I’m visiting my parents in my hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida. As you might guess, I was never much for the beach. My high school in the 1970s was quite the Jimmy Buffett surfer dude kind of scene. I had a classmate who refused to go with her family on a European trip because it …
Category: lifestyle change
When You Gain Control of Your Weight and Others Don’t
Losing a significant amount of weight takes you through an incredible life transformation. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s changing more—you or how people and the world treat you. One of the most difficult situations you could encounter is if you have a friend who faces severe challenges in their life. They see you taking …
Reflections on Body Size
I used to consider my body a burden. Its size and limitations created a range of discomforts, inconveniences, and conditions I found downright depressing. Losing half my body weight created an almost surreal awareness of my own body and its size. It’s been so many years now that I can no longer remember what living …
Feeling Control by Feeling Connected
Re-connecting deeply with your physical presence is one of the most powerful steps you can take when working to take control of your weight. So many of us who deal with serious weight retreat into our heads and become numb to the body that can feel like a burden. But ignoring the external “advice” and …
Is Ruby Gettinger Pulling a Scam?
Go ahead, call me a cynical bitch. Former reality show “star” Ruby Gettinger’s latest promotional venture has ended with her achieving her announced goal: losing 50lbs by consuming products from multi-level marketing company, Visalus. And yes, I’m skeptical. I’ll save you the signup and give you the link to watch the videos from “Ruby’s Challenge.” …
The Fine Line Between Weight and Health
I’ve discussed the concept of weight as an indicator of health. We know it makes no sense to assume that any given person is in a state of diminished health if we don’t actually know anything about them except their physical appearance. In his excellent blog, Dr. Arya Sharma references the “limited utility of BMI …
Filtering Out the Weight Loss Clichés
It’s quite common for people who are flush with the heady excitement of a recent weight loss to want to spread their freshly-sworn religion. They’re barely used to fitting in armed chairs with their legs crossed and they’re ready to start writing books and announcing their life coach services. Through the years I’ve come upon …
The Double Standard of Diet Choices and Weight Judgment
I visited friends this weekend; former neighbors of mine with whom I have developed a rather close and unlikely bond. Michael is the pastor of a Baptist church. He has worked extensively in the most impoverished corners of Africa, primarily to address systemic causes of AIDS and the impact of crushing poverty. Michael’s life experience has …
Eat Chocolate and Lose Weight!!
There’s a post title that should grab me some curious readers and for sure will get me found in search engines! With every blog post I write, I purposefully and carefully choose a title I hope will draw readers. That’s the whole point of the title. If you’re reading, the title’s done its job. But …