Watch the Fat Nutritionist Eat

This is pretty clever. In order to show "normal eating" the Fat Nutritionist, Michelle, actually eats what her readers suggest. Above you'll find her eating pickled herring and below a Cadbury Creme Egg. One might seem pretty healthy/gross and the other naughty/good, but neither are good/bad or any other socially constructed dichotomy -- rather, they are food, containing nutrients and calories in kind and varying proportions. Much of her work is devoted to dispelling this notion that foods are inherently good or bad, but rather food. One of my favorite recent posts of hers focuses on how certain foods make her feel during certain part of the day, like she mentions feeling good after eating oatmeal with some sort of fat in the morning. Below after the Cadbury video is an excerpt and link to that post, which I must recommend you go on and read in its entirety.

Excerpt

"If you’ve never, ever stopped to think about how food makes you feel after eating it, maybe you’ve been so caught up in the shame-spiral of restraint and disinhibition that you haven’t had much mental real estate to devote to the idea. Or maybe you’ve been eating according to externally-imposed nutrition rules and guidelines without really pausing to notice how you actually feel when you eat that way. Or you’re in the midst of the great divorce. And you’re not alone.

But learning how food makes you feel, both immediately and a little way down the road, is a fundamental part of learning how to care for yourself.

In my mind, food that makes you feel weird or off — no matter how good it tastes right now — isn’t food you can unconditionally love. Amounts of food that make you feel bad aren’t amounts of food you actually want to eat. And if you find yourself continually sacrificing your well-being for the lovely, immediate feel and taste of food, it’s a sign that something has gone wrong."

READ IT ALL HERE

Don't Let Republicans Re-define Rape

Disgusting, seriously disgusting. Shakesville shares resources to fight HR3 HERE and Amanda Marcotte once again lays it all out on the table HERE. The official (and seriously misleading title of the bill) is: “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.” Here's the thing though, tax-payer funded abortions are already illegal, except in cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. This bill seeks to do a couple disgusting things: outlaws PRIVATE INSURANCE MONEY from covering abortion, therefore, if you are currently employed through your insurer, you might be covered for abortion services, but after this legislation, that would be banned. Secondly, it seeks to redefine RAPE to "forcible rape" which means that rape by intimidation, rape by drugging, rape by a superior, statutory rape, 'date' rape or acquaintance rape and pretty much any rape in which you weren't beaten nearly to death wouldn't count as rape at all. This also seeks to exclude the incest provision if you are over 18 and raping the mentally incompetent is totally hunky-dory as well. Over 9,000 women every year become pregnant from A REPORTED RAPE. Just let that sink in...how many women become pregnant and don't report the rape? We don't know, there can only be estimates.

Back to the first provision, banning private insurance from paying for abortion: most women who seek out an abortion pay out of pocket, afraid to leave a medical record of shame or that an abortion would get back to their employer, which is sad in and of itself, but when abortions are generally paid for by private insurance, they tend to be the more difficult, surgical abortions. The later term abortions and they are often had because the woman's life or health is in danger or because the fetus isn't viable. Those abortions can be very expensive and they are generally due to crummy luck. Often those are wanted pregnancies, but circumstances turn them into tragedies. Now, those tragedies get to bankrupt families because some self-righteous Republican perverts want to punish dirty sluts because that's their favorite way to pay back their rabid misogynistic base. This isn't about life, its about female sexuality being used as the whipping boy of the culture wars.

Update: Another excellent article breaking this situation down on Alternet, again by Amanda Marcotte, read it HERE.

Bristol Palin Nixed From Abstinence Panel Following Student Protests

Radaronline reports: Bristol Palin was dropped from talking on a Washington University panel next month following protests by the University’s student body.


The protest was the cost of her appearance in relation to her expertise in Sex Education. I agree for a fee of $15,000- 30,000 to talk about your personal teen pregnancy is outrages. I am sure there are teen moms near Washington University for a much more reasonable fee.

I am not knocking Bristol's hustle, but with limit student funds at universities, I think these questions need to be asked.

Lisa's 8 Week Winter Jump Start: Week 4 & 5

This Jump start has been a struggle for me.

Successes

1. Working out more consistently.
2. Trying new exercises.
3. 1/19/11 down 1.6 lbs
4. I am losing inches down 3.5 inches since the start of this Jump start

Setbacks
1. 1/26/11 up 1.8 lbs


Total lost from start 3.6 lbs for a weight of 246.6


I am more motivated to keep weight going down to prepare to look awesome on Spring break.

Vote Summer

Beyond Birth Control Commercial

So, I've seen a couple feminist sites making fun of this Beyaz Birth Control commercial. First off, yes, Beyaz is just Yaz but with folate...which is something pharmaceutical companies do all the time. They tweak their original drug, rename and rebrand it and then start the marketing when their old product is available to be copied for cheaper, generics.

