Got style? Contact us at lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca &

Life&Style

a L\ a (ol WAISTS By Jacey Gibb

Jacey Gibb and Sharon Miki signed up for Douglas’ Biggest Loser competition with the goal of losing the highest percentage body weight in eight weeks. Join them on their noble quest as they chart their triumphs and tumbles. Winner gets bragging rights, loser eats a cockroach. Seriously.

I lost nine percent of my body weight after only seven days like my first weigh-in reported. I'll give you a moment to take the news in.

[EE come to a shocking conclusion: I don’t think

Week Three

My vendetta against buds and suds

beer-orientated carbs? They’re not my key to success. | think I’ve already lost track of how many times I’ve said that I’m quitting drinking for the rest of the competition, but that leads into why my friends have also become my worst enemies.

Somewhere along the way, the phrase “hang out with my friends” became code for “get wrecked.” It’s undoubtedly a terrible realization, especially when it first dawned on me. I realized that there are some exceptionally good friends that I’ve hardly even seen outside of a bar or concert situation. Frightening? Maybe to some, but not me. Annoying? Yes.

In my rush to Drinking has destroy Sharon 1 . . unknowingly Miki, I fear I let But every nutrition-touting resource has told me that alcohol become a pillar of my judgement is one of the worst things | could be putting in my body during a my socialization

slip and accepted weight loss competition. Hundreds upon hundreds of empty beer- orientated carbs? They’re not my key to success. ”

my 22 pound loss after the first week without deserved scepticism. I made a remark to the guy working the scale at the time, but he accepted my loss without questioning it.

Fast forward to this week’s weigh-in. I’ve gained two pounds (more on that later!) and I bring up my significant drop from the week prior. The guy assures me that the scale is working fine now. Now? Apparently some people reported miracle losses in league with my own, and that some of the initial weigh-ins had been off. In order to ensure an even playing field for the rest of the competition, everyone will be treating their Week Two weigh-in as their initial weights, which means...

I’m losing! And not in the way I intended way. My two pound gain this week was no match for Sharon’s one pound drop. After forfeiting my fictional nine per cent lead, being on the losing end feels awful. Of course I accept no responsibility for myself and blame two things I love, which have now become my worst enemies: alcohol and my friends.

Now, anyone who’s even made eye contact with me knows how much I love getting trashed. But every nutrition-touting resource has told me that alcohol is one of the worst things I could be putting in my body during a weight loss competition. Hundreds upon hundreds of empty

network, and while Normal Jacey is more than fine with it, Biggest Loser Jacey is pissed. So I’m faced with a dilemma: stay sober or stay social. I’m choosing the latter, but I’m making ch-ch- ch-ch-changes. My new drink of choice is vodka water. While I’ve traditionally been resistant to such a drink, refusing to call it by its proper name and simply referring to it as watered down vodka, I’m now forcing myself to get along with it. Another thing I’ve grown to hate about my stupid friends is their stupid tendency to eat stupid food all the time. “Hey guys, let’s all order pizza!” seems to be a new catchphrase picking up among friends and my roommate’s eagerness to share his food with me has transitioned from being a nice trait to something that makes me want to punch him. A recent houseguest who stayed with us for seven days refused to buy groceries and instead, ate nothing but takeout. The guy ordered food from Dominos and got five cheese-breads and 20 wings. Five! That’s how many people there are in my family! Stupid, stupid friends of mine. Anyways, so those are the menaces behind my recent gain. Of course I could say something about how it all comes down to my willpower or something noble like that, but instead I’m just going to turn bitter towards the things I love. It’s the mature thing to do here.

The Rival Report:

Blazing a trail to big small victoriesBlazing a trail to big small victories

By Sharon Miki, Assistant Editor

coming up Miki. After it was revealed

that Jacey’s lead was due to a clerical error (I should have known), I’m back in the race. This week, I hit a pretty steep plateau—losing only a pound despite amping up my efforts. Luckily, Jacey’s overconfidence has already set him back and—with the score now basically even—I'm feeling more optimistic than ever.

With that out of the way, I’m not going to insult my rival any more (Jacey’s Sharon-bashing is so déclassé). Instead,

I want to make a quick note about my other nemesis: blazers.

Blazers are the adorable, slightly dressy but not-too-dressy way to make my wardrobe of synthetic-fibered T-shirts and jeans appropriate for my age and career aspirations. Unfortunately, they are by necessity fitted and, due to my combination of back fat and a slightly larger than average bust, I have never been able to find a one that both fits my torso and buttons up. Ever. So, I’ve been walking around in a rotating wardrobe of jackets that never quite close. It’s a fashion faux-paux, and it’s annoying.

This morning though, something magical happened. The button buttoned. I actually cried. Sure, I realize that this means that my body is reacting to my weight loss in the most aggravating way possible (shrinking boobs first, followed very slowly by the parts of my body | actually want to be smaller)—but hey,

I can now join the masses of people for whom frontward winds are no issue.

It’s the little things.

[« week three, and everything’s

Socks don’t have to suck

By Aubri Galano

budget, buying new clothes can be expensive.

Why not liven up your wardrobe with some new socks instead? Put away the boring black, white, or grey and bring out the colour! It doesn’t have to be spring to add pink, yellow, or purple to your outfit. Don’t wait until the summer when you no longer need socks; winter is the perfect time for them.

The good news about shopping for socks—at this time of year—is

10

[: you're living on a student

that you don’t have to try them

on before you buy them, so you can leave all your winter layers on while you shop. There’s nothing more annoying than stripping off five layers of clothing only to find the shirt you tried on looked better on the hanger.

Coloured socks can also help banish some of the winter blues. Colour is a stimulant that is visually pleasing and often makes us feel happier. Once you start looking, you'll see there’s no end to the wonderful patterns available: polka dots, stripes, argyle, stars, baby animals, or desserts. And who

wouldn’t look more fashionable with owl print socks on their feet? (Probably only owls, because that would be kind of weird.)

You can also keep socks in mind as a potential birthday gift.

Socks can be both fun and practical.

Plus, socks of the coloured variety aren't just for girls. Guys can get into them too. There are patterns that cater to things that males like: superheroes, beet, bears, and guns. Since it is winter and you don’t usually walk outside without socks and shoes, you don’t have to worry about your socks matching any of your other clothing items because

many people won't see them. Keep this in mind: if you're a little shy about committing to this fad, you can simply wear your fashionable socks to school under your boots to test them out, and no one will be the wiser.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself some colourful socks, and get excited about wearing them! When your friends and family come over to visit, believe me, their first thoughts will be ones of jealousy; right before they go out and buy their own pairs.