The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Most people who’ve read Updike say they either love or hate him. He’s lyrically controversial, masterful at making readers uncomfortable, and some say he’s misogynist. Even so, it’s hard to deny the appeal of his signature bold, descriptive, gut-level storytelling. I loved this photo from The Nocturnal Wench for the same reason, and found the sentiment apropos.

Are you ready to be bold? What would bold look like for you? Think about it, BE it, snap a photo of it, and upload it to our FGG Girls Flickr group in a fit of fabulous fearlessness.

I have a confession: I love to watch The Biggest Loser. I have another confession: I love to watch The Biggest Loser while eating dessert. There’s probably something very revealing about me in that statement. In fact, it’s highly likely that Jillian and Bob would have a heyday with punishing that out of me. (By the way, the mere thought of that scares the daylights out of me and makes me want to eat more ice cream.)

Anyway, this isn’t about ice cream (though maybe we should do that soon). It’s actually about a recipe I stumbled upon not long ago that originated from The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start. I don’t love it because it’s “healthy” and I’m certainly not on any fitness jump start. No… I love it because it’s hearty, it’s flavorful, and with my modifications to the recipe I can have avocado, sour cream and real cheese (none of that 2% or fat free stuff) without giving it a second thought. These are the sorts of things that make me happy. Well, that and ice cream.

Black Bean Burritos
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup canned fire-roasted, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
ground black pepper to taste
8 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or mexican blend cheese
2 avocados, chopped
1 cup salsa
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/2 cup sour cream

Add the olive oil to a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Carefully add the broth and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture is thickened and most of the broth has evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep the bean mixture warm.

Transfer tortillas one at a time to a nonstick skillet over low heat and heat them for several seconds on each side to soften and warm them. Transfer them to your work surface.

Sprinkle each warm tortilla with 2 Tbs of the cheese. Top with 1/2 cup hot bean filling in the center of each tortilla. Top with 1/4 avocado. Fold 2 sides of the tortilla in over the bean filling, then roll up the burrito from an unfolded edge. Top with salsa, sour cream and scallions.

Yield: 8 burritos

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

A guest post by actress Jenny Gattone

Think of me as a war correspondent- frankly, it’s a jungle out here. I speak of course, of the City of Angels. And I’m right in the thick of the battle – a chubby girl trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood.

I like to joke that when I’m on set I feel like a bull in a china shop. Film actresses are incredibly tiny, so I’m only half-kidding. I lived and worked in New York for about five years before doing a pilot, acquiring a manager, and moving across the country to work with said manager. I was terrified, wondering what would happen to me in the much more cookie-cutter world of Hollywood. What’s interesting, though, is that I actually work more in LA than I ever did in New York. A LOT more. I’m happy to tell you that despite how things look on television, Los Angeles is not a sea of blond highlights and fake boobs.

Well, maybe a little. There is a more uniform sense of what is beautiful here. I’ll be honest: show business, no matter where you are, is rough on a chubby girl. There are going to be directors that flat out will not cast a fat girl no matter how fierce you are. You may be compared to appliances (in my case, a refrigerator), and the blunt and objective way people will deal with your looks can be soul-sucking. But that’s true for every actor. On the bright side, I can look at an audition breakdown and peg the chubby girl part. (Hint: if they don’t flat out say fat, they usually mention the character’s love of food. Seriously.)

But as rough as it is on a chubby girl, it’s actually tougher on the non-chubby girls. You couldn’t pay me enough to be an ingénue in this town. No way, not with what I see some of my friends go through. A chubby girl is an as-is purchase. What you see is what you get. What are they going to do, say “How fast can you lose 75 pounds?” Yeah, sure, give me a year. And it’s a loooooooong day on a set. The skinny girls look so sad when lunch is served and they turn it down. Shoot, heck yeah I want a sandwich, I’ve been here nine hours!