I like this commercial--yes, it looks like it takes place in some other-worldly Sephora--but it emphasizes that birth-control relates to your life choices and working toward goals. THIS COMMERCIAL SHOULD BE AIRED DURING TEEN MOM ON MTV EVERYWEEK. All of these women are grown and they're working toward goals like graduate school, buying a house, a dream trip to Paris, etc. Yes, birth-control does help women work toward goals like these (and that's why the anti-sex brigades want it made more difficult to access). So, I'm giving the makers of this commercial Kudos of the Week! (Although, of course, that doesn't mean that I think anyone should drop their current birth-control brand and sign-up for Beyaz. Stick with what works for you).

Is MTV's Skins Child Porn?

Radaronline reports:

MTV's new drama Skins is generating a ton of controversy for the network, as critics claim its' racy content of sex, violence and drug use among minors -- using actual minors in the cast -- might be in violation of federal child pornography statutes.

I think this show shines the light a little to brightly on the out of control teen behaviour. I believe most teens experiement and on a much lower level then these teens.

Also, I beleive parental supervision needs to come in play of the teen actors as well as the teen viewers.

Steve Jobs: Does Being a CEO Terminate Your Medical Privacy Rights???

So, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc., is taking another leave of absence. Last year, he left while undergoing a liver transplant (though that wasn't disclosed until after he returned to work) and this time it remains undisclosed, though speculation is that he has cancer. Above, you'll find two pictures of Mr. Jobs, the larger one was taken prior to his first medical leave and the second is a more recent photograph. Yes, he's lost weight.

Apple stock has suffered in the wake of this recent announcement, Mr. Jobs has led the company in its recent technological triumphs, including the introduction of the i-lines (ipod, iphone, ipad, etc.) which have had a huge impact on technology and quite frankly our culture at-large. Valley Wag, a Gawker technology publication, among others has called for Apple to "end their code of silence" as regards Jobs' health. His health and the health of Apple, that line of reasoning contends, is intertwined and must be shared, for the sake of share-holders and Apple-dependent techies. It is true that succession is not clear at Apple Inc.--at least to the outside observer--but just because Mr. Jobs is a CEO, does that make his medical privacy rights less-than yours or mine? If he were the President of the United States, perhaps yes, but Mr. Jobs is a private citizen and his medical history and current medical condition is his concern, his families' concern and under his doctors' care. But, I'd like to point out that he has enjoyed certain other rights, not afforded other plebes--he has taken more than six months off. Under the Family Medical Leave Act, you can take 12-weeks, unpaid for your health crisis or your family members (that's good), but it isn't nearly as indulgent as Mr. Jobs' leave-time has been. Half of all bankruptcies in this nation are due to medical expenses and much of that is due to inadequate health-insurance, but when your illness leaves you too sick to work and unpaid leave is all your must be granted legally, millions of Americans suffer.

I wish Mr. Jobs well and I hope he recovers.

Must Read: A Weight-Loss Skeptic Discusses Losing 60lbs

Check out this Alternet article HERE by Greta Christina. Here personal blog is HERE. I love this chick, seriously. She's been mindfully engaged in losing weight in keeping with "my feminist ideals and my resistance to body fascism." She's also keen on underscoring how evidence based research on weight, health and successful weight-loss influence her body-acceptance philosophy, but also supports her endeavors to lose weight. In other words, fat-acceptance and losing fat aren't necessarily contradictory. Fat Acceptance is mostly about embracing the full humanity of fat people--mooing at them on the street, sidelining them socially, making jokes at their expense and of course, institutionalizing their oppression by supporting discriminatory policies (such as charging them more for Health Insurance as the State of Alabama tried to do a few years ago for their fat employees) is wrong and thus fat-acceptance folks (who may or may not be fat) should work toward equity for the fat in the public square (and the tv-sitcom). Greta Christina and Jennette Fulda are the two well known(ish) figures who both discuss fat-acceptance AND weight-loss for health (and who have both lost significant amounts of weight) while also remaining allies to the fat community.

Currently, I've lost about 40lbs, though I intend to lose more and I may slip into the "passing as thin" territory in another 40lbs, but I will always be fat-identified. To me, that means working toward fat-acceptance and evidence based health advocacy. I've said it before, I don't think you need to be thin to be healthy, but I don't think that it is right to say that morbid obesity doesn't have an impact on your health either--obesity impacts your health over time and although I or my friend over here or over there, may have a healthy blood pressure and blood lipid panel right now, overtime, the chronic wear and tear of obesity leads to general declines in health and mobility. These are general facts, but obesity does not diminish my humanity or the humanity of my fat brothers or sisters. Working for walkable, livable cities/towns; subsidized fresh fruits and vegetables (and de-subsidized corn/soy/meat) as part of agriculture policy; flexible work schedules and pro-health policies in work places that aren't discriminatory; truly UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE--these are the kinds of policies that will help to erase the "obesity crisis," not another weight-loss competition show. Health is collective as well as individual. Peace

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Charlie Sheen's Former Madam: Lindsay's A Drug Addict, Charlie Just Likes To Party

Radaronline Reports the comments of Heidi Fleiss:

She said: "Look, people need to leave Charlie the f**k alone. Do they really expect him to go to church when he is not working?

