November 2007 Archives

A poor diet could mean cancer for some black women, especially those in lower income brackets, a new study shows.

This is scary, because if you guys haven't noticed, I'm a black woman.

I think my diet is OK, but if it's poor, I could be at a higher risk for caner.

This story talks about the study.

From the story, I learned the five points of a healthy diet. They are:

1. adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables
2. low percentage of fat intake
3. consuming no alcohol
4. eating moderate calories and a
5. adhering to a U.S. government Healthy Eating Index, which measures overall quality of diet.

I have just found a travesty of justice, and I wanted to tell you guys about it.

Apparently, you cannot be a hardcore porn star by night, and a school teacher by day.

Who knew?

An Italian teacher, otherwise known as the "Pornoprof," has been suspended from her job.

School officials said her side gig was "not compatible with educational activity." (Insert dirty joke here.)

Aren't they being a little hard on her? So, being a porn star as well a teacher is bad?

I mean, it's not like she was handing out free copies of her latest DVD in class.

Can't a teacher get her sexy on, too?

Ok, maybe I wouldn't want a porn star teaching my children (if I had them).

Poor girl. Perhaps she can get a job in fast food.

For the second time in her decade-long journalism career, your favorite fat (I said call me pleasantly plump) blogger is on vacation.

Because she's not here, please enjoy this previously posted post on how to survive the holidays without overeating.

For those who thought this post would be about Rerun, from "What's Happening," and the ever popular, "What's Happening, Now?," here's a video of him doing his thing on the doctor comedy show, "Scrubs."

For those of you who have never heard of Rerun, or "What's Happening?," shame on you.

That concludes this "Blog Rerun."Your regularly scheduled blog posts and updates two to three times a week will return next week.

Until then, try not to eat until you fall into a food coma.

Happy Thanksgiving

This letter to Dear Abby shows that I'm not the only one who thinks the coupon folks are part of the larger conspiracy against fat people.

She knows that the coupon people know she's packed on a little weight, and gave her a coupon for ice cream.

I'm paranoid, but not this paranoid.

This letter is, pretty funny, though.

Boy, it has been a busy week for our unbeweavable pop tart - you know who I'm talking about - Britney Spears.

Some highlights:

* Attorneys for Brit Brit told a judge the pop star missed her drug testing because they were "too early," in the morning, saying, 'She's a pop star. She isn't up that early."

You know, with two toddlers in the house, you think Brit Brit would be awake.

Oh wait, she doesn't have her kids anymore. . .

(Ok, I know that was low blow. I'm hatin'. I had my haterade this morning to wash down my hater tots. My bad.)

However, If you think I'm a hater, check out this blog post, on Britney.

All I can say is, ouch.

* She accused her mother, Lynne, of sleeping with her ex-hubby Kevin Federline. The 25-year singer said that her mum was doing so to get close to her grandchildren.

We're still shocked that more than one woman, not only slept with K-Fed, but also had babies with him.

If he's with Brit Brit's mama - I just don't know what this world is coming to.

* A judge told Britney she's not allowed to drive with her children in the car, because of her alleged reckless driving.

They're being to hard on her. Doesn't everyone run red lights?

That would be me.

I stood up my gym partner, Jen, Friday.

It wasn't the first time.

Another morning, when I was saving a group of toddlers from a burning car, then had to help firefighters put out the fire as it moved to a nearby bus and 12 other cars, I didn't make it to the gym.

Another time, I had to rescue a basket of drowning kittens from a raging stream in York County, so I missed the gym that morning, too.

Actually, those things didn't happen.

Both times, I was probably at home on my couch, dozing, I looked at the clock, and briefly thought, "I need to meet Jen at the gym," then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Thank goodness she's a forgiving soul, and doesn't hate me for choosing my couch over cycling class.

Or for completing avoiding the gym, which we've both been guilty of, lately.

However, Jen and I are trying to get back on track.

That will only happen if I can become a better gym buddy.

I went to cycling class this morning, and I feel great.

Actually, I hurt all over.

But I'm going to keep with it.

And I'm going to the gym with Jen next week, holiday be darned.

Coming this week: My weigh-in

Don't you hate it when you take scandalous pictures with your man, and he keeps them after you break up?

I know this is totally unrelated, but I had to pass on this "Dear Margo," column about just that.

The second letter, is awesome, too.

So what is our lesson of the day?

Pimp-slap your ex if you find out that he kept the naughty photos he agreed to get rid of - but only AFTER you've burned them and all evidence of them.

Class dismissed.

It's that time of year again - a time for one of my favorite hot men lists.

Each year, People magazine puts together a list of Hollywood's yummiest man candy, with guys who are sexy and, did I mention, smoking-hot?

This year's list is as awesome and chocked full of strong chins, flat abs and smoky eyes as ever, with favs like Matt Damon, Patrick Dempsey and Ryan Reynolds.

