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Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 13, 2008 in Skinny tips for everyday living | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2)
Tags: change, henry david thoreau, inspiration, quote
Today's business card size inspiring signs are about "going for it." All of us at some point or another have really wanted something but were too afraid to go after it because mainly we feel unworthy or not good enough.
But really, you can't know if you can't have something if you never ask for it or go for it. You can make many assumptions, but assumptions are not proof. It's like Law & Order. Jack McCoy can't prosecute a perp unless he has proof he/she committed the crime. It's the same thing with you, you can't predict failure OR success without proof and that is proof is action. Vice versa, how many people you know including yourself went for something you thought was a sure thing and it turned out to be an utter disaster.You didn't expect anything to go awry but it did, and you discovered this because you went for it.
The point is that success or failure is only determined after an action takes place. And even if your action produces an initial failure, it gives you food for improvement. So, go for it! You really have nothing to lose. Print out these tiny signs and tape them anywhere you need a little boost of confidence.
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 12, 2008 in Skinny tips for everyday living | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: confidence, inspiration, self help, signs
Standing at the grocery check out yesterday I happened to come across The Enquirer, and lo and behold was this splashy headline, "ALL NEW PHOTOS! Stars With Cellulite." There it was in all caps and an exclamation point like it was egging us on,"CAN'T GET ENOUGH?"
Of course not! Because this is not the first time The Enquirer or any other tabloid highlights the physical flaws of celebrities, and they continue to do it because we (mass consumers) buy it. So, I'm asking now, has celebrity cellulite watching become a spectator sport?
Let the cellulite games begin
Flipping through the article, I could not help but feel angry for the exploitation these women are under and pissed off at the Enquirer for pointing out (with circles and arrows mind you) the flaws of these beautiful talented accomplished women like they are slaves in the Emperor's Colosseum for his entertainment. It's like the tabloids feel they are allowed or even entitled to humiliate celebs like this just because they are celebrities.
I do believe that part of celebrity is that your life is put under the public eye, but it does not mean that the media should have free reign to exploit the physical body like this for sport and profit. And even deeper, does our culture have some kind of celebrity body schadenfreude? Does your average consumer on some level take pleasure in seeing a female celebrity with her cottage cheese thighs and broken heart?
Even teenagers are not off limits
As a specific example of downright blood curdling behavior in this particular Enquirer issue, there is a picture of Princess Beatrice from England in a bikini with a water ski vest on. (The picture is also on the bottom right of the front cover picture above with a "Guess Who?" on it.) The Enquirer points out her "bumpy bum." The girl is 19, and still a teenager for crying out loud. All I could think is that this is the kind of thoughtless thing that could lead this poor girl straight into body dysmorphia and an eating disorder. Even a teenager is not off limits to this kind of tasteless finger-pointing by a tabloid.
Cellulite is not the only body flaw with a photo spread
Then, to make matters worse, about 4 pages later there is a spread of photos called, "The Curse of the Cankles" where they show more celebs who have the "dreaded" cankle, where the calf and ankle look like one. I flipped a few more pages because I sware I was expecting to see the "Muffin Top Monstrosity" article with the pictures of celebrities with the muffin top.
I know that the Enquirer is just another sleazoid tabloid, but these kinds of cellulite and cankle type photos are becoming more and more popular especially around the Internet. Remember how Tyra Banks and Jennifer Love Hewitt were "crucified" with fatty remarks. So, is it me, or is celebrity body schadenfreude on the rise?
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 12, 2008 in Celebrities & the media | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: body image, celebrities, cellulite, enquirer
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 09, 2008 in Skinny commentary & news | Permalink | Comments (2)
I sooooo badly want to see Cher's new show at Caesar's in Vegas which opens May 10. She'll be doing 200 shows total. If you missed Cher and Tina on Oprah yesterday, here are the best parts. Boy howdy do these women get my addrenaline going. And oh yeah, Tina is canoodling with a younger hottie who is not threatened at all by her success. Where do I find me one of those? Go Tina!
Cher opens the show and sings. She can "take me home."
Tina sings. Those legs! Tina is still kickin' it with those hot gams.
