In someways, I found today's new show - the first in Oprah's Best Life Week - fascinating. If you watched the show, did you notice that many of the points we speculated about last year were addressed? From whether or not Oprah walks her talk (she said last year the answer was 'no'), if she's happy (again, last year, no), if she's depressed (Bob Greene said she was), if she appreciates her body (she seems to be working very hard on this, but hasn't been honoring it lately), and the list goes on. My husband walked in the room and said, 'Whoa, do you think someone at Harpo was reading what you guys were talking about? It's like you all wrote today's show." That made me laugh.
What I liked about the show was the honesty. Both Oprah's AND - I'm probably shocking you by saying this - Bob Greene's. You know he's not my favorite guy in the world because I think he keeps repackaging the same info, selling it as new, and making millions from people's deep desire to lose weight. I also have trouble with him stamping his Best Life seal if approval on foods that, in my opinion, are WAY too high in sugar. ANYHOW, he said something on the show that I've spoken about on this site regarding my personal weight history. He said (I'm paraphrasing here) that if we have a deep-seated struggle with our weight, it will be something we have to contend with and manage our entire lives. It's a never-ending journey. That it's not as easy as losing the weight, that we have to constantly stay on top of our addiction to using food as a drug. Go Bob. That's the first time I've ever heard him say this. It's probably not a philosophy that sells diet and exercise books. Guarantees and quick-fixes sell books. The truth isn't always what people want to hear. So, good for him.
Of course, today's show wasn't without it's many references to stuff you can buy with Greene's name all over it. You know what? I got healthy without making a single purchase that bore Bob's grinning, crew-cut coiffed head on it. I really hope this show isn't going to send hoards of Oprah's audience to go out and spend their money on Greene's stuff, but it probably will. Sigh.*
What I found concerning about the show was that I was hearing the same-old, same-old. It harkened back to the topic of everyday reruns we experience in our lives. At this point, unless you're living under a rock in the Sahara (note to self: Google whether or not there are actually rocks in the Sahara) not to know that we need to exercise and what healthy food choices are versus craptastic ones. Why are we drawn like moths to a flame when it comes to repackaging the same messages? Even Oprah's new endeavor to get healthy feels like yet another rerun I've seen many times in the past. I wish her the best of health - it gives me such pain to see people struggle with their bodies and it brings up a lot of old feelings for me. I hope that this time she doesn't allow hubris to creep into her weightloss and that humility helps keep her on a healthy path for the rest of her life.
But here's where I get torn. As strongly as I want every single person on the planet who struggles with their weight, who is beaten down by it, to find their own peace, I'm bored with hearing the same old information over and over and over again. I didn't hear anyone on today's show say, "You know what? Forget Bob Greene's books. You know this stuff. You've already gotten this info from the dozens of mass-marketed diet plans you've already tried. Don't ever waste your money on another magazine or another online diet plan again. Instead, go to therapy and get to the bottom of YOUR personal trials with food and body image and then trust yourself and put your knowledge about diet and exercise to work." HOWEVER - another part of me says, what if this one time, the message makes sense to one more person who manages to save her life with the information. Isn't she worth all the money, energy and time the rest of us will spend on it? I don't know. I feel strongly both ways because I think the addiction we have to repetitive information is mind-numbing and dangerous.
The other worry I have is the packaging of Best Life Week. It is advertised as solving the most important aspects of many women's lives and simplifying our path to success in just 5 days. It slices! It dices! It's our Cliffs Notes to living and all we have to do is watch a week worth of shows and follow every word of advice and we can find our Best Lives just as Oprah commits to finding hers this year. It all is suspiciously colorful and simple looking and I am dubious I'll hear anything I haven't heard before on her show. I'm not doubting it's bad advice, I'm just doubting it's anything but an echo of words with which I've already been saturated.
But it's like a magnet. And like many of you, I'm very curious and will watch each show this week.
