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Okay, let’s face it. We are a fat nation. Well, at least two-thirds of us are.
Seat sizes have increased in cars, stadiums – even toilets. Many of us require TWO seats on an airplane (or we may be escorted off). Some companies, such as Goliath Caskets, even sell supersized triple-wide caskets for dead obese people. Says one plus size casket store owner, “After 380 pounds you have to go to an oversize.” And one out of every 20 caskets she sells is a plus size. Thanks largely to Kevin Smith, the topic of obesity has once again found itself on the front page of news headlines around the globe.
I was a panelist in ABC's Faceoff this week. The topic: Is it okay to be fat? Many would say, "No, it's not okay." I, however, disagree.
First of all, let me say that that statement, “Is it okay to be fat” is way to broad for me. OKAY is a term of permission. God has given us free will to make our own decisions. And in this country, we have the freedom to choose our eating behavior – even when sometimes that choice is harmful to us. It all comes down to personal choice. And the choice doesn’t seem to be an easy one.
DIETING IS HARD. Food is good. Delicious! Manufacturers have come up with yummy desserts and convenient, pre-packaged snacks. Restaurants offer pizzas and juicy burgers and deep fried shrimp by the mounds that our mouths water for. Grandmothers and mothers and barbecuing dads hold secrets to some of the tastiest recipes that fill our tummies and comfort our souls. Food is good. It’s plentiful. Food is the center of every get-together, whether we want to celebrate, mourn, reward or comfort. Not to mention that we HAVE to eat just to survive.
The problem is, we have to have SOME, but not too much; portion size not super size. To lose weight we need to eat less, move more, weigh, measure, plan, track, pre-cook, look up, portion out, refuse, reduce and realize that we have to do this all over again … tomorrow. But one bad weekend can put back on a week’s worth of hard-earned weight loss! It comes back ON a lot quicker than it goes OFF! How are we EVER going to GET all our excess weight off?! And when we do, then what? Do this forEVER?! DIETING IS SO HARD!
So, what’s the alternative? Remain overweight? Think about it: no more obsessing about WHAT to eat, HOW MUCH to eat, WHERE to eat or WHAT’S IN what we eat. Aaaaaah that’s what I’m talking about! So much easier! Or, is it?
BEING FAT IS HARD. How many sizes of clothes are in your closet–your attic? What hurts–your back, knees, feet or hips? What about the emotional pain? We look for someone to hide behind in pictures, dragging unwilling children onto our laps. Wait a minute … WHAT laps? My stomach came to the end of my knees when I sat down. I couldn’t buckle up in a car or tie my own shoes. There were times where I couldn’t get in my car because another had parked too close. I wanted to ride horses with my daughter and go bike riding with my sons. My children loved me, but heard whispers from classmates about my size. My husband told me I was beautiful, but I didn’t feel it inside. I hated being a huffing and puffing, exhausted wife who wasted money we didn’t have on food binges and diet schemes. The guilt!
The truth is, if you have any kind of food “issue” or addiction, that area of your life will be difficult.
The other truth is … you CAN get to goal and stay there forEVER. Difficult and impossible are two completely different things.
So, is it okay to be fat? Here’s my opinion: Yes. Can you be healthy and fat? No. But you DO have a choice.
Dieting is hard. Being fat is hard. CHOOSE YOUR HARD.
What's YOUR opinion?
Comments
211jkw said,
March 2, 2010 6:41 PM
Mary,
Just wanted to let you know that I'll be praying for you and your hubby. With all these blogs lately I guess I missed your post about his illness.
Jan
TruBrit said,
March 2, 2010 6:37 PM
TruBrit
Donna, I see Kimmies are lining up for your newsletter. If you wouldn't mind including me I would greatly appreciate it. I would love some positive motivation. I'm not a member of any weight loss programme so I'm doing this alone. That's why I love reading what everyone here has to say, it truly helps keep me in line.
Thank you, Jo. Shamrock33@hotmail.com
Phyllis M1 said,
March 2, 2010 6:23 PM
Sonya, another thing about that no good Mr. Gain: he's
a two timing son of a gun. Just when he tells you you
have a minus, he comes up with a plus. Glad you and Mr.
Loss can carry on right in public now! You go girl!
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 5:59 PM
Hi Mary, My prayers are with you and Rob, and I pray his doctor finds the reason for his pain. Try and get some rest yourself, you know when we are put in care taker roles we are vulnerable to getting run down. Hugs. ~Ginny
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 5:42 PM
Mary,
It is so good to hear from you this evening. I am so glad Rob is able to rest and so you be sure and take the time to get some rest yourself. Going to keep those prayers going up for you both.
Love ya,
Donna
Marycheebs said,
March 2, 2010 5:13 PM
Girls~ You guys are all wonderful, beautiful people!!! Thanks for all your prayers for my hubby Rob. We still don't know why he's in so much pain, they are thinking Gallbladder, but still unsure. He's resting with some good drugs right now. Tomorrow he'll have an ultra sound and some other test. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. I'll keep you posted.
Much Love,
Mary
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 4:41 PM
Glad to see you "blue" again!
I am happy to add you Sonya. :)
Hugs,
Donna
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 4:35 PM
Hi Sonya, we are now both bluebirds!
