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Sen. Claire McCaskill loses 50 pounds with help from Twitter
While preparing to run for re-election, the Democrat from Missouri also runs on her treadmill.
Wed, Nov 02 2011 at 4:32 PM
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Photos: Office of Claire McCaskill/Flickr
With an endless supply of rubber chicken dinners and dubious desserts placed in front of politicians, it can't be easy for many of them to stay slim. But Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) is doing just that. She told the New York Times this weekend that she has lost 50 pounds since she first announced on Twitter six months ago that she was ready to lose weight.
"I'm tired of looking and feeling fat," McCaskill wrote on Twitter on May 12. "Maybe talking about it publicly will keep me on track as I try to be more disciplined. Off to the gym."
The 58-year-old senator, who will be running for re-election next year, told the Times that she needed to lose weight to regain the energy she needed for her anticipated fight against an as-yet unnamed Republican challenger. As a woman in her late 50s, she said, "the metabolism shuts down on you, and all of a sudden you're feeling slow and tired. And I need lots of energy and I knew I was going to need lots of energy in the next year, and I decided I needed to put the excuses aside and get more physical."
McCaskill told the Times she achieved her goal of shedding 50 pounds through portion control, walking two miles on her treadmill each day, and the help of personal trainer Charles D'Angelo, who calls himself "The Weight-Loss Coach." She has also, as she tweeted, "divorced" herself from bread and pasta.
In an appearance on CBS's "The Early Show" last month, McCaskill said she turned to Twitter to help her lose weight because it would keep her accountable to her constituency, as well as to her constitution. "It meant that people were going to be watching to see if, in fact, I stayed on track," she said. "If I managed to get healthy and then I go back to my old ways, it will be a public humiliation."
The public weight loss plan hasn't been without its challenges. As she tweeted in August, an appearance at the Missouri State Fair led her to ask herself and her followers, "Since I've been on this health kick, I guess a funnel cake is out of the question?"
Also on MNN:
- Bill Clinton embraces vegetarian diet
- Kirstie Alley loses 100 pounds on organic diet
- Photos: 7 celebrity detox diets
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She's going to lose the next election so she'll be fit for her new job at the burger joint..
:p How's your health?
1. I'm happy she lost the weight.
2. I hope she has plenty of free time to discuss it as she looks for a job in the private sector after the next election.
That is ridiculous! 2 lbs/week is a nice steady pace. It's not unhealthy at all.
That's actually a very healthy weight-loss rate. All doctors will tell you a loss of .5 - 2 pounds is completely healthy and acceptable.
Bravo! Weight loss is tough for anyone, and must be especially so for someone with as demanding a job as U.S. Senator. She deserves to be proud, and extra kudos for going public with the process -- it's a shame more of our Senators/Congresspeople don't subject themselves to such public accountability.
Bunch of haters on here. Regardless of this womans job, political position, or motives for losing weight we should all be happy for her. I bet more then half of you are fat and just jealous that your not as self disciplined as she. I'm fit and I healthy and I think anyone that cares enough about him or her self to do something about it should be admired. You haters represent the assholes of America.
Thinner but still a Democrat.
Shorter post, but still a moron.
What's the difference? Her before and after pictures look exactly the same.
The 50 pound overweight was in her feet. That's why you don't see the loss.
Ask Claire how much of the $300,000 in back property taxes she has paid (I'll give you a hint - $0). Ask Claire how much federal taxes her husband's corporation paid (I'll give you a hint - its incorporated in the Bahamas - $0). Heck, I'd loose 50 lbs if I spent my days dodging the state/federal tax agents too...You're the lowest form of senator Claire.
Hey good job...Give me 5....
Must be nice to be able to afford the personal trainer. Claire is one of the richest senators in Congress. She needs to be voted out for the future of Missouri anyway.
Funnel cake is never out of the question Claire. Just keep the portion small. Congrats on your hard work. I'm trying to follow your example!