Ooh, la, la! That is what I have to say about Lori Foster’s novel Too Much Temptation. Finally a romance novel with a real-sized leading lady. And the story is surprisingly not all about her weight loss journey. I loved every sexy minute of this story. I kept thinking there should be a movie version, although it probably wouldn’t do justice to the images in my head.
Grace Jenkins, a sexy, curvy woman is inexperienced in the romance department until her fantasies of Noah Harper materialize. Noah is a dark and gorgeous man with a past. And until recently has been taken. When the two find their way to each other…look out! The sex that follows is the kind of ecstasy every woman dreams about; especially women of size.
After reading this book, you will quite possibly be looking at your body a little differently. It will have plus-sized women everywhere worshipping their curves….or better yet, men will! So whether you are searching for your Noah or have one waiting in the bedroom for you….read Too Much Temptation and let the sparks fly!
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Twice a year a friend and I spend a day “marathon” shopping ~ twelve hours of scouring the racks for deals! My recent adventure was quite a disappointment. I am sad to see the “crap” that many plus-size stores and departments are trying to pawn off as fashion. All I seemed to find was one extreme or another. Enormous flower laden moo moos or skin-sucking, ankle-biting, leggings. All I can say, is if that these second skin fashions make even the stick-thin plastic mannequins look chubby. They are obviously not designed for the “fuller-figure” gal.
The same goes for jeans. I found two frustrating trends; extreme low-rise cuts or waist- up- to- my -neck “Mom Jeans”. I do not need help in creating curves for myself. I have plenty of my own. But when I pry myself into low-rise jeans, I get what I lovingly refer to as “Dunlap”. The tire of fat that sits right atop the pants. The term muffin-top doesn’t quite cut it! However, the other extreme are jeans that are supposed to create a “slimming effect”. I guess their idea is to shove all of your stomach, right up to your bra, into the pants. Yikes! That is quite the unflattering silhouette for any one’s ass!
So, needless to say, I came home empty handed – this time. But I will prevail…I will not let ugly fashion keep me down. I guess that means I just have to try again in a few weeks. Darn, another day of shopping. Well, if I must, I must!
I was a bit surprised by what I found during my recent visit to lanebryant.com.It seems they have partnered up with Catherine’s and Fashion Bug for a convenient one-stop shopping experience. In addition, their line of Cacique products are all available as well. I think this a wise merger. However, the Lane Bryant demographic seems a bit different than the typical Catherine’s customer in my book. As a woman in her mid 30’s, I would love to see Catherine’s offer more youthful, stylish choices. Whenever I brave that store, I feel like I am shopping in my grandma’s closet. (Sorry grandma). I think Catherine’s could do with a few less butterflies and beads and more classic cuts and flattering pieces.
Fashion Bug definately does a nice job of offering youthful, affordable clothing. But sometimes the quality of their clothing leaves a little to be desired. Most of my purchases from Fashion Bug do not hold up nearly as long as I would hope. I would rather spend a bit more for quality items that last.
I am a big fan of Lane Bryant; especially their bras and underwear. They are true-to-size, well-fitting, quality items. My favorite are the Balconette Bras. They give you a very sexy shape under form fitting tops. If you haven’t tried them, now is the perfect time. The buy one get one 50% off sale is going on!
So I think the big winners in this online merger are Catherine’s and Fashion Bug. Being linked to Lane Bryant can only help them. I am the perfect example. I visited their websites simply because they were in front of me. So thank you to the “thinkers” behind this one-stop shopping experience. Making shopping easier is always appreciated!
Are you kidding me? What kind of society do we live in that tells a young woman, who is a size 4, that she is too fat? That is exactly what has happened to fashion/runway model Coco Rocha. Coco claims she was told by a casting agent that at size 4 she is too large to get work. Coco says she is losing out on prime jobs because of her size.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am no dummy. I realize that the expectation for fashion models are that they be “waifs”. But when has a size 4 become too big in waif land? Apparently a size 0 or 2 are now the only acceptable sizes for models. This is a fact that makes me outraged! When are designers and casting agents going to wake up and realize that they are alienating themselves from 3/4 of the buying market? Over half of the women in the U.S. are a size 12 or larger! Not to mention the sick and twisted reality we are forcing upon the young girls in our society. It is no wonder that eating disorders are skyrocketing and that the self-image of our youth is in the toilet. Very few women can distort themselves to a size 2 or smaller and be healthy.
