I had tricked my blog into posting my entries from the oldest to the newest because I am old school and that is how the stuff should be read. However, my daughter and a few friends expressed how completely 'backwards' (hoho) that is in the blog world, and insisted that instead of forcing my readers to read from the beginning I should merely offer them an easy way to do so. So, here it is, a link to the beginning, which is where all things should start.
Wednesday, May 13, 2099
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Signs and Portents
I live on 5.88 acres in rural New Hampshire. One of the benefits is my property borders 77 acres of landlocked (read undeveloped) forest. Over my 30+ years here I have seen all kinds of wildlife in my proverbial front (and back) yard, ranging from moose to moles. A mama black bear with two cubs lives behind me and visits on occasion.
That said, animal sightings are still rare enough for me to think of them as more than the wonder they already are. For me, they are messages from the Universe that I try to understand.
Here's an example. In 2013, a very special woman who had been like a second mom to me passed away. The day I got the news I saw a deer. All of a sudden I was seeing deer, often a pair, on almost a daily basis. This went on with regularity for a couple of weeks.
I absolutely felt this was my mom and second mom making sure I understood they were still watching over me with love. I still see the occasional pair of deer and I persist in believing it's my moms sending love. Here's a pic of two who visited me recently at a friend's house.
So lately the Universe has been sending me wild turkeys. Not just a few mind you. Day after day of flocks numbering anywhere from 10 to 30+ birds.
At first I just figured it was a bumper year for them, but when I made that observation to friends they all commented they hadn't seen many, if any, at all. Every picture (and video!) I am posting below was taken by me (favorite piece of tech... phone with camera for sure!) on my property from late September to right before Thanksgiving.
I had an absolute blast sharing this video of turkeys flocking up my driveway a couple of days before Thanksgiving. It was already funny but the timing made it hilarious (timing is everything, you know).
And just two days after the turkey holiday I saw not one, but two, huge flocks as I was driving to a friend's house. She is a devout animal lover so I mentioned the sightings to her knowing it would brighten her day. Her reply? "I have yet to see a wild turkey this year."
This left me really feeling all these turkeys are a message from the Universe directly to me. The question naturally becomes, "What is the Universe trying to tell me?"
If the Universe is expending this energy just to call me a turkey, all I can say is at least I'm a wild one!
Here's what I think: Taking the timing of my turkey infestation into consideration, I believe the Universe is reminding me to prioritize being thankful. Daily struggles can make all of us lose sight of the things for which we should be grateful. The turkeys are telling me my attitude should always reflect gratitude.
That said, animal sightings are still rare enough for me to think of them as more than the wonder they already are. For me, they are messages from the Universe that I try to understand.
Here's an example. In 2013, a very special woman who had been like a second mom to me passed away. The day I got the news I saw a deer. All of a sudden I was seeing deer, often a pair, on almost a daily basis. This went on with regularity for a couple of weeks.
I absolutely felt this was my mom and second mom making sure I understood they were still watching over me with love. I still see the occasional pair of deer and I persist in believing it's my moms sending love. Here's a pic of two who visited me recently at a friend's house.
So lately the Universe has been sending me wild turkeys. Not just a few mind you. Day after day of flocks numbering anywhere from 10 to 30+ birds.
At first I just figured it was a bumper year for them, but when I made that observation to friends they all commented they hadn't seen many, if any, at all. Every picture (and video!) I am posting below was taken by me (favorite piece of tech... phone with camera for sure!) on my property from late September to right before Thanksgiving.
And just two days after the turkey holiday I saw not one, but two, huge flocks as I was driving to a friend's house. She is a devout animal lover so I mentioned the sightings to her knowing it would brighten her day. Her reply? "I have yet to see a wild turkey this year."
This left me really feeling all these turkeys are a message from the Universe directly to me. The question naturally becomes, "What is the Universe trying to tell me?"
If the Universe is expending this energy just to call me a turkey, all I can say is at least I'm a wild one!
Here's what I think: Taking the timing of my turkey infestation into consideration, I believe the Universe is reminding me to prioritize being thankful. Daily struggles can make all of us lose sight of the things for which we should be grateful. The turkeys are telling me my attitude should always reflect gratitude.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Award Recipient Announced !!
