Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich.
Life is….Precious

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire was nominated for more than 5 awards at the OSCARS this year. Very impressive! The movie won 2 Oscars. Another 65 wins & 55 nominations… The movie is presented by Oprah Winfrey and featured Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique, the star in the movie Phatz Girls. Mariah Carey was in the film as well! Mo’Nique had a very very moving and impressive act as a mother in the movie and that won her the Best Supporting Actress in the OSCARS. The film won the title for Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

• Nomination – Actress in a Leading Role
• Winner – Actress in a Supporting Role
• Nomination – Directing
• Nomination – Film Editing
• Nomination – Best Picture
• Winner – Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

» click here for more details on the movie

About The Novel: ‘Push’ By Sapphire

An electrifying first novel that shocks by its language, its circumstances, and its brutal honesty, Push recounts a young black street-girl’s horrendous and redemptive journey through a Harlem inferno. For Precious Jones, 16 and pregnant with her father’s child, miraculous hope appears and the world begins to open up for her when a courageous, determined teacher bullies, cajoles, and inspires her to learn to read, to define her own feelings and set them down in a diary.

» click here to amazon.com for more

• My World My Blog 2 (青涩部落格), Epsiode 2 – Sarah A La Mode (莎拉的新衣)
• Channel U, 31 Dec 2009, 9.30pm

Here’s a synopsis:

Since young, the 21-year-old Sarah has been a subject of constant ridicule from people around her, mocking her with unkind names like fat, overweight and obese.

To cope with her loneliness, depression and emotional setbacks, she gorges on food. With her low self-esteem, Sarah never goes shopping for her own clothes. She makes do with the plus sized clothing bought by her busy, career-minded mother. Sarah’s ultimate desire is to possess a slim, curvaceous body like many of today’s young fashionable girls, so she goes on diet and tries various slimming programs. But, none of these are successful.

A group of plus sized ladies she meets inspire her. They “shape up” her perspective. Sarah’s perception about her body changes, so does her life. She starts to like her body, dresses up herself and lives a healthy and positive life.

» click here to My World My Blog 2 website

WISHING ALL B.A.B. GIRLS A BIGnBEAUTIFUL HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

If you are interested to appear on TV or to share your views and opinions, please read on for more information….

What is the interview for?

They are currently producing an 8-episode Mandarin docu-Drama titled “My World My Blog II”. It is scheduled to air primetime on Channel U this early December. Every episode is a close to true-life depiction of the challenging and vibrant life of the young adults today. Episode 3 will be depicting the life of Plus Sized Ladies / Big Beautiful Women. Thus, they are now in the midst of conducting research for story ideas to write for the drama script and are seeking to hear from curvaceous girls their trials and tribulations to live up to society’s misconcepted belief that slim is beautiful. Their thoughts, views and dreams.

Plus size girls (between age 18 to 25) are needed!

They are still wanting to hear from plus size girls aged between 18 to 25. I really think this is for a very good cause. We should all just brace it up and share with them our experience and what we have went through. Only then can they depict the life of Plus Size Ladies as close as it is. If you are interested, please do email Diana at diana25wanyui@yahoo.com.sg. She will arrange a time at your convenience to conduct the interview.

Please rest assured that this is solely for research purpose thus there is NO filming and NO recording conducted. Please be assured of complete anonymity: your identity and what you’ve shared will be kept confidential. You are not required to tell us your full name nor leave us any contact information. Please be assured that the drama script will NOT be based solely on the information you have share with us. The script is a composite of information we have gathered.

How Did 19 Sep 2009 interview session went?

My boyfriend and I had a 1-on-1 interview with them (we had another more in depth one with them yesterday as well). Then we had Constance and Annie from Jovial Wardrobe and then later on, we had Cecilia from Lovely Closet Shop and a few other members, like Marilyn, Serene and Emily with us. During the 1-on-1 interview, personally, I shared with them my experience, how I have managed to get through my teenage years and my younger days being plus sized and my bad and good relationships (I will write a more detailed blog on this later so I can share with all of you). Then later on, we all had a general discussion about being plus size, confidence, etc. It was kinda casual and fun in a way.

