I'm a HUGE fan of "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. I remember the first time I ever watched it, and how I kept thinking to myself "wow, I'll never let myself get to be like that!" Oh how I wish that were true.
This season, they have their biggest cast ever, not to mention their biggest contestant ever, weighing in at 526 pounds. In the first week, he lost 32 pounds! I was so inspired by all of the contestants, that it made me want to work that much harder.
This last week, however, was a wake-up call... not only for the contestants, but for me as well.
I record the show on Tuesday nights, and watch it when I get a chance later in the week. My chance this time was this morning. And oh how horribly shocking and sad.
They performed medical tests on each of the contestants, and the Doctor for the show came to give them all their results. One contestant learned that at 27, she was now a diabetic. Another, that they were at a 98% chance of having heart failure and dying in the next 10 years. The largest contestant, found out that he's carrying around 303 extra pounds of nothing but fat, and that it's slowly overworking his organs, which will cause them to eventually shut down and kill him.
They also gave contestants a look at how old their body REALLY is. The 27 year old had a body that was 57. 57! That's 30 years of life she's throwing away by being overweight.
Sitting there, watching the results of their health tests, I had to ask myself... is that really how I want to end up? Do I want to sit face to face with my own mortality? Absolutely not. After watching that episode, I can honestly tell you that there is no way in hell I'm staying the way that I am now.
Honestly, I'm afraid to know what my test results would be. I'm afraid to know how old my body really is. My knees don't work well, my back and hips are constantly in pain. I know my heart and lungs work at least twice as hard as they should.
The bottom line here... by living the way that I'm living now, I'm basically, slowly, committing suicide.
What an even greater reason to keep working hard. Thank you, Biggest Loser, for yet another inspirational episode that has hit VERY close to home.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Shocking Read
Every month, I receive an Oprah magazine. Most of it is just fun to flip through and dream, but there's a section towards the back of the magazine that has some REALLY good articles. Most of them are about your health and body. Last month's issue had a story about a woman who was overweight. She visited Dr. Oz and he told her that her extra fat was causing a lot of pressure on her organs, and this, in turn, would eventually lead to her dying... probably earlier than expected. I freaked out when I read this. It honestly was exactly what I needed to hear/read to get myself going. It inspired me to begin this journey.
Well, this month's issue featured the second part of her story... after she had been on a program for 2 months. After her 2 months, she visited Dr. Oz again, and she discovered that she had been thrown into menopause about 10 years early. He goes on to explain to her that living an inactive lifestyle brings on menopause quicker than an active one, and that weight plays a big part in that.
WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? Okay. Time out. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for menopause early! I'm almost 27 years old, and I still want loads of children! We are getting up off the couch and moving our ass. I will NOT let this weight get the best of me. No way!
Well, this month's issue featured the second part of her story... after she had been on a program for 2 months. After her 2 months, she visited Dr. Oz again, and she discovered that she had been thrown into menopause about 10 years early. He goes on to explain to her that living an inactive lifestyle brings on menopause quicker than an active one, and that weight plays a big part in that.
WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? Okay. Time out. I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready for menopause early! I'm almost 27 years old, and I still want loads of children! We are getting up off the couch and moving our ass. I will NOT let this weight get the best of me. No way!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Beginning of a New Life
Hello! My name is Marie, and at 417.6 pounds, I am morbidly obese.
The first step to becoming a happier, healthier person: Acceptance. I have accepted that I am unhealthy and putting myself in an early grave.
Do I want to be there? Do I want to die before everyone I know and love? No.
Would I like to live long enough to see my future children and their children grow up? Yes!
Do I like walking up a flight of stairs and feeling like I might die? Do I enjoy being stared at, laughed at, being the butt of everyone's jokes, having to ask for a table rather than a booth at a restaurant, or be fearful of sitting on furniture because it might break underneath of me? No.
Do I want to be active, have children, be comfortable wherever I go, regardless of the quality of the furniture or the size of it? Yes!
So... what to do about it.
I have always been a "bigger" girl, but in the last 5 years or so, it's gotten a little out of control. Let's touch base with some of the things I've managed to accomplish as an obese person.
*I eat enormous portions of food (and usually the ones that are REALLY bad for you), sometimes enough to feed three or four people!
*I am chronically lazy. I sit in front of the tv or the computer for hours upon end... usually with something to eat or drink in front of me.
*I am a HORRIBLE emotional eater. When I'm happy, I celebrate with food. When I'm sad, I find comfort in food. When I'm angry, I take it out on food. Food has become my punching bag in life.
*I constantly walk to the fridge and open the door... just to see what food is in there that I MIGHT want for later.
*I will eat more than once at a meal. For instance, I'll grab a sandwich at a fast food restaurant, only to come home and eat whatever's been fixed for dinner.
*I sneak and hide food. It makes me feel better knowing that I tasted something I wanted, when I wanted it.
*I despise fruits and vegetables. They aren't even on my radar.
