just because I’m not thin.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Twice every week on this blog I try to send the message that curvy does not mean unhealthy and a curvy person is not necessarily a person who doesn’t work out, but I’m clearly not getting the message across. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Not only do I work out, I work out religiously. I walk every morning—lately for eighty minutes, during which time I alternate between walking and running—and I usually exercise almost every afternoon and evening as well, which is my attempt to follow my own advice that we should all <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/06/returning-to-childhood.html">“play and play often.”</a> So when this student told me to get on the treadmill, it actually hurt me more to think he assumes I don’t work out than it does for me to realize that he thinks I’m overweight.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So let me be clear—just because I’m lumpy or imperfect does not mean I am sedentary or lazy. It just means I’m no longer young, and I have a little wear and tear on my body. Of course, when you’re twenty-two, you have no idea that you can do everything in your power to be thin and still fail.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Though all of these issues are a problem, the biggest problem is why anyone—student or otherwise—feels comfortable saying these kinds of hurtful things to anyone else. Whatever happened to the golden rule?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I am not a religious person in the sense that I don’t read a Bible or go to church unless you count communing with nature every morning, but at times like these I find myself thinking of Leviticus 19:18</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">—</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself”—or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Matthew 5:39—</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Which makes me wonder, what makes a human being want to harm another person this way? What kind of issues must one have to be so hateful?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I don’t have the answer to that question, but I do hope that each of us—myself included—will think twice the next time we are tempted to lash out at another. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">If need be, think of the Torah, the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Bhagavad-Gita, the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Quran, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">the Bible, the Tao Teh Ching</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> Think of Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, Matthew, Luke, and Confucius</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. And treat others as you wish to be treated.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-3954027957005196812011-06-21T21:06:00.000-07:002011-06-21T22:04:01.918-07:00Don't even think about trying this (This = jogging in place while eating celery and cheesecake)<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3wzkKs0TOTs?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div>I've talked many times about the fact that the media plays a H U G E role in how we see ourselves—both our bodies and our behavior. Of course, we all know the American obsession with thinness and dieting is largely influenced by the media, and that until the way women are depicted in the media changes, our collective perception of our bodies won't change either.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's why I'm thrilled to report that General Mills pulled a Yoplait commercial last week (see video above) that makes it appear as if having an eating disorder is normal, even desirable. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div>In the ad, a thin woman is standing in front of a refrigerator eyeing a cheesecake with raspberries on top. She wants to have a piece but clearly feels guilty doing it, so she tries to talk herself into it by first telling herself that she's "deserves it" and that she'll have a "small slice."</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div>But then her internal monologue goes haywire as she tells herself she can have "a medium slice and some celery sticks and they would cancel each other out" or that she could have a "large slice and jog in place while I eat it." And then finally she wonders, "how about one large slice while jogging in place while I ate celery?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Watching this woman try to convince herself that it's all right to have a piece of cheesecake is honestly frightening. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe the woman is just a good actress or maybe we're all just a little too familiar with this kind of internal justification process. </div><div><br /></div><div>Either way, it's scary to see her longing for the cheesecake and trying to convince herself of some way it will be acceptable to eat a piece. It's kind of like watching a healthy person descend into the land of lunacy. No, she's not completely nuts, but she's going to a place that is not healthy or happy, which is what makes it so hard to witness. </div><div><br /></div><div>And this is the reason why the <a href="http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/in-the-news/news-release-detail.php?release=67&title=%91Kudos%20to%20Yoplait,%92%20Says%20National%20Eating%20Disorders%20Association">National Eating Disorders Association complained</a> about the ad, saying that it "<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">felt like a 20-second look at the mind of somebody with an eating disorder."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/does-this-commercial-encourage-eating-disorders-video-2497971/">*</a></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Jenni Schaefer, author of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AigM_.g.0pF6X0m6kZwU.AdrbqU5/SIG=112mtkrn8/**http%3A//www.jennischaefer.com/" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none; text-transform: none; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;">Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life,</span></i></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> added that "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">a commercial showing a thin person anxiously doing mental gymnastics in order to justify eating dessert—and then denying herself the treat because she wants to be even thinner—could reinforce the idea that such deliberations are healthy and normal,"<a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/does-this-commercial-encourage-eating-disorders-video-2497971/">*</a> </span>and I completely agree that's what makes the commercial so problematic. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Not only does the ad seem to make light of this woman's eating disorder in order to sell yogurt, it also models that behavior for viewers, which is exactly what we don't want our commercials to do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Schaefer adds that an eating disorder "<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">often starts with that voice in your head saying 'Eat this but not that... The commercial just reinforced that voice. It made that inner dialogue look normal. It let you think, 'I'm okay. I do the same thing.' But that's not normal. You don't have to open that refrigerator and hear that voice</span>."<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/does-this-commercial-encourage-eating-disorders-video-2497971/">*</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Not only does the ad normalize this unhealthy justification process, it also reinforces the message that thin is better by showing this woman complimenting an even thinner woman on her body. The message is clearly that thinner = better, which is one we get far too often on our television and movie screens. </div><div><br /></div><div>General Mills ultimately apologized and removed the ad from the airwaves.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have to say I'm thrilled General Mills didn't try to rationalize their depiction of a woman clearly struggling to maintain a healthy attitude about eating, and I'm equally pleased that they pulled the ad without hesitation. I like it when someone, or in this case some<i>thing</i>, accepts responsibility for its actions. I'm not even unhappy that the ad is probably getting more air time now than it would have without this controversy because it gives people an opportunity to talk about why this message is so unfortunate. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, if every corporation was as conscientious as General Mills, then maybe none of us would ever engage in this kind of unhealthy behavior again. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm allowed to fantasize, right? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/does-this-commercial-encourage-eating-disorders-video-2497971/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">* http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/does-this-commercial-encourage-eating-disorders-video-2497971/</span></a></span></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-11014655139964534202011-06-16T19:27:00.000-07:002011-06-17T17:05:14.844-07:00Dress for the body you have: revisiting the moob-and-miniskirt debate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHYWeLJrfKAKhIHPxity7_vm68pBlUtXIyDaBpOfexPO3BOdJ-m_hauVGQB5FlqnRI9sa3jp7nfMQWYlUYQnJkI3wKKhsR0Cnj3N66_CF-YUWZfAL3LlRhLpcKOwuBhBmO9egyehXbSAK/s1600/nicole+skirt.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHYWeLJrfKAKhIHPxity7_vm68pBlUtXIyDaBpOfexPO3BOdJ-m_hauVGQB5FlqnRI9sa3jp7nfMQWYlUYQnJkI3wKKhsR0Cnj3N66_CF-YUWZfAL3LlRhLpcKOwuBhBmO9egyehXbSAK/s320/nicole+skirt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619023613989447762" /></a>Recently I wrote <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-love-handles-ah-summer.html">a post </a>about the fact that I think most men should keep their shirts on even when the weather becomes unbearably hot. <div><br /></div><div>I have to say that when I admitted this on Facebook, a few people gave me grief about it and hinted that I was being hypocritical. <div><br /></div><div>It's possible that making a joke about shirtless men on Facebook (by asking them to put away their "man boobs," which one friend called "moobs") was hypocritical in the sense that it sends the message it's okay to make fun of people's bodies. Yes, that's true, and I'm sorry if I sent that message. </div><div><br /></div><div>Though I also think it's possible to take ourselves TOO seriously.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I don't think that my attitude about men needing to keep their shirts on is hypocritical at all, and I'd like to explain why.<div><br /></div><div>This blog is designed to help people understand two things: 1) why dieting is unhealthy and has caused many people to gain weight over the long haul, and 2) how important it is for people to accept themselves the way they are. As I've said before, I don't think sustained weight loss or healthy living is possible without understanding these ideas. </div><div><br /></div><div>Part of accepting ourselves requires us to see what it is that makes each of us beautiful and then showing off that beauty by highlighting our best features. </div><div><br /></div><div>This first part is pretty straightforward (after you do the hard work of seeing what makes you beautiful): if you have great legs, you can show them off by wearing more skirts. If you have a defined waist, buy more clothes that feature your middle. If you have gorgeous green eyes, wear more red to make them stand out. (I often wear orange or blue because my eyes are blue.) That kind of thing. </div><div><br /></div><div>These ideas are not revolutionary, but they really can improve your self-esteem and, therefore, positively affect your life. Half the time I wear blue someone comes up to me and says, "Wow, your eyes look amazing!" That's the kind of thing that makes me feel like I'm on top of the world. There is no substitute for a good compliment, and I'll take them any way I can get them.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Incidentally that is also why I ALWAYS tell other women when I like something about their appearance—whether it be their shoes, their hair, or whatever. I think it's important that we hand out compliments as much as we can—about our appearance or anything else.) </div><div><br /></div><div><div>The second part of accepting ourselves the way we are requires us to dress for the bodies we have, and that can be a lot trickier. </div><div><br /></div><div>The hardest part is figuring out what body you have. I'm still never sure if I have a pear-shaped body or an apple-shaped body or simply fall under the "plus-size" umbrella. (<i>Glamour</i> magazine has a great monthly column about picking a certain piece of clothing for your body shape and size—last month it was bathing suits—and I never know which shape I am, so I usually look at more than one.) </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Equally difficult is following the rules for your body. Sometimes this is hard because our bodies change, and we don't know it right away. In fact, it can take Y E A R S to figure this out. </div><div><br /></div><div>For instance, I've always had a defined waist, so I've never worried about wearing unstructured clothing on top. I love a lightweight slouchy t-shirt in the summer almost as much as I love hot dogs and watermelon at a picnic, but lately I've noticed that when I wear flimsy t-shirts to a party where someone is taking pictures, the photos come back with me looking like I have a little roll around my belly even though that part of my body is pretty fit. Part of the problem is my posture. I have never learned to stand up straight, so when I'm sitting, my shoulders roll forward and cause my stomach to look bigger than it is. The other problem is that even though my stomach is relatively small, it's not as small as it was when I was younger. No matter the cause, the pictures are always awful, and so I've vowed to stop wearing those kinds of unstructured tops when I might be photographed. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had the same problem with short skirts when I was younger. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was always a fan of the miniskirt and, until I was in my late-twenties, could pull it off. But after I gained weight from an accident, I didn't realize that the look was no longer flattering until I saw some pictures from a bridal shower where I wore a panty-skimming dress (what was I thinking???) and started watching <i>What Not to Wear</i>, a show that pushes the "no miniskirts after thirty-five" rule. Now I swear by this rule too because—I don't care how thin you are—after a certain age, a knee-length skirt is much sexier than a mid-thigh one. </div><div><br /></div><div>The picture above of one of the thinnest woman alive, Nicole Kidman, proves my point. </div><div><br /></div><div>(I wish Heidi Klum would follow Nic's lead and give up minis.) </div><div><br /></div><div>Nicole looks sexy as hell in this photo, but if she had gone four inches shorter, she would have looked like she was trying too hard to hold onto her youth. In fact, the longer skirt actually makes her look younger. Some people call this aging gracefully, but that can make people feel old—better to simply think of it as looking your best.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the same place where my negative attitude about shirtless men comes in. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think men over the age of twenty-five take their shirts off when they working out for two reasons: 1) because they're hot (which bothers me because women don't have the same option), but more importantly, 2) because they started doing so when they were teenagers and haven't stopped and looked in the mirror long enough to realize how much their bodies have changed. And if they did, I imagine they would think twice about baring their chests to the world. </div><div><br /></div><div>The reason I think they shouldn't bare said chests if they're not in great shape is because doing so is NOT dressing for the body you have. It's dressing for the body you used to have. To me, an out-of-shape man taking his shirt off in public is no different than a forty-something woman walking out the door in a micro-mini: it should just be avoided. Even if technically she or he can still pull it off. </div><div><br /></div><div>The same could be said about muffin tops. </div><div><br /></div><div>If your jeans are so tight that a layer of fat spills out of the top, it's time to get a new pair. One really important lesson I've learned is that it is ALWAYS worth it to buy new clothes rather than stuffing yourself into the old ones. You will immediately feel better in a new pair of jeans but feel lousy for a long time if you have to lie down on your bed to zip your old ones. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't mean to send the message that we all need to cover ourselves up. On the contrary I'm all about showing it off. I hate sack dresses and muumuus and polygamist-type clothes more than almost anything. I believe in showing off our assets—in skirts that skim the knee and shirts that show off a great set of arms. (I also understand that sometimes we just want to blow off the rules, which is fine too.) </div><div><br /></div><div>But I think showing off our liabilities is just plain silly.</div><div><br /></div><div>And admitting you have liabilities is not inconsistent with the message of this blog or even hypocritical because it's in line with what the blog is about—which is focusing on what makes you beautiful. But you can't do that if you're not honest with yourself about what your less-than-perfect features are too. </div><div><br /></div><div>I guess what I'm trying to say is that body acceptance is not only about appreciating your beauty, it's also about being okay with the fact that none of us are perfect. And I hope more than anything that you will understand that recognizing your imperfection doesn't mean that you have to be ashamed of them, but it also doesn't mean that you need to flaunt them either. </div><div><br /></div><div>F. Scott Fitzgerald famously said that "<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;font-size:medium;">The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." </span>Being able to do so—hold two opposing ideas in your head at the same time—also allows people to understand why I want everyone to accept themselves the way are AND dress for the body they have. And from my point of view, these are <i>not</i> mutually exclusive ideas.</div></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-20435688327428922412011-06-14T21:33:00.000-07:002011-06-16T13:48:41.939-07:00What a tangled web we re-design<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASovMmL-8jWLnf9XW6NrXiYMiUNu3ZZjSPSt-ldsCcRRIv3EwqYEVcWgN2cEBifNrS31Lko2mkwKkvTzvC0yRBueJB8wiVJUN1JCaFShR6mThZ5wv7cawwq8QkQq38aiuHTX4On52VzqV/s1600/final+diet+logo+no+dots.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASovMmL-8jWLnf9XW6NrXiYMiUNu3ZZjSPSt-ldsCcRRIv3EwqYEVcWgN2cEBifNrS31Lko2mkwKkvTzvC0yRBueJB8wiVJUN1JCaFShR6mThZ5wv7cawwq8QkQq38aiuHTX4On52VzqV/s320/final+diet+logo+no+dots.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618922355053361458" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm in the process of re-designing the blog and my new companion website, <a href="http://www.mollymccaffrey.com/">mollymccaffrey.com</a>, so I'm going to take the day off from blogging. </div><div><br /></div><div>But to tide you over until Thursday, I've posted the new logo here (see above).</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you think??????</div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-36073116252371855662011-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:002011-06-09T11:44:29.674-07:00It's never too late to change: Belle Vere = True Beauty.<div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIh15EUR6C30b1iz_sQs6TmDi3G66y7cobr1PqMZKOXbW9-yYdm2Z_QHZvECTQu20scw87JFqeLQKa4WCxS8Q0pZQcpd5a1nGQ4T8jnLcitrMNW-ZZRaDdQPRPbftwsxL1rK0tJCZJFlVj/s1600/vere0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIh15EUR6C30b1iz_sQs6TmDi3G66y7cobr1PqMZKOXbW9-yYdm2Z_QHZvECTQu20scw87JFqeLQKa4WCxS8Q0pZQcpd5a1nGQ4T8jnLcitrMNW-ZZRaDdQPRPbftwsxL1rK0tJCZJFlVj/s320/vere0.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616291156268412034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_bd3JR_bchc3PTWulSdJwM12NUFsGPDkrOCrORpmGQdUUaBLM-w7PzxDXC6qj2S0070UuNmMVKGQjgD2Z748Cf9PQLcMyHK4draOH4X_gXRWRpfVDHGarte7qSxWT5FgLnVZ4VU_4icP/s1600/vi01106d0104-010503meisel-1351679_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></div><div>Well, it's about time.<div><br /></div><div>A major fashion magazine has F I N A L L Y featured curvy women on its cover. The honor goes to the latest issue of <i><a href="http://www.vogue.it/magazine">Vogue Italia</a></i>, which can be seen above. (The rest of the photos I've included here are from the <a href="http://www.vogue.it/magazine/cover-story/2011/06/belle-vere">cover story</a>.) As <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/06/06/vogue-italia-cover-features-three-plus-size-models/">Time magazine</a> says, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Vogue Italia has thrown the fashion world a major curveball — by placing three plus-size models on its June 2011 cover."</span> (Please not the plus-size models are size six and up.) And even better is that these women look stunning. As one <a href="http://www.swide.com/luxury-magazine/Style/Press-Cuttings/belle-vere/2011/6/8">blogger</a> writes, "You see real confidence in their eyes—they KNOW they are beautiful."</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYRbLZ6p_s3J7XUOPPJIvRbK2L_PZQH4CBjhyphenhyphenxUckhY2vrRcZFYF4pAnavp-qFQ0w5Pi0vsqbcF5L1RTKdrpUazQJKeNS66aGm-jvffgxvIIBpoRmN8bMWWa9f2vSi7PUNGu4o2Y0O-zt/s1600/vi01106d0102-010302meisel-sinistra-2250677_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYRbLZ6p_s3J7XUOPPJIvRbK2L_PZQH4CBjhyphenhyphenxUckhY2vrRcZFYF4pAnavp-qFQ0w5Pi0vsqbcF5L1RTKdrpUazQJKeNS66aGm-jvffgxvIIBpoRmN8bMWWa9f2vSi7PUNGu4o2Y0O-zt/s320/vi01106d0102-010302meisel-sinistra-2250677_0x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616282237306780978" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I truly believe we are in the middle of a paradigm shift about what it means to be beautiful—people are beginning to believe that beauty does not come in just one size or shape. We're seeing more diversity in women's body sizes in film (<i><a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2011/05/br.html">Bridesmaids</a></i>) and television (<a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-we-should-all-be-watching-mad-men.html"><i>Mad Men</i></a><i>, <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-huge-is-huge.html">Huge</a>, <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2010/04/wow-just-wow-why-glee-is-best-show-on.html">Glee</a></i>), and corporations like Dove are committed to helping us reassess what it means to be attractive. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk_bd3JR_bchc3PTWulSdJwM12NUFsGPDkrOCrORpmGQdUUaBLM-w7PzxDXC6qj2S0070UuNmMVKGQjgD2Z748Cf9PQLcMyHK4draOH4X_gXRWRpfVDHGarte7qSxWT5FgLnVZ4VU_4icP/s320/vi01106d0104-010503meisel-1351679_0x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616288004603145138" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>For some time now, <i><a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/10/glamazons-rule.html">Glamour</a></i><a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/10/glamazons-rule.html"> magazine</a> has been devoted to featuring women of all sizes in its pages, and now <i>Vogue Italia</i> has jumped on the curvy bandwagon. And for the first time ever a first lady with a real body is seen as a fashion icon.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbYYxC4CFhPsTMPdjl49Gi5VemvBew__LsDykSW6PV35yFnjgrnOKqTvzGh2vTO-fPwd7aXPV94VE3HcllLk9E4aqwNH8CthHj2Awl3DiaMyIMSEjhkdu2tY6WDwPZvBO0fpB_nduw5jk/s1600/vi01106d0118-011910meisel-66169_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbYYxC4CFhPsTMPdjl49Gi5VemvBew__LsDykSW6PV35yFnjgrnOKqTvzGh2vTO-fPwd7aXPV94VE3HcllLk9E4aqwNH8CthHj2Awl3DiaMyIMSEjhkdu2tY6WDwPZvBO0fpB_nduw5jk/s320/vi01106d0118-011910meisel-66169_0x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616281327134692802" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div>But in order to keep this change happening, we have to keep supporting the movement. I'll probably not get a subscription to <i>Vogue Italia</i> since half the women in it are naked, but I will order the new <i>Vogue Curvy</i> and continue to get <i>Glamour</i> and support real-sized women every chance I get.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnsK0oV2Dxmt5u4Un6nrAL-Xo4-Ydi8b6vEbrFDBQxs5i2AenXdTYWbH8SuaYsuPvTG79Fdlit1AMFIFTjtbQBFDVF45ZWjXZaGOrP5A05CqXhp2LfxnTuhZtLhTFBP7Uvjh43GY3nMZU/s1600/vi01106d0106-010704meisel-sinistra-2695266_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnsK0oV2Dxmt5u4Un6nrAL-Xo4-Ydi8b6vEbrFDBQxs5i2AenXdTYWbH8SuaYsuPvTG79Fdlit1AMFIFTjtbQBFDVF45ZWjXZaGOrP5A05CqXhp2LfxnTuhZtLhTFBP7Uvjh43GY3nMZU/s320/vi01106d0106-010704meisel-sinistra-2695266_0x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616282445924342258" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's one easy thing you can do: vote in <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5123551/">this poll</a> about <i>Vogue Italia</i>'s choice to feature real-sized women on their cover and tell them you say YES to curvy women!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0Tp5cFA7EpwC2YIZd7hRRvSi0ChmnogaGAK7MQJfPA9J5V-iflOmdobpZAthuPvy3QuAMh2SmFQIhqOMlbV_WE_2WRGPrIf07HXDCQ53INpY14TxiOnlCVKXi11uq-o3gzZq1HC3qgxB/s1600/vi01106d0100-010101meisel-843388_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0Tp5cFA7EpwC2YIZd7hRRvSi0ChmnogaGAK7MQJfPA9J5V-iflOmdobpZAthuPvy3QuAMh2SmFQIhqOMlbV_WE_2WRGPrIf07HXDCQ53INpY14TxiOnlCVKXi11uq-o3gzZq1HC3qgxB/s320/vi01106d0100-010101meisel-843388_0x440.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616282038463756738" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbYYxC4CFhPsTMPdjl49Gi5VemvBew__LsDykSW6PV35yFnjgrnOKqTvzGh2vTO-fPwd7aXPV94VE3HcllLk9E4aqwNH8CthHj2Awl3DiaMyIMSEjhkdu2tY6WDwPZvBO0fpB_nduw5jk/s1600/vi01106d0118-011910meisel-66169_0x440.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-52565723264792319372011-06-07T14:33:00.000-07:002011-06-07T14:55:20.214-07:00Reader mail<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBcS16FmqFE9L_hkLKoj4VqE232vR-yHKTJzexIDhxAhi0T8XchVEpqxS3Gq9sblWBwXFD4sudEpOcW166bDMBwLCJtAQLsODaD5RVlURYyEtSc5GShhiIwN40swpO3v5tR8-wXNW135_/s1600/MailboxBlur.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBcS16FmqFE9L_hkLKoj4VqE232vR-yHKTJzexIDhxAhi0T8XchVEpqxS3Gq9sblWBwXFD4sudEpOcW166bDMBwLCJtAQLsODaD5RVlURYyEtSc5GShhiIwN40swpO3v5tR8-wXNW135_/s320/MailboxBlur.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615599730242604674" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: -webkit-xxx-large;"><br /></span></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 15px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"></span>I had a reader of the blog email me last week saying she needed advice about trying to lose weight. She has struggled with numerous diets in the past—not being able to stick with them and also feeling like she'll never be as skinny or attractive as her two married sisters. Since I get questions about this on a regular basis, I thought I'd share my response . . . <div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-size: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; display: table; "><tbody style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><tr style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; display: table-row; vertical-align: inherit; "><td valign="top" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; display: table-cell; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font: inherit; ">Dear XXX,<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">I'm honored that you wrote to me, and I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">I do believe that the first step to losing weight is body acceptance, which is a big part of what my blog is about. If you do not accept yourself the way you are—and like yourself the way you are—you will probably never lose weight and keep it off. So my first piece of advice is to look in the mirror and figure out what about you is most attractive. Most people have one amazing feature—be it <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_0" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom- background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;">beautiful eyes</span>, a perfect nose, full lips, gorgeous brows, adorable ears, a sculpted jawline, or clear skin. (For me, it's my eyes, and luckily, I've always known that.) And I think when people see us, they focus on that good quality—and never see the parts of us that are average or imperfect.</div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- "><br /></div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- ">I have a friend who is extremely obese, and after knowing her for a year or so, she told me she thinks that when people see her, all they see is her fat. I was horrified and also knew immediately she was wrong. This is someone who is blessed with a sunny disposition and a gorgeous face. When I see her, the first thing I see is her infectious smile—she is the kind of person who lights up a room. After that, I see her adorable nose, her <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_1" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">pretty eyes</span>, and her flattering freckles. I never even think about the fact that she weighs more than 300 lbs. It's not even on my radar. But when I told her this, it shocked her. She thought it was the FIRST thing people saw. In truth, people see your assets first, not your flaws.