Young, talented and sexy Justin Timberlake, and the guy with the sexy eyes on Entrourage, also made the list. On the people.com site, there are also other features with hot men on display this month.

I knew it.

Having a little extra padding is good.

Having a lot of extra padding is not.

The Journal of the American Medical Association said carrying a little extra weight doesn't raise your risk for heart disease and cancer.

It also may help you fight other illnesses, the journal article states.

For fat folks everywhere, this is good news. My co-worker, Jeff, wrote about other York Countians who also have a little extra padding.

So, I'm going to keep those extra 25 pounds.

Now, I only have 45 to lose!

I feel thinner already.

What is up with all these skinny folks donning "fat suits," and going out into the world as "fat people?"

In the latest fat experiement, two twigs from the show, Deal or No Deal, climbed into suits sizes 22-24, and made them look like they weighed 300 pounds.

The women, who are normally a size 2, walked around as fat people.

That must've sucked for them.

On the other hand, though, they probably were able to eat something besides dry crackers and mints, so they may have had some fun.

Why does the world keep doing the "fat suit" experiment?

One of the measures I'm taking to get my diet back on track involved delving deep into my cabinets, and eliminating the fatty foods there.

My reasoning - if it's not in the house, I can't eat it (That is, unless I go out to pick it up. . . )

While in the cabinets, I figured I should also purge the things that had stayed past their welcome, and expiration dates.

All I can say is - WOW.

I found a number of relics, and ended up filling up an entire trash bag.

During the upcoming holidays, most of us chow down like we've never had a meal.

We eat like the food is going to be taken away, and like we'll never get to eat again.

Apparently, that's not a good thing. The time from trick-or-treating on Halloween until the last play of the Super Bowl are the worst months for weight gain, according to this story.

Another author gives you tips on how to avoid gaining weight during the holiday. In another story, which I can't find the link to now because I wanted to share it, lists the fattest holiday foods, including two of my very favorites, apple and sweet potato pies.

Nothing says Christmas like cooooold sweet potato pie.

I'm hungry just thinking about it.

I wonder if it's OK for me to have just one slice, instead of two to three each day while I'm at home on my six-day Christmas vacation?

Not have gravy on everything, including the baked candied yams?

Only have one yeast roll with a little butter, as opposed to 12 coated in butter with slices of melted butter inside?

Now, if they suggest no stuffing at all, that's where I'd have to draw the line.

What are your favorite holiday foods that you KNOW are fattening? Any suggestions on how to not gain weight from Halloween to the end of January?

I first noticed it Sunday when I was watching a movie Sunday night.

I looked down at myself and thought, "That's a big belly. Whose belly is that?"

I sat there for a minute, perplexed. I was trying to figure out where this robust belly had come from.

Just a few weeks ago, my belly was on its way out, being taken down, inch by inch, every week by faithful attendance at cycling class.

Every time I sweated for an hour on the bike, I knew I was losing inches. My jeans had started to fit better. Life was good.

And then I stopped going.

What's wrong with me?

I thought you guys might enjoy the following USA Today column, which talks about something near and dear to me, cycling class.

As you well know, I hate the hooters and yellers. Apparently, I'm not alone.

Take it away, Craig Wilson:

Road rage spins off in whole new directions

The final word
By Craig Wilson
USA Today

OCT. 3 - For years now, road rage has been, well, all the rage.

Not a day goes by that you don't hear of another incident. Someone gets shot. Someone is run off the road. Someone has a supersized soda cup thrown at him from a passing car.

Now it appears that spin class isn't safe, either.

I wouldn't really care, except I take a spin class three times a week. I've always thought I'd probably die of a heart attack there. Little did I know it was my fellow spinners I had to fear.

(Spinning, for the uninitiated, is an exercise in which you sit on a stationary bike and pedal as fast as you can while an instructor screams that you're not pedaling fast enough.)

It was reported the other day that a Wall Street broker became so enraged at another spinner in his class that he threw him, and his bike, up against a wall.

The thrown spinner, a hedge-fund manager, suffered a back injury that required surgery. Evidently he was hooting and grunting during the workout, something that sent the other spinner into a rage. And yes, lawyers have been called. The thrower is now charged with assault.

As for the hooter and grunter, his attorney says he was just enjoying the "euphoric experience" of cycling and was making noises to increase his high.

Who knows where rage will rear its head next?

After more than a week of vacation, I'm back to provide you with diet and other insights.

I realized that this dieting this is going to take more work than I had originally planned. Also, I found that it's hard to keep going to the gym, because it's so easy to make excuses NOT to go.

So, it's confession time.

My name is Michele, and it's been more than a week since I've worked out. (Ok, it's actually closer to two weeks, but who's counting?)

However, you guys will be so proud. I took a great leap toward gettting back on track with the gym today.

I tied up the sneakers, rolled on the clean socks and even stuffed mysef into the sports bra.

Yes, I feel real good about that, too.

On Tuesday, I might even go to the gym. But I don't want to rush things. . .