Virtual Book Club

Wanted to pop in and say quickly that yes, I did finish the book, and enjoyed it, and would love to talk more about it, but I’m in the midst of trying to become a “mac” person and as hip and cool as I thought I was, maybe I’m really just old and lame, because, OMG, old dog/new tricks, etc.

Delita, another book club that I have participated in in the past is doing “Such a Pretty Fat” for their next book, so you should totally check that out!  It’s at elasticwaist.com.  The book discussions are usually quite “spirited” shall we say : )

I don’t know when I am going to have any “reading” time, but I did pick up a thrift store copy of “Fast Food Nation,” which I never have read, and started on the first page of that the other day when sitting in the parking lot waiting for my daughter after school.  Maybe that will be my “waiting in the car” book of the month.

Ciao for now : )

The only one that has stuck with me that you might want to consider for some month is: Thin is the New Happy, by Valerie Frankel.

…the true story of one woman’s quest to exorcise her bad body-image demons, to uncover the truths behind what put them there, and to learn how to truly love herself.  

Delita is spending her days at Barnes & Noble to find our next book!  Anyone else have suggestions?

I am interested in “Half Assed” and “The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted” but I definitely would love to hear what you guys have in mind!

Is everyone else already through this one? I have to say I’m enjoying the book but you guys are really sending me into the Lion’s Den. I’ve found at least a half dozen other books that I really want to read now. Barnes & Noble may become my new pasttime. LOL

Here are a couple quotes that jumped out at me:

pg. 93 Who cares why I overate? … I didn’t care what caused me to be overweight. I just wanted to know how to fix it.

pg. 108 It all came down to what I would do about it, not what I thought about it.

pg. 109 and that’s what we were good at, being stuffed; being hungry had no place in my life.

pg. 109 the triggers apparently mattered.

pg. 110 eating was how I passed time.

All those came pretty close together but really jumped out at me. I’ve noticed that most of the fat campers have apparently given up - kind of like real life. To seriously believe you can do this definitely goes against the flow of despair, like swimming up stream.

You realize I’ve never been in a book club before so not sure how to do this….

Next??

Delita

I’m enjoying it! Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve read twice and gotten through 6 chapters. There was a part that really jumped out at me, I think in chapter 4 or maybe 3, where she basically realizes she is going to have to lose weight to have any kind of life she wants. That is so me, right here, right now. I’m still on day 1 at camp so just getting to the good part, I bet. Maybe I can read some more tomorrow. Delita

Not specifically “Moose” related, but things that this book has me thinking about tonight.

When I was a freshman in high school, I was a junior size 5.  I took Dexatrim to try to get down to a more acceptable size 3 or 1.  The cause of my biggest panic was the day we were being fitted for our cheerleading uniforms.  At a size 5, my waist was 26 inches, and I was in an absolute PANIC about being measured in a group and having everyone know how huge my 26-inch waist was.  

How messed up is that?  I’d like to write it off to misspent youth, being naïve and self-centered and, frankly, kind of stupid.  But I don’t know that I have gotten much better.

This is the first time I am putting this into words on paper or out loud.  One of my dear friends of the last 20 years lost her mother and older sister to breast cancer.  She has been cancer free, but of course hyper alert.  She recently had a precancerous mass removed and doctor’s recommended yet again a double mastectomy.

She opted to have the double mastectomy with reconstruction and a tummy tuck while she was there.

My initial response?  Jealousy.  If that’s not a sign of a mental illness, you tell me what it is.

I’ve read the first 14 chapters and I find so much in this book that really resonates with me.  I want to be a teenager and go to fat camp and be Stephanie’s best friend. 