</div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- "><br /></div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- ">So you need to look in the mirror and figure out what it is about you that makes you beautiful. You may not be as thin as your sisters—and trust me I know all about that—but you do have something that sets you apart. I know it.</div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- "><br /></div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- ">Once you find that thing about you that you know is attractive and start focusing on that by buying clothes or accessories that emphasize it, you'll notice people will start complimenting you about it too. You say that you're not attractive, but as soon as you decide you ARE attractive, other people will find you attractive too. Confidence is contagious, and once you have it, you will pretty easily find that people—men included—are drawn to you. </div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- "><br /></div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- ">After you re-gain your confidence and focus on YOUR attractive features, you can start working on losing weight. I follow a seven-step approach to losing weight that is not a diet, but a lifestyle change. Because my approach allows you to eat junk food from time to time, it's not hard to change your life this way. </div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- "><br /></div><div color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- ">Incidentally, the reason you want to eat junk food every time you go on a diet is because the diet tells you not to eat junk food. Any time someone tells you not to do something, the natural response is to want to do it. That's one of the main reasons diets don't work. The other reason diets don't work—and 90% of dieters gain back the weight—is because our bodies get used to eating less, and when the diet is over and we go back to eating more, our bodies store those extra calories rather than burning them. These are the two reasons I am totally opposed to dieting. Instead of dieting, here's what I recommend on the blog:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">1) </span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-i-am-different-from-rest.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_2" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Like yourself</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/05/cheeseburgers-and-importance-of.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></a>2)<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/05/cheeseburgers-and-importance-of.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "> <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_3" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Indulge from time to time</span></a><br />3) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/06/returning-to-childhood.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_4" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Play more and play often</span></a><br />4a) </span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/08/sodium-nitrate-and-sodium-phosphate-and.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_5" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Avoid processed foods</span></a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">and</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">4b) </span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/08/processed-foods-and-little-pink-houses.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_6" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Understand why it's hard to avoid them, so you can avoid them even more</span></a></span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><br />5) </span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/08/nothing-beats-home-cooked-meal.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_7" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Cook at home</span></a></span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><br />6) </span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2010/08/eat-eat-eat-and-then-eat-some-more.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_8" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Eat all day long</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">7) </span><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/08/get-some-sleep.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_9" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">Get more sleep</span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yiv1023448414Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;">Also, you may want to read my <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-am-i-doing-this.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_10" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">manifesto</span></a> and <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-is-diet.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(45, 110, 137); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1307483027_11" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;">my post about how I define the word diet</span></a>. You should know that though my approach will work in the long run, it is not about quick results as much as lasting ones. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;">Honestly, it may take you five years to lose all the weight you want to lose. But it will work. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;"></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Finally, remember that not everyone has the same body. You may even have a different body than your sisters who share your genes. I grew up with a rail-thin sister, and it took me years to realize my body could not possibly look like hers. But neither of our bodies are perfect. She hates that she has to wear a padded bra, and I hate that I need spanx on special occasions. Either way, no one is perfect. And no one body is perfect either.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">I really hope that this helps. Please check in with me and let me know how this plan works for you. I would love to hear back from you again.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Good luck!</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Molly</div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-34011927152080699522011-06-02T21:05:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:42:29.671-07:00Summer love handles . . . a plea to all the men out there who like to go shirtless<div><img class="rg_hi" id="rg_hi" width="311" height="162" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0o9xfDAO8G1WK8lqOkn3NfRU-Q6R2vkI60oNbrDVLC-swCom-" style="width: 311px; height: 162px; " /></div><div>Ah, summer . . . t-shirts, cut-offs, flip-flops . . . the smell of a neighbor's fire pit, the sound of a distant lawn mower. . . I'm really enjoying all of the signs of summer even though the season doesn't officially begin for about three more weeks. </div><div><br /></div><div>But one thing I'm not enjoying now that the days are "hot as balls" as my friend Kristin said yesterday is that the heat brings with it another summer tradition, an unwelcome one: </div><div><br /></div><div>men without their shirts on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now, don't get me wrong, I love it when we come across a buff runner sans shirt on the walking trail, but I would happily give up that rare occurrence if I never again had to see his polar opposite: the all-too-common out-of-shape guy strutting around the frisbee golf course without a shirt—or the tennis court or the golf course or the basketball court or fill in the blank. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm all about body acceptance, but taking your shirt off in public isn't about body acceptance if you ask me. It's about exhibitionism. And maybe self-centeredness too. Because the message is, <i>Look at me! I don't have my shirt on!</i></div><div><br /></div><div>And then I look and think, <i>Why the hell did I do that? </i></div><div><br /></div><div>In some ways, it feels like a violation of my privacy. My eyes shouldn't have to be exposed to man breasts and love handles and pale stomachs with dark hairs crawling across them like spiders. </div><div><br /></div><div>It also feels a bit selfish since women can't do the same. </div><div><br /></div><div>The message is: <i>I'm hot, so I'm going to strip down, but you women just have to deal. </i>Kind of like when your older brother got to stay out later than you and spent his whole day flaunting the fact that his curfew was one instead of midnight.<i> </i>I don't like the selfishness implicit in that message.<i> </i></div><div><br /></div><div>Who knows? Maybe I'm just jealous, but it bugs me when a guy goes shirt-less in a public venue. I can't take my shirt off, so why should he? </div><div><br /></div><div>It's different on the beach, a place where there is an unspoken agreement that everyone can let their shit hang out—men, women, and children. You can't complain about it because you're doing it too. And if for some reason you're not, you know that stepping onto the sand means you've got to expect to see something unpleasant. </div><div><br /></div><div>But in the park, it just seems wrong since it's only the male sex that can reveal—at least legally—a part of the body that doesn't normally see the sun. </div><div><br /></div><div>So until women are allowed to take their shirts off in public, can you men out there please—pretty please—just keep your sweaty shirts on? </div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-84716377956185657682011-05-31T09:44:00.000-07:002011-05-31T10:27:12.330-07:00Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PTlmho_RovY?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div><br /></div><div>This video is going around right now, and it's an incredibly important one for us to watch because it emphasizes the point that our obsession with thinness is a public health problem. </div><div><br /></div><div>I could not agree more. </div><div><br /></div><div>But though I think this speaker means that our obsession with thinness is a public health problem because it leads to eating disorders and body dysmorphia (something I believe all American women have), I also think it's a public health problem because it leads to obesity. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes it feels like we have two choices in our country—be thin or be fat. Since being thin in this country means having almost no body fat, which is impossible for those of us who are genetically inclined to be curvy, it's easy to give up and say, if I can't be thin, I might as well eat whatever I want. </div><div><br /></div><div>Our obsession with thinness also leads to obesity because it causes us to embrace unhealthy crash diets that nearly always—90% of the time—cause us to gain back more weight than we lost. </div><div><br /></div><div>Two celebrities are quoted as having spoken out about the problem of making women look flawless to the point of being unreal in the media: Cindy Crawford and Kate Winslet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Crawford (pictured above in before and after shots) says she wishes she looked like Cindy Crawford, indicating that she doesn't look like the Crawford we see featured in magazines and on television. </div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwewi6yMMPSUPI0kPBY451QSVE2QxOqOCEb8b7D1cLXQr9E_bYqUaGneid4REFv06Fl_oNaKhZBeCnjpyukxnTWjcnwwzuLPBCpHVhUVMQAWPHa6EkpKElRLplTqZVW1WK3TobzNWzE139/s320/2003gq-done-feet-kate-winslet-more-artistic-she-was-very-unhappy-and-said-that-the-thickness-of-the-legs-was-reduced-by-one-third.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612931968140252546" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 258px; " /></span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And about the magazine cover above, Kate Winslet said not only that GQ trimmed her thighs by a third without her permission (the photo on the right is the original), she also says, "I don't look like that, and I don't desire to look like that."</div><div><br /></div><div>Bravo, Kate. </div><div><br /></div><div>(And what I don't get is what was wrong with her legs in the original photo???)</div><div><br /></div><div>The real question is why don't more celebrities have a problem with this? Why aren't they all putting their foot down on this issue? Why aren't they demanding to be depicted in more accurate ways since we all know that it hurts all women in the long run? </div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose they're afraid that if they speak out, their careers will be over. And it's certainly true that Crawford and Winslet are two of only a handful of untouchable women in the media, so I admire their desire to use that power to speak out. But what about Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon? Sandra Bullock and Cameron Diaz? Angelina Jolie? Why aren't these women speaking out and trying to combat this problem? </div><div><br /></div><div>If they are and I've missed it, I'd love to hear about it. If not, it's time to step up, girls. </div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-15502887818009928382011-05-26T20:23:00.000-07:002011-05-26T21:37:46.635-07:00Why, in my fantasy life, Annie Leibovitz is my best friend and travels with me everywhere I go<img src="http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/wkuherald.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/9/e1/464/9e146404-7524-11e0-a49b-001a4bcf6878-revisions/4dbf5a2fa19b9.image.jpg" class="vertical" alt="molly " width="300" style="width: 302px; " /><div>I was spending the day with a friend of mine recently when she showed me some pictures from a recent family trip. I noticed almost immediately that there weren't any pictures of her, and when I asked about it, she said, "I don't like having my picture taken." <div><br /></div><div>I get it. I really do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because that was my attitude most of my adult life—until a few years ago, I HATED having my picture taken and looked pretty awkward almost every time I was forced to do it, which I talked about in my <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2011/03/photo.html">"Who is the girl in the picture"</a> post. I'm still not great about posing for photos now, but I'm working on it and try my best to have a good attitude, which I think is crucial to taking a good photo. