Released on = June 1, 2006, 5:59 pm

Press Release Author = Living On The Up Beat, LLC

Industry = Consumer Services

Press Release Summary = It\'s easy to feel great when you look great by society\'s
standards. What woman can\'t summon up a little sass and attitude when she\'s wearing
a size 7 sexy dress with all the curves in the right places? But how about having
that same sass and attitude when you\'re a size 24 and you have more cushion than
curves?

Press Release Body = \"The only way you can pull off a purple and black can-can girl
outfit with a little purple hat complete with feather is to wear it with sass and
attitude. I recently did my first ever singing in public wearing such an outfit,
and the outfit was a size 24. I think my mother was appalled. But I had a blast!\"
says author and columnist Andrea Rains Waggener. \"Too many people don\'t let
themselves have the fun they want because they\'re overweight.\"

Andrea wrote Alternate Beauty, which is described and excerpted at
http://www.upbeatliving.com, in response to feeling invisible in our society when
she gained a lot of weight. After she wrote the book, she lost nearly 100 pounds.
But then, because of struggles with depression and compulsive eating, she gained the
weight back.

Before Andrea wrote her novel, Alternate Beauty, she would never have dreamed of
getting up in front of a crowd in a size 24 can-can girl outfit. She\'d have
obsessed with how she looked and been unable to do anything but feel lousy. Now,
though, her size doesn\'t stop her from doing whatever she wants. She doesn\'t need
to go on a diet before she goes out and has a good time. \"Instead of waiting until
they\'ve finished a diet to do what they want to do,\" says Andrea, \"people need to do
it now!\"

Andrea wants people to stop putting off fun. She can help people learn

--How societal standards may be ruining their lives and what to do about it.
--The importance of understanding perceptions and how to control them.
--Daily habits (that have nothing to do with diets) that can change the way the way
people see themselves.
--How to focus on enjoyment instead of obsessing about appearance.

Contact Andrea Rains Waggener at (360) 581-4085 or e-mail her at
theupbeat@coastaccess.com for more insights into this topic. Andrea has been a
guest on Fox News Network\'s \"Fox and Friends,\" Pacific Northwest TV's \"Northwest
Afternoon\" and \"Being In Seattle,\" as well as on several radio talk shows. She\'s
also been featured in Fitness, Shape, and Diane magazines. More information about
Andrea\'s books and articles, along with Andrea\'s inspiring blog and information
about her biweekly newsletter, Living On The Up Beat, can be found at
http://www.upbeatliving.com. A description of Alternate Beauty and an excerpt from
the novel are also at http://www.upbeatliving.com.

Web Site = http://www.upbeatliving.com

Contact Details = Andrea Rains Waggener