History

It’s all in the Name

The impetus for Second Helping came from none other than the “Joy of Cooking.”

Second Helping began as a weekly column on Sundays at www.myrtlebeachrestaurantnews.com. Becky Billingsley, Web author and an authority on the burgeoning Grand Strand eating scene, asked friend and former Myrtle Beach food writer Russ Lane to contribute a column.

At the time, Russ had returned home to Wilmington, N.C., where he was adrift in the fallout from his mother’s death from brain cancer a year prior. He had stopped writing, put on weight, and was grasping for a new direction. Given how most people asked Russ how he lost so much weight while food writing, he figured it was as good as place to start a column as any.

The name “Second Helping” was inspired by the first paragraph of the 75th anniversary “The Joy of Cooking.” Russ first read it the day he learned the doctors could do no more for his mother: It explained that the legendary American cookbook was a response to the 1930 suicide of the husband of Irma S. Rombauer . They called it “a title that defied grief.” Well after his mother’s death, he read and re-read that paragraph.

“That resonated so strongly with me – the idea of joy as a fresh start but also a gesture of inner strength, a protest, and a call to action … ” Russ said. “So many conventional weight loss conversations revolve around some kind of suffering; why not write about weight loss as a method of revealing joy, exposing and barreling through the pain with a dash of defiant rock n’ roll attitude?  Kind of like being your own super hero.” 

So when it came time to start writing again, he took a nod from ‘a title that defied grief’ and came up with one of his own.  Even beyond weight loss, this project’s always been about allowing yourself to make a fresh start.

Then and Now What?

The original Second Helping was designed as a dead-honest account for all the things about weight loss mainstream media seldom addresses – loose skin issues, confronting how painful old relationships with food are and learning how to forge new ones, and navigating your life through new issues with the old beliefs and past events that still plague you. In other words, defying doubt, pain and the “way things are” by recreating your life in spite of them.

 “A great family member of mine succinctly called Second Helping the “now what?” question – everyone knows that losing weight won’t fix your life, but when you’re confronted with the reality of that after a long dieting process, it can throw you for a loop,” Russ said. “All at once, you’re still dealing with food, you’re dealing with your relationships changing, and so much more. This isn’t to say that losing weight is a horrible experience – far from it. It’s just more complicated than the diet ads would ever communicate.”

When Russ began winding the column down after eight months, he saw an opportunity to expand Second Helping beyond his personal story. He envisioned Second Helping acting as a resource for others who want to celebrate the successes of their weight loss and also deal with the adjustments it required – while it’s a wonderful thing, what most people don’t publicly admit is all the new choices can be scary.

He also saw Second Helping contributing new ideas to the industries and agencies addressing weight-related issues – public health, fitness, diet, food, medicine – hearing from people who have lived both sides of the obesity battles.

So Team Second Helping was formed, pulling together a variety of voices of different walks of life and professions to address “now what?”, Russ veered away from his personal story to contribute weekly cookbook reviews, interviews, features and analysis pieces on different facets of post-weight living.

Building the Team

Pastry chef-turned-bodybuilder Kevin DeMarco contributes a cooking column, Rabbit Food for Lions, to expand cooking techniques and approaches to healthful eating. Kevin was a former source of Russ’ in Myrtle Beach and currently owner of The Urban Studios gym in Wilmington, and also DeMarco Bars, an all-natural gourmet protein bar. Russ and Kevin met again in Wilmington when Russ interviewed him at length for the original column. Now Kevin lends his cooking sensibility and honesty to revamped Second Helping.

“After spartan eating and nibbles of food for work, Kevin’s cooking was a revelation in my Myrtle Beach days. You’d feel badass just for eating it. Somehow, Kevin made health food sexy. Even better, he relies on sound cooking technique – not a plethora of ‘low fat/carb’ ingredients – to communicate his vision of food.”

But there’s a philosophical point behind the quick tips and gourmet cooking. “Aside from giving some amazing recipes, I hope Kevin’s work encourages people to relate to food as more of a skill or craft and less of a former addiction. That’s what he taught me years ago, and the result was food becoming an adventure and not just a controlled substance in your life. Kevin’s teaching can provide something a dieter or post-dieter doesn’t have much of – a sense of freedom.”

Team Second Helping continually expands to include personal trainers, nutritionists, and others who have seen the other side of weight loss and have something to share.

Straight from the Source

In addition to Kevin and Russ’ contributions, Second Helping will also feature a rotating list of professional and amateur writers discussing what answers they gave themselves when they asked themselves “now what?”

The debut pair is Jenna Cameron, a 19-year-old college student losing weight amid the exam books, and Brooks Firth, who was thrust into “fat world” after a stint with steroids. After losing her weight and returning to her normal frame, she didn’t look at things the same way.

“I think it’s really important for first-person takes on weight loss to be available to people that don’t have support groups to rely on,” Russ said. “So often fat people are talked about; the more emphasis we place on fat or even formerly fat people speaking, I think the better off everyone will be.”

Life Beyond Weight Loss

In the process, Russ returned to his original 180 pounds and stronger than ever, ran a half-marathon and restarted his life in New Orleans. Second Helping evolved with him; what was once a column defying grief into one that champions forging ahead.

“I know it’s technically about weight loss, or post-weight loss, but it has a deeper significance for me,” Russ said. “At this point, ‘Second Helping’ is less of a weight loss Web site and more of an idea, a rallying cry. It’s a reminder to allow yourself the grace and chutzpah to start your life over again, as many times as it takes. And to be braver, more adventurous, and more powerful each time you step up to the plate.”