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lately, though, I'm beginning to wonder if it's about more than just having a good attitude. Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to have my picture taken by more than one professional photographer, and I am always shocked by how good the results turn out. (The photo of me above was taken by one of those pros.) </div><div><br /></div><div>As a result, it started to occur to me that maybe the reason I hate having my picture taken is because I don't have a professional doing it all the time. In fact, it's usually my husband or one of my friends taking my picture, and they usually do it quickly—in between talking and hanging out—without really thinking about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>All of this had been in the back of my head when I saw a new photo of a friend on Facebook and actually thought, "Wow, that doesn't even look like her. She is so much more attractive than that." And that's when it hit me—the reason our photos don't look as good as the ones we see in magazines is simply because we don't have a professional photographer following us around all the time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe this sounds obvious, but I have witnessed too many people—men an women—bemoaning the way they look in pictures for me to believe that people understand this is the case. I think we all want to look like a celebrity every time we have our picture taken even though we don't have half the resources that most of them do. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF6666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div>And then I saw something that made me sure that taking a good photo doesn't usually happen by accident but rather requires some serious effort as well as a professional photographer. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was watching Letterman a few weeks ago when Courtney Cox was on the show talking about a recent trip to St. Bart's. While she was there, Letterman held up this photo of Cox from that trip:</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="webkit-fake-url://187759F5-51E0-4EE4-8AD4-08CA88B22B9B/image.tiff" /></div><div><br /></div><div>Letterman oooohed and aahhed over Cox's amazing physique, but she resisted the compliment, explaining that she doesn't normally look like that and that she was doing everything she could to look her best when the photo was taken. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Well, Dave," she said. "You know when the paparrazzi are there, so that's not real . . . I mean that's real, but I was working it pretty hard . . . We made a joke about it. Let's see how <i>Sports Illustrated </i>we can get. And I really was like . . . I sucked in, I moved my body, and my arms are streched out. I don't walk like that!" </div><div><br /></div><div>Cox even claimed that Letterman would be horrified if he saw the way she sits on the beach when nobody is looking and imitated herself seaside, hunched over and limp. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whether you believe it or not, her message was clear: people don't normally look the way she did in that photo. And for some reason, I believed her. I believed that she could suck in her gut and pump her arms and legs in such a way that put her best features on display. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do I believe I could strike the same pose and appear as hot as Cox does in her string bikini? No way, but I do believe that trying to look good and believing you can look good goes a long way towards accomplishing that goal. </div><div><br /></div><div>And while writing this post, I decided to Google "Courtney Cox at the beach" to see if there were any pics of her looking the way she described, and believe it or not, one of the first pictures I came across was one of Cox looking the same way she imitated herself looking on Letterman . . .</div><div><img src="http://www.makeushot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Courteney-Cox-in-a-bikini-on-a-beach-in-Hawaii6.jpg" id="il_fi" height="608" width="405" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Is she still beautiful? Absolutely. But she also looks real because she's not posing for the paparazzi.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's easy for us to imagine that the beautiful people look beautiful all the time, but the truth is, when they're just being normal and goofing around with their friends and an iPhone, they take crazy photos too. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only difference is that their bad photos never show up on Facebook. </div></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-11123983251024001752011-05-24T17:47:00.001-07:002011-05-24T20:45:48.191-07:00Ten steps forward, one step back<img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/movies/1/0/0/U/X/bridesmaids-photo-ellie-kemper-melissa-mccarthy-wendi-mclendon.jpg" id="il_fi" height="332" width="500" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div>Last Thursday, I <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2011/05/br.html">wrote about</a> why <i>Bridesmaids</i> is a movie that redefines the role of women in film today and why we, therefore, must all get behind it and see it. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I said then, the movie does this by:</div><div><br /></div><div>1) avoiding the cliches of the rom-com/chick flick, </div><div>2) focusing on the friendships of women instead of a love story between a man and a woman, </div><div>3) thereby creating a new genre (the female version of the bromance), </div><div>4) passing the Bechdel test, </div><div>5) featuring actresses who are not A-listers</div><div>6) and women who of all sizes</div><div>7) who talk about sex </div><div>8) and other real things and </div><div>9) are also fully developed characters. </div><div>Finally and just as importantly, </div><div>10) the film was written by two women—Kristin Wiig and her former Groundlings castmate Annie Mumolo (pictured below). </div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><img src="http://shootingthescript.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/bridesmaids-movie-photo-15-550x364.jpg?w=500&h=330" id="il_fi" height="330" width="499" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></span></b><div>But what I didn't talk about is the one thing the movie gets desperately wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I indicated last week when I said that there was more to say about her, this misstep has to do with Melissa McCarthy's character, Megan, who is also the sister of the groom. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before I saw the film (or any portion of it), I was thrilled that Melissa McCarthy was part of the cast. I loved her on <i>Gilmore Girls,</i> and even though I'm not a fan of her new sitcom, <i>Mike & Molly</i>, I think she's an outstanding actress. And I am happy that her performance in <i>Bridesmaids</i> is getting the positive attention it deserves. But . . . </div><div><br /></div><div>. . . when I first saw McCarthy in the previews (and on the big screen), I was horrified. The people who made <i>Bridesmaids</i> took an adorable woman . . .</div><div><img src="http://images.lifescript.com/Media/Lifescript%20Media/Article%20Images/Melissa_McCarthy/melissa_mccarthy_article.jpg" id="il_fi" height="184" width="160" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>and made her look plain, manly, and mostly unattractive . . .</div><div><img src="http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/05/bridesmaids-melissa-mccarthy-airplane-1.jpg" id="il_fi" height="300" width="338" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>Not only that, they made her character into a clown who routinely acts the part of the fool and who inappropriately hits on the in-flight air marshall, saying things to him like, "You feel that heat? It's coming from my undercarriage." </div><div><br /></div><div>The message is clear—a big woman can't hit on a man in a movie (or be in a movie at all) unless we are allowed to laugh at her doing so. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;font-size:130%;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><div>Admittedly, this problem is counteracted to some degree by the fact that McCarthy's character is one of the more well adjusted and confident people in the film, and she's also the voice of reason—she's the one who goes to Kristin Wiig's Annie when she hits bottom and convinces her that she needs to change her life. But that moment still happens inside the bubble of Megan's crazy antics—she brings her nine puppies—yes, nine!—when she rescues Annie from her wallowing and then insists on giving Annie a ridiculous body-slam-type hug before she leaves, reinforcing the message that this character cannot really be taken seriously. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>There is a long history of making the "fat" person the funny guy in movies, a history that goes back to classic comedians like John Candy, John Belushi, Chris Farley, Jason Alexander, John Goodman, and Roseanne, and continues today with current comedians such as Kevin James, Larry the Cable Guy, Jonah Hill, and the pre-diet Seth Rogan among others. In fact, in our society, one of the only ways it is acceptable to see big people on the big or small screen is if they're cracking jokes. Or if people are laughing at them. </div><div><br /></div><div>And, to be honest, I had hoped that a movie that spends so much time redefining how we see women in film would not have given into this cliche. Not only is it cheap and easy humor, it's also rather offensive. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time, I think it would be foolish to focus on this one problem—even though it's a real problem—and ignore all the good that <i>Bridesmaids</i> does for women. </div><div><br /></div><div>The bottom line is that this movie is good for women—women of all sizes. Yes, the writers made a mistake by depicting McCarthy's character as the butt of most of its jokes, but it did so many other things right that I have to believe it will help all of us—big and small—in the long run. </div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-67407117414714891312011-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:002011-05-24T20:46:21.953-07:00Why we all need to see Bridesmaids<div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI-8BDUX539PbpkyjoYxHdY9Gby_r8KKea6I16ajtoXwEDh6osqspqmsyb8X4cGjbVBRJmxRQzvyQvzxlSVArX4jKdOq46Xi9Ne4KAmEf-DMnw3xAnGiQxxNKbx8EAWuxxifEO5abhr7ak/s400/bridesmaids-movie-poster.jpg" id="il_fi" height="400" width="270" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div><div>I keep hearing people say they aren't going to see <i>Bridesmaids</i> because it's a rom com or a chick flick, and since this is really an important movie for women, I want to tell you why it is not either of those things and why you need to see it.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>(There are no spoilers here, so feel free to read even if you haven't seen the movie. And then after you read, go see it!)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i></i><img src="http://blog.filmjabber.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bridesmaids-kristen-wiig.jpg" id="il_fi" height="245" width="600" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div><b>1) First and foremost, this is not a rom-com.</b> Yes, this movie is a comedy, but it's not a rom-com because those movies put the romance first (and it's usually cheesy, unbelievable romance) and the comedy second. Notice that the word "rom" comes before the word "com"? That's because the rom is center stage, and in<i> Bridesmaids</i>, comedy definitely trumps romance. (By the way, women don't exercise in a rom-com; they just look perfect without trying.) Also, this movie is not a rom-com or a chick flick because the main plot of the story is not about a woman who would only be happy if she could just find the right guy, which brings me to my next point . . . </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://www.daemonsmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bridesmaids-movie-photo-04-550x297.jpg" id="il_fi" height="297" width="550" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div><b>2) No, this is a movie about . . . wait for it . . . female friendship.</b> I know what you're thinking—<i>A movie about female friendship? I've never heard of such a thing. Well, there was Thelma and Louise, but that was like a million years ago.</i> Yes, that's my point. It's been WAY TOO LONG since we've had a movie about female friendship, which is why people are saying. . . </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><img src="http://cdn.kwkhonline.com/files/2011/05/new-movie-releases-bridesmaids-priest-300x200.jpg" id="il_fi" height="200" width="300" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></span></b></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "></span></b></span>3) This film is the first of a new genre.</b> Perhaps you've heard of the bromance? Well, <i>Bridesmaids</i> is supposed to do for women what <i>Wedding Crashers</i> did for men. This new genre still doesn't have a name—"sismance" and "wom-ance" just don't sound quite right, and if you come up with a clever moniker, I'm sure you could make millions doing so. </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><div><div><div><img src="http://mtdb.co.cc/wp-content/uploads/mvbthumbs/img_308_bridesmaids-trailer-2.jpg" id="il_fi" height="360" width="480" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div></div></div></span></b></div><div><b>4) And because this is a movie about female friendship, it passes the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">Bechdel test</span></b>, which asks: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">1) Are there two named female characters in the film?</span> There are SIX in this movie. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">2) Do they talk to each other?</span> Yes, they do. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#6633FF;">3) About something besides men?</span> Absolutely. I don't have the exact numbers but I would venture to guess that about 90% of the movies made in Hollywood do not pass this test, reinforcing the wrong-headed notion that women are only in the world to be accessories to funny male comedians or hot male action stars. In other words, that women are defined by men. And guess what? We're not. </div><div><br /></div><div><img src="webkit-fake-url://0F4B42A0-ECDC-4326-99E9-F7BC8D67239B/image.tiff" /></div><div><div><div><b>5) It's also the first Hollywood movie in a long time about a woman who is not played by an A-list actress. </b>This may seem like no big deal at first, but when you think about it, it really is. The reason that most movies about women have to feature A-list actresses is because the people in Hollywood think good stories about women aren't interesting enough to make us want to see them on their own and that they need something else—like Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon or Angelina Jolie—to get us in the seats of the theatre. But we know that's not true, and by giving Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph the leading roles in this movie, the powers-that-be are also giving us a chance to prove that. And because they are played by "regular" actresses . . .