I Want to Hug Oprah!

My January issue of Shape magazine -- featuring Aury Wallington, the 2009 Weight-Loss Diary columnist -- arrived in the mail recently and as I read her story, I reflected on my own weight-loss journey. Getting to goal weight with the support of my expert team was a tough, but well-worth-doing endeavor. Not for the number on the scale, mind you, but for what I learned about the importance of taking care of myself. Truthfully, life feels so much better when your body feels good and is operating on all cylinders. I'm sure that anyone who has ever faced a health problem -- or watched a family member face one -- knows just what I mean.

 

In the year-and-a-half since I reached goal weight, I've learned a few ugly truths about keeping the weight off. One, it's not about expensive gym memberships, fancy diet foods or any of the other "trappings" of the weight-loss industry. It's about commitment, pure and simple. Two, it requires a certain selfishness and by that, I mean I've learned that I have to make my commitment to healthy living (making time to exercise, planning and preparing healthy meals, etc.) a priority. It sounds simple, but it's an extremely difficult mental shift for many women, who are used to putting the needs of family, job, community, etc. before their own. Not only is it hard for me, but there's a lot of guilt involved, too.

 

All of this is exactly the reason why I just want to give Oprah Winfrey a giant hug. I know people have mixed feelings about her, but when I read her story, in which she chronicles her feelings about getting back up to 200 pounds, I just wanted to let her know that I understand. Because I do.

 

It's easy for life to get in the way of our best intentions. And for women, it seems, it's easy for our obligations, our guilt and our "shoulds" to get in the way of doing what's best for us. Will that ever change? I don't know that it will for me. But I'm aware of it now and when I feel myself slipping down the spiral of taking care of everyone but myself, I know it's time to put me first -- even for just a half-hour.

 

How will you take care of you today?

 

 

 

Comments

[Sagan]

It really shows how it doesn't matter how many professionals you've got working for you, if you don't have the right mindset and attitude then maintenance just isn't going to happen.

Today is my day off so I am spending it being quite selfish; reading and writing and doing some exercising. NOT going out in the cold. :D

[Alyssa]

I understand your reaction, and am a bit ashamed to say that I had the opposite reaction. I kinda want to slap her.
I wish she could practice what she preaches and learn to love herself, regardless of her weight. If she wants to lose wight, that's her prerogative. But she has accomplished so much, and the message she's sending right now is that it doesn't matter what you've done with your life, it's your physical appearance that matters most. And calling herself a "fat pig" doesn't help. Especially when her fans, many of whom look like her, hear that.

[Dara Chadwick]

Alyssa, no being ashamed here!

I completely agree with you about the "fat cow" comment. I cringe when I think of all the readers who read that and thought, "If Oprah thinks she's a fat cow, I must be one, too." I shudder when people use language like that to describe their bodies -- even if it's supposed to be a "joke." Especially when they do it in front of their kids.

I agree with you, too, about the message being that no matter what you've accomplished, the only thing that matters is what you look like (that's a topic I delved into for my book). At the same time, and I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, I firmly believe that body image -- what we tell ourselves about ourselves -- colors our whole lives and affects everything we do.

I do think Oprah could have framed her struggle in a more positive way. I'd have liked to have seen her talk about how difficult in can be to fit exercise and planning healthy meals into a busy day -- it does seem like our fast-paced, do-more world is designed to make it as difficult as possible sometimes.

When I read that piece, what came across most loudly to me was Oprah's sense of defeat. And for that, I still want to give her a hug.

And Sagan? You're right. At the end of day, no amount of professionals or money in the world can help. It's all about you.

[Kara from Mama Sweat]

I haven't read the Oprah article and while I agree she is a role model for women and their attitude about their bodies, in another sense I think some women like that they can identify with her struggle... as for the mother guilt, I've finally come to the conclusion that it's not either/or (me or family) when it comes to workouts. That's because when I take the time to workout I'm setting a good example for my kids. I don't always take "me time" to workout, however. Sometimes I find a way to workout with them. As moms, we need to be able to do both, including keeping ourselves fit and emphasizing family fitness. So here's to more guilt-free workouts!!

[Rachel/Fit Mom]

I haven't read her article yet but there are lots of bloggers talking about this..two that were very interesting were Back in Skinny Jeans and Marks Daily Apple.
Yes, I agree that it's hard to keep the weight off..but I liked BISJ's perspective to focus on the positives and not call attention to the flaws.

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