I've been looking forward to today's show about the Biggest Loser. I really don't get the chance to watch the actual show anymore because I work that night, but when I was able to, I got very attached to the contestants. I had a hefty weightloss in my own life and I can really relate to their struggles. On today's show, there was lots of talk about making the choice each day to eat healthy, exercise, and put health first. That's how I live - day by day - or else I could easily slide back into my old behavior with food. I am proud to say, aside from my spine (which is probably a genetic issue), I'm now as healthy and strong as a horse. A charming horse that wears leopard print flats.
As many of you know, because of my own conflict with weight/body image issues, I feel very connected to Oprah when it comes to her own struggle. She talks about it frequently, and even if I've been annoyed with her about a show that focuses on something I disagree with, the moment she shows her vulnerable side about her body, it melts my heart. I think many women find a connection to Oprah through the shared experience of eating troubles and weight.
In fact, a high percentage of the emails I get from you (as a result of the 'if you could ask oprah one question' email link on the right hand side of this page) are inquiries about her weight.
So, I've a few questions that I've been considering lately and I'd like to throw them out to you: Do you feel more or less connected or interested in Oprah because of her weight? Do you think you "like" Oprah more or less depending on what size Michael Kors pants she's wearing each season? Do you think Oprah does too many or too few shows about this topic? How do you feel when you hear other people, from late-night talk show hosts to your friends, talk about Oprah's weight? Whew! Feel free to answer all or none of these questions. I'm really interested in your thoughts.
And then...I feel I have to intercede about the tone of comments. I've gotten emails lately about folks feeling attacked in the comments section. I know it's easy, when we're mostly anonymous to each other, to let our feelings rip and finger point and say things we wouldn't say to each other in person. But, let's make this a more comfortable place to have our discussions. You know, I'm all for disagreement and conflicting opinions. I don't want you all to repress a single one of your valuable feelings. BUT just imagine - what if the anonymous person you're slamming is your own mom, your child, or even sweet, old Sister Mary Teresa who runs the orphanage on the corner but reads my blog daily?
So, if you disagree strongly with another commenter and feel like your head might explode, I thought something that might help (and you might think I'm joking, but I'm as serious as global warming), is to use the same methods I retrieved from Oprah.com to utilize when my husband and I have a disagreement during this project. This will be fun. I promise. It'll be a small taste of my day to day life of Living Oprah. If you want to challenge a fellow commenter, check this out first. Scroll down the page and check out the rules of Imago Relationship Therapy.
I am giggling at the thought of this and have NO idea if it could possible work online, but what if we try to take Oprah-approved relationship advice to the Blogosphere? I'm thinking this could be the first key to world peace. Or, conversely, it could indicate that start of me losing every single one of my readers. Still, I'm willing to take the chance so people don't feel uncomfortable sharing their opinions on this blog.
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38 comments:
I feel a stronger connection to Oprah because of her own body-image struggles.
Honestly, it's hard to imagine her bringing up body image too often; I don't know a woman who doesn't relate in some way.
And to be even more honest -- though this is hard to admit -- I'd like (and trust, if that makes sense?) Oprah less if she were a size 2. When she went on that crazy diet to fit in those tiny jeans, I liked her the least. And she'll even admit that was her biggest mistake/worst show (forget exactly how she puts it.) I appreciated her acknowledging that. It shows the wisdom she's gained from struggling with weight and finding some balance along the way.
Today, Oprah looks strong and healthy. She dresses in outfits that flatter her body. This is what all women can strive for!
Mostly I think how on Earth can I hope to control my weight when Oprah who has enough assistants and chefs to run a small hotel cannot? I mean she could hire someone to taser her into good behavior. Can you imagine "Naughty Oprah! No cookie! Zap!"
C.
I never really notice Oprah's weight till I see an old episode where she is a lot thinner or a lot heavier. As a frequent watcher of her show, I think it's a bit harder to notice the subtle changes in her weight...especially with the great lighting and make-up!
I think all women struggle with their weight but I honestly do not think I identify with Oprah anymore or less because of her weight. I have suffered from eating disorders in the past and I do not conflate my own struggles with food and control with Oprah's. At any rate, I find that I am very accepting of women's bodies at any size, just not my own.