I'm curious about your feelings on Best Life Week. Did you watch today? If so what did you think? Or, did you turn off the TV and do something else with your time instead? I'd love to hear.
I don't know about this whole "Best Life" thing. I'm living my ONLY life. I am reminded daily that I must be grateful for every second of it. I know logically that happiness and satisfaction are not quantifiable and I think I have to stop using terms like "best/worst" and "good/bad" to describe any aspect of living. It's all part of me. This week I'm challenging myself to do this. I'm not going to use this type of terminology to describe my body, my actions, my feelings, myself, or other people. If I falter, I'll make note of it (without judging myself as 'bad'). I think it's going to be a struggle because I'm so conditioned, but I think it's about time I break this habit. I've decided this year is going to be all about breaking the unhealthy patterns I noticed in myself while performing my year of Living Oprah. It'll be like a 52-week psychological detox. Wait, that sounds AWFUL...I'll come up with a sassy title that makes it sound less misery-inducing. I'll tell you the topic and the challenge I'm giving myself each week. If you're interested in trying any of it out with me, I'd love the company.
Anyhow, I'm thrilled the reruns are over and the shows are fresh. It's given me a little pick-me-up. Speaking of pick-me-up: it's time for me to turn on my happy-light. I like it so far. I don't know why it's working - if it's simply just a placebo - but who cares. I'm sleeping better and when I walk down the street, my feet don't feel like they weigh a thousand pounds. Who can argue with that?
* Interesting note: At approximately 3:30 or so, Greene's cookbook mentioned by Oprah on today's show was ranked #173 in books at Amazon.com. Now, two hours later, it's at #72. That's an amazing jump. It'll be interesting to watch where it goes. I'll keep an eye on the rest of her expert's books as well...
Addendum 30 minutes later...6pm CST and BG's book is at #26 in Amazon sales. (#1 in cookbooks).
It's 7pm CST and the book is at #15.
It's 10:30pm CST and the book is at #10.
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I agree this information is well trod, but I found comfort in it. Sort of like a nationwide Weight Watchers meeting. What are the points of those meetings, we all know the info, we could probably name the point/calorie info of any food you put in front of us. Still, the shared experience and support of realizing that you aren't alone in your weight struggle is helpful.
tricia, i think that's a terrific point! xoLO
You said, "go to therapy and get to the bottom of YOUR personal trials with food and body image and then trust yourself and put your knowledge about diet and exercise to work." So I just have to ask if this is what worked for you. Is this how you conquered your battle with weight? Because it sounds like you have. I probably missed the details in an earlier post...
Isn't it strange that those of us who continue to struggle always want to hear how someone else lost their weight? As if we're waiting for someone to give us the real magic pill or bean or something instead of the truth we all know inside!
In the stressful and unpredictable world of today, most of us use food as a drug or a 'safe place to be'. This is a fact! Food was what we cared for in our childhood; it gives us a sense of security.
Oprah's confession about her feeling of failure is something all of us go through with our self-image. It's natural in our 50s when society disregards us because we are not considered 'attractive' externally. If you believe that your 'inner beauty' shines through you, no matter what your wieght or shape is, then you will be content.
Bob Green's products and marketing are just like the trillions of products being sold. There's nothing better than living naturally and eating 'raw' foods as our ancestors did. Meats were eaten on rare occasions when the hunters made a kill. Cereals, fruits and vegetables were consumed daily, with the fresh catch of the day from the Ocean for those of us living on islands.
I would like to see Oprah revisit this theme throughout the year. Not just this once in January, but how about follow-up shows? Once every three months or something. Re-train the audience to think of long term benefits instead of instant gratification. Was any of that mentioned on the show? I haven't seen it yet (it airs at 5pm here).
What I've learned it whether you count points, count calories, eat pre-packaged meals or follow a food regimen, you will not be able to lose weight permanently without addressing why you are comforting yourself with food.
Of course I watched Oprah today. After 25 years, I'm not stopping now!