I have decided to create the Fat Girl's Manifesto Morbid Ignorance
and Insensitivity Award and the honor of being the first recipient goes
to Rick Ungar (close second goes to the gentleman he quotes, Eric Finkelstein), a contributing writer at Forbes.com. In his article, Obesity Now Costs Americans More in Healthcare Spending than Smoking, Mr Ungar opines:
" Making the cost impact all the more troubling is the fact that,
unlike smokers, obese people tend to live almost as long as those who
keep their weight under control. ' Smokers die early enough that they
save Social Security, private pensions, and Medicare "trillions of
dollars," said Duke's Eric Finkelstein. But mortality isn't that much
higher among the obese.' "
There is so much wrong about that quote it is hard to know where to begin. What I find most "troubling" is Mr. Ungar (with Mr. Finkelstein's help) seeming to imply it would be better for everyone if obese folk had the courtesy to die earlier like smokers. These are people you two bozos are talking about for heaven's sake!! Huge ignorance and insensitivity points scored here by the hurry-up-and-die slam on the obese and smokers alike.
On a side note, Ungar and Finkelstein unwittingly expose a huge lie perpetrated all over the media by the multi-billion dollar diet and fitness industry that being overweight is a death-at -an-early-age guarantee. I do find that amusing.
Also problematic is the inference of the tremendous healthcare burden obesity places on society. Ungar cites a 2012 Reuters study claiming obesity costs $190 billion a year. In my book I discuss the demonization of fat people by the media with particular emphasis on the healthcare burden issue. Here are a few interesting facts Messrs. Ungar and Finkelstein need to consider:
Paul Leigh, a UC Davis Professor of Public Health Sciences published his research results titled, U.S. Work-Related Injuries, Illnesses Cost $250 Billion Annually: Study. That $250 billion pricetag is "$31 billion more than the direct and indirect costs of all cancer, $76 billion more than diabetes, and $187 billion more than strokes."
His data was gleaned from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among other reputable sources. Read my book for some eye opening tidbits from a CDC study on the costs of Sport, Exercise, and Recreational (SER) injuries. Learn the burden fitness is putting on our healthcare system!
Here's a closing thought to ponder about SER's from Injury Prevention Online.
"More exercise will mean less obesity related disease, but exercise related injuries may negate the gain. Recent studies point to the significant and largely under-researched, injury problem associated with sports and recreational injury."
You can be fat and fit my friends. Learn what exercises and activities are safe and appropriate for you.
Let's have a rational, national conversation on weight and health, not one driven by lies, false scare tactics and demonization.
There is so much wrong about that quote it is hard to know where to begin. What I find most "troubling" is Mr. Ungar (with Mr. Finkelstein's help) seeming to imply it would be better for everyone if obese folk had the courtesy to die earlier like smokers. These are people you two bozos are talking about for heaven's sake!! Huge ignorance and insensitivity points scored here by the hurry-up-and-die slam on the obese and smokers alike.
On a side note, Ungar and Finkelstein unwittingly expose a huge lie perpetrated all over the media by the multi-billion dollar diet and fitness industry that being overweight is a death-at -an-early-age guarantee. I do find that amusing.
Also problematic is the inference of the tremendous healthcare burden obesity places on society. Ungar cites a 2012 Reuters study claiming obesity costs $190 billion a year. In my book I discuss the demonization of fat people by the media with particular emphasis on the healthcare burden issue. Here are a few interesting facts Messrs. Ungar and Finkelstein need to consider:
Paul Leigh, a UC Davis Professor of Public Health Sciences published his research results titled, U.S. Work-Related Injuries, Illnesses Cost $250 Billion Annually: Study. That $250 billion pricetag is "$31 billion more than the direct and indirect costs of all cancer, $76 billion more than diabetes, and $187 billion more than strokes."
His data was gleaned from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among other reputable sources. Read my book for some eye opening tidbits from a CDC study on the costs of Sport, Exercise, and Recreational (SER) injuries. Learn the burden fitness is putting on our healthcare system!
Here's a closing thought to ponder about SER's from Injury Prevention Online.
"More exercise will mean less obesity related disease, but exercise related injuries may negate the gain. Recent studies point to the significant and largely under-researched, injury problem associated with sports and recreational injury."
You can be fat and fit my friends. Learn what exercises and activities are safe and appropriate for you.
Let's have a rational, national conversation on weight and health, not one driven by lies, false scare tactics and demonization.
A Fat Girl's Manifesto Post
A friend just posted an article containing the following quote:
"Since the 1970's rates of obesity have more than tripled, causing nearly 1in 5 cancer deaths and $50 billion in healthcare spending according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
"Since the 1970's rates of obesity have more than tripled, causing nearly 1in 5 cancer deaths and $50 billion in healthcare spending according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
A couple thoughts come to mind. As I discuss in more depth in my book
it appears our nation's war on obesity is creating it rather than curing
it, mainly due to the effects of yo-yo dieting.