I do wonder, though, if Oprah was rail thin, would I find it hard to take advice from her? Would I find myself overly envious of her and her perfect life and thus not want to hear anything she has to say? For me, she's kind of like 'Mama Oprah' and lord only knows Mama ain't perfect...
this is fascinating to me. frankly, i'm basically of the same mind as you all - but what gets me is if we feel like this, then why do so many of us obsess over being thinner? or over pictures of thin celebrities? as if thinner is 'better.' we're deep, we women. or deeply damaged. you choose! :0
hey a.e. - you made me think of something. i had some heavier yoga students who were brand new to yoga who told me (not in a rude way, but in a vulnerable one) about how i didn't "get" how hard it was for them to put on a pair of stretchy class and come to a yoga class with skinny girls. it's so interesting that they immediately defined me based on my current weight. and they immediately thought, because of my stature, i couldn't empathize with them. i've even been told how "lucky" i am. i always want to say, ARE YOU CRAZY? i spent years fantasizing about being able to shop in "normal" sized clothing stores and couldn't jog 1/2 block without a asthma attack.
thanks for the openness, everyone. can't wait to keep reading your thoughts...
xoLO
I love the fact that Oprah started as a big sassy overweight woman with 80's hair, but I wish that once Oprah lost the weight she had kept it off. I know it makes her more human to gain it back, but I don't want Oprah to be human (we have enough humans); I want her to be SUPER-HUMAN. I love the idea of Oprah just shattering and overcoming every bit of adversity she's ever faced, from racism, sexism, illegitimacy, teen pregnancy, poverty and even her weight problem. I have a bit of child-like need to have a super hero to aspire to be like, and if there was no Oprah, I'd have found some other icon, though I can't think of any other women who even comes close in terms of achieving so much success from so little.
If it were just that she were genetically overweight I wouldn't care, but she sometimes implies that she eats when she gets stressed out, and I hate the thought of Oprah ever getting stressed out because I imagine her being able to handle ANYTHING.
As for the tabloids talking about her weight; I don't really have a problem with it (because she talks about it herself) as long as they are HONEST, but instead they wildy exaggerate to sell more papers.
I think we're bombarded with contrasting images/messages that can't fail to cause angst: on one hand, the ultra thin super model, on the other, the severity of the obesity crisis. We don't want to be obese, right, so by default the other image becomes what we aspire to? Where is the happy medium?
I've been losing weight for the past year, ever since weighing in at the doctor 27 pounds heavier than I've ever been in my adult life. The first week after that appointment, I was miserable emotionally; the doctor worked hard to help me keep perspective, reminding me that I was otherwise healthy, and clearly taking steps to get back to a healthier range weight-wise. Since then, the struggle has been to remain patient and nonjudgmental as the weight comes off gradually, not agonize over pounds not yet lost.
Until the dialogue shifts more solidly to maintaining a certain weight level for health reasons rather than aspiring to some external notion of how we should look, we're bound to get trapped in an unhealthy cycle. While maintaining a healthy weight can only mean good things for our overall health, we can't let weight become the complete measure of our individual worth. From what I've seen, Oprah strives to get that message across in her shows, and I appreciate that she appears as vulnerable as real women everywhere on this sensitive subject.
LO, what I am hearing you say is that you would like to help us communicate with one another more effectively on this blog by requesting that we use the IMAGO Relationship tools. That makes sense, because you think that it will help us to empathize with other bloggers point of view.
Next time I write in I'll give it a try.
As far as Oprah's weight, I really have a difficult time understanding the psychology behind people with addictions, whether they be drugs, eating, alcohol, cigarettes, whatever. When she is obese she seems to rationalize it, and when she gets on some diet fad she sounds very disgusted about her former weight. She seems pretty mixed up to me.
Daisy
Daisy. You. Are Hilarious. Thank you for using Imago to respond to my request. Best, LO
Oprah is a real person, just like you and me except for the fact that she wears Manolos and I wear Payless....and she is super famous. Anyway, I think her struggles with weight make her more relatable and real. I think that struggles like that can be very personal and I think it's a shame that the media and late-night talk shows use her and others for their fodder. I guess if they didn't talk about her and others than they wouldn't have a job but, still...I think it's getting old. Oprah is not a size 8...big deal. So what if she fluctuates. Haven't we all. I think people treat celebrities like these perfect beings that have it all together and it's just not true. I admire Oprah for just being real with her weight and admitting her struggles and not starving herself to look emaciated.