I felt like the show today deeply missed the whole point. Oprah and Bob just don't seem to get it that happiness doesn't come out of your fit and trim body. It comes from within when you accept yourself. I think Oprah tries to say this when she says that her body is a blessing and she wants to accept it, but then the rest of the show is about how she wants to look young and thin like she did a couple of years ago. It is just so obnoxious.
Bob Greene's 5 questions bugged me. Since you have to log on to the website to get them, I'll list them here for people who don't want to deal with the gobbletygook that is Oprah.com...
1. What are you really hungry for?
2. Why are you overweight?
3. Why have you been unable to maintain weight loss in the past?
4. What in your life is not working?
5. Why do you want to lose weight?
The first several questions are okay, but #4 is the one that gets me. My life is working great! This question is like saying that just because I carry around a few extra pounds that my life must not be working and I really ought to be sad and ashamed about my extra fleshy 25 - 35 pounds.
For the record, I've decided that I don't care about losing weight. I just want to try to exercise more than I do. I have very rewarding sedentary hobbies and I need a bit of balance I guess.
On the other hand, I liked Oprah's confessions and how she recognizes that she was too cocky when she had rock hard abs.
I'm glad your happy light works! I should get one because although I am usually happy, I get insomnia in the winter and I do fall into an unproductive existential funk around the end of January.
I did not watch this episode and rarely watch Oprah at all, for some of the reasons you said (same message in every show, etc). However, as someone who struggles with weight I think it is always important to restate the point that it is through diet and exercise and only that method that weight loss occurs.
If you are lucky enough to get the Oprah book endorsement, you can expect a big jump in sales (even if you lied about what you wrote).
I have a real problem with any one person declaring they have the way to everyone's "best life". How presumptuous! Given Bob Greene's involvement with Oprah's past weight loss attempts, and her lack of success with maintaining a healthy weight, he is the last person I will be looking to for answers to my own issues with food. Sorry, I know that's harsh, but that's how I see it.
I've read and greatly enjoyed your blog for some time - but this is my first comment.
I get the feeling that this time around Oprah was putting more of an emotional connection to her weight. Bob even commented about how she never learned to be happy except through food. I hope that she will get to the emotional bottom of her weight and live a healthy life.
IamSusie - I have really enjoyed your comments. You seem to have answered question 4 even thought you were put off by it. Reading the next paragraph you say that you want to exercise more - that, to me, would answer question 4.
I'll chime in on this one since I've lost and kept off 50 lbs over the past 4 years (although I still have a lot more to go).
Would I have watched it if I had the opportunity? Probably not. I watched when they launched the Best Program and at the time I was a fitness newbie and I was still screaming at the screen "NOOOOOO WHY IS THAT ON THE LIST OF 'APRROVED" FOODS??????" I knew enough about nutrition that know that much of the overly processed crap that Bob was promoting was just that - crap. I would have been far more impressed had he promoted whole, healthy for you foods. However, because people want quick and easy, they'll go for it.
Regarding Bob's repackaging: 99.99% of all trainers do that. There's just not that whole lot that beats the Laws of Thermodynamics - to lose weight - the energy (calories) going in has be to be less that calories going out (due to exercise/activity). However I do agree with you in that deep struggles with our weight will go on for our lives until we deal with what's causing us to eat in the first place. However no one (trainers or trainees) on the fitness boards I hang out on with seem to want to address that issue at all.
Being thin isn't going to help you live your best life. A book isn't going to live your best life. For me, the book is a tool and the weight is just part of who I am right now. I've not always been as heavy I am now. But pursuing the things that I excel at (writing/photography), working on the areas I'm struggling with (fitness and finances), and challenging myself makes it my best life.