One thing I’ve learned through LA’s skewed sense of beauty is that thin girls don’t really have a leg up in the self-image department. I haven’t seriously entertained the idea that being thin would solve all my problems since I was a teenager, but I was still astounded to discover that I seem to be more comfortable in my own skin than many of my thinner peers. It makes me sad to see so many of them try to come to terms with the ways in which they don’t resemble a swizzle stick and accept those things as “flaws.” It’s frustrating the way women are expected to live up to those unhealthy standards of thinness. I would love to see a full-scale revolution of women in this business. I would love to see us all, regardless of shape or size, stand up and say, “Fuck this!”

Unfortunately, there will always be women who will happily maintain a double-digit weight to work in film.

Right now you must be thinking, so how are things not as bad in LA as they look? My friends, it’s all attitude. You have to rise above the mind games. You have to grow a thick skin and see how beautiful you are no matter what they throw at you. Because truth is, most on-screen women aren’t any more beautiful than you and I; it’s amazing what a well-paid beauty professional in this town can do for any actress.

So girls, no matter what society tells you – directly or indirectly – about what is and isn’t beautiful and how appropriate it is to recognize and appreciate yours, screw them – feel it, recognize and appreciate it anyway. I try to, and I’m getting better and better at it as I go. Besides, I’m doing all right here. I’ve done a couple pilots, gone in for some cool films, I belong to a fantastic theatre company in Hollywood that I absolutely love, and I’m in my second show this year.

I also collaborated on a screenplay that’s now in pre-production. The heroine? A chubby girl. Because there’s no shortage of us off-camera, and one of my career goals is to get more of us in front of it.

Jenny Gattone

This week’s image, plucked from our fabulous FGG flickr group, tells a story of courage in the face of fear about how we’ll appear to others. Sometimes the societal and/or self-imposed shame surrounding being fat can spill over into other areas of our lives, holding us back from doing things we’d love to do, like ride a bike, hit the beach, or dip our toes into the world of dating. And that’s a big part of why we started this site: to encourage everyone to live in the here and now rather than awaiting some sparkly, size 8 future.

LaShawn eloquently expressed how she felt the fear and skated anyway:

“Went roller skating for Brodie’s birthday. I told myself I couldn’t skate. After all, too much time has passed and I have gained too much weight.

But, then I got a reality check and laced up.”

A better life isn’t just around the corner; it’s right here, calling us to experience it now. What are you waiting for? Lace up and try something this week that you’ve been avoiding because of your weight. It doesn’t have to be something big, just something that feels brave to you. And don’t forget to come here and tell us how it went!

As a kid, I loved my Easy-Bake Oven. Looking back, that probably was a sign of things to come. But during the summer months, I’d have gladly traded that oven for a Snoopy Sno Cone Maker. I mean, really, was there anything better on a sweltering day than a freshly made snow cone — especially when you got to scoop it out with that little red shovel and flavor it up with as much syrup as you wanted?

As an adult, I may not have a snow cone machine in my kitchen, but I might actually have something even better: granitas. A frozen dessert made of sugar, water, and flavorings (or, in this case, fruit juice) originally from Sicily, a granita is a cousin of Italian ice or sorbet, but with a coarser texture. In other words: a snow cone for adults!

The best part of this recipe? It’s cool, easy and surprisingly guilt-free since it’s basically just frozen fruit juice. Dessert that’s good for you? Sign me up!

Pomegranate Granita
3.5 cups pure pomegranate juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon sugar

In a four-cup measuring cup, combine all ingredients. Pour into a 9×9 inch baking dish and place carefully into the freezer. Freeze for approximately four hours. When completely frozen, use a fork to scrape the granita into snow cone consistency. Spoon into serving dishes and serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

If your answer to “When’s the last time you rode a bike?” is “childhood,” this is the guide that will help you feel like a kid again.

Why is cycling great for fat girls? “Because it’s not a weight-bearing activity, bicycling is a wonderful way to get into an exercise routine without stressing out your knees or hips,” says Georgena Terry, founder of Terry Precision Cycling, a company that designs bikes and accessories to fit women’s bodies.