"He is the highest paid actor on television -- on a really popular show -- and he always delivers by turning up on time and putting in great performances, and that's all that matters.

"There is no comparison with Lindsay Lohan because she is not functional and is an addict with a sickness - I should know because I've been to rehab several times too.

"It's not as if we see Charlie smoking a crack pipe or anything, the guy just loves to party, and people just don't seem to want to accept that.


I don't agree with her opinion, but many people have the thought if a person is successful then you can't have a problem. As long as people are successful they don't want to address destructive behaviour.

Oprah: Depression Made Me Eat 30 Pounds of Mac 'N' Cheese

US Magazine reports, after the failure of her movie "Beloved" Oprah states:

"I ate about 30 pounds worth," she reveals. "I'm not kidding! It's the only time in my life I was ever depressed. I recognized I was depressed because I've done enough shows [to know], 'Oh, this is what those people must feel like."

I feel bad for her, but for all realness I couldn't afford the cheese on 30 lbs of Mac & Cheese.

Lisa's 8 Week Winter Jump Start: Week 2 & 3

I have been gone shy. Sorry for the delay in post.

Successes

1. 14 days in a row of vitamin

2. Mindfully walking to reach 10,000 steps a day.

3. 1/5/11 done 3.4 lbs

4. 1/12/11 done 0.4 lbs

Total lost from start 3.8 lbs for a weight of 246.6

I am more motivated to keep weight going down to prepare to look awesome on Spring break.

Carrie Fisher New Celebrity Spokesperson For Jenny Craig

Fisher -- who weighed 105 lbs. while making the Star Wars triology and at her heaviest, ballooned up to 180 lbs. -- says she's struggled with her weight for the past three years, and hopes to lose 30-pounds in 2011.

Fisher will appear in Jenny Craig's new advertising campaign that launches in February 2011.

We will see how this goes. So for now I will just wish her luck.

Biggest Weight Stories of 2010

Since I linked yesterday to Jezebel's Photoshop Hall of Shame gallery, I thought I'd also share this link to their "The Biggest Weight Stories" of 2010. Jezebel does a great job of covering both the social injustices committed against fat folks and a balancing of health-related articles or health-trend pieces. They are very balanced on this--they have a strict anti-body-snarking policy, but they aren't HAES fundamentalists. Most of these articles, we at FFFB linked to or discussed ourselves during 2010, but they all bear re-hashing.

Women Laughing Alone with Salad

This is hilarious, its a gallery of stock photos of women "laughing alone with salad" or fruit/veggies. Seriously, what's so funny? Is salad really that charming? Its just like those tampon ads with women jumping around in gauzy white skirts--so cliche that after a while, you're wondering? "Why arent' I thrilled to be alone with healthy food?" "Why don't I feel like wearing white while menstruating...isn't that the ideal to strive for in period protection?"

Anyway, checkout the gallery HERE.

Photoshop's Hall of Shame

Checkout Jezebel's gallery of the Best & Worst of Photoshop's Hall of Shame HERE. I don't know why every time I see these side-by side comparisons, I'm still shocked. Its all fake people! But how "they" (they being the overlord masters of the image industry) choose to photoshop individuals is culturally significant. Take, for example, the lightening of Gabourey Sidibe's skin or the cinching of Christina Hendricks' waist or the air-brushing out of wrinkles or even smile lines. These things don't happen in a vaccuum and it isn't just about air-brushing out a pimple or a scar--its erasing race, body-type and age. Let's not also forget that in many instances, the photoshopping of images produces non-human bodies--limbs missing bones, limbs missing period, necks incapable of holding up oddly large heads, etc. In order to "idealize" these people are made into cartoons.

Lisa's 8 Week Winiter Jump Start

So school is out. I have more time to focus on health. For this Jump Start I will focus on healthy habits and not weight loss.

Here are the two major goals I am focusinig on for Week 1-3:

1. Yoga twice a week.

2. Multi-vitamin daily.

Starting Stats 12/29/10:

Weight: 250.4 lbs

Arms: 15.5 in

Hips: 53 in

Bust: 48 in

Waist: 43 in

Thighs: 29.5 in