Any Excuse To Mention American Idol

Kimberley Locke, former contestant in American Idol, is the new spokesperson for Lane Bryant's new Seven7 jeans. (Yes, it's the word seven followed by the number seven. Please note that skinny people clothes do not have such dippy names.)

""We are excited to have Kimberley Locke as the new spokeswoman for our Seven7 jeans... We believe that Kimberley is a great talent and a great beauty who will be a perfect role model for our curvy customers."

I hear her album is good, too!

Elizabeth Hurley Still Sucks

Well we all hate Elizabeth Hurley anyway, for her "I would kill myself if I were as fat as Marilyn Monroe" comment and all her remarks about losing her baby weight. But the latest jewel from the tongue of Ms. Hurley will reinvigorate your hate, in case you'd let it slide. When asked what fashion she would ban, she said:

"Anything that is too small or too tight, unless you're slim and toned. I'm sick of seeing flab bulging out all over."

It makes me want to put on some size-two spandex and have a fat parade in front of her house.

Men Have It Easier

"British experts agree that men and women respond differently to the energy demands of exercise. Dr Neil King... says that women tend to reward themselves with fatty foods. 'Literature reviews on this subject suggest that female exercisers are possibly more vulnerable to overcompensating on calories than males,' he explains. 'That, combined with the fact that they tend to hold on to their fat stores, means that they have more difficulty losing weight.'”

Not only are men more straightforward about weight issues, their bodies are more efficient when it comes to diet and exercise. Damn them!

Fergie's Sandwich

"The portion sizes here are enormous. You'll notice I only nibble a slight corner at the edge of the sandwich."

Oh for god's sake, just cut the sandwich into thirds, and eat a third of it or something. "I only nibble a slight corner"? That is so sad!

As Of Now, I'm Spelling It Mo'Nique

I love that there's going to be a show called "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance." It's described as a beauty pageant-slash-reality show celebrating self-confident, big women.

"I see big women now showing their arms and wearing miniskirts and out with their dates," [Mo'Nique] said. "At one time, you didn't see a big woman with her date because they didn't take us out because society said, 'You are dating a fat girl. Yuck!' Now, people are saying, 'Yes, we're going to come out and we're going to be proud. We're getting the attention now. It's our day now.' "

Thanks to R.W. for the link!

Update: Season 2 Casting

Tales from the Scale

If you're coming from one of the Tales from the Scale review links, welcome! I hope you enjoyed the book. My more personal weight-loss blog is over here, but I'm happy to have you here, too.

I haven't yet read the book in its final stage (my copy is still on the way) but I have been hearing it's fabulous! And some of my favorite people are included. I will post more once I read the book in its final form, but I did want to say hello to those of you who are making your way over to my little corner of the Internet.

Applique Muumuus... And More!

Yesterday's edition of The Vine (and I will have to update that link as soon as today's goes up) has a list of places where an amply-cut woman might buy hot-looking clothes.

The day before that lists a bunch of places to get bras, and provides a link to Torrid. In the immortal words of Sarah Bunting: "Torrid actually seems to get that 'plus-sized' does not mean 'muumuu of shame,' which, seriously."

Seriously.

Diet! Coke! Madness!

I went to the grocery store this weekend and saw something called Diet Coke Zero. I have now learned the maximum number of varieties of Diet Coke that I am mentally prepared to deal with, and it is seven: original Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Coke with Lemon, Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Vanilla Coke, Coca-Cola 2, and Diet Coke with Splenda. I am not prepared to add Diet Coke Zero to this list. I have no idea how it could possibly be different from any of the seven types of Diet Coke that already exist, and it is confusing, and I prefer not to think about it too much. If anyone knows, feel free to enlighten us all in the comments.

Just Gross

I could totally see this working, too.

"...tobacco companies, after years of research, are now not only targeting women but are also designing cigarettes to cater to style, taste as well as perceived 'health benefits.' ...Tobacco firms have done detailed research on women and are even contemplating introducing flavoured, light cigarettes that would curb appetite and help them slim down."

I had a professor in college who used to take up smoking whenever he wanted to lose weight, and then he'd quit when he'd lost the weight. It seemed like a terrible idea then, and it seems like a terrible idea now. I can already envision the ad campaign, though.

By Golly, Be Jolly

I apologize for the post title, but sometimes that degree in poetry demands that I engage in some bad rhyming.

If you are going to adhere to one of the Fat Person Stereotypes, better be the Jolly Fat Person as opposed to the Bitter Fat Person. You burn an extra 4.4 pounds per year if you laugh for 15 minutes a day! No, not exactly an effective weight-loss method. But still mildly entertaining.

I have no idea how many calories you use during Bitter activities. I don't even know what those would be. Yelling at people? Glowering? Shooting a gun into the air?

Beans On Toast? Bleh.

The fabulous Kirsten (who I love anyway, just for visiting my book log ) sent in this article about the 11 steps to a better brain, or how you can "eat your way to genius." It's full of information on how different vitamins, amino acids, and other nutrients affect the brain. For example:

"Round off lunch with a yogurt dessert, and you should be alert and ready to face the stresses of the afternoon. That's because yogurt contains the amino acid tyrosine, needed for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin, among others. Studies by the US military indicate that tyrosine becomes depleted when we are under stress and that supplementing your intake can improve alertness and memory."

The whole article is really interesting, not just the food bits. Thanks, K!