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One of the most common refrains I hear from overweight women is their rebellion against the emphasis they feel our culture puts on impossibly perfect bodies. If Barbie were actually alive and full-sized, she wouldn't be able to carry her own weight and she wouldn't be able to walk without tumbling over. Yet little girls crave Barbie after Barbie, each one with a new look, a new outfit, a new hairstyle. Consciously or subconsciously, Barbie is a role model of style and grace to little girls, a mentor of feminine perfection that is actually possible only in molded plastic.

Mary Ann from Pennsylvania is 51 years old and 5' 1" tall. "I don't believe in 'weight.' The scale is the biggest deceiver in the history of dieting and weight loss," Mary Ann told me. "You see 'miracle' potions in a bottle that claim you can loose 10 pounds in a weekend, and you might. But it is not 'fat' you are loosing. You can be a skinny little thing and you might think you are wonderfully healthy, but when you starved yourself to get that way, you actually may have lost muscle mass and even bone because if you do not eat 'right' to loose weight, your body will actually begin to cannibalize itself!"

What should I buy for [fill in the blank yourself] for Christmas? That's a phrase guaranteed to send fear and panic in all directions. But, as usual, I'm here, to the rescue.

Paul from Scotland is 34 years old and 6’ 4" tall. Paul calls his low carb program 'PAUL'S LOW CARB DIET!' He combined several aspects from a few different low carb plans to find what worked best for his lifestyle. Paul started his low carbohydrate journey just 11 weeks ago, and he has already dropped from 251 pounds to 210 pounds; he reached his goal weight in a little less than three months! Paul used to wear a (tight!) 40-inch waist, but is now wearing a comfortable 34/36-inch waist.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful letter. After having checked my list (twice, even!), I see that you have been mostly good this year, despite that incident where you incited that riot. Since you felt that you where acting in everyone's best interests, I'm sure that we can let that one incident slide this year. Rest assured that I will be able to provide you with the majority of the items on your wish list, with the exception of this Winona Ryder person you wish for me to leave under your tree. We here at S. Clause Incorporated have strict rules against slavery of any kind, and feel that Ms. Ryder would not appreciate your request that she be wearing only two things: BUCK and NEKID. Need I remind you of the restraining order that Ms. Ryder requested last year for Christmas?

The Asparagus Omelet in tonight's menu fulfills both requirements for me, and it has another plus: any time I have asparagus I feel rich. There's something about asparagus that always spells ""extravagance"" to me.

Barb from Minnesota is 42 years old and 5' 8.5" inches tall. Barb's all time high weight was 225 pounds, which she reduced to 195 pounds through 'conventional dieting and exercise' before she began the Atkins program. "Now," she said, "I am not so 'religious' and simply avoid sugars and starches (for example, rice, potatoes, pasta, and bread)." Barb currently weighs 160 pounds, and has dropped from a size 16 to a size 12 by low carbing.

Certain foods "go together" in my mind; for example, pork and apples are one of my favorite combinations. The Johnny Appleseed Pork Chops in tonight's menu are a luscious change of pace from savory pork chops.

I'm told that in early December, Portuguese turkey farmers peddle their flocks on the streets of Lisbon. They do this for two reasons: because Lisbon is in Portugal, and is therefore a handy place to sell their turkeys, and because they don't have Thanksgiving in that country.