I caught the middle 30" of Oprah today. Tonight after dinner I had a brownie. I keep them in tupperware in the fridge. They are cut up pretty small. I make them with applesauce instead of oil, and use two egg whites and one yolk. These brownies are sooo yummy!! Especially when they are undercooked just right. Usually I have one and I'm done. Tonight I had 3. Why? Cause I was hungry and was filling myself up on my favorite food. Life is good, kids are good, marriage is good, etc. I do use food to cope sometimes, but every once in a while, I over-use food because it tastes so darn good that I want more. I like Oprah, I feel for her and everyone else like her/us, but I'm not sure this program today worked for me. I lost my 25 pounds 7 years ago. I'm a maintainer and I think we maintainers get lost in the shuffle. We still struggle!! Maintainers need help too. Maybe Dr. Oz will do it for me tomorrow....
I'm on my husband's computer, but this is Bobbie from http://bobbiesbabbles.blogspot.com/
Oh, I'm so glad you watched! I would still be wallowing in not having to do so! But I missed it today--I got caught in an Oprah suggestion! Remember the woman on the "green" show who unplugged everything before she left? When we reorganized our playroom/TV room, we did it with a power strip to turn off everything when we go. So it also turned off the DVR--ack. Too clever by half, as Jon Stewart would say.
Two things in Bob's defense: 1) on The Biggest Loser, he is incredibly effective without being abusive; 2) While a lot of his Best Life stuff is "overprocessed" to my mind, like it or not, this is how a lot of America eats. If he can guide to less-awful granola bars or somewhat-less-sugar-and-more-nutrients cereals, more power to him. And it is a genius win-win marketing move for him and the foods.
No wonder O can't believe she's doing this again; it sounds like she's on a road where she's been before. Here's hoping she finds some happiness at the end this time...
lol Steve! I looked back and read what I wrote and maybe you are right! I still refuse to feel like a failure for not exercising regularly. I do lots of rewarding things instead.
I do agree that we have heard/seen/read/lived this information over and over again, however, it felt, to me, like a jump start for those of us who need reminding to put ourselves first and to be mindful of what we eat and to exercise. We know what we need to do to feel healthy and energetic and balanced, but putting it out there with the support of others can only help. Here's to always working toward an even "better life."
Betty
This was a total rerun of her past shows when her weight ballooned or she was just going to lose weight.
1. The exercise intensity- same as when she told us to double our cardio on day six and keep adding a minute each week.
2. Take time for ourself, same as when she told us to put yourself first and schedule exercise.
I do wish that everyone could figure it out - for physical and mental health reasons. I wish she were telling us something new, some magic secret, but there isn't one. There is a light bulb that just goes off one day and you finally get it, but it doesn't mean this light bulb doesn't become dim or need to be changed. It is a constant struggle. I have lost over 20 pounds by changing my eating and exercise habits. Do I like going to the gym at least 5 days a week, NO, but I do it because I know I need to and I know I feel so much better after I go.
Oprah, please give us something new or just take excerpts from past shows and let us watch the highlights.
I gain weight because I like the taste of food. No, I LOVE the taste of food. I don't normally eat unhealthful food, but I find it hard to control portions--or, rather, it's hard to control myself from having seconds on the reasonable portions I give myself. And my seconds usually aren't full seconds, just a bite or two. They add up. *sigh*
I was just reading an interview with Barry Popkin who wrote the new book, The World is Fat, and according to him - modern life conspires against us. Our food is bad and our lifestyles don't force us to move enough. We can exercise, but for a lot of people finding the time and energy is a very real issue. We can eat healthy, but again most people have trouble paying for the junk - healthy stuff is even more expensive. Or we can cut our intake to even or less than our output, which is almost impossible given the tiny amounts of physical exertion in the lives of most people.
I don't know that it is all about body image or using food inappropriately. Our modern life is less and less about moving. Even if we want to walk or bike to and from - is that possible in our cities and towns? And food? Even veggies, unless organic, are devoid of nutrient because of the fertilizer which tricks depleted earth into growing food without imparting any of the minerals it used to. No wonder we eat more and more - our bodies our starving in mounds of pounds as we try to meet its needs.
We left behind the hard physical labor our bodies need decades ago. We eat a mostly devoid of nutrient diet. The end result is fat.