Shame on us! Shame on all of us! We have let ignorance and arrogance dominate our culture. I don’t know about you, but I personally have had enough. Complaining is not going to get the job done. More of us need to have the courage to stand up for our dignity. In hundreds of small ways, each of us needs to band together to create a new reality; if not for us, then for our daughters and granddaughters. We may not be able to influence the thinking of skeletal loving designers…but we can influence our young. Getting to them before the media does is the key. And that is no easy task when dieting and beauty are pushed on girls as young as 3 years old!
We have come a long way in the “plus-sized” or REAL-sized world. More and more real women are appearing in magazines and television ads. A plus-sized model has even captured the title of America’s Next Top Model! But it is not enough. Girls need to see that being a normal size (which I guess is now a size 4 or over) is OKAY! In fact, it is more than okay…it is great! Being curvy is nothing to be ashamed of. Beautiful bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Too bad the anorexia-loving big shots in the fashion world don’t agree. Too bad, they’ll never know what their missing. Be a positive change for our world…tell the women in your life that they are beautiful (even if they are bigger than a size 4).
As I was flipping through the channels the other evening, I stumbled across the show Carnie Wilson Unstapled. It has been a while since I have seen her. That last time was when she was strutting her new skinny self on some talk show. Apparently she has gained back much of the weight she lost from her gastric bypass surgery.
This got me thinking. I personally know three people who have had this surgery. One was just several months ago. The other two were done several years ago. And they too have gained most of their weight back. Time will tell on the recent surgery. It appears successful so far; if successful is rapid weight loss for instant results. But is that true success? In my opinion, being able to keep the weight off would be a true measure of success.
So why is it that so many people gain the weight back even after drastic surgical measures? Could it be that gastric bypass is a physical treatment for an emotional/mental problem? I don’t know about you, but I don’t just eat when I’m hungry. I eat when I’m bored, craving something, or feeling stressed. And I’m pretty sure that making my stomach smaller won’t fix that. Very rarely is over-eating a physical issue. It is an addiction. People who use surgery to “cure” this addiction, find themselves right back where they started; and often in an even more desperate situation than before.
I’m not going to criticize anyone for making the decision to have gastric bypass. I can certainly understand why someone would resort to this, especially in severe situations. But, watching Carnie Wilson was a real eye-opener. Here is someone who has had the surgery, has access to a personal trainer and dietitian and is still struggling with her weight. If that doesn’t speak volumes about the emotional element in eating and weight loss, I don’t know what does.
What do you think? I would love to hear your comments, especially if you have had the surgery.
It seems the fat card has been played again. Director Kevin Smith was kicked off a Southwest flight in Oakland bound for Burbank yesterday. After being seated, a flight attendant informed Smith that the captain deemed him a “safety risk.” I guess they were enforcing their “Customer of Size Policy”, which states that people of a certain size are required to purchase two seats. Since there was not a second seat for Smith to buy, he was kicked off. For his inconvenience, Smith was offered a $100 voucher to use on another flight.
The ironic part ~ Smith flew into Oakland on a Southwest flight in ONE seat! Even more hilarious…he flew out on a later Southwest flight in ONE seat! So the question is, why is he too fat for one flight and not another? And was his being removed from the flight truly a safety precaution or for the comfort of someone else?
Smith Tweeted his experience live for his followers. They became increasingly more nasty. Can you really blame the guy? What would have happened if this were a woman passenger? I can tell you, if it were me, I’d be pissed off amid a face full of tears! Southwest, after seeing his Tweets, tried to smooth the waters so to speak, by offering Smith an apology for his “travel experience.” I wonder what exactly they were apologizing for? Kicking Smith off? Embarrassing him? Or were the simply covering their own hides for looking like fools?