</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmeFehikuVquSzWQd8NSweAOsvNGsETU-Rfm0vA-fIbbt21oK2cEA9j7LJ52ofYQuCIGeOqYw9pQEW6hoQgw225lpioD4j1KSvSBbzgHTOX8q25nfGmuBJoEn4ZO2XM5fgPzNO7qOoyo/s1600/Bridesmaids+Movie.jpg" id="il_fi" height="239" width="508" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div><b>6)</b> <i><b>Bridesmaids </b></i><b>features women who look like real people</b>, which is almost unheard of in Hollywood movies these days. Kristin Wiig, as beautiful as she is, also looks her age in this film. She has wrinkles and bags under her eyes and doesn't dress like she just stepped out of a Prada boutique. Maya Rudolph looks adorable, but she also doesn't look stick thin. Nor does Wendi McLendon-Covey or Melissa McCarthy. Yes, three of the women in this bridal party are Hollywood thin, but three are not. And three out of six really ain't bad. And the fact that we get this range of curvy bodies—from Rudolph to McLendon-Covey to McCarthy* is really unbelievably impressive since normally Hollywood only features the two extremes of big and small with no in-between. Not only do the women in <i>Bridesmaids</i> look real . . . </div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><img src="http://blogmyway.org/videos/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Bridesmaids-Movie-Clip-First-Class-Official-HD.jpg" id="il_fi" height="360" width="480" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></span></b></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "></span></b></span>7) Like real women, they talk about sex</b> . . . If <i>Sex and the City</i> was important because it showed women talking about sex in raunchy ways that we had previously only associated with men, <i>Bridesmaids</i> is important because it shows them talking about it—and acting on it—in believable ways. Now that we've had the insanity that was Samantha (and thank God we did), we can have authenticity, which is what you'll find when Wiig and Rudolph discuss sex over breakfast, a scene that reads like an homage to the post-coitus brunch that was a staple of <i>Sex and the City</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="webkit-fake-url://26D1B55A-8BCA-45EE-BE61-7B39EE3DB11D/image.tiff" /></div><div><b>8) They also talk like real women. </b>Like the rest of us, they talk about everything in life . . . they talk about their jobs, their life choices, their regrets, their bodies, their friendships, other women, their hopes and dreams, and, yes, their clothes and even sometimes men. But they don't ONLY talk about men, which is crucial.</div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdOFn8-WMNQ/TZJrz_FpuDI/AAAAAAAAATY/6W70qf0VVLM/s1600/Bridesmaids%252Byoutube%252Btv%252Bvideo%252Bchannel%252B%2525283%252529.jpg" id="il_fi" height="313" width="530" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div></div></div></span></b></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><div style="display: inline !important; "></div></div></div></span></b></span>9) And, for me, the most important thing is that these woman are well-rounded characters who have real personalities and genuine flaws.</b> And no I'm not talking about their bodies. I'm talking about the fact that these characters sometimes make the wrong decisions about their friendships, their jobs, their roommates, their lives, and as a result, the audience can't help but feel for them while also wanting to kick their butts. Kristin Wiig's character goes through the same kinds of ordeals we all go through—the kinds that make us question who we are and what life is about. And her struggles are so frustrating and so moving that I found myself actually sobbing through the middle of the movie. The crazy thing about it is that while I was sobbing, I also started laughing. I've laughed and cried in a movie, but I've never before done both at the same time, and I did both while watching this movie <i>more than once</i>. I always tell my students that over-the-top comedy only works if it is paired with real, honest emotion, and my response proves that is something <i>Bridesmaids</i> does really well.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><img src="http://shootingthescript.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/bridesmaids-movie-photo-15-550x364.jpg?w=500&h=330" id="il_fi" height="330" width="499" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></span></b></div><div><b>10) Finally, this movie was written by two women</b>, Kristin Wiig and her former Groundlings castmate Annie Mumolo (pictured above). As we all know, there are not nearly enough women in Hollywood, so we need to support them as much as we can. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>So what are you waiting for???</b></div><div><div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>I've talked many times about the importance of voting with our dollars and how the depiction of women in the media won't be more accurate until we do. Well, this is our chance. If we get behind this movie and spend our hard-earned cash to see it, Hollywood will get the message—we want movies about real women with real bodies and real problems who are not simply accessories to the men in their lives. (That is, unless you want Hollywood to make more movies like <i>Thor</i>.)</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm going again this week—when are you going?</div><div><img style="-webkit-user-select: none" src="http://static2.dmcdn.net/static/video/302/402/30204203:jpeg_preview_large.jpg?20110406000638" /></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:x-small;">*There's more to say about Melissa McCarthy's character in this film, and I'll write about that next week.</span></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-44647666853387112842011-05-17T21:41:00.000-07:002011-05-17T22:39:30.078-07:00Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun . . . now say that 24,999 more times.<img src="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/DonGorske.jpg" id="il_fi" height="573" width="432" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div>Today a <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/17/national/a140342D23.DTL">man from Wisconsin ate his 25,000th Big Mac</a>.* <div><br /></div><div>Yes, you heard me right.</div><div><br /></div><div>A man ate his 25,000th Big Mac.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that man is still alive.</div><div><br /></div><div>And healthy.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you've never seen the movie <i><a href="http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=98">Super Size Me</a></i>, you should. </div><div><img src="http://www.ablazingly.com/posters/super-size-me-924236/super-size-me.jpg" id="il_fi" height="450" width="308" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>The film follows documentarian Morgan Spurlock as he attempts to find out exactly how bad fast food really is for Americans. In order to do this, Spurlock agrees to eat nothing but food from McDonald's for one entire month. At the beginning of the month, Spurlock is in perfect condition, but after it's all over he's a physcial wreck—he's gained a ton of weight, has heart and blood problems, and is on the verge of liver failure, proving his theory that fast food is killing us. </div><div><br /></div><div>But there is one person in Spurlock's film who remains a mystery, and his name is Don Gorske. </div><div><br /></div><div>While Spurlock is traveling the country eating supesized meals, he meets Gorske at his hometown McDonald's in Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin. Everyone there knows Gorske because he goes there <i>every single day</i>. Not only does he go to this McDonald's every day, he also eats a Big Mac and a Coke every day as well. Sometimes Gorske even dines at his favorite restaurant twice in one day. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gorske ate his <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/17/national/a140342D23.DTL">first Big Mac thirty-nine years ago when he was eighteen years old</a>. He liked it so much that he ate eight more the same day. After thirty-nine, he's now eaten 25,000 Big Macs. That's an average of 641 hamburgers a year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, fine, so the guy is completely nuts. We know that. But what doesn't make sense is how he's still going. Spurlock eats McDonald's every day for a month and he almost goes into liver failure. Gorske does it every day of his life, and he's just fine. So fine that his cholesterol is only 156. (Anything under 200 is good.) </div><div><br /></div><div>This raises the question, why don't the Big Macs have the same effect on Gorske as they do on Spurlock and other people?</div><div><br /></div><div>Who knows? </div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe it's because he doesn't get fries with his double decker Big Mac, which many people claim is the worst part of fast food. </div><div><br /></div><div>Or maybe he's taking in fewer calories than the rest of us. If he limits his diet to about two Big Macs and Cokes a day, that means he's only consuming around 1400 calories, much less than most Americans since it's recommended that people who are only moderately active get at least 2000 calories every day. </div><div><br /></div><div>Or maybe we are all just different. Some of us can eat a Big Mac—or two!—every day for forty years and still be tall, lean, and healthy. While others just look at a Big Mac and pop an artery. We've known for a long time that genetics play a huge role in our body shape and size. Isn't it possible that Gorske just has good genes and a high metabolism? His father is 81 and still kicking after all. It's really easy to think that people gain weight because they stuff their faces with crap all day long, but Gorske is living proof that a bad eater does not necessarily lead to a bad body. </div><div><br /></div><div>I know people like Gorske—and lots of them. They shovel food in their mouths from sun up to sun down and never gain a pound. I kind of hate these people, but they do prove something we all like to forget: sometimes the biggest pigs are the hardest to spot. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Watch Gorske eat his 25,000th Big Mac </span><a href="http://www.fdlreporter.com/section/VideoNetwork?bctid=947844189001&odyssey=mod%7Cvideo%7C%7Cnews"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">. </span></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-87859751961871445172011-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:002011-05-20T19:42:26.123-07:00Waxed, plucked, and greased: Okay, she's ready. a.k.a. Theatre of the Grotesque<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF81EYlN8a-bslazIa8POt_AnJYWax80-zQ9V9PoNahz8O9LNwCD9-wNfeIegJuP9hcJCBBPpWY9ZpR_ROv0mQz6zHFKhlKQHYXcCf5yTLHGj5DaCtjZ3Vd9Wn_mlG2vtESrgzxKgzmk7Y/s1600/kristen+wiig.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31795" title="David Letterman Cox nip slip" src="http://deskofbrian.com/wp-content/uploads/David-Letterman-Cox-nip-slip.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="240" n="0" obj_w="325" obj_h="240" obj_x="112" obj_y="499" sized="yes" style="float: none; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; clear: none; " /><div>A few weeks ago, I was channel surfing one night when I came across Courtney Cox on Letterman. Though I'm not a fan of <i>Cougar Town</i>, I've always thought Cox seems like a smart, sophisticated actress who hasn't yet reached her full potential. So I stopped on that channel to hear what she had to say.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, I was so distracted by how she was dressed I had trouble listening. </div><div><br /></div><div>She was wearing a super short low-cut dress, and her legs were bare. Not only were they bare, they were also slick looking—as if they had been greased up for appearance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Immediately I thought of <i>For Your Consideration, </i>Christopher Guest's satirical mockumentary about Hollywood. I didn't like the film as well as his others, and I don't think that's because it wasn't accurate. I think it's because it was too accurate. When you see <i>Best in Show—</i>his best in my opinion—you laugh the whole time. Not just because Guest did such a good job spoofing the Westminster Dog Show, but also because his characters are so ridiculous that you don't take them too seriously. Yes, they are exaggerations of real people you know, but they are not real people. So you can laugh at their unusual behavior without feeling too bad about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>But in <i>For Your Consideration</i>, the characters seem just like real actors. Though their behavior is unusual to the point of being incredibly odd, they don't seem unbelievable, which is what makes the movie so hard to watch. It's almost too real. You can't laugh at the weirdness of it because it's not much an exaggeration, and laughing at real people seems cruel. And instead of enjoying the film, you leave the theatre feeling bad for these people, which is probably why the movie—billed as a comedy—didn't do as well as Guest's other films. </div><div><br /></div><div>In one scene, Catherine O'Hara's character is being interviewed on a late-night talk show because she is getting some serious Oscar buzz (which is where the movie gets its name). Before the late-night appearance she looks like a normal middle-aged woman—she has wrinkles around her eyes and mouth and on her forehead, she dresses appropriate for a woman in her mid-fifties, and she has limp dirty-blond hair. . . </div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpt_y9X-LSgsYVGjmbONXjls3zDdaWEIt2AxEgipbvlcvZysSvrPAwq008uEXPyUflswUuRcaEON5NNjQ8va6L414553wlypjsRNjZJVdB2CRPSy-rpS5Ix4BTO51BYTLUCUnoo7XfQ75p/s400/CO-Catherine+O%27Hara-For+Your+Consideration.png" id="il_fi" height="235" width="400" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>But when she shows up for her late-night appearance, she's wearing a too-short, low-cut dress and has had a massive makeover—botoxed skin, plumped lips, waxed legs, blown-out bleached blonde hair, the works. . . .</div><div><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.moviefone.com/media/2009/12/foryourconsideration.jpg" id="il_fi" height="157" width="150" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>She looks absolutely insane.