The Path Not Taken

Today I'm thankful for the burdens I have NOT been given. This morning I watched the Today Show for a few minutes and learned the story of Ruby Gettinger. Apparently, she has a very successful reality show on the Style channel chronicling her weight loss struggles. She started at 716 pounds and has lost over 300 -- and gained back 30. She's a spunky Southern belle type and has a lot of personality. You can't help but like her. But ... I'm so grateful that I don't have to face a weight loss of that magnitude. I'm hoping to lose 100 pounds and that seems daunting enough!

While Ruby's show seems like a stunt -- and I guess it is -- it's nice to see a truly likeable person humanizing the problems of overweight people. So many people, some in my family included, just see fat people as weak and flawed and unacceptable. As Jeff frequently points out, each 10 pounds is the equivalent of a full gallon milk jug. How would you feel walking around carrying ten full milk jugs? Not very comfortable, I can tell you.

It's a hard life for those who have to live that way and there are no easy answers. Ninety-seven percent of those with over 100 pounds to lose cannot permanently lose weight through diet and exercise. Ninety-seven percent! Sure they can lose weight, but they gain it all back and sometimes more. Even Weight Watchers admits to an 85% failure rate.

That's why I made the hard choice to have weight loss surgery. Sometimes I'm not sure it was the right choice, but I'm making progress towards a healthier weight and I have some assurance that the weight won't come back. With weight loss surgery, the percentage of failure is only 12%. It's unnatural, it's self-mutilation, it has been painful, and it's restricting -- but I'm 50 pounds lighter than I was and I feel better. All in all, I think it's what I had to do.

That being said, I'll get off my soapbox. I don't think I'll watch Ruby's show. I'm not a huge fan of reality shows (except American Idol) and I think it would make me sad to watch her. But I wish her well and I hope she can be an inspiration to others with weight to lose and an ambassador to those who unfairly judge overweight people.