Interested to act on Channel U?

They are currently conducting talents casting (chinese) for that episode. So if you are interested, please click here to download the casting form. Below are the submission instructions:

• fill in your details on the casting form
• together with jpeg files of recent photos of yourself -  (1) standing full body (head to toe), (2) face portrait ( No hats / caps to cover your face)
• email the form and photos to: makjunhua@threesixzero.com.sg with the subject “Re: MY WORLD MY BLOG 2 – EPISODE 3 Casting Call”
• Jun Hua will contact you with details if you are selected for the audition.

So don’t miss out the chance if you have always been interested in acting! I am submitting the casting form for sure!

In the modern society, where the celebrities are planning and plotting their ways to slim figures, its always an inspiration to see someone who is not! Who says plus size women can’t make it big in the entertainment industry?! Nikki has proved it all! A big fan of the movies and musical, I will say Nikki Blonsky is really superb! So if you have that beat in you? Or you have that voice in you? Move it! Shout it! Live it large!

Nikki was honored in the 13th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards for her role as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray in 2007 (Best Young Actress), which has grossed over 100 million dollars to date. She was taped “screaming her brains out” when she won the award. Nikki continues to star in movies such as “Harold” with Cuba Gooding Jr. this past summer, “Queen Sized” on Lifetime and most recently has been cast in the Indie film “Waiting for Forever” set to release sometime in 2009. Nikki is also currently working on her first album, which she hopes, to release when the time is right.

About Nikki » Click here to Nikki’s fan site » Click here to Nikki on Wikipedia Nikki’s Movies » Click here to “Hairspray” » Click here to “Queen Sized” » Click here to “Harold” » Click here to “Waiting Forever”

In a Health Discussion forum that he participated in for Plus Size Exercise at Amazon.com, he defined his stand by providing “substantial evidence”…

He said: “There are plenty of men who think plus-size is sexy and enjoys them. The propaganda that only by being skinny is healthy desirable is simply untrue. You should check out this reading list!”

Movies To Watch

Phat Girlz (2006)
Starring: Doug Ballard, Jack Noseworthy

Hairspray
~ John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nikki Blonsky, Queen Latifah, and Zac Efron (DVD – 2007)

Secret Society
~ Charlotte Brittain, Lee Ross, Annette Badland, and James Wooton (DVD – 2002)

Books To Read

Big Fat Lies: The Truth about Your Weight and Your Health
by Glenn A. Gaesser (Author)

Bountiful Women: Large Women’s Secrets for Living the Life They Desire
by Bonnie Bernell (Author), Carmen Renee Berry (Introduction)

The Strange History of Suzanne LaFleshe: And Other Stories of Women and Fatness (The Women’s Stories Project)
by Susan Koppelman (Editor)

Revolting Bodies?: The Struggle to Redefine Fat Identity
by Kathleen Lebesco (Author)

The Forbidden Body: Why Being Fat is Not a Sin (Issues in Women’s Health series)
by Shelley Bovey (Preface)

The Invisible Woman: Confronting Weight Prejudice in America
by W. Charisse Goodman (Author)

Self-Esteem Comes in All Sizes: How to Be Happy and Healthy at Your Natural Weight, Revised Edition
by M.A., Carol A. Johnson (Author), et al.

Sexy at Any Size: The Real Woman’s Guide To Dating and Romance
by Katie Arons (Author), Jacqueline Shannon (Contributor)

Yoga: Just My Size With Megan Garcia
DVD ~ Megan Garcia

Megayoga
by Megan Garcia

Look Great, Feel Great: “Plus Size Pilates” (2003)
Starring: Lynne Robinson Director: David Yates

Real Fitness for Real Women: A Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman
by Rochelle Rice (Creator)

Just the Weigh You Are: How to Be Fit and Healthy, Whatever Your Size
by Linda Konner (Author), Steven Jonas (Author)

The Big Girls’ Guide to Life: A Plus-Sized Jaunt Through a Body-Obsessed World
by Bunkie Lynn (Author)

Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World
by Mo’Nique Imes Jackson (Author), Sherri A. McGee (Author)

