November 2012 archive

Fad Diet Friday: Alternate Day Diet

The creator of the “Alternate Day Diet” is a medical doctor who claims he uses the “off” day to eat at McDonald’s. I see a lot of potential for abuse for a fad diet like this! Just the claim of “twice the results by dieting half the time” should be enough of a giveaway. Watch …

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The Powerful Hunger Weight Advocacy Elevator Pitch

In marketing you learn about the elevator pitch—condensing your message down to something you could communicate in the brief amount of time you might have with someone in an elevator. People who have struggled with a significant weight problem for all or most of their lives are not out of control addicts, they are not …

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Pursuing Physical Challenge When You’ve Been Obese

My quest to challenge myself physically goes on! I awoke this morning to a rare and much-sought-after experience. I am sore in places that are difficult to make sore–My biceps and my abs just below my sternum. A few months ago I discovered a new piece of equipment that I’m really putting to good use …

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It’s Time to Forgive Yourself for Your Weight and Move Forward

This time of year tends to stir up memories, reminding people of events and experiences in their past, particularly those that involve treatment by family members. This week I came upon three blog posts that were essentially laundry lists of pain. Bloggers wrote out in excruciating detail the torment they’ve endured at the hands of abusers, …

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Taking Control of Your Weight with Mindful Focus

You have a very stealthy adversary working against you when you try to take control of your weight. Passivity. Working at losing weight can feel like a long, slow, PASSIVE ordeal. The focus is put on what you’re eating–or not eating–and waiting it out until the next time you get to find out if the …

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How Have Experiences Shaped the Way You Feel about Your Weight?

Last night I attended a film screening in a space with vintage theater seats that must have come from one of Chicago’s former movie palaces. Seats from that era are smaller than the seats we’re used to today, even the plain flip down stadium-style chairs you might find in some older movie theaters. A very large woman …

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Fad Diet Friday: The Biggest Loser Weight Loss Program

This week I take a look at a book written by Dr. Rob Huizenga, the doctor you’ve seen on the competition weight loss reality show, Biggest Loser. It’s not actually a “fad diet” but I do consider the program to be a FLAWED diet. We are exposed to a barrage of weight-related messages, admonishing us …

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The Double Standards of Body Image and Weight Judgment

I was out last night with my wonderful friend, Lena. We share a passion for social justice and enjoy discussing the political issues of the day, so we certainly have much to talk about! Lena is taller than I am and weighs about 110 lbs. on a good day. She loves eating a good breakfast …

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Developing Physical Focus for Weight Loss

When I was losing weight, finding focus in physical activity was almost as significant a transformation. Looking back over my life, I’d always hated gym class. Even as a kid I couldn’t make it past the first turn on the school track. Attempting to just go out and run didn’t earn me any improvement. Through …

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Bring on the Hard Work!

I’ve survived the week! Here’s the big reveal: I put on weight while I was writing a weight loss book. It’s true! I don’t know how much, I don’t weigh myself very often anymore as I have become very connected to how my body feels. I know from my clothes and how I feel in …

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