</div><div><br /></div><div>But the message is clear: if a woman wants to be a star, she's got to follow these rules no matter how old she is: show off her bod and make herself over in the image of a twenty-year-old. No, she can't look like an ingenue and may not even look good anymore, but she can stretch and tweeze herself to death trying.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is why I thought of <i>For Your Consideration </i>when I saw Cox on Letterman: because she was made up almost exactly like O'Hara's character—same low-cut mini-dress, same shiny legs, same pushed-up cleavage. Sure, Cox pulled it off and looked good, not insane. But that's not the point. The point is that we make these women fit a mold that not everyone can or needs to fit, as Tina Fey rightly pointed out on Saturday Night Live this season when she explained that she had to have every hair removed from her body before she was allowed to appear on air. And I've noticed in the years since I've seen <i>For Your Consideration </i>that nearly every actress who appears on late-night television looks this way.</div><div><br /></div><div>(<i>The Daily Show</i> is the one exception, and I couldn't help but notice that Kristen Wiig looked like a normal person when she appeared there last night in a sweater and jeans . . .</div><div><img width="260" height="190" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/277378/thumbs/s-KRISTEN-WIIG-large.jpg" alt="Kristen Wiig" /> </div><div>but looked like a frightening Elvira version of herself when she appeared on Letterman earlier this week in a short, tight black dress and goth-like makeup. . . </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF81EYlN8a-bslazIa8POt_AnJYWax80-zQ9V9PoNahz8O9LNwCD9-wNfeIegJuP9hcJCBBPpWY9ZpR_ROv0mQz6zHFKhlKQHYXcCf5yTLHGj5DaCtjZ3Vd9Wn_mlG2vtESrgzxKgzmk7Y/s1600/kristen+wiig.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF81EYlN8a-bslazIa8POt_AnJYWax80-zQ9V9PoNahz8O9LNwCD9-wNfeIegJuP9hcJCBBPpWY9ZpR_ROv0mQz6zHFKhlKQHYXcCf5yTLHGj5DaCtjZ3Vd9Wn_mlG2vtESrgzxKgzmk7Y/s320/kristen+wiig.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606345911498633682" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 136px; " /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Cox is 47 next month, and she looks phenomenal for her age (or for any age), but I'm still horrified that she feels like—even at this point in her career, even with all the millions she earned on <i>Friends</i>—she still has to look like a sexpot every time she steps in front of a camera. It also reminds me how accurate Guest's film was—if she wants to continue to succeed in Hollywood, she's got to play by these rules. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have no solution to this problem. I can tell you to turn off any late-night program that makes woman parade across the stage like some Stepford version of a bombshell, but you probably won't do it. Still, I can suggest this: at least be aware that women are required to look this way if they want to succeed in one of the most profitable industries in our country, and ask yourself, what does it do to the rest of us?</div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-18371768387959167122011-05-10T18:49:00.000-07:002011-05-10T19:25:37.493-07:00Step right up!<div><img src="http://www.grpl.org/wiki/images/Circus.jpg" id="il_fi" height="338" width="497" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></div><div>I work really hard at having a good attitude about my body and the way I eat, but every once in a while, I find a situation that causes me to struggle.<div><br /></div><div>One of those situations is when my husband doesn't want to eat anything and I do. </div><div><br /></div><div>For some reason, it makes me feel like a horrible person if I want to eat and he doesn't. I'm not sure why I feel this way. I wish I could blame him—because that would be so much easier, right?—but in truth, he's the most supportive person in my life. He backs me up even when I tell him I want to eat ice cream from the carton or an entire box of processed mac 'n cheese by myself. Okay, so I only do these kinds of things about once a year, but still, the point is that he's there for me when I do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which raises the question why do I feel guilty when I eat without him? I'm not really sure, but this weekend I finally decided I was sick of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>We went to Cincinnati to celebrate a friend's wedding—Congratulations, Katie and Murray!—and see our moms on Mother's Day, and per usual, being on the road meant that we ate WAY too much unhealthy food. </div><div><br /></div><div>(We did manage to exercise two of the four days we were gone, so not all was lost.) </div><div><br /></div><div>After two and a half days of subsisting on fast food and an all-you-can-eat-Mother's-Day buffet, Dave hit the wall and declared he didn't want to eat another bite until we got home. (Yes, he's prone to these kinds of extreme statements.) That was fine for him, but this was Sunday afternoon, and we hadn't had dinner yet. No way I was going almost twenty hours without food. </div><div><br /></div><div>But that meant doing something I loathe—eating when he doesn't.</div><div><br /></div><div>To make matters worse, we were staying with friends, and by the time we got back to their house after a long day with Dave's family, they'd already eaten their dinner. This meant that not only would Dave not be eating with me, but they wouldn't either. AND on top of that, I'd have to eat my meal while all three of them watched me do it. </div><div><br /></div><div>In other words, I'd be the floor show . . .</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Step right up, ladies and gentleman, and see something that will make you cringe in horror. Appearing in this tent right behind me is the curvy lady who eats by herself. Yes, that's right—a curvy lady who eats by herself! Come inside and see her do it . . . if you dare!</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Needless to say, the idea wasn't very appealing.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, neither was skipping dinner.</div><div><br /></div><div>As far as I could see, I had two choices: miss a meal or pressure Dave into eating with me. And I knew the latter would not be pretty. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then it occurred to me I had a third choice: I could eat by myself and not let it get to me. After all, it was up to me whether or not I wanted to feel uncomfortable about eating alone in front of three other people. I could just do it and not make a big deal out of it, right?</div><div><br /></div><div>As soon as I realized this, I felt like a new person. A person who didn't worry about eating when no one else was eating. A person who doesn't mind eating in front of others. All I had to do was be that person.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I put on my big girl panties, walked right up to <a href="http://www.habanerolatin.com/">Habañero</a>, and got myself a veggie taco and some chips and salsa, which I brought home and ate in front of three people who couldn't have cared less. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am not kidding when I say it was one of the best meals I've ever had. </div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-26668606124362236222011-05-05T20:20:00.000-07:002011-05-05T22:24:21.284-07:00The Good, The Bad, and the Evil<div><img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/05/05/article-0-0BEB568400000578-782_306x423.jpg" width="306" height="423" alt="Leaving the church: Princess Diana and the Princess of Wales looked away from each other as they left St Paul's, the new Duke and Duchess couldn't take their eyes off each other" class="blkBorder" /></div><div>Well, it's been a hell of a week . . . from the Royal Wedding to the death of Osama Bin Laden to Cinco de Mayo, there has been no lack of drama in our world. As a result, I want to quickly mention a number of thoughts I've had over the past week or two related to the subject of body issues.<div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">First up, the Royal Wedding . . .</span> </b>I'm probably the only person on the planet (besides my Facebook peeps Sophia, Kristie, and Ajsela) who didn't love Kate Middleton's dress—what was up with that stiff armor-like bodice?—but I did appreciate some aspects of the royal gown. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was thrilled, for instance, that the new Duchess of Cambridge wore sleeves. Not because I'm a prude who wants everyone to dress like a sister wife but because I'm sick to death of the long-running American obsession with all things sleeveless. Most of us don't look good in sleeveless, people! Let's try something else for a while. </div><div><br /></div><div>For that reason, I'll file Waity Katie's dress under <b>bad with a huge side of good</b>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm also happy that Kate—unlike Diana—did not have to be a virgin to marry her prince. Nor did she have to be of royal blood. These outdated requirements are no better for us than the idea that only thin women are beautiful. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>This is very, very good. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Second, the death of Osama . . .</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"> </span>I'm not a big fan of celebrating the death of anyone—even someone we can actually call a mastermind of evil without exaggerating, but it was hard not to be a bit pleased that a person who killed so many people has been banished from the earth. I'm also glad that a man who still wants women to be covered from head-to-toe is gone too. I may not <i>want</i> to wear sleeveless, but I want the RIGHT to wear sleeveless. </div><div><br /></div><div>An evil killer who hated women is no longer among us? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Good. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Third, my haircut this afternoon . . .</span></b> today I got my hair cut for what feels like the first time since Princess Diana's wedding. And while the stylist was lopping off my split ends, she looked at me and said, "You know, your hair could look just like mine if you wanted." </div><div><br /></div><div>This woman had bleached blonde hair that she had blown out in a straight but fluffy cupcake-like style. I couldn't imagine why she would think someone with dark, curly hair would want to look like she did. But rather than say this directly, I said, "I like my hair curly." </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, the stylist didn't take the hint. </div><div><br /></div><div>"But it could look like mine," she pleaded. "Just use a big curling iron every morning. And you could have highlights like mine too. That would look great!" </div><div><br /></div><div>A person who wants me to change who I am to fit her image of beauty? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bad. Very bad.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Fourth, tonight's episode of <i>The Office</i> . . .</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"> </span>in which the old boy network, embodied with scary authenticity by Will Ferrell, finally gets what it deserves . . .</div><div><br /></div><div><b>So good I want it to get an Emmy.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"><b>Fifth, the guy who waited on me a couple of weeks ago and said "Big appetite, huh?"</b></span> after I cleaned my plate of lean pork, rice, and vegetables? </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Bad and maybe even a bit evil </b>given that kind of comment is designed to undermine our self-esteem. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqMMZl7JVXvh8UiOsi1-v-r_uAFP25QaMXp58Zy7m8TIW3KXRVcHtpHXM6x7sCr91SDceuJEixTrCW4r2zWuPDifzEwPLShkqVHWMzLbgMldu76RVHpgqX4lfjIAxKTpy9C-WWVsNxfP8/s320/glee+tees.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603466401928876354" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 149px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Finally, last week's Glee . . </span></b>. I haven't had a chance to write about last week's amazing episode in which all of the glee clubbers don t-shirts advertising what the world sees as their worst quality, thereby reclaiming that part of themselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you missed it, Rachel Berry's shirt said "nose", Artie's said "four eyes," Emma's said "OCD," Finn's said "Can't Dance," Mr. Shoe's said "butt chin," and Kurt's said, "likes boys." (Perhaps the funniest, though, was Puck's which said "I'm with stupid" and had an arrow pointing to his crotch.) </div><div><br /></div><div>If you know me at all, you know that I simply loved this idea. So much so that I'm thinking about getting a t-shirt that says "curvy." Or maybe "gossip." Or both. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>A television show that encourages us to turn our "flaws" into something we wear with pride?</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><b>All good!!!</b></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-21451167683320198922011-05-03T17:48:00.001-07:002011-05-03T18:13:46.369-07:00"Birdcage Thighs" by guest poet Jane Wyatt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AKz-KxtcBYPZwkrXPljTJ0OH6m3O2CbQRhedQXsTKg4KjMlh_gcjrNLAdrKOse9tSYl4ID1Llx9wY_FYqkKKsyxxjROJaZ61LN6Z5RCkFwF1v8oQ70ZyZtICEyQTHL9F14_SFTDvUxJc/s1600/216271_1959763629288_1098717810_2316968_51493_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><img src="http://www.jschroeder.com/lg/birdcage_5.jpg" id="il_fi" height="360" width="213" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was pushed out of the womb of a woman</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">with legs small and thin.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was rocked in my cradle at night by</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">two hands with slender lady fingers</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">and long red nails.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I suckled the breast of She whose breasts</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">were large and soft.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was raised by a lady fair—midnight</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">in her hair</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">and ornaments</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">in her eyes.</p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br /></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was pushed toward the bowl</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">to feed myself when hunger came.