Memoirs of a Fat Girl

To know me, one must know my Weight Chronology. True to Fat Girl form, it quite nicely showcases all the years of my bulge, highlighted with spots of thin-ism. Here it is, all badder years and shining moments:

0-11: Average.

12: After surgery, I put on some weight. Hey, you would too if you had to lie still all the time. My growth spurt helps thin me out.

13-16: Average.

17: Here come the pounds…

18: And more pounds…

19: My fattest year to date.

20: Ever-so-slightly smaller than the year before.

21: Drop quite a bit, but still thick.

22-24: Same.

24-26: Super sexy, super smokin’, super fine. My thinnest years to date.

27: Here come the pounds…

28-29: And more pounds…

30: Slow, slow downslide, but back to thicker than usual.

31: Here we are, present day. Better than usual, but still thick. I need to lose more weight.

In between these years, between the gaining and the losing and the crying and the upset were still more years and more diets where I lost a little, then gained it back. Lost a little, gained it back; lost a little, gained it back.

Bow to your corner, bow to your own
Three hands up and ‘round you go
Break it up with a dosey-do
Chicken in the bread pan kickin’out dough

This is not a dance I want to keep doing for the rest of my life. I hate square dancing, anyway.

Yo-Yo Dieting is very bad for you. Going up and down in weight during short periods of time can’t be healthy, and I’m guessing, will help contribute to a rotten old age. I don’t consider myself old (just yet), but I know I’m not getting any younger. If I keep dabbling like this, I’m going to make myself sick.

You will too, you know. People who are much smarter than me have said as much:

Besides being terribly discouraging – gaining, losing and regaining weight can be very dangerous to your health, specifically the cardiovascular system, the digestive system and the skin.

That is why, these days, it’s so important to look at the big picture. When one wants to change their weight, overall appearance and lifestyle in general, one must look at their entire world as a whole, and not just the quick fix that will temporarily make it all better.

Why? Because diets don’t work.

By only restricting caloric intake, chronic dieters condition their bodies to survive on fewer calories, thereby putting themselves at greater risk for weight gain with the slightest increase in caloric intake.

If you need further proof just take a look at my weight chronology or better yet, write out your own. See how far the Slim Fasts and Cabbage Soup Diets have taken you, and make sure to also carefully note the damage they’ve caused. Losing five pounds a week is fantastic, but gaining seven back the following week is devastating. The spring in your step and the glow that was once on your face will be nothing compared to the misery and bad feelings that replace them.

Doctors, nutritionists, dietitians and personal trainers who don’t work for the big corporations selling us the bullshit ads that promise "Thin for Life” but never pay up, have been telling us the same thing for years:

Most weight-management experts and physicians now agree that a far better approach to long-term weight loss requires a combination of good nutrition and exercise.

The moral of the story is, no matter how easy the fast way seems, it’s harder in the long run.

Oyvey. The painful truth. I have to eat better. And, I have to go back to the gym.


** Square dance lyrics from a Bugs Bunny episode entitled "Hillbilly Hare"
** Quotes taken from “Yo-Yo Dieting – Stop the Madness” by Sharon Stewart for www.lifetoolsforwomen.com