I feel bad for Oprah. She shouldn't still be struggling with this issue. I think though her issues might lie in the unrealistic expectations that are held for women in the public eye. It has to be brutal given the scrutiny and the jokes. She is an easy target given her history and it is not fair. But it amazes me that someone with so much influence, power and talent can fall prey to the insecurities society uses to keep women in their places.
IamSusie - I didn't see something not working as a failure - more along the lines of what we could fix to make things better.
For Oprah I think her ability to recognize what happiness is isn't working. That it can't be found in food.
I planned to watch today's show, but came home to find zilch electricity in our 'hood. Lovely. So instead of watching O & BG rehash the sameoldsameold, we went out for a wonderful lasagne dinner. It felt pretty best life to me!
How is repetitive information any different from, say, listening to the same song more than once, or reading the same book multiple times? I think there is value in it, since we tend to repeat our behavior (Oprah's weight gain, for instance); maybe we need to hear this stuff more than once (or ten times!). Sometimes it is good to know the words and sing along!
(Also, it seems like they've come up with some new ideas, or variations on a theme, anyway.)
I can totally understand why you are sick of the repetition, though, after a year of Oprah (including reruns).
As for the "good/bad" thing--don't forget food! Food is just food, try not to ascribe moral value to it or to your eating it. That's a big one. Sure, some food is better for us, more nutritious, less fattening, but to think of food as "good" or "bad" forces us to think of ourselves as "good" or "bad" depending on what we eat. Isn't that a form of emotional eating?
As for Iamsusie saying that she feels that if something in her life isn't working, that it's a failure: That's her placing a "good/bad" dichotomy on things. As Steve said, something not working is something to change. For instance, if you were using a soap that dried out your skin, you would change brands. You wouldn't feel like you failed to choose the right soap, or there is something wrong with your skin or your washing technique. Just change it and get on with your life. Nothing (and nobody) is perfect.
Does that make sense?
Sorry to go a lil' off topic but I'm blown away.
Channel Ten in Australia is showing the same episodes as the states this week. In fact, today was the 2009 best life checklist with Dr Oz. Does that mean we're getting it before the U.S? It's bizarre!
If the episode in the states today begins with the an update on the 44 year old who got a realage of 60 then it's the same.
Wow!
I did watch the show and I was glad she addressed some of the questions we had about the past year. It made me think about all of the times I got mad at her for treating a guest or an audience member a particular way (perhaps she was acting out).
I didn't feel like the show addressed new material, but I was glad when both Oprah and Bob said that diet and exercise isn't a magic pill. That if (IF!!!) there is an underlying issue, it will be there until you deal with it. For me I think that the foods I enjoy are simply enjoyable foods and not an emotional issue. I've never eaten a bag of chips or cookies, but I do really like them.
I chatted with my husband last night about my own struggle with my appearance. I agree with Bob when he said that (A) either you choose a goal weight and never get there or (B) you choose a goal weight, attain it, and it isn't good enough. I fall into the second category. I'm harder on myself and never really appreciate how I look regardless of how thin I am. I exercize as a form of stress relief and because I really enjoy it (as a hobby), but I also do it for vanity's sake. Perhaps I really am affected by the portrayal of women as size 0 on tv and in magazines and this is a standard I am unconsciously trying to hold myself up to.
Overall, it was an OK show. No break throughs, some agreement, some disagreement. I do feel glad that Bob feels close enough to Oprah to mention things to her when he sees or senses them. I think everyone deserves someone in his/her life like that.
Losing weight and saving money are very simple, really - eat and spend less. But our desires and emotional needs get in the way which is why people like Bob Greene and Suze Orman are millionaires. They package and repackage the same advice ad nauseum.
