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For the past few weeks I've been posting the Donate Your Weight Podcast in this blog because I thought some of the readers might be interested in listening. The podcast is about loving your body, breaking free from diets and diet mentality and being liberated from food and body obsession so you can live your life in peace, happiness and contentment. If you'd like to find out more about the podcast, you can subscribe for free in iTunes Also, if you want to join the Donate Your Weight Community, we've moved to Facebook.  Come and join us by clicking on the "like" button.

The Mayor, The Dolls and Women’s Empowerment Workshops

Derby Dolls Mayor\'s Day of Service in Los Angeles CALast weekend I had the honor and privledge of participating in the Mayor's Day of Service in conjunction with the Los Angeles Derby Dolls. The Doll Factory was a meeting place and resource hub for clean up activities and recycling in the Echo Park/Hi-Fi (Historic Filipino Town) area of Los Angeles. Volunteers came to the Doll Factory to pick up brooms and shovels and help in clean up efforts. Mayor Villaraigosa addresses youth at the Doll FactoryMeanwhile, inside the Doll Factory, young girls learned to skate, bagels and coffee were served and hourly workshops were held on the topics of body image, nutrition, tai chi, self-defense and yoga. At 10:30, the Mayor Villaraigosa and Los Angeles Laker Jordan Farmar along with other local celebrities arrived to address the crowd and watch the kids skate. Sheri Zampelli leads workshop for Mayor\'s Day of ServiceI had the opportunity to co-facilitate the body image workshop with Jenny Wright. We had a nice time talking about how to love and respect your body despite it's size or shape. I used a body atlas and my personal body image crisis story to help women consider all of the wonderful things our body does for us every day. I brought index cards, markers and stickers and each participant made one to three cards with positive statements on them. I encouraged participants to take the cards home and put them some place where they can see them everyday. I also shared info about my Love Your Body, Love Yourself CD because I listened to a cassette tape just like it in the 90's and it really helped me to begin appreciating my body and to break free from self-hate. This day provided a positive opportunity for all involved, it was a win-win scenario all the way around.