Cher & Tina sing Proud Mary together. Oprah even chimes in and sings too. This clip gave me goose bumps.
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 09, 2008 in Celebrities & the media | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: cher, las vegas, oprah, tina turner
More proof has surfaced for my conspiracy theory ala Hodgins on Bones that Vogue is really science fiction. Behold Aliena Wintour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute's annual gala in her couture spacesuit. See!
And behold, her coif looks awfully similar to that other diabolical menace, Professor Chaos. Aliena Wintour cruises around in her Battleship Voguestar to inflict mayhem and disarray to our normal sense of beauty sensibility. According to her sinister plan, Aliena has done away with the Sixes and has replaced them with the Zeroes.
Her right hand Darth Andre uses the dark side of the force to spellbind talented yet insecure princesses that a size 8 might as well be Jabba the Hut, so start jumping rope cause you can't hologram that size 2 even though you can sure photohallucinate the shasizzle out of it. Oh, Princess Hoochie-be we know you're under the evil spell of the Voguestar but we so hope that your new Prince Cannon can save you from the evil crutches of Ego=MyCareer2.
In a mall far far away, Aliena and Darth Andre have us humans behaving more like Cling-ons rather than Klingons fighting for our way of life. They have their Gisele looking Clone army to do their bidding in the pages of women's magazines across the land. But even though, they try their best to frakk us up in the head, we can prevail. Remember, even in every science fiction story there is a happy ending, and good conquers evil.
May the Spritz be with you.
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 08, 2008 in Celebrities & the media, Skinny humor | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: andre leon talley, anna wintour, fashion, humor, vogue
We are a culture constantly trying to get back into the skinny jeans. In fact, this is a glimpse into just how much we want to skinnify. I did a Google search for terms related to losing weight, and here's what I got (as of 5/5/08):
"losing weight": 9,170,000
"weight loss": 88,200,000
"diets": 29,500,000
"get thin": 302,000
When you search on Yahoo, the numbers are even higher. For example, "weight loss" gives you 195,000,000 results.
Now let's look at how many Google results come up for searches related to weight loss maintenance, basically, info to help you stay at your weight goal.
"weight loss maintenance": 65,600
"weight maintenance": 330,000
"keep the weight off": 420,000
"stay thin": 137,000
There's like about a 300% difference between the numbers for getting to a weight loss goal versus staying at that weight loss goal. Truthfully, how many people you know trying to lose weight have a good plan to keep that weight off once they get there? Most of us are so focused on just getting there that we'll worry about it once we get to our goal. This is why I believe there is a definite difference between weight loss and weight management mentality. Perhaps, because we don't plan for the long term, that's why we get into the yo-yo cycle in the first place, you think?
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 08, 2008 in Skinny commentary & news | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: diets, Google, losing weight, search, weight loss
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 08, 2008 in Skinny tips for everyday living | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: inspiration, love, Pietro Aretino, quote, truth
Pal Leslie from The Weighting Game was on the TODAY Show yesterday where she offered 5 ways to pump up your confidence when it comes to body image.
At the end, the all important question is asked, "And what about those skinny jeans? Should we hang onto them or not?" I agree with Leslie's answer. I would add that your jean's size does not determine your self worth or esteem. You are more than a number on a pair of jeans or an a scale.
At the core, this blog is really about the dream and why we hang on to an illusion of thinness & beauty the media pushes on us and that we as women, in many cases, buy. The skinny jeans are really a symbol of that illusion. Yes, I do offer tips & advice on how to shed the pounds but it's about living a healthier life not a skinny one, and there is a difference.
Life does not magically become a story book ending even if you do get back into those skinny jeans. You can have a happier and more fulfilling life today, if you just start making the conscious decision to start making it happen. You only need heart & desire, not thin thighs & a six pack. So go grab you some hunk of that fabulous life. Right now. Go! Go now.
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 07, 2008 in Skinny tips for everyday living | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: body image, leslie goldman, skinny jeans, today show
Posted by Stephanie Quilao on May 09, 2008 in Skinny commentary & news | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)
Tags: gluten free, healthy eating, raw, vegan, vegetarian
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