Wake Up, I’m Fat!
by Camryn Manheim (Author)

FAT!SO? : Because You Don’t Have to Apologize for Your Size
by Marilyn Wann (Author)

Real Women Don’t Diet!: One Man’s Praise of Large Women and His Outrage at the Society That Rejects Them

Women En Large: Images of Fat Nudes
by Laurie Toby Edison (Author), Debbie Notkin (Author)

Zaftig: The Case for Curves
by Edward St Paige (Author), Edward Paige (Author)

Zaftig: Well Rounded Erotica
by Hanne Blank (Editor)

Big Big Love: A Sourcebook on Sex for People of Size and Those Who Love Them
by Hanne Blank (Author)

Kaiwen, a blogger, chanced upon B.A.B. website and complimented it so of course, as the B.A.B. Girl, I got to go check out his website. And wow, was I inspired! He had lost 20kg in 29 days!

The last time…ok…the ONLY time, something like that happened to me was in 1998. And this did not happen just like that. It took me half a year with very vigorous exercise – going to the gym, basketball, swimming almost everyday. The happiest time in this workout regime was always the time when I stepped on the weighing scale and I see my weight decreasing day by the day! Oh well, when you have an ex-boyfriend that is that crazy about exercising then….That was the time when I REALLY LOVE THE WEIGHING SCALE. For now, I am complacent when the weighing scale shows me the same weight (without any increment!)

Here’s an excerpt from Kaiwen’s blog:

95 kg !!!: I’ve lost a total of 20 kg within 29 days!!! And I’m still losing!

It was really like a dream come true for me, or should I say a bad nightmare… I’ve manage to bring back my body shape they way it was 3 years ago….and in such a short time!!

One fine day, when I was wearing my jeans and I found out that it’s becoming tighter and tighter, I knew that it’s time to hit the weighing scale because I know that I have GAINED WEIGHT! I was stepping on the weighing scale and it shows the readings : 115kg!!!

For more on Kaiwen’s inspiration, click here to his blog.

Article extracted from: Blackmores, the Best of Health
Dated: 17 March 2008

The story up until now

Shauna Reid, a Scotland-dwelling Australian lass, began her lard-busting adventure in Canberra in January 2001, weighing almost 160 kilos. Six years later, she’d lost exactly half her body weight. She has blogged her ups and downs since day one, and just written a book called the Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. In this two-part interview, we catch up to uncover more of her secrets…

Q. After losing 80 kg, what lessons did you learn about food?

A – Shauna Reid. For the first nine months, I didn’t eat chocolate because I thought I couldn’t succeed without cutting that out. Now I’ve taught myself to survive on small portions. If I starved myself, I went crazy bingeing on it later. Now I just buy a small block. It’s about retraining your taste buds and learning to live with less. I learnt that I don’t have to deprive myself, it’s just about using smaller portions.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about finding love in Scotland?

A. Yeah, I met Gareth at a pub quiz over here, and I was a size 20 at the time. It took me a little while to realise that he liked me, because my self esteem was still a bit poor. I didn’t think that kind of thing would happen to me until I was a lot smaller. And then I readjusted my perspective. I realised that you don’t have to wait until you’re skinny for life to start happening to you. So we got together, and when we were married a year and a bit later – I was in a size 16 wedding dress.

Q. Has losing weight changed the person you are?

A. Fundamentally I’ve always been the same kind of person – easy going, light-hearted. But now that I’ve lost weight, I’m a lot more adventurous. I’m not hesitant anymore. Because when I was so large, my thoughts were dominated by my fat. So I wasn’t living in the moment. I’d go to a restaurant and worry whether I’d fit in the seats, rather than enjoy being with my friends. I was preoccupied with the logistics of being fat, but now I’m there and I’m more into life. I don’t have to worry about my body anymore, it’s just part of the furniture. So I want to try new things, new sports and go travelling.