That's quite a list. It might make some people laugh, or some people cry. But, there might also be something on that list that you can relate to. That is what I'm hoping to accomplish here.
I know that making changes in your life for the better is REALLY hard. Especially when you've spent so many years doing everything WRONG.
With this blog, I'm hoping that it can be my tool for reaching out to people for inspiration and support for myself, and in turn, hopefully it will be inspirational for others as well. Weight is something that everyone struggles with in their life, and I want to do everything I can do be an instrument for others.
With that being said, let's do a run-down of my goals for this journey, shall we? :)
Goals and Rewards
I believe that goals are a little more fun and easier to obtain if there are rewards for your accomplishments. I have over 200 pounds to lose. That can be a little discouraging when you look in the long term. That's why I've put together a list of goals and rewards that are obtainable and will encourage me to keep going! Each time I hit a goal, I'm going to reward myself with the following:
For every 10 lbs I lose: I'm going to buy myself something under $10.00
25 lbs: A pedicure
50 lbs: A new outfit
75 lbs: A manicure and pedicure
100 lbs: A 1 carat piece of jewelry and a massage
125 lbs: A night at the Chateau Avalon
150 lbs: A new electronic gadget / device (i.e. a Sony Reader, IPod, etc.)
175 lbs: A spa treatment
200 lbs: A 2 carat piece of jewelry and a weekend trip to The Elms
I'm looking forward to hitting these goals! :)
Looking Ahead
In my future posts, I'll be sharing with you healthy recipes, inspirational stories and quotes and fun facts and tips. Hopefully they'll help you with your journey and inspire you. I look forward to sharing this with you, and I wish every one luck in their endeavors for the new year!
The first step to becoming a happier, healthier person: Acceptance. I have accepted that I am unhealthy and putting myself in an early grave.
Do I want to be there? Do I want to die before everyone I know and love? No.
Would I like to live long enough to see my future children and their children grow up? Yes!
Do I like walking up a flight of stairs and feeling like I might die? Do I enjoy being stared at, laughed at, being the butt of everyone's jokes, having to ask for a table rather than a booth at a restaurant, or be fearful of sitting on furniture because it might break underneath of me? No.
Do I want to be active, have children, be comfortable wherever I go, regardless of the quality of the furniture or the size of it? Yes!
So... what to do about it.
I have always been a "bigger" girl, but in the last 5 years or so, it's gotten a little out of control. Let's touch base with some of the things I've managed to accomplish as an obese person.
*I eat enormous portions of food (and usually the ones that are REALLY bad for you), sometimes enough to feed three or four people!
*I am chronically lazy. I sit in front of the tv or the computer for hours upon end... usually with something to eat or drink in front of me.
*I am a HORRIBLE emotional eater. When I'm happy, I celebrate with food. When I'm sad, I find comfort in food. When I'm angry, I take it out on food. Food has become my punching bag in life.
*I constantly walk to the fridge and open the door... just to see what food is in there that I MIGHT want for later.
*I will eat more than once at a meal. For instance, I'll grab a sandwich at a fast food restaurant, only to come home and eat whatever's been fixed for dinner.
*I sneak and hide food. It makes me feel better knowing that I tasted something I wanted, when I wanted it.
*I despise fruits and vegetables. They aren't even on my radar.
That's quite a list. It might make some people laugh, or some people cry. But, there might also be something on that list that you can relate to. That is what I'm hoping to accomplish here.
I know that making changes in your life for the better is REALLY hard. Especially when you've spent so many years doing everything WRONG.
With this blog, I'm hoping that it can be my tool for reaching out to people for inspiration and support for myself, and in turn, hopefully it will be inspirational for others as well. Weight is something that everyone struggles with in their life, and I want to do everything I can do be an instrument for others.
With that being said, let's do a run-down of my goals for this journey, shall we? :)
Goals and Rewards
I believe that goals are a little more fun and easier to obtain if there are rewards for your accomplishments. I have over 200 pounds to lose. That can be a little discouraging when you look in the long term. That's why I've put together a list of goals and rewards that are obtainable and will encourage me to keep going! Each time I hit a goal, I'm going to reward myself with the following:
For every 10 lbs I lose: I'm going to buy myself something under $10.00
25 lbs: A pedicure
50 lbs: A new outfit
75 lbs: A manicure and pedicure
100 lbs: A 1 carat piece of jewelry and a massage
125 lbs: A night at the Chateau Avalon
150 lbs: A new electronic gadget / device (i.e. a Sony Reader, IPod, etc.)
175 lbs: A spa treatment
200 lbs: A 2 carat piece of jewelry and a weekend trip to The Elms
I'm looking forward to hitting these goals! :)
Looking Ahead
In my future posts, I'll be sharing with you healthy recipes, inspirational stories and quotes and fun facts and tips. Hopefully they'll help you with your journey and inspire you. I look forward to sharing this with you, and I wish every one luck in their endeavors for the new year!
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