A woman's journey of wellness took her from flat trails to the top of Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. She lost 120 pounds and found happiness along the way. Kara Richardson Whitely has been a journalist for the past decade. She has been featured in Self, American Hiker and Redbook magazines.

Kara knew she could reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. She had done it once before. That s why, when she failed in a second attempt, it brought her so low. As she struggled with food addiction and looked for ways to cope with feelings of failure and shame, Kara's weight shot to more than 300 pounds. Deep in her personal gorge, Kara realized the only way out was up. She resolved to climb the mountain againand this time, she would reach the summit without waiting for her plus-sized status to disappear.
Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds is the raw story of Kara s ascent...

Kara Richardson Whitely thought she could do anything. After all, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro three times But now she s off the mountain and back home again, and there s one thing she just can t manage to do lose weight.
In many ways, Kara is living the life of everywoman, except that she s not everywoman because she weighs 300 pounds. Her weight is a constant source of conflict and shame, as the people from every corner of her life from her daughter s pediatrician to her mother in law judge Kara for the size of her body.
In The Weight of Being, Kara shares the most intimate...