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was thrust toward a table's fare, with the</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">cheese and the loaves, the knife so hot</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">the butter melted down</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">the yeasty bread—doughy to match my growing</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">thighs and widening hips. My breasts</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">made mountains of themselves and my eyes</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">grew wide at the thought of the bowl—</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">the bowl from which I fed.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I grew from child to Me overnight,</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">my tongue forever dipped</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">in tastes I wanted to forget.</p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br /></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was called thunder thighs by boys in school—</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">the same boys who wanted my thighs wrapped</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">'round their bird-frame waists—like cages.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was laughed at for my breasts by girls</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">who wanted them on their own chests.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I was dressed in women's clothing</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">by age fourteen, and my woman shape filled out every</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">line—my body bled out of its lines</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">like a child's coloring, and filled the folds</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">to make a young woman.</p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br /></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">My hips grew round and legs grew strong,</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">and I was called fat by those who</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">grazed on callous words—I devoured my pain</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">with a side of fries.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">I had a large nose and large eyes—</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">large breasts and the loins to match. Large</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">woman to tempt the little bird boys into her</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">cage and to make them feel her heavy thighs tighten</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">'round their waists, choking their breath out till</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">they fell on her in defeat.</p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br /></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">No more, </i>they cried<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">No more of that. Let me go find a bird-boned<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">girl to twist and creak her bird-bone legs 'round<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">my waist, so I can heave in and out while she rasps my name</i>.</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">No more—they couldn't hear my thick woman whispers and feel</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">the sway of my hips and the beat of my step. </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">They wanted their cages breakable,</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">so they could escape easier from the bird-boned women too weak</p> <p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">to hold them tight and ruffle their feathers.</p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><br /></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AKz-KxtcBYPZwkrXPljTJ0OH6m3O2CbQRhedQXsTKg4KjMlh_gcjrNLAdrKOse9tSYl4ID1Llx9wY_FYqkKKsyxxjROJaZ61LN6Z5RCkFwF1v8oQ70ZyZtICEyQTHL9F14_SFTDvUxJc/s1600/216271_1959763629288_1098717810_2316968_51493_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AKz-KxtcBYPZwkrXPljTJ0OH6m3O2CbQRhedQXsTKg4KjMlh_gcjrNLAdrKOse9tSYl4ID1Llx9wY_FYqkKKsyxxjROJaZ61LN6Z5RCkFwF1v8oQ70ZyZtICEyQTHL9F14_SFTDvUxJc/s320/216271_1959763629288_1098717810_2316968_51493_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602656674839429458" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">JANE WYATT is a thirty-year-old </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">creative writing major at Western Kentucky University. She</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;"> writes a column called "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">Bluegrass Beat</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">" for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;"><i>Down Home in the Barrens,</i> a magazine based in her hometown, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">has just discovered that poetry and memoir are her two favorite genres. She claims to have struggled with her body image all of her life. Wyatt </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">lives in Glasgow, Kentucky with her children, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">Max (6) and Sophie (5)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Tahoma;font-size:13px;">. </span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-86643657025070856262011-04-28T21:54:00.000-07:002011-04-28T22:05:13.711-07:00Choose the path less traveled, Gwyneth. Get your cheeseburger on. And I promise we'll still love you.<img src="http://shessmart.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/glee-fashion-570x394.jpg" id="il_fi" height="394" width="570" style="padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; " /><div>A <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/04/25/110425ta_talk_widdicombe">recent </a><i><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/04/25/110425ta_talk_widdicombe">New Yorker</a></i><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/04/25/110425ta_talk_widdicombe"> article</a> talked about Gwyneth Paltrow and the new cookbook she is releasing.<br /><br />I've enjoyed Gwyneth's recent run on <i>Glee</i> as Holly Holiday, the substitute teacher turned temptress who wins the heart of McKinley High's glee club director, Mr. Shoe. But during Gwyneth's last appearance on the show, I noticed that she looked frightfully pale and thin during one of her musical numbers. <div><br /></div><div>Gwyneth has always been willowy and thin, but she looked really drawn and thin on <i>Glee</i>. Almost sickly. And then I read the article in the <i>New Yorker</i>.</div><div><div><br />The first half of the article includes a direct quote from Gwynnie in which she runs down what she has eaten that day: "A cappucino, some poached eggs with spinach, an apple, almonds, some cheese and bread, and a turkey sandwich with avocado and tomato." </div><div><br /></div><div>Pretty light fare—and it might explain why she looks so skinny these days on <i>Glee</i>. But later in the article, they quote friends of Gwyneth's who say she eats like a truck driver. </div><div><br /></div><div>A truck driver? Really? </div><div><br /></div><div>Have you ever seen a truck driver eat a turkey sandwich with avocado and tomato?<br /><br />I don't want to offend truck drivers. And I really don't want to offend Gwyneth since she will likely be my best friend some day. But tell me the truth—which version of Gwyneth do you think is accurate? Skinny girl who eats like a truck driver or skinny girl who lives on rabbit food?</div><div><br /></div><div>To her credit, I suspect she was being honest about what she'd eaten that day (and I love a girl who can be honest about her food intake), but it doesn't sound like enough for a busy thirty-something working mother of two. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gwyneth is at that age when women in Hollywood have a choice: stay rail thin and start to look unhealthy, or eat like a normal person and say good-bye to the good movie roles. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gwyneth has clearly chosen the latter, and like I said above, I'm glad to see her still working. But tell us the real truth, Gwyneth, aren't you just dying for a greasy hamburger, cheese fries, and a shake? </div><div><br /></div><div>It beats the hell out of turkey.</div></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-24249252975622157592011-04-26T20:52:00.001-07:002011-04-27T00:17:50.963-07:00Baby steps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcc7c2ehdKdbU6nNSozsIeyuh1FWB6OnsDq6rPLgMQEy2UabHvJxPm7GIEelyUFND7oiieQMPLX9aodU9ePF-2JG2rA8uqn6Hsh1okxyLG30pZPx4V9sxH1ZWOrQM7XPtks23enDWyqJI/s1600/mom+and+molly+nutcracker.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcc7c2ehdKdbU6nNSozsIeyuh1FWB6OnsDq6rPLgMQEy2UabHvJxPm7GIEelyUFND7oiieQMPLX9aodU9ePF-2JG2rA8uqn6Hsh1okxyLG30pZPx4V9sxH1ZWOrQM7XPtks23enDWyqJI/s320/mom+and+molly+nutcracker.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600158985956293058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKpWKTR-Grjg2ZRMug9HucxBs228amEovv01pf7EMv2-s-0PH4Sbf7RVNMOsAmExUi1fsTShEUg6ce1Rg1EE0AmU8D4bNnGtJnZFoDFa-Fc0IeeAP0qBwxLtlZ10AI7SpoaWGN9r_3deQ/s1600/molly+and+penny+xmas+2005.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">ME AND MOM, CHRISTMAS 2010</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't had time to talk to my parents for two weeks, but I made sure to call them on Easter. When I asked my mom how my father was doing, she gave me a dissertation on his medication list and his latest symptoms. </div><div><br /></div><div>But when I asked how she was doing, she only said two words: "I'm fat."</div><div><br /></div><div>I sighed into the phone and wondered for not the first time if my mother would ever accept herself the way she is.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I'm going to that reunion this weekend," Mom explained, "and I wish I looked better."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Everyone will be too happy to see you," I said, "to notice if you've gained a few pounds."</div><div><br /></div><div>"I wish I believed that," Mom said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I decided to try a different approach. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Do you think Sandy is fat?" I asked, referring to a good friend of hers who has a very average body for a woman in her late sixties—Sandy's body blossoms at her breasts and hips and thighs but nips in just enough to make her look womanly at her waist and calves. Sure, Sandy could lose twenty or thirty pounds, but she still looks attractive and relatively fit for a sextagenarian. </div><div><br /></div><div>"No, I don't think Sandy's fat," my mother answered, clearly not seeing where I was going with this line of questioning.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Mom," I said, "Do you know that Sandy has the same body you do?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"She does?" Mom said, clearly skeptical.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Yes, she does. Almost exactly the same. And when you see Sandy, you don't see the little bit of padding around her hips. You just see her smile. Because every time Sandy walks in the room, the first thing she does is smile and say how happy she is to see you. And that's what you're like. You're too positive and happy for anyone to have time to examine your body. The people you see this weekend won't notice any tiny little flaw. They'll notice your enthusiasm for life."</div><div><br /></div><div>I've had this conversation with my mother before without any luck, so I fully expected her to balk, to say that she didn't agree, to talk about needing a dress that would hide her arms. This is a woman we lovingly call "Contrary Penny" because she so likes to disagree with almost everything I say. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I can't tell you how surprised I was when she said this: "I'm so glad you said that, Molly. Now I feel so much better."</div><div><br /></div><div>And out of nowhere, there is progress. At long last.</div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-62328468342080755852011-04-21T20:17:00.000-07:002011-04-21T21:01:31.839-07:00The grass is not always greener by guest blogger Amber Leab<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KgFgm786Vy8g2QKFsVxDtVQR-QwiGHEW7OVEsvnl1j5L3QIlkfQSdOFsCDvhd7RvSwLaluk0JL3_m_36av1-4jeSTVI2QZVzo0obxfJIZZ17MWRwcPbquIaQ9sNKatKILHWt0GUMNnff/s1600/3679374189_433658b938.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KgFgm786Vy8g2QKFsVxDtVQR-QwiGHEW7OVEsvnl1j5L3QIlkfQSdOFsCDvhd7RvSwLaluk0JL3_m_36av1-4jeSTVI2QZVzo0obxfJIZZ17MWRwcPbquIaQ9sNKatKILHWt0GUMNnff/s320/3679374189_433658b938.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598245941816152498" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">People have often told me—throughout a lifetime of being underweight—how great I look. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I confidently wear a bikini. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I’m one of those people you might love to hate: I can eat anything, and as much of it as I want, without gaining weight. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">People, especially girls and women, praise my thinness, exclaiming “How do you stay so skinny?!” or “You’re so lucky.” </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Other people envy </span></span><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">me</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">—a person whose thinness is due to cystic fibrosis, who has had regular, extended hospital stays since childhood, and whose daily medical regimen no one would ever envy. But I have this bizarre cultural privilege: I am skinny. It hasn’t generally mattered to people why; thinness is seen as an always-positive attribute in our society. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In the summer of 2004, I weighed 92 pounds. I was very sick and doing everything in my power to put on weight. My doctor went so far as to prescribe an appetite stimulant, derived from cannabis, which was supposed to give me the legal munchies. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It may have helped me put on a pound or two, but that wasn’t enough. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It wasn’t just that I was too thin; I needed a lung transplant and had to weigh a minimum of 100 pounds before I would even be considered for the surgery. I was left with one option: a feeding tube for high-calorie protein shakes every night while I slept, in addition to a high-calorie diet every day. This was scary for me, not just in the way that a feeding tube (and serious illness) would be frightening for anyone, but because, in spite of the serious illness, I </span></span><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">liked</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> being so thin and was afraid of gaining too much weight.