I think Oprah talks too much about weight when she's thin and not enough about it when she's heavy. When she's thin, she seems to equate being heavy with carrying around emotional baggage, and then kind of makes it like she lost weight through her own virtue. When she's heavier she seems to avoid the topic altogether, like she feels guilty.
I think the biggest bar to Oprah's success at maintaining weightloss is her job. I think she's in denial about psychology being the road to slimming down. Sort of related to the secret -- like change can be made through thinking and not doing.
In a way, the show and fame surrounding Oprah that make her opinions accessible to us are the very things that make it impossible for her to live her own best life. How can she accept her healthy weight when she's broadcasting herself out on tv, which adds 10 pounds? How many hours a week do you think that woman works to run a tv show, a magazine, and a nonprofit? How could she possibly be keeping a healthy eating/exercise schedule working those hours? And - on a side note - how can she be speaking her own personal truth when she gets SUED for saying she doesn't want to eat hamburgers?
I like her best when she's overweight, not because I identify with her more or anything like that, but because her silence reveals that there are some mysteries Oprah hasn't solved, and there must be a person in there wholly separate from the on screen personality. I hope she isn't angry at herself when she's overweight. I like to think sometimes she goes home, takes off her shoes and dreams about quitting the whole farting thing and retiring to live her best life just travelling the world eating good food and reading good books. Maybe she gets how screwed up tv and celebrity and fame are, and she might want something for herself besides telling other people what to do and what to buy.
I want to hear her say -- my weight is my business and I'm not talking about it on my show anymore. But I think she's too much of a businesswoman to take her most popular show topic off the table.
Thanks for your post LO. Comments can indeed get heated when some people disagree.
Regarding the weight issue, I do wonder if Oprah is doing anything about her weight. Didn't she say on a previous show that her tyroid is no longer to blame? If she is doing something about it, I wish she will do another show about it. She's done it before, but I don't know if she wants to keep her struggle private this time.
Hee to Daisy's Imago response to the Imago topic.
As for the weight thing, I really would like to know about Oprah's thought son the HAES movement. It's something that makes a lot of sense, but which can get subsumed in the 'get thin to look hawt' pressures that we get bombarded by daily.
I also have the melty heart response when people show vulnerability, especially around body image, and therefore there are more moments for that sympathy when O is heavier. As another commenter said, when she's thinner, she tends to eschew vulnerability around weight in favor of being more of a cheerleader. It's an understandable change, given our biases towards thinness, but it means that avenue of sympathy doesn't get opened.
I've never had a weight problem but I can understand how people who do would connect to Oprah on that level.
I dislike Oprah, and one of the reasons is that I think she's a hypocrite. She has a high and mighty attitude and seems to think that she is somehow qualified to give the masses advice on how to live their lives and find joy and balance...and yet she's an obese woman who, despite having all the money and resources in the world, can't get a handle on her weight. Is she really living her "best life"? I don't expect her to be perfect, because no one is. But it irks me that she makes her millions selling her pseudo-enlightened lifestyle philosophy to people, when she's clearly not taking all of her own advice.
You know, it's possible to be overweight and STILL live your best life. In fact, it's hard to live your best life without enjoying tastey food on a daily basis, and Oprah certainly does that.
I 've always been a thin person and I think there is a tragic misconception that thin women have "perfect lives" or are "less-trustworthy" (according to a comment up above) then somebody who is overweight. That is so ignorant. It reminds me of when I was in High School and an African American girl, who I barely knew, told me she was "surprised I wasn't a bitch because [I'm] a blonde white girl" Oprah isn't relatable to me because she battles with her weight, she's relatable because of her tremendous empathy towards everyone (at least the ones that she doesn't talk over :). I was kinda bummed about todays episode. Blah, tv show reunion update shows are just filler shows. 2 thumbs down.
"and yet she's an obese woman who, despite having all the money and resources in the world, can't get a handle on her weight. Is she really living her "best life"?"
Wow! This sums up most of society's attitude in a nutshell, doesn't it?
