I’m not fat…I’m big boned!

My mother to this day will tell you that I was not fat growing up.  There are pictures in my book that prove otherwise…Oh the love of a mother.  Fat gene or skinny gene…it’s a roll of the genetic dice that I lost.  I believe that it was my mother’s point of view that inevitably gave me mine. I have a very good friend that has struggled with her weight since childhood too but she has told me before how her mother would make negative comments about her weight rather than being supportive. I think she has bitter feelings about being fat directly related to this. I know that given the opportunity to be left alone with little Johnny who did not pick her for the kickball team in the fifth grade – because she was the “fat kid” – it could get a little messy….and not for her.  My mother never harped at me about my weight or told me I was fat. According to her I was just “big-boned.” To me I was fat. Today I am fat. I am not angry about, mad at anybody because of it, and know that there are reasons for it but also know that even as I lose weight I will never be skinny. And I do not want to be skinny. I was not born to be a skinny chick even if my doctor tells me that at my height of 5’6” and large frame I should weigh something like 130.  Sorry, that is never going to happen – it is a physical improbability!

In Making Light of Being Heavy there are pictures of me at around 170 my senior year in high school. I had dieted like mad to get into a dress that I bought for senior prom and I was “skinny.” I can remember my dad coming up beside me at the dinner table one night pointing out my shoulder bone and hip bone and telling me to stop with the dieting. But according to the weight guidelines I was obese!

People should find a comfortable weight for them and consider that their weight guideline and just smile politely at their doctor who whips out the chart that says otherwise. A person’s main focus should be that they are healthy. I may be fat but I am healthy. People will ask how that is possible… if I am fat I must automatically be unhealthy. I am 44 and even though I am considered in the medical field “obese,” I do not have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, varicose veins, joint problems, etc. Am I just lucky?

Hey!  Check out my YouTube video – Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR5AC-r9qU

With a bunch of butt shots with measurements (yes I said measurements!) coming up to the slow rocking beat of stripper music, my video Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs definitely has the market cornered on making light of being heavy 🙂  Making Light of Being Heavy is a comical book with opinions and observations from a fat chick’s point of view that puts an unexpected and funny spin on dealing with the fat gene!

Until next time, keep laughing!

Related Articles

• Fat, the F Word (thehungryfab.com)
• Finally, a little vindication for the fat chicks…. (makinglight.wordpress.com)

Cruise ships and fat chicks…

First let me intro this with a little history.  Many may recall the show The Love Boat back in the 1980’s.  I loved that show! I still remember the song – “…The Love Boat soon will be making another run, The Love Boat promises something for everyone, set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance…” I used to daydream about being on a cruise ship and going to exciting places and having fun all night dancing and going to the shows.

I couldn’t wait until the day I could go on a cruise myself and the day did finally come a couple of years after my son was born. We were going on a five-day Carnival cruise stopping in Key West and Cozumel. I was so excited. It was everything I had imagined and even better with yummy drinks, great entertainment, and food everywhere – that is until I went to use the shower.  Now I understand that they design these ships for maximum capacity and that is all good unless you are a little heavier than the average cruiser.  I was attempting to take a shower in my luxurious shower stall, which seriously didn’t appear to be more than a foot wide, when it seemed like there was a problem with the water.  It kept going on and off, on and off. I was starting to get a little irritated until I realized that with every move I made because it was such a tight fit I kept hitting the knob and turning the water on and off! I still laugh when I think about it!

Hey!  Check out my YouTube video – Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR5AC-r9qU

With a bunch of butt shots with measurements (yes I said measurements!) coming up to the slow rocking beat of stripper music, my video Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs definitely has the market cornered on making light of being heavy 🙂  Making Light of Being Heavy is a comical book with opinions and observations from a fat chick’s point of view that puts an unexpected and funny spin on dealing with the fat gene!

Until next time, keep laughing!

The inspiration for Making Light of Being Heavy…

Making Light of Being Heavy was inspired by my daily life as a fat chick.  Specifically, one summer day a friend and I were in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, with our kids just walking along the sidewalk when this young athletic guy driving a pedicab (a ride that is driven by a person on a bike) pulls along side us waiting for a light. I looked over at him and asked him with a smile, “Hey cutie, what’s the weight limit on that ride?”  Now both my friend and I topped out at over 300 pounds each so you can just imagine what this 160-pound guy must be thinking!  He looked at us as though he was trying to come up with a “safe” figure to not hurt our feelings and with a confident grin said “500 pounds.”  I jokingly laughed with my friend and said that we wouldn’t be getting a ride on that anytime soon! 

As we were walking away, my friend commented on how cool it would be to write a book about the funny side of being fat.  Now, of course, this is all perception but I have always had a great sense of humor and I started recalling incidents in the past that I laughed about, specifically regarding my weight.  When I started writing Making Light of Being Heavy and adding my perspective, I realized that this might actually help some women to have a different outlook on their struggles with weight as being fat is already hard enough with all the negativity that comes along with it.  One of my friends read my rough draft and commented that it was a great self-esteem booster and how it also provided a lot of insight into the life of a fat chick that she was not expecting.  It made me feel good to know that if I could just get this book out there, it might actually help some women. So then it began – my goal to get the book published. 

This book may be a quick read, but with a little bit of humor and a lot of realty it sure does pack a punch!

Hey!  Check out my YouTube video – Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR5AC-r9qU

With a bunch of butt shots with measurements (yes I said measurements!) coming up to the slow rocking beat of stripper music, my video Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs definitely has the market cornered on making light of being heavy 🙂  Making Light of Being Heavy is a comical book with opinions and observations from a fat chick’s point of view that puts an unexpected and funny spin on dealing with the fat gene!

Until next time, keep laughing!