For myself, I just try to remember that every meal is not my last and it's perfectly ok to leave something on the plate. :)
Anniegirl, I completely agree with you! I was very, very saddened by Oprah's monologue at the beginning of the show. She has so much self-hatred. I thought she looked better than Tina and Cher on stage! Her skin is healthy, her hair is glossy, her shape is beautiful and well-balanced, and she was dressed so pretty. Cher has had numerous liposuctions and plastic surgeries, and Tina can hardly stand up straight in her heels.
Women are society's punching bag for everything, and I for one am tired of it. Our bodies store fat easily because we evolved in a world where food was not a given every single day, and we had to stay alive to find food for the children. Did anyone see the 20/20 episode this weekend, bashing mothers for mothering? They trashed everything from nursing to homebirth. God forbid we should do what we do best!
This is all about making women into consumers and keeping us there. If we remain unhappy with ourselves, we will spend money on diet plans, trainers, health clubs, plastic surgery, several sizes of clothing. Why should Valerie Bertinelli be crying on tv because she's a size 14? That's insane! Separate us from our children, get us on treadmills, and criticize us for having small boobs. That's the American way.
I was also saddened when Oprah said her thyroid disease is now "cured". Thyroid disease is never cured, it is only managed. She's going to beat herself up for a year in front of us, not lose the weight she lost before, and she's going to take it as a personal failing. I had hoped that a different approach would be happening that acknowledges her body at her age, and the realities she is facing. Instead, she's swallowing a huge cup of denial and trying to turn back the clock.
I was also saddened when she said her thyroid is cured. For example, my hypothyroidism has been "cured" 7 years ago, after 10 years of treating it. Is it really cured? No, it only means that my hormones are within norm, and even when I look at blood work results, I see some tendencies on the hypo side.
I still have some side effects: I feel cold often, I even stay inside during winter a lot (without enough walking/exercise) because of my discomfort, I often fall into low-grade depression, I have problems with motivation (motivation to exercise, motivation to work, motivation to wake up early, motivation to cook, etc.), and few other issues. I could go back on the thyroid pill, but I've tried everything and the lowest dose would make me have hyperthyroidism instead, so I just know my tendencies, and work against them to accomplish everything.
With all the money Oprah has, it sounds to me like she's not getting information she needs to get from her doctors. It's really surprising to me, because my doctor doesn't treat in a prestigious office, she's not expensive, and accepts same day appointments because she's not that busy, but she has loyal patients who see her because she is very knowledgeable.
I chose not to watch the Best Life episodes, and instead sought inspiration from my own test results after a recent doctor's exam. The weight loss was less than I wanted, which bummed me out a bit, but my blood pressure and cholesterol (which were not abnormal to begin with) changed dramatically for the better - especially cholesterol. Even the doctor was thrilled. In addition, I have dropped a jeans size, so I know that slow as it might be, I am progressing steadily toward a more healthy body.
All of this made me realize that our obsession with a magic weight number is approaching an unhealthy level. Granted, there are people who are dangerously overweight, but what motivates me more than focus on a number is knowing that whether or not I can see the results, my body (and mind) is responding in positive ways to my lifestyle choices. When my doctor asked "How are you feeling" I responded "You know, I feel great." She looked up from her clip board like that was one she hadn't heard in awhile, and I said "I know it sounds simple, but it's true. I feel great."
I think IAMSUSIE's questions are good ones - particularly number 5, because many of us (including me) get caught in the weight trap for external reasons. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is about more than achieving a magic weight number or shape. We have to love the body we have (and thus ourselves) at any given moment, and if therapy helps us get there, I'm all for it (and actually have done it).
On a humorous note, I am reminded of a favorite scene from Bridget Jones Diary, where Bridget is covered entirely in a sheet, attempting to dress without losing the sheet. Mark Darcy wakes up and asks why she just doesn't drop the sheet, and she replies "I don't want you to see my wobbly bits." To which he replies, "I happen to have very high regard for your wobbly bits."
May be just a movie, but my hope is that whatever our shape, we all eventually have this same regard for our shapes, no matter the size.