When you look at ancient art, and more primitive cultures (when there used to be some to look at), most of the women who had borne children were overweight, even in cultures where food is a problem to find. I think that is how women's bodies are made, and I don't think being heavy equates with being unhealthy at all times. I also don't think it's a willpower or self-esteem issue until we start thinking that's not how we're "supposed" to be.
Do you know the worst thing a woman can do in a marriage, according to most men, is to gain weight? Really?? That's a terrible attitude to have. In African cultures, a fat wife is a sign that a man can afford to feed his family well, and that she is healthy and strong. It is a symbol of pride. In America, a symbol of pride for a man is a wife who has starved herself more than the other guy's wife. The one with the skinniest, blondest wife wins! And what a bonus if she doesn't find out about his skinny blond mistress!
I find it rather annoying when people say that Oprah has all the resources, money, help, and so on to be thin. If I had someone telling me what to eat and what not to eat, and when and for how long to work out, I think I would rebel and eat and do the opposite of what they told me. When I try to loose a few pounds, I don't tell anyone, including my family, I'm doing it. I feel judged when I "slip". It feels so personal to eat what my body needs or work out to what my body needs and so I can only imagine how Oprah feels being on t.v. seeing the monitors with herself in them daily. I, like you, LO, wish she'd love her body. There is so much more to Oprah than her physical self. I almost get the sense that she'd give it all up to be thin.
Betty
I used to feel a connection to Oprah about her weight issues. Let's face it- Oprah became first became popular in the 80's as a non-threatening black woman that we felt comfortable inviting into our homes. I think her openess about her weight was one of the first things that endeared her to her early fans.
Now in 2008, when I watch her get heavier I can't help but be frustrated. The evidence is clear that she has an un/under treated thyroid disease. Thyroid Educator and Patient Advocate Mary Shomon has written extensively about this issue. Oprah is a victim, like millions of other women, about dangerous mis-information about thyroid signs, symptoms, and treatment. However, unlike most women she has a platform on which to truly educate herself and other women about this condition, yet she fails to do so.
When so many women see Oprah failing to gain control over her weight despite access to chefs and fitness experts they may be inclined to give up. It is true that Oprah has issues with food addiction, but her bigger issue is thyroid disease.
I am sure she has been told that her thyroid hormone levels are "normal" and thus feels like any further weight gain or cravings are her fault, but you can't listen to any of her health complaints or see her visually without seeing the bloating, slight goiter, and body shape of a person with untreated thyroid disease. Oprah is not alone, millions of women are suffering like her and blaming themselves, but because Oprah isn't fully educated, neither is her audience.
As a result, we continue to have conversations about self-control and blmae without the full truth and accurate health information.
http://thyroid.about.com/b/2008/05/22/oprah-winfreys-21-day-cleanse-diet-will-it-help-her-shed-her-thyroid-related-weight.htm
Give it all up to be thin? She wont even give up french fries to be thin. Oprah clearly loves great food more than she loves looking thin. She may not always express that on TV, but actions speak louder than words.
There's no magic solution, it's just a trade off. The reason Oprah can't stay thin is because she doesn't want it badly enough to make the sacrfices, and why would she? She's one of the few women in show business who doesn't have to maintain their figure to make money. That's a sign of power, not weakness.
Plus she's at an age now where meeting our culture's definition of sexy is less important. If Oprah were truley as bothered by her weight as people assume all fat women must be, she never would have stayed in the intense media spotlight for a quarter century. Remember she's extremely rich; she has options.
marybarnes, Oprah discussed her thyroid problem about year ago:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/17/earlyshow/health/main3377868.shtml
She devoted a whole show to it with some woman doctor and even wrote about it in her magazine.
I am new to your blog, but I think you are very thoughtful, funny, and insightful. I enjoy reading your thoughts on the show I've been watching daily with mixed feelings for many many years.
I wish there wasn't so much emphasis about weight on Oprah. I particularly hate hearing things like "you are a totally new person!" as though the person was an alternate being or some total failure when they carried those extra pounds or before they got their makeover.
I don't really care too much what size Oprah is, but she comes across as exceedingly confident and on top of the world during her thin years and somewhat more vulnerable when the weight comes on. I think maybe the anonymous commenter that said, "When she's thin, she seems to equate being heavy with carrying around emotional baggage, and then kind of makes it like she lost weight through her own virtue." is correct.