For those completely new to bicycling, look for a local shop that offers lessons for adults, like The Bicycle Riding School near Boston or the Bay area’s Velo Girls.™ Check with a local cycling club or fitness center to see if they can offer recommendations for reputable shops or private instructors. As for what style of bike to get, there’s no need to break the bank on ultra-light performance bikes. “A hybrid style bike, with a straight bar and wider tires helps with the feeling of security and comfort that is so critical for beginning riders,” says Terry. ” The bike should feel like part of your body — you’re the one in control, not it.”

Whether you’re a newbie or nervous about getting back on a bike after years or decades away, start small and keep things simple. Terry suggests starting out on flat surfaces and trying 20-30 minute rides, gradually building up to longer rides on more challenging terrain. Look for local “rails-to-trails” or similar bike-friendly paths. “Beginning riders often feel safer since they don’t have to cope with traffic,” says Terry. Before heading out, practice in an empty parking lot to get used to the feel of starting, stopping and turning.

Terry addressed one burning (ahem) issue: coping with a sore bottom after those first couple of rides. “Every new cyclist has experienced this problem,” she says. ” Some of this is due to the need to get accustomed to the saddle (seat) and some can be due to a poorly fitting bicycle or saddle. Wearing proper cycling shorts with padding in them can really help.” If your sore backside isn’t better after a few rides, look into your fit on the bike (leaning too far forward can put pressure on sensitive areas).

On the subject of bike seats, unless your bike is really old or really cheap, you should be able to buy one that feels right for your body. When it comes to saddles, bigger and softer isn’t always better. “It’s like sinking into a really plush sofa,” says Terry. “It feels great at first, but after a while, you just can’t get comfortable.” Look for woman-specific seats, which are a bit wider and shorter than those for men. For cushioning, gel is the way to ride because it absorbs road shock and dissipates pressure. Remember not to go overboard: “A saddle with gel where your sit bones touch the saddle is perfect,” says Terry. Saddles with holes in them – like these, first patented by Terry Precision Cycling,  are typically better than those without because the hole also takes pressure off sensitive areas.

Have someone at a bike shop adjust your saddle and your fit on your bike; even small tweaks can make a big difference. Terry says the saddle should be level when viewed from the side and from the top it should point straight ahead, not canted to one side or the other. As for your positioning on your bike, too low to the ground (which feels safer to many riders) means pressure on your knees and a less efficient ride. “Beginners can cheat a bit and lower it some so you can at least have your toes touching the ground,” says Terry, but the ultimate goal is to raise the saddle so your leg has a very slight bend in it at the bottom of a pedal stroke.

Before hitting the road, trail or path, keep these safety considerations in mind when cycling:

* Wear bright clothing!

*Helmets can be a touchy subject for some; because they protect one of your body”s most valuable assets, we at FGG highly recommend them. Here’s a summary of state and local laws regarding bike helmets.

* Ride defensively.  Plan for the unexpected and assume that cars do not see you, and carry a cell phone and ID in the event of an accident.

* Remember that in most states, you’re expected to follow the rules of the road, so ride on the right, signal your turns and come to a full stop at stop lights and stop signs.

If you don’t yet own a bike or want to find a new one, check out Terry’s tips on finding the right bike for you.  To learn more about Terry Precision Cycling (major kudos to them for their line of plus size apparel!), check out TerryCycling.com, and connect with Terry via Twitter or her blog.

If you cycle, tell us about your experiences, tips and tricks, and share your fearless cycling photos in our FGG flickr group. If you’ve been wanting to get on (or back on) a bike, what are you waiting for? Get out there and try it – just be sure to come back and tell us how it went!

Is there a Fat Girl’s Guide you’d like to see us cover in the future? Horseback riding? Ice skating? Workout bras? Hammocks? Surfing?

Has one of our posts inspired you to try something outside of your comfort zone?

Do you have any questions or suggestions for us?

Would you like to nominate a photo from our FGG flickr group for this week’s Photo of the Week?

Share your thoughts and stories – and tell us how we’re doing so far – in the comments section.

Also: stay tuned for our guide to cycling and a new and yummy Foodie Friday entry this week.