The Fat Diaries: Can You Enjoy Halloween Without Candy?

Some of you already know that I’ve been blessed with daughter who doesn’t like most sugary foods. It doesn't matter if it is ice cream, candy, chocolate, pies—with the exception of blueberry muffins and yellow cake with no frosting, my four-year-old has little-to-no interest in sweets. She would …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday October 28, 2011

The Fat Diaries: It's a Struggle Keeping Out Bad Influences

My kids are finally reaching that age where I’m not involved in every aspect of their life. A few years ago I decided what they ate for breakfast lunch and dinner. I came up with, or at least supervised every activity they pursued. I enforced good manners from the moment they woke up to the …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday September 30, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Do We Really Need New Ways to Eat Ketchup?

Heinz recently announced that they’ve changed their age-old design for ketchup packets. Traditionally if one wanted ketchup at a fast food chain your ketchup would come in a sealed foil pouch. It was then up to you to open the darn thing using fingers, teeth, acetylene torches, and/or …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday September 23, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Taking a Stand Against Immobility

Believe it or not, occasionally I talk about exercise as well as diet in this column. I know it’s kind of the elephant in the room as far as American health goes, and it’d be nice to say that a good diet alone can solve any problem, but that’s simply not the case. I abhor exercise in all forms and …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday September 9, 2011

The Fat Diaries: My Weight-Loss Partner

I never expected to meet the man I was going to marry at age 20. Marriage is something we think we’ll contemplate when we’re older and wiser, like 25. After dating my husband Joe for a month or two, I pretty much knew this was the guy I wanted to be around for the rest of my life. Now what does …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday September 2, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Luring Kids To Healthy Snacks

My kids descend on me like ravenous seagulls whenever I have a snack. I learned to use this behavior to my advantage, though, by substituting fruits and vegetables for goodies. So the kids are home from school now. It’s been a week already and I’m a wreck. The living room floor is a battle …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday June 17, 2011

The Fat Diaries: The Supermarket Field Trip

Suddenly everything was going all wrong! I didn’t want her to equate junk food with fat, I just wanted her to equate good food with healthy. Yesterday I was, once again, debating whether I should go grocery shopping with the kids or whether popcorn and ketchup would be a good dinner. The fact …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday June 10, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Can I Have That Downsized?

With food companies making packaged portions smaller many Americans are complaining that they just aren't getting their money's worth. But I couldn't be happier. Lately, people have been complaining that companies are cutting back on the size of food portions. The chips come in smaller bags, …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday May 27, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Can You Sleep Your Way to Skinny?

It’s been pounded into our heads since we were old enough to whine, “but I’m not tired, Mom,” that sleep's important. But now, it's harder to get than ever. So how was your weekend? A doozy right? A royal wedding and the bad guy dies. Sounds like a Shakespeare play (or maybe a Disney movie). …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday May 6, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Let Me Have Cake

I'm turning thirty today, and just my luck: My birthday's falling on Good Friday, a fast day for Catholics. So I can’t even have the one thing I want, a huge chocolate cake. I’m thirty years old today. My birthday always falls on Earth Day, which has always annoyed me to no end. Not that …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday April 22, 2011

The Fat Diaries: The 'Royal' Diet Hits America

A new French diet is all the rage in Europe and thanks to a rumored link with Prince William's future mother-in-law, the frenzy is about to hit our shores. Have you got your commemorative plate? Your William & Kate mug? Is your gigantic refrigerator bearing the likenesses of the …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday March 25, 2011

The Fat Diaries: Confessions of a Movie Snack Smuggler

A new mandate forcing movie theaters to share the calorie contents of their foods has concession stands worried they will lose more business. They lost mine years ago. Hope you all had a great St. Patrick’s Day. Mine was lamer than usual in that I was out of beer and forgot to buy something …

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Written by Monica Marier on Friday March 18, 2011