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On A Positive Note by Carol A. Johnson From a 10 to a 4: Is This Really Necessary? 
Carol A. Johnson is a national speaker, author of
Self-Esteem Comes In All Sizes(available in the Grand Style Book
Store - Inspiration section), and President
of Largely Positive, Inc., an organization dedicated to promoting health
and self-esteem among larger people.Lately I have been noticing -- and lamenting -- the NutriSystem ad featuring Zora Andrich from Joe Millionaire - the one where she goes from a size 10 to a size 4. I have one, I would think obvious, question: What was wrong with a size 10? An Internet article about Zora's decision read, in part: "Joe Millionaire winner, Zora Andrich, recovers from the embarrassing 'dress' scene by losing 17 pounds in six weeks on NutriSystem. After years of struggling with unwanted weight, the last straw for Zora was when they couldn't zip up her dress on national television. It was in the ball gown scene of the first episode of Joe Millionaire. One contestant commented, 'Poor Zora, she is just a different shape and a different size,' which really impacted Zora." (Question: Why didn't she just make sure she had the correct size before the filming took place?) Some comments from an Internet discussion about
Zora's weight loss:
Ads such as this one just add more fuel to the fire of
unrealistic ideals and body hatred. Shame on them!
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The Teen Corner by Katie Arons, plus-size model, spokesmodel, author and founder of the Extra Hip website. Bathing Suit Blues  Katie has
learned all about beauty, fashion and self-esteem from the experts and
she wants to share this info. She stopped dieting over ten years ago and
is now a happy size 18. She says “I use to think that I couldn't
go for my dreams, unless I was thin. Now I know how wrong I was. (See
Katie's high school picture below.)Yes, it's a bummer that summer is over; but, the start of the new school year is exciting! It is a time of fresh beginnings; new classes, new classmates, football games and dances. The "Back to School Dance" can be especially exciting because it is the first chance that you get to get all decked out and socialize at night! It is the time to shine and meet boys. A question on MTV's Singled Out was "What makes a girl look sexier, the way she dresses or the way she dances?" The unanimous answer... "The way she dances". Why? Guys are attracted to happy, confident girls. Dancing is one of the best ways to display your confidence and show that you are a fun person to be with. Are you a good dancer? Do you practice dancing? It sounds funny but, like everything in life, you become better with practice. I am not saying go out and join a dance school, just make the effort to move along to the songs you really dig. A fun way to practice is in your room with your favorite dance music playing loudly (sorry moms), adjust the lights so that you can see your shadow against the wall. Start with your feet planted and just sway to the music, close your eyes or look up to the ceiling and really feel the music. The deeper into the music you go, the more your body will move. Soon you will be dancing with your shadow. Watching your silhouette gives you a clear view of how your body looks as it moves along with your soul and it's a bit easier than staring at yourself in the mirror. If you still feel uneasy, watch the girls who you think look hot when they dance. Then try adapting their moves, either along side of them or in the shadow disco. The most important thing is to laugh, smile and have fun! By the time the "big night" arrives you will be confident and wanting to shake your groove thang. Plan to dance the night away and hope to connect with that new guy from Chemistry class. Start by dancing with a group of your girlfriends, then ask a couple of guy buddies. After he's seen you dancing all night he'll be happy to accept when you ask him to dance. This is the new millennium girls - we must go for what we want! Ask and you shall receive. But remember some guys don't like to dance, he might say "no", if he does just smile, say "thanks anyway" and ask someone else. Good luck & love life! Katie This is reprinted with permission from Katie. Check out Katie's Extra Hip website for more fun and info. Katie's book, Sexy at Any Size, is available in the Grand Style Bookstore Dating & Romance section. For more info about Katie and her modeling career, check out Katie's personal website. Click here for Katie's earlier articles.