Related Articles

• The inspiration for Making Light of Being Heavy… (makinglight.wordpress.com)
• Tips for Making Light of Being Heavy… (makinglight.wordpress.com)
• I’m not fat…I’m big boned! (makinglight.wordpress.com)

Ditch the diet and live longer!

The article starts out by asking, “Are you a reluctant dieter?”  What kind of question is that?  Is there anybody out there that likes being on a diet?

“The researchers said the idea that weight is harmful has been “exaggerated” and people who are little heavier may actually live longer. The California University (CU) study that looked at about 350,000 people in the US also suggested that the obese put their health in greater danger when they obsessively try to slim down.”

“It recommended that people should eat a varied and balanced diet, and take “enjoyable” amounts of exercise — even if they still end up carrying a few extra pounds. The researchers also noted that society’s obsession with dieting is “ineffective” and often leads to people becoming fatter as they crave food and binge, the Daily Mail reported.”

As a professional dieter and fat expert myself, this article comes as no surprise to me.  I know I am fat but I also know I am healthy.  The article refers to society’s obsesssion with dieting but the real bottom line is society’s obsession with what is considered “normal.”  This is what is most aggravating.  Who creates the “normal” guidelines anyway?  We are all familiar with the ones from the doctor’s office that say if you are this tall, this age, and have this body structure you should be this weight.  Really?  If that were true then everybody would look the same and how “normal” would that be?

Hey!  Check out my YouTube video – Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR5AC-r9qU

With a bunch of butt shots with measurements (yes I said measurements!) coming up to the slow rocking beat of stripper music, my video Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs definitely has the market cornered on making light of being heavy 🙂  Making Light of Being Heavy is a comical book with opinions and observations from a fat chick’s point of view that puts an unexpected and funny spin on dealing with the fat gene!

Until next time, keep laughing!

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-01-25/science/28374891_1_heart-disease-poor-diet-balanced-diet

I think I ate my willpower…

According to my pocket Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of willpower is “energetic determination.” I do believe that the word energetic is a tad bit misleading…When dieting we all know it takes willpower in order to be successful but who goes skipping and dancing around their house like the Energizer diet bunny all happy that they are yet on another diet?

I have started the Scarsdale Diet at least three times lately and I will do great for a few days but then all of a sudden I don’t know what happens…Well, one night I went out with friends and drank and was merry and perhaps had one too many Kamikaze shots or maybe it was the late night popcorn snacking and plate of eggs and toast that went along with it….I got right back on my diet the next day but apparently the damage was done because my steady weight loss for the week came to an complete stop for the next four days. This sucks. But did I have fun? Yes. Do I regret messing up my diet? No.

Monday is only a couple of days away and back on I go with a smile on my face and that energetic determination in my step.

Hey!  Check out my YouTube video – Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQR5AC-r9qU

With a bunch of butt shots with measurements (yes I said measurements!) coming up to the slow rocking beat of stripper music, my video Fat Chicks and Unfriendly Chairs definitely has the market cornered on making light of being heavy 🙂  Making Light of Being Heavy is a comical book with opinions and observations from a fat chick’s point of view that puts an unexpected and funny spin on dealing with the fat gene!

Until next time, keep laughing!

Fat gene or no fat gene…

Image via Wikipedia

In an article titled, “The Staggering Cost of Obesity Increases To $100 Billion Per Annum” it states that, “Obesity kills a staggering 300,000 Americans every single year and health-care expenditures and associated cost of obesity have gone up to a whooping $100 billion per annum. The World Bank roughly estimated that about 12 percent of the U.S. budget of health care is largely spent on the treatment of obesity.” Estimated 12% of the U.S. budget for health care is for fat people. So what about the other 88% of the budget…Call me crazy and I am no expert but I think the number of people who smoke in this country might be comparable to those who are fat and we never see handy-dandy informative articles like this one on how the detriments of cigarettes people smoke affect the healthcare budget. They certainly cannot blame me as part of the problem with obesity and the healthcare budget because being self-employed no insurance company will even cover me because I am “morbidly obese.” Hmmm…Strange considering I am healthy as a horse, no diabetes, no hypertension, no known hereditary risk factors, do not smoke, do not drink, take no regular medications, and can pass a physical exam with flying colors…except I am fat. You can bet your bottom dollar that I am healthier than a good percentage of people that are covered by insurance who do smoke, drink, take daily medications, but just fall within the weight guidelines. A video by Dr. Victor Bellonzi is included in this informative little article about how genetics absolutely positively has nothing to do with whether a person is overweight or not. Not to state the obvious but he probably has never had a weight problem. To quote Dr. Bellonzi, “If you don’t take the time and the care to watch out for these things you create a different situation.” He is referring to how you treat your genes and that we don’t need to blame genetics for any part of our weight problem because it is totally irrelevant. Really?? So, I guess I cannot blame genetics for my brown hair, blue eyes, large front teeth, my big toe and second toe being the same size, the space between my eyes, the shape of my ears…geez must I go on? So genetics plays a role in all of those features about me but there is no way that it plays a part in my body habitus. Seriously this guy is nuts! “If you are overweight it is not because of your genetics it is because you haven’t treated your genes the way they needed to be treated to get the outcome that you wanted unless you wanted to be overweight so you have to start learning how to treat your genes.” Yes Dr. Bellonzi, you have figured me out…my whole life I have wanted to be fat. Last time I checked we do not have any control on genes we inherently receive from our parents or ancestors. There are plenty of people who are thin and eat whatever they want and never do a drop of exercise but on the flip side there are people who have struggled with their weight their whole lives who do watch their diet and exercise only to have the same outcome. So why is that if genes do not play a role? Genes are a powerful part of our makeup and I did get the fat gene. Do you think it is too late to get a refund?

Until next time, keep laughing!