Miss America Hopeful - A Former Heavyweight

I just read about Miss South Carolina who in the past few years has lost 110 lbs and is now on the road to a possible Miss America crown.  Inspirational?  Hell yes.  I also love that she lost her weight over a period of 3 years by simply eating well and exercising.  We aren't all 'The Biggest Loser' nor should we be.  With simple lifestyle changes and hard work and a forgiving attitude, you too could be the next Miss America!

Wisdom For Your Holiday Weekend

I thought this blog post over at Huffington Post was quite good.  It talks about the behavioral and psychological issues that can be behind humans having a difficult time losing weight.  As a tease, here is the first line of the blog...which I'm in love with right now.  Enjoy your weekends!

If you gave a test to a million people and three-quarters of them flunked, would you attribute their failure to a lack of willpower or laziness?

Mommy, Am I Fat?

This upsets me greatly.  There is a video and article on abc.com about a 6 year old girl who thinks (because her peers told her she was) overweight.  First off, she's completely average and healthy.  Second of all, she's six!  A six year old shouldn't be worrying about needing to lose weight.  Apparently she isn't the only one.  The article says that nearly half of the kids between the ages of 3 - 6 were worried that they were fat.  I feel like a lot of the kids that are telling other kids they're fat are learning it from their parents.  Of course, kids are also hearing their parents talking about their own insecurities with their bodies and translating to themselves.  For the latter, we really need to watch what we say in front of our kids and leave our own insecurities to ourselves.  For the parents teaching their children to discriminate...well I think that's just plain ignorance.  And that's what I'm hoping to help with here.  Not that I get many readers, but you never know who you'll touch.

Yet Another Weight Loss Journey Show

Who here has seen the ads for ABC's new show Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition?  I'm pretty much a sucker for watching any weight loss show (though some are much better than others) so I will definitely be watching the first episode of this.  I enjoy the concept of each episode being a journey of 1 year with each participant.  I also like that this takes place during their normal lives (as normal as having a trainer move in with you is) so that we can see people losing weight while still having jobs and families.  Who else is going to watch this?

Plus Size Acceptance

 There's an article that asks Is Plus Size The New Hollywood Ideal?  Simply put, no.  But the article does talk about how there are numerous shows around now that feature plus size actors and actresses.  Here are their examples:

Gabourey Sidibe's Oscar nomination in 2010, Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva show cast a plus size actress in the lead role, ABC Family's new show Huge boasts a curvy cast and a storyline focused on plus size teens, and last but not least, the hit series Glee is receiving buzz about its plus size character and her increased story line that includes a love interest.

There does seem to be a lot more of a plus size presence in the past few years, and they are all different people to boot. I do think that this is a good step to fat acceptance.  My favorite part of the story was this quote:

But the real message isn't that being heavy or thin is the ideal. Its self acceptance that's ideal. Its being healthy that is ideal.

This is ultimately what we need to be focusing on.  Health instead of weight.  The article even states that a healthy weight varies between people and their frames.  And the best option for all people is not the leanest variation that is usually seen in the media.  It also states that there are studies suggesting that people with a BMI in the overweight range actually have a survivial advantage over people above or below that range.

I feel that on this topic, I have to mention something that happened in my office last week.  Two fellow co-workers were talking to each other in the cube next to mine.  One girl started to talk about a girl that her ex-boyfriend thought was really attractive.  She then proceeded to say that she has met this supposed beauty in person and said to my other co-worker 'I just don't get it...she was heavy.  I guess it's a British thing'.  I hope her snarky demeanor comes across as much as it did in person.  Needless to say, it was the end of the day, so I packed up my things and walked right past her while looking her in the eye.  Of course I then heard whispers and giggles, but instead of feeling defeated for what these girls had said, I let it motivate me to try to change peoples perceptions. 

Have any of you every had real life experiences like this?  What did you do and how did it make you feel?

Our Eyes Deceive Us

So apparently now just seeing an overweight person can make others eat more.   Unless they see them eating and then they eat less.  I can just envision a world where are the fat people are hidden away from the rest of society and the only way to see one is behind glass while they're eating.  I jest of course.  I find the psychology of it all fascinating, but I do also hope that this doesn't cause more unfair judgement of overweight people.  It also begs the question of how helpful watching reality shows like the Biggest Loser, Shedding for the Wedding or Ruby really are to overweight people.  Do I need to change my DVR now to help me lose weight?

Get Real, Barbie

I know this stuff has been around awhile, but I just thought I'd share.  I really hope they come out with better doll options by the time I have kids.  But I doubt it.  To see a real life version of Barbie, go read this.

• There are two Barbie dolls sold every second in the world.
• The target market for Barbie doll sales is young girls ages 3-12 years of age.
• A girl usually has her first Barbie by age 3, and collects a total of seven dolls during her childhood.
• Over a billion dollars worth of Barbie dolls and accessories were sold in 1993, making this doll big business and one of the top 10 toys sold.
• If Barbie were an actual women, she would be 5'9" tall, have a 39" bust, an 18" waist, 33" hips and a size 3 shoe.
• Barbie calls this a "full figure" and likes her weight at 110 lbs.
• At 5'9" tall and weighing 110 lbs, Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 and fit the weight criteria for anorexia. She likely would not menstruate.
• If Barbie was a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
• Slumber Party Barbie was introduced in 1965 and came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs with a book entitled "How to Lose Weight" with directions inside stating simply "Don't eat."

Science Don't Fail Me Now...

I wanted to share this article from Medical News Today about food addiction and substance dependency having very similar brain activity.  Although I think I should start off by saying that this does not necessarily mean that we ALL have an addiction to food.  In fact the article states that this new testing helps tell the food addicts from the over eaters.  I feel I have to say that because I too am guilty of hearing of some new explanation for being overweight and jumping all over it  like a dog in heat.  That being said, I think that it is great news that some people are in fact addicted to food.  I hope that these findings can help spur advancements in treatment for these patients and maybe in the way we approach weight loss in general.  I know that for me at least, my weight loss plan not only includes healthy eating and a good exercise regimen, but also a good look at the mental portion...at least it should.  I personally work out 4-5 days a week and try to eat healthy, but like all humans, I slip.  I've been maintaining my weight for months now, but I really would like to lose more.  There is something going on in my head that lends itself to self-sabotage and I need to address it.  Sadly, even if you were to find out that you are a food addict, there's no quick fix in the world of weight loss.