Like many other couples out there, my husband and I decided to get a babysitter and take in the movie Valentine’s Day. After reading several critic reviews, I knew I would love it because they hated it. The only movies that critics truly love have subtitles and are huge “snoozefests”. This movie is funny and touching. It made me laugh and it made me cry. That alone was worth my $8.00. Yes, it was predictable and sappy…but that is just how I like my romantic comedies. I wasn’t expecting my life to be changed or to be moved beyond words; just entertained for two hours with out children. And that I was!
The eclectic mix of cast members alone is a great reason to see this film. One of them being the one and only Queen Latifah. She is an amazing role model for all of us plus-sized ladies out there. She oozes such confidence and sex appeal. We could all take a lesson from her. She makes no apologies for who she is and embraces her curves! Good for her.
I do wonder sometimes though how I can be a cheerleader for so many other plus-sized women out there while at the same time beating myself up for being curvy. In fact, I was feeling guilty while eating the buttery movie theater popcorn. Maybe it is easier to appreciate the beauty in others than it is in ourselves. Anyway, I’m glad there are women like Queen Latifah who grace the cover of magazines and the big screen. And do it with so much style!
So if you are up for a two-hour, feel-good, getaway…go see Valentine’s Day. If you’re not a “real” movie critic, you’ll love it!
This book is a page-turning read! I devoured it in one sitting cover to cover. Young Beauty Marie Zavala struggles with her weight ~ an issue in which many women can relate. As Beauty’s story unfolds, the reader is taken on a journey that explores how self-image can impact self-esteem, love life, and even career choice. Beauty’s insecurities lead her down a path of self-discovery and ultimately self-acceptance.
What I love about this book is that Beauty not only falls in love with a man, she falls in love with herself. She doesn’t lose weight to get happy. She realizes her self-worth as she is. After reading this book, I was surprised that it was written by a man. Albert Ferreras captures the true sprit of every woman who needs a little reminding that she is beautiful!
I give this book 8/10.
I admit. I have succumb to Wii mania. It really wasn’t my fault, Santa brought it to our house. What began as a harmless video game has become a self-esteem crusher! My thinking was “why not use Santa’s generosity to get into shape?” So, the Wii Fit Plus was purchased. (Not until several hours of searching and driving to an out-of-town Target to get it mind you).
Installing the Wii Fit was extremely easy and straightforward. I had high hopes…until my profile was made. After establishing that I was “not balanced” and “obese” my character proceeded to explode in size! Okay, it made my children giggle, but I must admit a little piece of me died inside. I mean come on, I already know that I am overweight and out of shape. (That’s why I bought the darn thing). I don’t need a fat icon (a Mii), that supposedly looks like me, making nasty sound effects to motivate me to use it.
I really question the creators thinking on this one. Apparently they assume if they kick people while they are down, it will inspire us obese people to get into shape. Quite the contrary though; it was just one more confirmation that I was “not good enough” the way I was. Now, my confidence is not so low that I was scarred for life or anything, but I do feel it is mean to treat comsumers this way. I can’t say I have ever paid money to be insulted before.
Does this mean I have stopped using the Wii Fit? No. In fact, I have used it for over 2 weeks straight; with pretty decent results. The Yoga is great for muscle toning. Will I lose 25 pounds? Probably not. However, getting exercise in any form, can’t be bad. So, I decided to be the bigger person (no pun intended) and put the insults behind me for the sake of calorie burning. Thanks Wii Fit creators for a fun product, but we could do with a little less “mean”.
This blog is dedicated to exploring life though the eyes of a plus-sized woman. Whether you are a size 12 or a size 28+, this site is for you. The topics will include fashion, beauty, books, television, movies, health, and more! What you will NOT see is the latest “get thin” diet plan. This site will be about living life as you…not creating a “new you.” Please check back frequently and take this journey with me.