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I know now that these feelings had much more to do with control (and, specifically, the lack of it in my life at that time) than the actual numbers, and that they weren’t rational or healthy attitudes to hold. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">As much as I knew intellectually that I was too thin, I never </span></span><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">felt</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> too thin. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">When I finally got beyond my fear of “fattening up” (which is how countless doctors and nurses, clearly not sensitive to issues involving body image, jokingly referred to my need to gain weight) and faced the reality of my situation, I scheduled the procedure to place the feeding tube. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I did so with reticence and anxiety. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">There would be anesthesia, there would be an incision through the wall of my abdomen, there would be a tube permanently sticking out, there would be pain while my stomach healed from the surgery. I would be hooked up to a nutrition pump, much like an IV pole, every night.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">On the operating table, I was prepped for the procedure by a female nurse and a male doctor. When the nurse lifted the hospital gown above my abdomen, she exclaimed, “Look at that pretty flat stomach!”</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I processed this statement for a moment. A medical professional had complimented me on my thinness, which was so extreme as to prevent me from having life-saving surgery, while prepping me for a procedure intended to help me gain weight. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">To his credit, the doctor quickly snapped, “That’s the problem!” but her message couldn’t have been clearer.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We live in a culture that so values thinness, that values such extreme thinness, that I received a compliment about my body when I was on an operating table, when I was so ill and weighed so little that doctors feared I might not survive major surgery.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">While this might’ve been a single extreme incident, I can’t say the same about a lifetime of these compliments, the envy of women, and the gaze of men directed at my ultra-thin (so thin because it was diseased) body. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I can forgive myself for enjoying these moments; I had a difficult life that inspired little envy, and I took the compliments and positive feelings about myself where I could find them. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">When I received that comment on the operating table, though, I felt a tangled mess of emotions: I was happy to hear something—anything—uplifting during such a trying time, I was scared to lose that unscarred, flat stomach, and I was angry at the nurse for her inability to read the situation.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Later that same year I had a double-lung transplant and have since gained 25 pounds. I’m still thin, but curvier than before. I threw out the old bikinis. The regular “You’re so skinny!” compliments are gone, but I’ve come to see those comments, even when they were meant in kindness, as all part of our toxic culture. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Depictions of unhealthily thin women in film, television, and advertising constantly bombard us, distorting the way we see one another and how we define a “healthy” body. Extremely thin bodies are often seen as the epitome of health and beauty, when the fact is that healthy, beautiful women come in all shapes and sizes. </span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">If we all didn’t have such a distorted view of the female form, women might have better relationships with their bodies, instead of hating them, resorting to cosmetic surgery for self-esteem issues, and having unrealistic expectations about how they should look.</span></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"> </p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; 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margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 272px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; font-family:arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; 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margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="yiv948551833MsoNormal" color="initial" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- display: block; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">AMBER LEAB holds a Master’s degree in English & Comparative Literature from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature & Creative Writing from Miami University. In 2008, she and Stephanie Rogers co-founded </span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.btchflcks.com/" style="line-height: 1.2em; text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Bitch Flicks</span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, the feminist film review site that advances “the radical notion that women like good movies.” In addition to her film analyses, her fiction has appeared in </span><i style="line-height: 1.2em; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Georgetown Review</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, and in other places soon, she hopes.</span></p></span>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-25823891779397768742011-04-19T21:29:00.000-07:002011-04-20T08:22:22.374-07:00Pregnant women lead us into the light<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7SGWXYe12_4ic4lg82C0oWlQD3BrrmRnmcc0WXH6g8WDRXyMYSqZh0lgFIqcy2fhKjDg9ARr0JMUc-jKLEvLgTTvkj3lWZbSTruOuGrZ8VDUCV-SEgAaHGKdPIXR6pFE89ewg62CcQH_/s1600/pregnant_woman_eating_icecream.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7SGWXYe12_4ic4lg82C0oWlQD3BrrmRnmcc0WXH6g8WDRXyMYSqZh0lgFIqcy2fhKjDg9ARr0JMUc-jKLEvLgTTvkj3lWZbSTruOuGrZ8VDUCV-SEgAaHGKdPIXR6pFE89ewg62CcQH_/s320/pregnant_woman_eating_icecream.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597521900691650290" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 24px; font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;"><div class="entry-meta" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;"><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share <a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-life-in-poetry.html">another poem</a> with all of you. This one is by <a href="http://christinestewartnunez.wordpress.com/">Christine Stewart-Nunez</a>, and I think you'll agree it's a great fit for the blog. And if you're not hungry after reading this ode to indulgence, you're probably dead. </span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Enjoy!</span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif;"><div class="entry-meta" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">IN PRAISE OF A PREGNANT BODY</span></span></span></div><div class="entry-meta" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Some women count calories, step on the altar</span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div><div class="entry-content" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">of weight each week, mourn the loss of waist—<br />jeans too tight to button, I prefer to blossom.<br />I surrender to coconut salmon in banana leaves,<br />miso soup with prawns, paella, lasagna, seafood<br />risotto, mangu and tostones, salads of blueberries,<br />blood oranges, and papaya, the bloom of belly,<br />breasts spilling over seams, petals of areolas darkening.</span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I’ve abandoned the lunch-break park with its tire swing<br />and picnic of stale chips for the circus, lion tamers,<br />dogs with purple tutus, magicians pulling doves<br />from top hats, trapeze artists somersaulting<br />through the air. I want the Big Top’s pillows<br />of cotton candy dissolving in my mouth, mounds<br />of popcorn shiny with butter, globs of caramel<br />apples, hot dogs drenched in mustard.</span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Blood thickening and milk springing from nipples<br />remind me: be open. Enough of this suburb<br />with its square meals served in look-alike<br />houses. Give me Paris with its artists scattered<br />on sidewalks, painted confetti, dancers<br />in discotheques stretching onto streets at dawn.<br />With more body to envelop, I’ll browse boutiques<br />at the Rue du St.-Honoré, lounge sipping café-au-lait,<br />nibbling a croissant’s flakey layers. Order coq-au-vin<br />or pot-au-feu, decorate the board with baguette,<br />brie. Will mousse aux fraises complete me?</span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">If I’d been born with different genes—<br />petite, straight-hipped, willowy-tall—would I enjoy<br />fat bowls of kalamata olives, sliced avocado,<br />desserts of mangoes in cream, pumpkin pie?<br />I surrender to possibility, to joy, to feasts<br />of seven-grain breads, lamb stews, chocolate<br />soufflés. I thank this baby whose growing bones<br />demand wheels of provolone, sticks of mozzarella,<br />cubes of sharp cheddar, cups of vanilla yogurt<br />at two a.m., whose kicks remind me to taste<br />roast beef, venison steak, the cream of deviled eggs.</span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtdEyDXkiCBgwMETTQakynX8trspNVUwNOW49yE35QlH7JgpPsxTAcgFRkVdCMCWwSS0g_kkMDr8E6w7BPV508NQLtxH75w80BBHexvmQHFXT5JXJ4isi7KLMcsftIOI4YWvdBMmD8M2G/s1600/6008_135791653085_643243085_3362776_6866472_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtdEyDXkiCBgwMETTQakynX8trspNVUwNOW49yE35QlH7JgpPsxTAcgFRkVdCMCWwSS0g_kkMDr8E6w7BPV508NQLtxH75w80BBHexvmQHFXT5JXJ4isi7KLMcsftIOI4YWvdBMmD8M2G/s320/6008_135791653085_643243085_3362776_6866472_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597520669322914130" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://christinestewartnunez.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Christine Stewart-Nuñez</span></a></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> is the author of five volumes of poetry. Her poems and book reviews have appeared in a variety of magazines, including </span></span><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Prairie Schooner</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Calyx</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Arts & Letters</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, and </span></span><em style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">North American Review</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. </span></span></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border- margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The themes of her work range from explorations of popular culture, inquiry into the lives of historical women, and the gendered body to pregnancy/childbirth, loss, and travel.</span></span></p></div></span>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105061829404749372.post-14563095793788039662011-04-14T17:34:00.000-07:002011-04-15T19:37:45.062-07:00Pooping perfect<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yvanoUPGBrKKq3vaObyBfuqzP_RWnB5mqdujn6knGcr1ytFRJ6vX-mUJixJrsebLyaA35AtKruDqFjy1imTvyHM450f4gCbWEGnRGh-32UH41UcIyg4JOdfnnezQkLlhtf6a-dj5d26k/s1600/how-to-make-yogurt-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6yvanoUPGBrKKq3vaObyBfuqzP_RWnB5mqdujn6knGcr1ytFRJ6vX-mUJixJrsebLyaA35AtKruDqFjy1imTvyHM450f4gCbWEGnRGh-32UH41UcIyg4JOdfnnezQkLlhtf6a-dj5d26k/s320/how-to-make-yogurt-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595641404903677650" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A week ago I wrote a post called </span><a href="http://willnotdiet.blogspot.com/2011/04/poop.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Everybody poops . . . but not on the same schedule"</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> about how much trouble I have pooping—and how it sometimes seems like the people I know who don't have trouble pooping also don't have trouble with their weight. As I said then, it makes me wonder if I would be supermodel thin if I could kick the constipation habit.</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-size:small;">After I wrote this, my friend Kara Thurmond, creator of the Neo-19th century cooking blog, <i><a href="http://anhourinthekitchen.com/">An Hour in the Kitchen</a></i>, sent me the list below </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:small;">about ways to make it easier to poop. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; font-size:small;">I would be derelict in my duties if I didn't share those tips with all of you. </span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b>1. Chew and chew some more. </b>I would say the first thing to do to improve your pooping is to chew your food well. I mean really well, more than you think is necessary. Chew it until there isn't anything left to chew.<br /><br /><b>2. Eat yogurt </b>(full-fat, plain, sweetened by you lightly with honey, fruit or maple syrup) and lacto fermented food like pickles (Bubbies is one brand, check the label). I would find a local, organic yogurt instead of going with Activia.<br /><br /><b>3. Tame your stress. </b>This is a big one. You can't control the amount of stressful events in your life, but you can control how you react to them. To start, when you feel overwhelmed, just take a deep breath and say something like "everything will get done." It sounds silly, but it redirects your brain. I believe that dealing with stress in a positive way is the key to many health problems.<br /><br /><b>4. Go gluten-free.</b> Plus I really, really think you need to give up gluten for a week or two just to see if you feel differently. It's not something you'll have to give up forever, but your "gut" may been a little "repairing". </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here's more about my try at gluten free:<br /><a href="http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2011/04/14/columnists/an_hour_in_the_kitchen/doc4d9dbab6035b8396032443.txt">http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2011/04/14/columnists/an_hour_in_the_kitchen/doc4d9dbab6035b8396032443.txt</a><br /><br />How to repair your gut:<br /><a href="http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health/">http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/how-to-fix-your-gut-7-steps-to-intestinal-health/</a><br /><br />Let me know if you try any of these!</span></span></div></div></div>Molly McCaffreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648444709418671828noreply@blogger.com0