Sunday, January 06, 2008

Weighty Issues

I read a Sunday newspaper supplement today that was devoted to helping its readers shed their excess weight. It was full of tips: two pages were devoted to what celebs allegedly do to lose their extra pounds. Cameron Diaz apparently exists on snacks, Jennifer Aniston is said to sprinkle mustard seeds over all her meals, and queen of the skinnies, Victoria Beckham turns to a herbal tea. Personally, I think Mrs Beckham just doesn't eat.

The magazine also featured tales from real readers who had battled their own weight problems. One underwent self-hypnosis, one went under the knife for liposuction and another for a gastric band operation. As I type, Channel 4 is repeating the Half Ton Mum programme about Renee Williams, who had gastric bypass surgery when she weighed almost 70 stone. Apparently she would eat eight burgers at a sitting - or rather a lying down, as her massive bulk meant she was bed-bound. She died less than two weeks after the operation.

What strikes me about all of these women is the fact none of them thought: "Oh, I'm overweight, perhaps I should eat less and take more exercise." Instead, they turn to surgery, hypnosis or faddy products.

When I stopped smoking, I put on a stone. I make no excuses - I pigged out, so I put on weight. I have now lost 12 of those 14 pounds, simply by eating less. It's not that difficult. Nobody is forcing you to stuff your face; sometimes, all you have to do is say "No thanks."

13 comments:

Gill said...

I think a lot of people eat for emotional reasons, use food as a form of self medication and so dieting isn't that easy for them until they have sorted out the problem first. Also a lot of perfectly normal people who are a size 14 think they are hugely fat because they are not anorexic looking. Women are supposed to have a layer of fat on their bodies, they aren't supposed to look like men with tits. Leave that to the universal ladyboy!!

Brom said...

It's all in the willpower. Problem is it's soo easy to lapse during a moment of weakness.

PS I take it that's not you in the pic?? ;-)

Mopsa said...

If only it was that easy M&M - I don't think losing it is always so hard, although the more often you have to do it the more challenging it gets and the longer it takes. It's the keeping it off in the long term (ie for life) that is the nightmare. At what point of slinkydom is it ok to say yes to something you know you'll possibly regret and more problematically will lead you from the straight and narrow you have worked so hard to achieve? And life is also too short not to enjoy the good things (meals with friends, treats, eating a sodding roast potato). There's the rub - slinky versus the good life. Touching a lot of nerves methinks.

@themill said...

'eat less, do more' - if only I had the will power to go with it....

Omega Mum said...

I am so pleased to read that Grey Mare is frisky - that sounds very good. And you're so right about the diet things. Now there's beauty makeover stuff. Frankly, if you weren't feeling fat and ugly before you started reading all this guff, you certainly would be now. Happy New Year.

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

Gill, it is scary that people 'abuse' food like this. Sadly, i think it is pressure from other women - and of course the media - that has caused the problem ..

Brom, do you really think I am a 1950s housewife? :)

Mopsa, I am a believer in a little of what you fancy does you good, life is too short not to eat roast potatoes...

@themill, I reckon you do plenty ...

OM, thankyoi and good to see you. happy New Year!

dulwichmum said...

Welcome back sweetie! I myself am on a diet, I am sooo hungry - I do this every January, my husband says it is a meaningless ritual - the love.

Gill said...

yeah! when did I must diet because its January! become a meme?

Rob Clack said...

I have tagged you. I hope you don't mind. Please visit my blog for the details. The rules state that I should tag 7 random people, which seems odd. Instead, I've been following a chain of links via other people's blogrolls. This has become a loop - Trousers -> Prada Pixie ->Wake Up and Smell the Coffee -> Lady MacLeod -> you, but you're already on my blogroll.

Pig in the Kitchen said...

I find it hard to shift weight. As soon as i decide i'm not quite what i should be, i want to bathe in cheese and drink chocolate. I need some of your iron will M&M.
Pigx

Beth said...

I agree with Gill - also, I think it's more difficult to lose weight as an adult if you were overweight as a child. And sadly, as we get older, our metabolism slows down and it is harder to keep it off. Plus most of us are in fairly sendendary jobs - i.e. sitting at computers and don't get as much exerciese.

Ah well - I've decided that this year I've got too much other things going on to focus on weight loss - if I can just maintain my current weight in 2008 I'll be happy!

Beth said...

Another thing is changing fashion in women's weight - if you look at film or photos of Marylin Monroe, she'd be considered a plus size model today! Can you imagine a size 16 sex symbol today?

Anonymous said...

I stopped smoking over a year ago and the weight has just crept on
:-(
I need to take myself in hand.
Congratulations on loosing yours.