Next, if one follows the logic and math of the statement then it should read:
4 out of every 5 cancer deaths are caused by the non-obese costing $200 billion in healthcare spending.
Hmmmmm...
Or look at it this way. Current statistics say about 33% of the country is obese. Again, that statement should read :
67% of the country's population (non-obese) cause 80% of the nation's cancer deaths while 33% of the country's population (obese) cause only 20% of the nation's cancer deaths.
Again, hmmmmm...
As much as the multi-billion dollar diet and fitness industry want to demonize and scare fat folks, the numbers don't really support their agenda.
There can be serious health consequences involved in weight loss. Let's have a rational, national conversation on weight and health, not one driven by lies, false scare tactics and demonization.
Read A Fat Girl's Manifesto to learn more.
Next, if one follows the logic and math of the statement then it should read:
4 out of every 5 cancer deaths are caused by the non-obese costing $200 billion in healthcare spending.
Hmmmmm...
Or look at it this way. Current statistics say about 33% of the country is obese. Again, that statement should read :
67% of the country's population (non-obese) cause 80% of the nation's cancer deaths while 33% of the country's population (obese) cause only 20% of the nation's cancer deaths.
Again, hmmmmm...
As much as the multi-billion dollar diet and fitness industry want to demonize and scare fat folks, the numbers don't really support their agenda.
There can be serious health consequences involved in weight loss. Let's have a rational, national conversation on weight and health, not one driven by lies, false scare tactics and demonization.
Read A Fat Girl's Manifesto to learn more.
How to Get Published v.2.0
OK - Back in February, 2014 I wrote about trying to get my book, A Fat Girl's Manifesto (A Thin Book on Living FAT in America), published. If you read that blog you know I was finding the traditional publishing route insanely frustrating. I ended by saying I would continue to search for a literary agent to find me a publisher and predicted future blogs on the subject.
Here I am a year and three months later to bring you up to speed. After getting nowhere with admittedly only a small effort to find an agent I began to investigate self publishing. I am not one to engage in any activity that requires endless waiting with no indication that anyone is paying any attention to your efforts at all, and no guarantee that hard work and perseverance will supply a positive outcome. The major and only exception to that statement is fishing, my favorite pastime.
I am not going to write about the ins and outs of self publishing as there appear to be myriad ways to go about it ranging from the fairly inexpensive to the very costly. If you decide to self publish you will find the option that works best for you.
The main thing you need to know about self publishing is it only puts your book out there, with a trillion others. Getting the word out and inspiring folks to buy your book is a whole other story and rests squarely on your shoulders.
My book, A Fat Girl's Manifesto (A Thin Book on living FAT in America), came out in March, 2015. It is available in paperback and e-book format on all the sites you'ld expect, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc., and a few you might not, like Wal-Mart. Here are some kind words from others about my book to pique your interest.
You have been led to believe lies... in her often times witty and always brilliant style, Cyr Daniel shows us how to stop the self-loathing and see ourselves and our bodies in a new, much more sensible and intelligent way. This book gives new meaning to the old adage... change the way you see, not the way you look. Her book is a call for a revolution and awakening in the way people perceive themselves.
Lisa Sanders, Life Coach & Intuitive Consultant
A Fat Girl’s Manifesto should be required reading for every health, wellness and fitness professional, regardless of if they work with the overweight population or not. With sharp insight, humor and candidness, Cyr opens the window for the reader to glimpse through and see what it is like growing up and living in America in a body which society deems as too big and unhealthy. Based on a foundation of solid research and science, this book will strip away any ill-founded assumptions and preconceived notions you might have, and clearly shows that you can, contrary to popular belief, be fat and fit. It is time for everyone, including the diet and fitness industry, to stop profiting from the vulnerability and insecurities of the overweight. Let’s produce products and services that emphasize health, not weight loss, as a primary goal, and do so with compassion, respect and dignity.
Ellen G. Goldman, M.Ed.
Certified Professional wellness Coach, Certified Personal Trainer
Cyr Daniel says,
"I can't tell you how many women I've seen--fat and thin--obsessed with
dieting and hating their perfectly beautiful bodies. It strikes me as a
sad way to spend life's precious moments."
