The Weight of Being


Book Description

A brutally honest story about being fat in America -- and one woman's experience with radical weight loss after a lifetime of fat shaming Kara Richardson Whitely thought she could do anything. After all, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro-three times! But now she's off the mountain and back home again, and there's one thing she just can't manage to do: lose weight. In many ways, Kara is living the life of everywoman, except that she's not everywoman because she weighs 300 pounds and is tormented by binge eating disorder. Her weight is a constant source of conflict and shame, as the people from every corner of her life, from her coworkers to the neighbors down the street, judge Kara for the size of her body. When it becomes just too much to tolerate, Kara turns to therapy and weight-loss surgery, a choice that transforms her body-and her life. Kara's story is one of living as a fat woman in America, where fat prejudice is rampant despite our nation's pandemic of obesity. In this fresh, raw memoir, Kara reveals this epic contradiction, and offers a revealing comparison of life before and after radical weight loss.




The Unbearable Lightness of Being


Book Description

“Far more than a conventional novel. It is a meditation on life, on the erotic, on the nature of men and women and love . . . full of telling details, truths large and small, to which just about every reader will respond.” — People In The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera tells the story of two couples, a young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing, and one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover. In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight. Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine. This magnificent novel is a story of passion and politics, infidelity and ideas, and encompasses the extremes of comedy and tragedy, illuminating all aspects of human existence.




Finished Being Fat: An Accidental Adventure in Losing Weight and Learning How to Finish


Book Description

Not everyone can win the race, but everyone can finish it. In her quest to wish away an extra 75 pounds, Betsy changed her life for good. Using her Philosophy of Finishing, she snowballed her efforts from weight loss into a bucket list of seemingly impossible dreams. This inspiring account of one woman's journey will help you find the strength to conquer your most daunting goals and unfinished projects.




The Skinny


Book Description

Explains how our bodies are programmed on a genetic level to resist weight loss, and how to fix internal biology by adjusting eating and exercise habits one step at a time to defeat hunger and cravings and keep the weight off for good.




The Salt Eaters


Book Description

A community of Black faith healers witness an event that will change their lives forever in this "hard-nosed, wise, funny" novel (Los Angeles Times). Set in a fictional city in the American South, the novel also "inhabits the nonlinear, sacred space and sacred time of traditional African religion” (The New York Times Book Review). Though they all united in their search for the healing properties of salt, some of them are centered, some are off-balance; some are frightened, and some are daring. From the men who live off welfare women to the mud mothers who carry their children in their hides, the novel brilliantly explores the narcissistic aspect of despair and the tremendous responsibility that comes with physical, spiritual, and mental well-being.




Being Fat


Book Description

It is okay to be fat. This is the basic premise of fat activism, a social movement that has existed in Canada since the early 1970s. This book focuses on the earliest strands of the Canadian movement, which emerged around 1977 and ended around 1997 with the emergence of defiant performance artists Pretty, Porky, and Pissed Off. This twenty-year window loosely correlates with the rise of "second-wave" feminist organizing and thinking in the country. Fat activists were wrestling with issues other feminists of the era were debating: femininity, sexuality, and health. While united by the idea that it is okay to be fat, the movement has taken many different forms. Fat "activism" and the "movement" encompassed a variety of activities. It included groups that held regular meetings and published newsletters, organized events, and elected an executive. Being Fat explores activities like fashion design, self-help groups, plus-size modelling, and dance under the umbrella of fat activism, undertaken in the name of empowering fat women. Together, these activities show that self-identified fat women took up feminist ideas of liberation and applied them to their lives. Their personal experiences became the basis of a powerful movement to challenge beauty and bodily norms.




Walking the Weight Off For Dummies


Book Description

Get up, get moving, and walk away the pounds If you're looking to lose weight and get fit, Walking the Weight Off For Dummies will show you just what to do to walk yourself to a whole new you. Whether you want to burn fat, boost your energy level, improve your mood, shed your belly, or just get toned, this easy to read, fun and friendly guide will have you putting your best foot forward — over and over again! Inside you'll discover which workouts are the best to achieve your specific goals, how low-impact walking is perfect for fat-burning, how to pick the right pair of shoes for walking, and so much more. Walking is the number one form of exercise in America, and studies show that it is highly effective in achieving multiple health goals — from losing weight and decreasing body fat to improving overall health and mental well being. Best of all, walking is very inexpensive and can be done anywhere. With this complete and easy-to-use guide, you'll find that creating and sticking to a walking program to lose weight and feel great has never been easier. Learn how walking is the ideal exercise to achieve and maintain healthy body weight and improve overall health Figure out the best techniques to avoid injury and achieve your specific fitness goals Dive into nutrition tips for fueling up before and after walks to maintain health Discover how you can fit walking into your life, regardless of your age, gender, and current weight If you've always wanted to incorporate walking into your routine to boost your health and effectively lose weight, Walking the Weight Off For Dummies will show you how.




F*ck Being Fat


Book Description




100 Days of Weight Loss


Book Description

This personal growth diet companion encourages dieters--no matter what diet plan they are on--to stick to it by giving them the tools to address the issues behind their eating habits and to make the right choices. Going on a diet is easy, staying on a diet is hard and it is the consistent, long-term lifestyle change that results in real success. This book is not a diet but a diet companion. There are 100 short lessons that provide coping skills, behavioral tools, and personal growth ideas that serve as a companion and encourager and give dieters the daily strength to stick with their resolution. Spangle tackles the emotional and psychological issues of weight loss, which is missing from most diet plans. They tell you what to eat. 100 Days of Weight Loss gives you the personal tools to make the right choices.




Get with the Program!


Book Description

The bestselling author of "Make the Connection" delivers the keys to losing weight and staying fit for a lifetime. "Get with the Program!" can inspire readers to reach and maintain their weight and fitness goals.