The thing that really bugs me about Oprah's appearance is the way she wears those absurd, expensive high heeled shoes and is virtually unable to walk onto her own set.
My friends never discuss Oprah except with amusement that I watch her and that I sometimes begin conversations with an "Oprah says..." in order to get a smile out of them. I don't think my friends care at all what Oprah's weight is.
I try not to pay attention to the media's expectations about how we should look. I think girls get messages about appearance more from their families and the people who love them more than the media. I'm still not sure though, as my daughter is only 8 and still shows no signs of trying to be like media personalities.
I hope I haven't ever been rude in my comments. I will be sure to practice mirroring, validating, and empathizing in the future. ;-)
To me, the appeal of Oprah's weight struggle issues is that it sort of justifies me in a very sort of unhealthy way. If somebody THAT successful has weight issues too then I don't have to feel like it's entirely my own fault for being lazy or undisciplined or whatever. It can happen to anyone. Is that petty? I think so.
And yes, the internet is a very cruel place. I recently left a few of my regular internet hangouts because I could no longer take it. Sometimes getting into a debate brings out the worst in me. I'm trying to learn to just walk away. My first successful project along this vein has been to refuse to discuss the upcoming election. Last election I was rabid. This time, I've managed to keep my blood pressure down and it feels SO worth it!
Yes, Oprah mentioned her thyroid issue last year, but her show was filled with inaccurate information.
Please read this article from a Thyroid Advocate to understand how much Oprah is still suffering from undertreatment:
http://thyroid.about.com/b/2007/09/17/what-do-we-know-about-oprah-winfreys-thyroid-problem.htm
Oprah would be a lot more 'relateable' if she had never lied about her weight. A few years ago, she lost a bit of weight during the summer, and came back bragging that she was then a size 8. I'm a size 8, and I am certain that those wide-ass hips of hers would never have fit into my clothing. Oprah has the advantage of having a relatively slim waist, despite her weight, but I know a size 8 when I see it, and I know a size 12 when I see that, too. She lost all credibility on the weight issue with me when she did that.
While I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the subject, I must say that the more I read the more frustrated I got with the whole topic. Oprah is a human being with human strengths and weaknesses. Is it really necessary to overanalyze every nuance behind her weight gains and losses? No one can truly know what is going on in her head but her. It also seems rather incredible to me that she doesn't have the top medical care to deal with any thyroid issues, but hey, stranger things have happened.
You know, I found so much inspiration from Oprah's "Make the Connection" book and video she put out years ago. I thought that from all the work she did emotionally, physically, and nutritionally that she would never be heavy again. She said in the video that all the time she was fat was "wasted time." I wonder if she would still say that about her life now. What happens to your triumphant story if you put weight back on?
I don't think Oprah's extra weight makes her more likeable; rather, her struggle gives her more compassion. I tend to find Oprah judgemental sometimes in the- you create every aspect of your reality kind of way. I just think that her weight struggle removes a layer of potential smugness.
That said- I do think she has something hormonal going on, you could really see last year how she just all of a sudden looked bad. My mother started to bloat up before she found a dr. to give her a different thyroid medicine. It has me wondering.
Wow. So many great comments(and a couple of astoundingly insensitive ones--ouch.) I do relate to or like Oprah more when I can sense that she isn't perfect. I think that disatisfaction with one's body is very common in our culture. I've certainly been there many days. I don't like her more when she's heavier or thinner. I think it depends on the show and her attitude about a particular subject.
In the past several years I've come to accept the idea that each of our bodies has a perfect weight. A weight where we feel healthy and strong. I've come to accept that my perfect weight does not mean size 0 jeans. I try not to beat myself up. I don't always like pictures of myself, but I try to. I eat healthy and exercise almost every day, but I also eat the foods I love. Experts in many fields (from exercise to religion) say that life is about balance, but it's not as easy as it sounds.
As I stand in line at the grocery each weekend, I notice how heavily airbrushed Oprah's picture is on the cover of her magazine. Do you think this is just because it's the industry standard? Could she tell them not to do it? Would she? (probably not. I might cave to the pressure too.)