A woman whose life was similarly oppressed by antifat prejudice, Daniel broke free. She learned what she calls the TRUTH* behind the FIBs and FIB2s that underlie the oppression. With an engaging sense of humor and a knack for useful acronyms, she encourages "consciousness fattening" in the reader. She makes several good points, such as the economic costs of fat prejudice vs. those of sports, exercise, and recreation.
This quick, easy read demonstrates her long-held decision that her life would never be about quantity, but always about quality. It's easy to see from her photo and her story that she chooses "friends, fun, and food every time."
*Read the book to decode the acronyms.
Barbara Altman Bruno, Ph.D., LCSW
Author, Worth Your Weight
A woman whose life was similarly oppressed by antifat prejudice, Daniel broke free. She learned what she calls the TRUTH* behind the FIBs and FIB2s that underlie the oppression. With an engaging sense of humor and a knack for useful acronyms, she encourages "consciousness fattening" in the reader. She makes several good points, such as the economic costs of fat prejudice vs. those of sports, exercise, and recreation.
This quick, easy read demonstrates her long-held decision that her life would never be about quantity, but always about quality. It's easy to see from her photo and her story that she chooses "friends, fun, and food every time."
*Read the book to decode the acronyms.
Barbara Altman Bruno, Ph.D., LCSW
Author, Worth Your Weight
This is a little book with a big
message. Regardless of our size, accepting ourselves is fundamental to truly
understanding what each of us needs for health and happiness. Kudos to Cyr
Daniel for discovering that for herself and spreading the message.
Marsha Hudnall, MS, RDN,
CD
President & Co-Owner
Green Mountain at Fox
Run
a women’s retreat for
healthy living without dieting
Website:
Blog:
No overweight American should be scared to walk into a gym, regardless
of social norm or media pressure. Cyr is an inspiration. A true
revolutionary for one of the most misunderstood niches of the fitness
industry. An amazing memoir by a brilliant fat-fit soul. Cyr provokes
and challenges what was cut and dry fundamental in fitness and turns it
upside down.
Mike Cupples, Certified Personal Trainer
A Fat Girl's Manifesto provides a good balance between science and personal testimony. Daniel offers an easy to understand summary of the latest research: being heavier than average is not as bad as you think, and restrictive dieting and weight obsession are neither effective nor healthful. Her spirited personality shines through as she relates her journey towards self-acceptance. The book is a pleasant and worthwhile read.
Excerpt from review by Miriam Villchur Berg, President, Council on Size and Weight Discrimination
and finally...
Cyr Daniel offers an honest openhearted and hilarious account of her journey to find self acceptance as an overweight woman living in America. From her days as a nude model, to her loving marriage and motherhood, to her current retirement quest to relocate to Tahiti (where they love heavy bodies), Cyr tells it like it is! Her inspiring manifesto is leading countless others who are breaking free from the Fat Is Bad (FIB) doctrine to live their lives in peace and harmony - with chocolate and a treadmill. Citing national experts such as Glenn Gaesser and accepted research about the genetics of obesity, plus the economics of the war on obesity, Cyr stands up proudly for the cause. Her revolution is just beginning...
Deirdre Randall
CEO, Peter E. Randall Publisher
Mike Cupples, Certified Personal Trainer
A Fat Girl's Manifesto provides a good balance between science and personal testimony. Daniel offers an easy to understand summary of the latest research: being heavier than average is not as bad as you think, and restrictive dieting and weight obsession are neither effective nor healthful. Her spirited personality shines through as she relates her journey towards self-acceptance. The book is a pleasant and worthwhile read.
Excerpt from review by Miriam Villchur Berg, President, Council on Size and Weight Discrimination
and finally...
Cyr Daniel offers an honest openhearted and hilarious account of her journey to find self acceptance as an overweight woman living in America. From her days as a nude model, to her loving marriage and motherhood, to her current retirement quest to relocate to Tahiti (where they love heavy bodies), Cyr tells it like it is! Her inspiring manifesto is leading countless others who are breaking free from the Fat Is Bad (FIB) doctrine to live their lives in peace and harmony - with chocolate and a treadmill. Citing national experts such as Glenn Gaesser and accepted research about the genetics of obesity, plus the economics of the war on obesity, Cyr stands up proudly for the cause. Her revolution is just beginning...
Deirdre Randall
CEO, Peter E. Randall Publisher
I will be blogging about issues related to the book now and then, you've been warned. For those of you more interested in my thoughts and feelings on non- weight-related issues, never fear. I will continue to hold forth on all and sundry.
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