Weight Loss

Here is a post I also wrote for another blog and decided I should post here, on the eve of my new diet to lose 10 lbs. Enjoy and hope my words provide inspiration to any and all out there who are also searching for some answer to their questions about self image and weight... 1LOVE

Now before you lose yourself in a fit of frustration and uselessness, yes, I do obviously know that the “weight loss” topic is more hackneyed than those magic pills and maple syrup diets that promise relief from the wretched weight gain that caused all this trouble in the first place. Having said that… (Curb reference? Anyone?) but really, having said that, a recent experience in this very arena of bodily misery has forced me to gain some first-hand insight into the popular dilemma, and so, herein begins my story:

The set-up: A recent college grad embarking on her first trip overseas, excited about her upcoming European adventures and inversely as excited about the prospect of finding a job when she returns stateside.

The culprit: Well, Italy, or more specifically over-indulgence in Italy… and Greece… and Spain… and France… and London (you mean those fish and chips weren’t low calorie? That fried bread in Dover wasn’t diet food?)

Now imagine if you will, a solid month of this heffer-fest, an entire thirty two days that was nothing short of a spectacularly fatty, ridiculously rich, no holds barred culinary adventure complete with handmade pasta, Trevi fountain gelato and a very buttery assortment of pastries bought from a corner street vendor in Paris. With each delicious bite, I would reason with myself: I was on vacation, I was celebrating my recent graduation, I was experiencing culture at its best. No I was not being a glutton, I was being a perfectly reasonable, perpetually hungry person thank you very much!

The after-math: Well no doubt my trusty readers can ascertain that there were some major consequences to all that I have described above, and by major I will just say that my mom dropped a few none too subtle “chubby” references several times that first week home while my dad took me to the nearest LA fitness for a membership upon arrival that afternoon.

In all fairness I will say that I wasn’t actually overweight by most standards. I still rocked a bathing suit at the pool and mini-skirts at the clubs, though post-trip I was never quite happy with how these items fit me. With each top I tried on that wouldn’t zip or pants I tugged on that couldn’t button I literally felt my confidence dying a little inside. To cope, I took to sitting at home most summer nights watching Yankee baseball and eating freshly baked cupcakes or chocolate chip cookies (probably not the best way to solve my dilemma… ya think?) In essence, I was feeling very sorry for myself, and dealt with my sappy self by eating more, creating an even bigger problem while nipping in the bud the desire to fix it. I got comfortable in my elastic sweatpants and oversized T-shirts and didn’t want to change, there was no need, I was FINE. Obviously there is a lesson to be learned here, but I am aware of the fact that there are some people who don’t mind this state of being, who feel that eating what you want when you want with no thought as to what it does not only to your exterior but also to your internal well-being is perfectly okay. And to these people I say in the words of Bob Marley: “Don’t worry about a thing.” It’s fine. Whatever floats your boat. However, I am not one of these people, and in my case, the only reason my boat was afloat was really just because of my newfound bloat (oh great, now I’m rhyming.)

Anyway, though there was no moment of great epiphany, no lightbulb that beamed its effervescent glow of understanding atop my head making me want to make a change in the way I was living, there was a time, I believe in the days just before Thanksgiving, that I decided I would take this whole dieting thing seriously and make an experiment of it, see how good I could look and see how fast I could accomplish real significant weight loss.

Now here’s where I want to put in my two cents on this topic. Take it or leave it, I will just tell you what happened after this time. Here, I’ll even give away the ending (gee thanks…): I lost 18 pounds, gained a flat-as-a-board stomach and was able to see angles and planes in my face I didn’t even know existed before this all began. I’m at a perfectly healthy weight, strong and feeling better than I ever have before. But truthfully, all that doesn’t matter, for the most important thing in weight loss is NOT the end result as most people believe, but rather it is the exciting journey that just so happens to culminate in the accomplishment of this goal. For me, along the way, it was fun to fit into clothes I hadn’t worn proudly in months, then even slither into ones I hadn’t worn in years. It was thrilling and amusing when I would get compliments from men in some NYC bar who seemingly liked what they saw (hey, another bi-product of weight loss is confidence, and I have gained that tenfold.) It’s great to see the numbers on a scale go down each week, as real tangible evidence that you are on the path to a healthier you. I know I sound a little cheesy but really you have to embrace the experience. Because that’s the thing about weight loss, the issue may be culturally bromidic but if it has become dull in our society it is only because of the awful over-exposure it receives; as companies try relentlessly to convince vulnerable cake-eating, television watching, sweatpants wearing, low confidence Americans like three-months-ago me that this can all disappear tomorrow all they are doing is augmenting the feeling that there is no real way out, a consequence of their advertised “quick fix” that always ends in inevitable failure. It has become a tiresome topic only because the way in which we approach it is fundamentally flawed, and so I say, dieting needs to be thought about with a much different outlook.

So what, you may ask, is this so-called different outlook? Well, exciting as the journey may be, the day to day of every weight loss sojourn is, sad to say, a bit boring. Anyone trying to lose weight NEEDS to know that weight loss, like any life-changing undertaking, requires a serious commitment, (along with a great cardio playlist and the will to get yourself to the gym even on those rainy days when the E-channel is showing a Cutest Celebrity Couples marathon.) Not only in terms of exercise, but dietarily speaking, weight loss also takes a complete overhaul in the way you approach food. I recommend taking up cooking if you have the time, embracing lean proteins like chicken breast and grilled fish, delighting in the taste of sauteed vegetables or small wedges of finely aged cheese as a dessert subsitute. The purpose of this post however, is not to explain how to lose weight, we all know what it requires, (healthier, lower fat, smaller portion style eating and frequent exercise if you want my opinion) but it’s to hopefully provide that first push off the sofa that seems to be the most difficult part, yes I wrote this silly thing with the hopes of trying to get you up and moving.

In order to do this, I propose that weight loss not be looked upon with a groan but rather with a grin (oh how cheesy am I????) Because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to make men drool and women jealous of how great you look in that little black backless dress… (just kidding?) So why not start today? After you read this? Let this be the beginning of something great, a thing where the ending is not important but rather it is the work required along the way that rings essential. I believe that everyone has it in them to do it, but most don’t have the motivation or desire to begin. So I’ll end with my favorite pop philosopher, Andy Warhol who didn’t know it at the time but who could very well be the inspiration for a whole new generation of dieters nationwide: “They always say that time changes things but you actually have to change them yourself.” So think about it. Change things yourself. But remember, nobody’s forcing your hand, nobody is saying you have to, this isn’t kindergarten and I’m not a bully 5th grader, I’m just a girl who’s been there and you’re just a reader surfing the good ole internets who’s probably bored out of your mind by now… but hey, it might be time to put down the cupcake (okay, finish the cupcake) and get going, because with every moment that arrives, you will find a new opportunity to turn it all around.