I'm glad you said it (about the diets), because I was thinking the same thing. How many times and ways can we say "eat less, eat healthier, and exercise more"? I was a little disturbed how her special treat was a sweet potato. That sounds to me, again, like deprivation when you get all excited about getting a sweet potato once a week...not a Twix bar, but a sweet potato. Like you, though, I too will watch.
As someone who's goals for the year are to shape up and prepare my wedding for this summer, I'd be interested in following your "detox" with you. Are you going to be basing it on this Best Life series, or other sources?
I have suffered with hypothyroidism since I was 9 years old. I had a partial thyroid removal when I was 15. If there is a cure, I am totally in the dark about it but would love to be let into the light. I take my pill daily and my levels have been out of control for two years now (124 when .2-6 is normal) resulting in a 60 pound weight gain. Talk about depressing. Oh wait, I'm probably only depressed because my thyroid levels are so crazy. Anyway, if there are cures, I'd love to get one.
And if I could figure out Oprah.com I'd ask her for a show on thyroid disease and it's management which has been conspicuously missing! Not that they would listen to me...
We went to Border's last night, and every book facing us as we entered was a Bob Greene book - the diet, the journal, etc. Then, there was another small section of Oprah Approved books. Will there ever again be an American as influential as Oprah?
One- I wnated some blue corn potatoe chips after the show. They were brought to the forefront of my mind when she was talking about them- hey I like those too!
Two- I do not know how much Cher and Tina appreciated Oprah telling everyone there real age....and how awkward they made Oprah feel. Well they do another show for her again...
Three- I think Oprah thinks that we think that we care a lot more about her weight than we really do. I think she looks fine. I mena she has great hygenine...nice clothes- (I am not overweight- and I do not think that she looks too overweight.)
Four- Oprah- slow down- why do you work so much!
Oprah can't win for losing. Sure it's the same message but in addiction you have to keep repeating the message and hope that maybe it will work this time. Good for her for trying....again...in front of a national audiance. I won't buy Bob's cookbook but I might check it out of the library. I may not like every show but O has the courage to get back up and try again and even though she has more support than most of (chefs, trainers, etc.) she is the one that has to do the work - no one can do it for her.
I just wanted to point out in response to MemeGRL that Bob Greene is not the same Bob that's on The Biggest Loser - that's Bob Harper.
I'll tell you two things dieting did for me. One is that my portion control is very poor now. The second is that I ALWAYS clean my plate, where I didn't used to. And, if I am on a diet (or "watching what I eat"), I focus way too much on food. That's the conundrum of dieting, I think. It gives you a much less healthy attitude toward food (or doesn't improve it, at any rate, just changes it).
I was concerned that Bob felt that Oprah was (is) depressed and unhappy. That is what needs to be addressed, not the weight gain. By focusing on diet and exercise, and achievement-oriented weight loss, these issues will get lost, if not exacerbated.
I agree that Oprah works too much. She also eats too much, maybe drinks too much, and probably does other things too much that we don't know about. That's how many of us try to deal with our demons, and Oprah has plenty of them. Her childhood, I believe, was quite dire and she needs to come to terms with the fact that she can't change everything and make it perfect, especially herself. There was an old book or movie called "What Makes Sammy Run?" and I think we can all ask that question, or the question of what are we running from.
we have a joke in our household after reading the free magazine you get at the whole foods check-out counter---it seems all health problems/ailments/syndromes/diseases are solved by the following:
1. get plenty of good quality rest.
2. exercise & strength train.
3. drink plenty of water.
4. eat fresh foods, focusing on whole grains, organic produce, and limit meat/animal intake.
5. de-stress your life.
woah! i should become a health guru.
have acne? do the above.
have cancer? do the above.
have depression? do the above!
agreed with you 100% LO
I had a bone density test, it was low I have some Osteopenia on lumbar spine and left hip Dr. gave me Fosamax to take but I do'nt like the side effect I'm 68 have family history of osteopenia on both side of family.What would you recommend? I excerise at lest 4 or 5 time a week. I would like to do the natual way.
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