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Community Gains From Beauty Shop’s Weight-Loss Contest
It was a case of three entrepreneurs getting together and doing something great to combat the obesity problem, and to build community. The community: beautiful, historic Asheville, North Carolina. The entrepreneurs: Stefanie Williams, owner of Stefanie’s Hair and Beauty Design Studio; Elaine Robinson, executive director of the Asheville-Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement (ABIPA), and Pete…
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How to Go Up Three Sizes in a Single Afternoon
In case you’re feeling pretty good about yourself for dropping a few pounds, go shopping for a nice outfit. That’ll bring you down to earth. By “nice” I mean stuff by Jones New York, Eileen Fisher and Ann Klein – clothes that will set you back $200-$300 for a single outfit. That’s what I was…
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When Sugar Bites Back
My name is Leslie, and I am a Sugarholic. There are only certain times when it seems impossible for me to control sugar cravings – when I’m highly stressed or overtired, and then, well, let’s just say “every 28 days” and leave it at that. Since last weekend, I’ve been under a self-imposed deadline that’s…
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Khaliah Ali: Once More than 300 Pounds, Gained a New Perspective on Health
As the daughter of Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali, Khaliah Ali said this morning that even with every resource in the world, she was dogged by weight issues. I felt her pain when she recounted all the hurtful comments endured as a chubby 9-year-old after appearing on a Today Show segment about slimming down overweight children.…
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Dodging Eaters of Worlds on the Road to Self-Preservation
My face is stinging with sweat. Just got in from walking for about an hour, and it’s hotter than July out there. By now you will have noticed a couple of recurring themes since last month: I’m not a fan of Raleigh in the summer, and the sun is not a fan of mine. I…
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Zzzzzz . . . 13 Days Left to Shake Things Up
There’s something about deadlines that appeals to me. It hearkens back to my newsie past, I suppose. The end of the month signals one, and so I’m stepping up my game so I can hit another weight-loss milestone by the first day of August, my birthday month. We cows are constantly warned against doing stuff…
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Dealing With Sexual Pressure and the Myth of the Needy Fat Girl
It is 10:40 a.m., and it is already a sweltering 85 degrees. The humidity is so high it feels much hotter; the air so thick with moisture, it feels like a sauna upstairs. Yes, upstairs. In my home. Late yesterday afternoon, the 11-year-old upstairs air-conditioning system gave up the ghost. This is not surprising, given…
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A Magic Weight-Loss Pill. Just What We Need.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is looking over a new anti-obesity drug that causes “significant” weight loss, so anyone looking for that elusive “magic pill,” the FDA’s final decision will be released in October. The drug is called Qnexa, and is manufactured by a company named Vivus. (No, I don’t know what’s up with…
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Latest Blood Test Results: The Good, Bad and the Ugly
My latest blood test results were a bit disappointing. I saw Dr. Bean Thursday, and he was almost giddy about my weight loss thus far. When I told him I’d hoped to have lost more than 30 pounds, he very seriously told me that a half-pound a week should be my goal for long-term weight…
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Would You Pay $7,000 for Your Child to Lose 26 Pounds?
That’s how much it cost for a 13-year-old girl to attend a “fat camp” for one month. I’m not mentioning any names, but this information comes from a confidential, reliable source. Anyway, last night Mom said – oops – the girl is still very overweight, but the plan includes an eating program and phone counseling.…