Good Housekeeping has released their June 2009 issue. Featured in this month’s magazine are articles on giving up diet pills, coping with job loss, finding the perfect swimsuit, and saving $10,000 this year.
“I’m Done with Diet Pills!
Meet five women who gave up the gimmicks — and lost 412 pounds.
Burn fat! Suppress your appetite! If only it were as simple as the sellers of quick-weight-loss products would have us believe. These five women all hoped that dropping pounds would be easy — and all turned to diet pills. What they learned: Even if pills seemed to work, it wasn’t for long, and often the price was miserable side effects. In time, they each found a sound weight-loss program based on nutritionally balanced menus and, in most cases, exercise as well. And when they did, a funny thing happened: They finally lost the weight that had plagued them. Here, their inspiring stories.
- Annie Bennett lost 75 pounds with a heart-healthy diet
- Cheyenne Luken lost 100 pounds by joining LA Weight Loss
- Sarah Napier lost 76 pounds with Jenny Craig
- Donna Burke lost 100 pounds by trying NutriSystem
- Kimberly Daur lost 61 pounds by joining Jenny Craig
Coping with Job Loss
If you or a loved one has lost a job, there’s tough emotional terrain ahead. Here, how to navigate it.
Judy Lederman knew that sales were slow — very slow — at the department-store chain where she worked as a public relations manager. But that didn’t make it any less of a shock when she was summoned to corporate headquarters in New York City one day last spring and told her position was being eliminated. Lederman, a 49-year-old single mother from Scarsdale, NY, had always been the employee who got superlative reviews, so she believed she would be safe if any cuts were made. She remembers her supervisor tearfully apologizing after delivering the news. “I didn’t know how to respond,” says Lederman. “Should I have tried to make her feel better? Should I have said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about me. My daughter and I may be homeless, but it’ll be OK’?” she recalls with gallows humor.
As she left the building, Lederman tried to focus on everything she had to do: Consult a lawyer. Update her work portfolio. Schedule doctors’ appointments for herself and her 16-year-old while they still had health insurance. “My mind was spinning like a disc in a broken CD drive,” she says. Out of habit, she began dialing her work voice mail and then realized, “Wait, I’ve been fired. Why check voice mail?”
Lederman is far from alone. With more than 4.4 million American jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007, and the unemployment rate at its highest level in 26 years, chances are you or someone you know has faced a job loss. And even if you are still employed, you’ve probably wondered, at least in passing, “Am I next?”
Although layoffs may now be common, they haven’t become any easier to deal with. “Losing your job is like identity theft: Your sense of who you are can vanish,” says Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress: A Woman’s 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life. And your feelings in response to that loss, whether it’s yours or that of someone you care about, can be surprising and tumultuous — and can hit you deeper than you ever anticipated. Here, experts and women who have been there share how you can get through this tough, uncertain time.
Find Your Perfect Swimsuit
Tempted to cover up at the beach this summer? Don’t — check out these comfortable, confidence-inspiring swimsuits that flatter every shape and size.
Save $10,000 This Year
Find out how to benefit from the new tax laws.
Despite all the talk about the benefits of the new administration’s economic initiatives, you may be left wondering, “But what’s in it for me?” The answer: probably some much-needed cash.
Between the February stimulus (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) and President Obama’s foreclosure-prevention program (Making Home Affordable), it’s the rare taxpayer who will wind up empty-handed. “There’s something for everyone, and quite a lot for some people,” says Brenda Schafer, an analyst with the Tax Institute at H&R Block.
Here are specifics on new incentives that’ll put more money in your pocket:
- Buy a Home — Save Up to $8,000
- Keep on Working — Save $400
- Refinance a Mortgage — Save About $200 a Month
- Buy a New Car — Save $200+
- Help Your House Go Green — Save $1,500+
- Pay for College — Save $2,500
- Modify a Mortgage — Save About $400 a Month, Plus $5,000
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