I recently posted a comment that drew a few opposing remarks. At first I thought I should refrain from posting my opinions since this seems to be a largely pro Oprah forum and I tend to swing the other way. Although I didn't feel attacked, I did get the feeling that my thoughts were not what people on this blog wanted to hear (or read) about. Thank you, LO for being open minded enough to invite opposing discussion and not feel threatened to shut it down. You are the PERFECT person for this experiment, and are performing it most admirably.
morepower - I like your comment about how a person can live their best life while being overweight. But the question here is - can Oprah? I'd say no, because she clearly struggles with it and is not happy with being overweight.
I don't know whether Oprah has ever defined "best life" but I think that it means something along the lines of achieving your inner potential and accepting your own worth. Until O has put the weight issue to bed - either by losing the weight or by being happy with the weight - it's always going to be blocking her from achieving her best life.
And another comment about whether Oprah has every advantage -- sometimes having a lot of money and having access to the "best doctors" just means that the docs get dollar signs in their eyes when you walk in and they will offer you every kind of pill and every kind of referral even if they don't know what's wrong with you just because they don't want to see you go. I think some of the best doctors in this country are available to regular people with regular insurance, and there are a lot of real quackers that make themselves only available to the wealthy. I'm not saying that Oprah necessarily has bad doctors, only that throwing more money at a medical problem doesn't always get you better attention. And also, it seems like O has success on a program, hits a setback and then drops it for something newer and shinier. I wonder if she were a regular person on a regular budget if she wouldn't return to some of the cheaper diet/exercise options she's tried before rather than shelling out for the latest detox diet only a celeb could afford. The underlying story line of the O show seems to be about throwing out all the bad stuff in your life and starting over with something new. It wouldn't be much of a show for her to say "I gained back X pounds, but hitting the gym every morning and following the Best Life diet worked for me before, so I'm goign to start over on that again" but it might be just what she needs.
LO,
I just want to thank you for making this blog a friendly place just by your attitude. I've had a couple not-so-nice comments posted toward me, but I never considered leaving because you are always so nice. (Oprah would be proud. ;>)
As far as O's weight: I don't really care what size she is. How could I change my trust of her based on her size? That would be saying that as the body changes, the person changes and I don't believe that. We are the persons we are; losing and/or gaining weight doesn't change our instrinsic value as human beings.
However, I cringe when O comes on her show obviously having dieted herself quite thin and talks about how she is never going to be fat again and how her latest diet is the perfect one. I struggle too much with my own weight to believe that. When I lose weight I never want to tell people for the same reason I don't tell anyone when I've gained: It's not really their business. O can talk about it all she wants--it's her business, but I think that O opens herself up to a lot of criticism when she boasts of her weight change because the (almost) inevitable weight gain is probably around the corner.
Hiya LO! I agree with the general population here (ok, so I only read a few of the responses, haha) that I don't care about O's weight. The thing is, at least in my experience, once you open up about something everyone thinks they can give an opinion (of course, today weight loss/gain in general fills magazines, but I don't think it was focused on SO much 10 years ago). So, since O opened the door, everyone wants to comment. The only thing that I don't get is she always talks about making time for herself, time to read, etc. etc....I have to wonder if she's not making the time to work out, or if it's something more (like she does work out, but the thyroid or her health won't cooperate). I think it's funny too to hear people ask those typical questions - What's she doing? What food is she eating? Obviously not that much of a variety cause she only makes the same 4 meals (haha, just referencing her comment from last week). Oh - speaking of, did you hear her mention something in a recent episode about being on a protein diet or something?
Ok, some maybe everything I said above wasn't 100% honest. Yes, I do not care about her weight, but we both know I care more about her STYLING. How many times do we hear about dressing the body you have? (Even the experts mentioned it again this week). O's outfits have been better but I have to say some of the pants, well....let's just say I've been guilty of thinking my thighs would be okay if I just wore the right undergarments too.
BTW, I was glad to hear that O addressed both sides of the Biggest Loser - i.e., going back to normal life and possible weight gain.
OH, and what a nice thing to stick up for all of your fans :) That was very touching. (I hope my emails came threw earlier this week!)