Miss Plus America by Chenese Lewis, Miss Plus America 2003 An Interview With A Winner  Have you ever
wanted to sit down and chat with a pageant winner? This year's winner
of Miss Plus America, Chenese Lewis, took time out of her busy schedule
to sit down with us and answer our questions about the pageant, her motivation
and what's next in her life.GrandStyle.com: Could you tell us a little about yourself. Age. Occupation. Interests. Family. etc. Miss Plus America: My name is Chenese Lewis and I am the reigning Miss Plus America. I am 23 years old and a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I am pursuing a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing as well as pursuing a career as a plus size model and actress. I've never been married, no kids. I am currently focusing on my career and busy promoting the pageant. GrandStyle.com: What made you decide to enter the Miss Plus America 2003 pageant. Is this the first pageant you have entered? If not, which other(s) have you entered? Miss Plus America: The Miss Plus America pageant is the first pageant I've ever entered. Prior to this I had no knowledge of beauty pageants for plus size women. I came across the pageants website through a link on a plus modeling website. As I browsed through the website and read about the wonderful women involved and their various platforms it intrigued me more and more. I really took a big chance having no knowledge about pageantry or anyone to turn to for advice. Others that participated in the pageant had been doing so for years, but I did not let that discourage me. I know by believing in myself I could do anything I set my mind to. GrandStyle.com: What was competition really like? How is this competition different than/similar to other beauty pageants? Weren't you scared to death to be in the pagaent? Were the other competitors nice to be around, or was it really super competitive? Miss Plus America: The Miss Plus America Pageant system is unlike any other pageant concept. It celebrates the inner beauty of each contestant, as well as recognizing their commitment to their communities. I can honestly say that the weekend of the pageant was very enjoyable and inspiring. Even though it was a competition and it is natural to want to succeed, there was no negativity at all. Backstage we helped each other get dressed, we laughed, we sang, and it was fun. I got to bond with extraordinary women that, if not for the pageant, I would not have had the opportunity to meet. It is always a little scary trying something new, but you will never know what you are capable of unless you try. I went with the mind set that regardless of what happens, it was a nice trip, I enjoyed myself and had the opportunity to meet new friends with similar interests. The crown was just the icing on the cake. GrandStyle.com: You have chosen positive body image as your platform. What do you think is the #1 tip that you can give a woman who does not have a positive body image? Miss Plus America: I am blessed in that I never had a problem with body image or self esteem growing up. I was fortunate enough to have supportive parents and friends that never criticized or belittled me. I grew up knowing that I was a smart, beautiful and intelligent woman regardless of my size. From my life experience the best advice I can give a woman with a poor body image is to not obsess over your looks and surround yourself with positive people. You do not have to justify your size to anyone; you will never be able to please everyone regardless of how you look! Work on making yourself healthy and happy, which does not always equal skinny. GrandStyle.com: What do you plan to contribute to other plus size women during your reign? Miss Plus America: As Miss Plus America I want to serve as a role model, showing by example, that you can be beautiful and confident regardless of your size. I want to break the stereotypes that society has placed on full figured women and bring my message of positive body image to a mainstream audience. I feel fortunate to have this wonderful opportunity and the possibilities for the year ahead are limitless. For more information on the pageant, check the Miss Plus America website.
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Clean Out The Closets Of Your Life by DeLores Pressley Vision…It's All In Your Mind!  DeLores
Pressley is known for her electrifying and exhilarating performance as
a speaker. She carries her message of success while working with people
to help them develop their inborn potential and live better lives. She
is the author of Clean Out the Closets of
Your Life and Avanced Revelations to
Plus Size Modeling.How many times have you found yourself thinking back in time, wondering what life would have been like if you had done "this" differently, or if you had done "that" differently? If you had made different choices in your personal life, family life or in your career, what would you be like today? Would you have more money, would you dress differently, would you be traveling all year round with your beloved? Well, maybe life would be different but would you really change anything when it comes down to it? Probably not, as these are valuable experiences that have made you the wonderful person you are today. We cannot change the past, but what about the future? Let's look at it from a different perspective. How many times have you had visions of the future? Before you approached your boss for that much deserved raise did you think in your mind what you would say, how you would say it, how your boss would answer, and how you would respond to any questions? If you didn't, you probably didn't get that raise. But if you did - congratulations! You had a vision of how the conversation would go, you knew how to handle it, and you probably walked out of your boss' office with a raise. I think about a professional baseball pitcher. Every time he reaches the mound, before he throws each pitch does he have a vision of the ball leaving his hand, floating through the air, crossing the plate within the strike zone, feeling the breeze of the batters swing as he misses the ball and it goes straight into the catcher's mitt? Of course he does! Vision can be defined as a mental image, or intelligent foresight. As visionaries we can shape the future in our minds and make things happen that we never thought were possible. Put your visions to work for you. Have you established goals for yourself? Goals are not just for work and measuring your performance. Each of us should have short-term and long-term goals not only for our careers, but also for our personal life, family life, religious life, or whatever we feel is important. Goals can be as simple as getting the kids to school on time everyday, or cleaning out the hall closet, to something as complex as finishing a college degree or writing a book. Every successful business has a business plan-a road map to success. Why shouldn't you have a roadmap to success for your life? How do we achieve our goals? Hard work, determination, perhaps a change in lifestyle-it all depends on you and your personal road map. Close your eyes and picture in your mind what you will have to do today to achieve just one goal on your list. Envision yourself moving through the day, following every step you need to get that task done. Now…open your eyes, and get to it! © Copyright 2002 DeLores Pressley DeLores Pressley can be contacted at 330-649-9809 or by email, or visit her website at www.bornsuccessful.com.
Phenomenal
Womanby Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size. But when I start to tell them, they think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing of my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them, They say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back, The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, The palm of my hand, The need for my care. 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. |
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Young girls get such mixed messages about issues of
size and weight. On the one hand, there are things like
this. Then in almost the same breath, Entertainment
Tonight will do a story titled "How Thin Is Too Thin?"
Too thin is going from a size 10 to a size 4! Young girls
who wear a 10 now feel that they are fat. The damage
that this does to health and self-esteem is sometimes
irreparable.