I love the fact that she “goes there” with the relationship with her parents.  She loves them.  They love her.  But she tells it like it is and does not hide or cover for the flaws in her parents.  I personally had a great childhood and loving parents, but they definitely contributed to my fucked up relationship with food and body image.  They didn’t do it on purpose, and I’m an adult now who is responsible for my own well being and responsible for taking care of my own business.  But the seeds are planted when we are young and……. how did I get off on this tangent when I am talking about a book? lol

Oh, yeah.  The chapter about the Parent Weekend, when they come to visit, and all of the “fat” kids get a break from camp and basically use it to binge eat.  And their parents not only allow it, but encourage it, as kind of a treat for having done so well losing weight.  Hello?  This is what I do with myself EVERY FREAKING WEEKEND!  I workout all week, I try to do well with my diet, and the moment I have accomplished anything, I reward myself by basically undoing it.

So, I am about halfway through the book, and definitely liking it.

“Learn to face it instead of running from it”

A quote from Moose - a memoir of fat camp. And how true. The author was quoting a nutritionist that she saw off and on during her teenage years and it’s such a truth. When I read that, it was like a slap in the face. It’s so true. Even when we meet our goals, we will still have a challenge in front of us. There isn’t a point where we can say “Okay, I’m at my goal. I don’t have to watch what I eat or be active anymore. I am free to sit on the couch with my bag of chips.” This is the real deal. The long haul. I know the problem behind my frustrations in weight loss is I get impatient. Even though I know there is no such thing, I am always waiting for the MIRACULOUS WEIGHT LOSS. Like working out for an hour will help me drop 5-10 lbs. And after a week of nothing, I tend to give up. I have to remember that I will never be able to become complacent.

Whatever is blocking me from doing this, I must face head on and fight!!

BTW, I LOVE this book. I am halfway through already and I can relate to SO much of what the author went through. Hopefully I’ll finish before the next installment in the Twilight series lands on my doorstep or this one will be put to the wayside.

I am starting Moose tomorrow as soon as my sister leaves town and gets her INSANE two year old out of my house.  Everybody in?

AUGHH!!! I only have 3 more days to finish this book. This is the LONGEST it has ever taken me to read a book. I usually shy away from non-fiction because it doesn’t hold my interest. This holds my interest, but I’m just not finding the time to read.

The second part of the book (and I’m not even through with it) brings to light a good point. My friend at work and I have had numerous conversations on it. Is buying organic actually better for you and for the enviroment? Or, is buying local better even though pesticides may have been used? It’s a good question. One the one hand, organic produce may be better for your body in the long run due to the fact that it isn’t treated with numerous pesticides and fertilizers. However, how much fossil fuel is being used to ship that produce to your local grocery store or Whole Foods? What is the carbon footprint of that peice of fruit you are eating. The author tells the story of the “organic dinner” he and his family enjoyed. The asparagus came from Argentina, the blackberries from Mexico, the salad from a refrigerated processing plant in Arizona, etc. How much fuel was used to ship the asparagus on an airplane to the states? How much fuel was used to truck the blackberries from Mexico? How much fuel was used to cool the refrigerated warehouse and ship the salad from Arizona? Somehow, when you add all those things together, organic doesn’t seem to be any better than normal food. And what about “processed organic food”? Like the Amy’s Frozen Meals I love (Tofu scramble FTW!) for an example. Guess what’s in it as some sort of additive….. CORN!!! Oh yeah, look on the ingredient list of many processed organic foods. You’ll see guar, xanthum gum… all corn. And yes, it may be organic corn, but it is all part of the machine from the first chapter. It’s all about the corn. Not only that, but according to the author:

The food industry burns nearly a fifth of all the petroleum consumed in the United States (about as much as automobiles do). Today it takes between seven and ten calories of fossil fuel energy to deliver one calorie of food energy to an American plate. And while it is true that organic farmers don’t spread fertilizers, made from natural gas or spray pesticides made from petroleum, industrial organic farmers often wind up burning more diesel fuel than their conventional counterparts… All told, growing food organically uses about a third less fossil fuel than growing it conventionally…. though that savings dissappears if the compost is not produced on site or nearby.

And people wonder why the price of oil is so high. It’s not just our cars that are burning it. We are basically EATING it!!

So, what is better? Buying organic produce in your local Whole Foods that was grown across the country, or buying some produce from the local farmer?