PS Putting images like this of yourself on your magazine only 4-5 months ago doesn't exactly help either (sorry Oprah!)
http://www.oprah.com/magazinetoc/omagazine/july2008
As someone who has lost 140 pounds through diet and exercise in the last 2-1/2 years (and keeping it off without too much trauma, thank you..), I actually love these types of shows. Getting new ideas and inspiration continue to keep me motivated.
And you know what? I've got no problem with O losing weight, then saying she'll never be heavy again, then yes, gaining it back. Because in every successful journey, there are a LOT of false starts. Few of us got fat, lost the weight and kept it off forever. We try something, generally end up losing weight, then regaining that, plus some more. Personally, I had been morbidly obese continually from the age of 10 to 41. Trust me, I had tried everyone else's plan. Didn't work.
It's being when we take those lessons, analyze out what worked and didn't work for us personally and applying them to a real, sustainable lifestyle that we've got a shot at losing AND maintaining.
So O, keep on trying. And I'll be sure to Tivo your weight loss shows, I need to keep being inspired.
Wow. It took me quite a while to read through all of these comments. They were all very interesting. I'm surprised only one person commented on the shoe thing. Oprah's feet certainly do not match her fancy shoes!!!! Her feet and her shoes reflect the difference between the person she was raised to be and the person she has worked so hard to become.
I can add that I am drawn to Oprah more for her quest for a kind of 'spiritual hug' than I am to her being overweight just like the rest of us. She, like many of us, uses food to fill certain holes which were formed early in her life and she tirelessly seeks spiritual guidance for the same reason. Who knows, she may covet expensive, uncomfortable shoes for the same reason. People who are driven and wildly successful are often fueled by some kind of internal discomfort that results from the way they were raised.
I'm grateful that she shares the amazing information which she discovers through her spirit network, newsletter, show and magazine. I have come to believe that I often have a thirst for a 'spiritual hug' because of certain holes in my life which were formed when I was growing up. If I can assume that other people who are spiritual seekers have the same 'holes' and that many of us use food, shopping, blogging, spiritual study or whatever for comfort, then it isn't Oprah's weight that we are drawn to, but rather the spiritual search that results from the hole which she too fills with food.
Comments welcome.
Thanks for being there.
Obesity seems to be a universal problem. Obese people are more prone to disease than normal people. weight loss diet seems to be a outstanding gift to all obese ones to have a perfect fit.
I think Oprah's weight struggle makes her someone we can all relate to...that even with a chef, a personal trainer etc.... she's living proof that being overweight isn't just the picture that the media paints - someone who is slothful, lazy or doesn't give a continental dam. I've been intrigued watching her message board about comments on Oprah's
beauty revolution
1. Do you feel more or less connected or interested in Oprah because of her weight?
You know, I haven't even thought about it. I think the more "normal" sized she is (more curvy, less Hollywood-approved-anorexic) the more I dont' think about it. I think if she were to lose a ton of weight, like she did years and years ago, I'd probably be like, "What the hell? Oprah? This isn't living your authentic self!" But otherwise I don't connect to her one way or the other.
2. Do you think you "like" Oprah more or less depending on what size Michael Kors pants she's wearing each season?
Nah, I think I "like" Oprah less because she can afford to wear Michael Kors pants and I can't *lol*. But hey, she earned her money fair and square. Can't hold her down for that.
3. Do you think Oprah does too many or too few shows about this topic? Since I dont' watch the show anymore I can't really comment. I get frustrated when I hear about food, health, exercising - it's a HUGE struggle for me. My docs have suggested that I start on a program myself and I just look at all the information out there and want to crawl under a rock. It seems so frustrating. One minute we're being told that eggs are bad for us and now they're good. Coffee - it's the devil's spawn, no wait, we've changed our minds, it's super healthy! So shows on health, weight loss, etc. get my anxiety up. It's just more information that I have to process now. (I guess, in a Queen of Denial kind of way, this is just another reason I'm glad I don't watch the show *lol*.)
4. How do you feel when you hear other people, from late-night talk show hosts to your friends, talk about Oprah's weight? They don't. Honestly, my friends think I'm absolutely nuts whenever I bring up Oprah. They all feel like it's her money that makes her out of touch with the average person.
Great questionairre by the way!
People identify with Oprah because they are struggling with the same issues---yo yo dieting that doesn't work.
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