Donna that would be wonderful for whenever you do another one. Believe me, I'm going to need help for a loooooooong time! Ginny
smc_paralegal said,
March 2, 2010 4:05 PM
Yeah, I am blue again. You can disregard my e-mail Peter. I had to re-enter all my profile page information for the second time today. Here is to staying blue.
Sonya
smc_paralegal said,
March 2, 2010 3:57 PM
Donna can you add me to your newsletter list-smc_paralegal@yahoo.com.
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 3:51 PM
Ginny and Margaret,
I'll be happy to, but I have to admit I haven't had one go out for two weeks because of all the stuff with my Mom and uncle. I have one "in the making" and will hopefully have it out in a day or two. I will send you a test email to make sure I have you entered correctly. :)
Hugs,
Donna
maggiebaby said,
March 2, 2010 3:34 PM
Donna, make that 2 of us--mrhodes@avionics-specialist.com
Margaret:)
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 3:31 PM
Donna, do you think you could put me on your news letter list? I'm in need of some serious motivating, and you're the BEST!!!! gbogeajis@yahoo.com Hugs~Ginny
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 3:28 PM
Hi Donna, too bad I broke the site on Sonya getting in! Ginny
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 3:27 PM
Hey Ginny,
Looks like you drained the "blue" out of some folks! lol!
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 3:26 PM
Oh Sonya...I think Peter must have broken it when he fixed mine! E-mail the contactus@kimbensen.com he'll get in touch with you!!! Ginny
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 3:23 PM
HEY GINNY BLUE!!!! Ain't you CUTE!!!!
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 3:23 PM
Hi Sonya, I had Peter laughing on the phone today, I told him I didn't want my weight showing (just not right now) so he went into the blogs not as a member and said he couldn't see it, but I can...so he said only I will be able to see it where it's me...then I asked him to try it again for real, and he said noooooo I'll try it for fake!!! So you have to tell me Sonya what is on that page! Ginny
smc_paralegal said,
March 2, 2010 2:43 PM
What happened? I am no longer BLUE and I just went to my profile page and everything I had entered previously is now GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BMIL02 said,
March 2, 2010 2:40 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PENNY AND SANDRA!
what happened to all the names that WERE blue?
hope everybody is having a wonderful week. thanks for all the prayers. i AM pretty excited about taking this program online. i had thought about it in the past but the closet college was about 3 hours away...so online it perfect!
xoxox
Tammy
Kathleen Brady said,
March 2, 2010 2:31 PM
Thank you, DJ. I am doing better. Focusing on doing the right things at the moment and trying not to beat myself up too much! Sometimes it helps just to say how crazy this makes me feel. And yes, I have been sitting here going through my Kim notes, and lists and recipes and making a renewed commitment. I still can't get over the power of this urge though. I do have to remember that I'm stronger than the urge. Whew! I'll let you know! Gracias!
smc_paralegal said,
March 2, 2010 2:27 PM
Starbucks-Ginny is BLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sandra4465 said,
March 2, 2010 2:16 PM
Kim, after I posted that comment about my before pic being too large, I realized just how appropriate the comment was. LOL I am working on getting a good before picture to show all of you.
Penny..... We share the same birthday!!! Tomorrow I will be 45 years young! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! (Since we are birthday buds I simply can not make fun of you.)
Sandra
maggiebaby said,
March 2, 2010 2:14 PM
Starbucks-Ginny--You're BLUE! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Margaret:)
maggiebaby said,
March 2, 2010 1:50 PM
Sonya, omg I was laughing out loud at the divorce decree! Priceless!! Thanks for giving us that.
Margaret:)
starbucks said,
March 2, 2010 1:41 PM
Hi Sonya, I'm filing for divorce from Mr. Gain too, you had my laughing here at my desk. Let's keep Mr. Loss very busy!!! Ginny
DJ said,
March 2, 2010 1:09 PM
Hi Kathleen!
Good to have you back! The thing that worked for me was simply a matter of FORCING myself to do all the right things.... just ONCE!!! After that I felt such pride in the accomplishment and power over the temptations that it slowly got easier. Notice, I didn't say that I am never tempted today, but it is easier to say no to certain behaviors when I know I can be victorious over them. I know that you can too!!! Keep trying and hang in there!
Hugs,
Donna
Have a GREAT day!
Donna
Tweeti4276 said,
March 2, 2010 12:00 PM
I am in! Mr. gain is out. I will take one of those brothers! LOL. I am committed.
Terri
armywife516 said,
March 2, 2010 11:39 AM
**Aw Donna Lu, thank you for your sweet words! That is the newest pic of me(because I don't take ones of me often at all, lol) from yesterday after I got my hair done! Had to start March out with a new sassy cut! :)
**Margaret , I hope you are having a wonderful day too!
**Oh my gosh Sanya, that was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved it sooo much! Celebrating with you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL Donna about Terry wanting to know if Mr. Loss had any sisters!!!!! You guys have made me smile/laugh so much today!
Love & Blessings,
Holly
armywife516 said,
March 2, 2010 11:33 AM
**Carolyn, so happy to have you join us in the March challenge! All of us Kimmies will take good care of you! :)
**Tammy B, praying for you, what an excellent field to go into!
**Jan, .8 is a wonderful loss!! WTG!!
**Mary, I enjoyed my Hollyday a lot! I got my hair done, it needed it soooo bad, hadn't done a thing w/ it since early October!
I am praying Mary for your hubby and for them to find out what is going on with him! ((((HUGS))))
Love & Blessings,
Holly