Q. Would you say your confidence is now at 100 per cent?

A. I think so, and the thing that surprised me is how early on my confidence increased. It wasDiet girl as early as when I started doing body pump classes at size 24. It was just treating my body right, feeding it good food and moving it. It makes you think, “Wow, my body’s a really great thing.” I had spent so many years abusing it, and the moment I started treating it better, my confidence increased. There are also cosmetic changes that increase your confidence. Just the fact that you don’t have to wear some ugly, sequined number from the plus-size section at Target – it makes a difference when you can wear a nice pair of jeans and knee-high boots.

To read Shauna’s blog, check out http://www.dietgirl.org

Article extracted from: Blackmores, the Best of Health
Dated: 17 March 2008
Meet ‘Diet Girl’. Blogging sensation Shauna Reid lost half her body weight and kept it off. Take a peek at her secrets in our exclusive interview…

Having lost 80 kilos and gained a love life, Shauna Reid reveals her top tips and best insights to beating the bulge. For good.

Shauna Reid, a Scotland-dwelling Australian lass, began her fat-busting adventure in Canberra in DietgirlJanuary 2001, weighing almost 160 kilos. Six years later, she’d lost exactly half her body weight.

She has blogged her ups and downs since day one, and just written a book called the Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl. In this two-part interview, we catch up with Shauna to uncover her secrets…

Q. What was it that made you commit to losing weight once and for all?

A – Shauna Reid. I was hanging my undies on the line, and they were a giant size 26. I hung up my sister’s right beside them, and she had these tiny size 10s. And I was looking up at them thinking, “I can’t believe I have these granny undies at 23 years of age. These shouldn’t belong to me. I really have to do something about it.” So that’s when I hit rock bottom. Before then I had been in denial about how much weight I’d put on. That’s when I decided to take action.

Q. What do you think are the biggest myths surrounding weight loss?

A. There are a lot of myths about exercise. People say you get bulky if you lift weights, but the opposite happens. For me, everything started shrinking when I began lifting weights.

Q. What inspired you to get online and start writing about your experiences?

A. The first time I went to a diet club they told me I was nearly 160kg and I was so completely overwhelmed by that. I didn’t have anyone in my life who had a weight problem to that extent, and I didn’t feel like I could talk to them about it, so I needed another way to express myself. I started blogging. I used to eat to mask my feelings and now I was actually writing about them. I started getting feedback from people around the world and that ended up turning into a huge motivation for me. Within three or four months, I had about 50 people a day, and the community of visitors started growing. These days it’s about 1500 a day – so it’s just taken off! This also means that I don’t give up because people are tuning in to find out how I am going.

Q. What were the greatest lessons you learnt about succeeding when you’re trying to lose weight?

A. The biggest thing I learnt about succeeding was that it’s about being persistent rather than being perfect. I used to have this idea in my head that I had to follow a plan perfectly. But I realised that when you mess up, it’s about picking yourself up when you fall over. And you will fall over! There are always obstacles: you might have a death in the family, or things are bad at work – and you have to try and work around those things – whereas if you have this dieting mentality, it’s always a pass and fail thing. So for me, it was learning that I didn’t have to be perfect, I just had to not give up. The other thing is that you do have to change your lifestyle, but your lifestyle itself constantly changes, so you just have to adapt and fit your diet around your life – rather than the other way around.

Q. What were the practical tools that really assisted you?

A. Exercise, in particular, weight training. I started body pump classes when I was size 24 and I was by far the largest in the room, but I had learnt that weight training was good for large people – one reason being because it’s simple. I’ve been doing it for six years now and it’s really helped tone my skin. People always ask me, “Do you have loose skin?” but because I’ve been so consistent with my exercise, it’s given my body time to adjust.

Q. What are your best weight loss tips?

A. My biggest tip is ‘don’t feel like you have to wait until you’re skinny to exercise’. Start as soon as you can. A lot of people start with adjusting their diet alone. At the start I concentrated on my food intake because my eating habits were so bad. Many people concentrate on one thing at a time and get their food under control, but just starting with whatever exercise you can do is great. At first, I was so large that all I could do was walk to the end of the street and back. That was ten minutes! Then I just Dietgirl bookadded another corner, and then a whole block, and just built it up from there. You have to work within your ability, but move as soon as you can.

To read Shauna’s blog, check out http://www.dietgirl.org