#91 - Not feeling comfortable in my own skin

It’s so sad, there once was a time in my life when I was so comfortable with myself. I never thought about what others were thinking about me, I wasn’t plagued with thoughts of self-doubt, I didn’t hide in the shadows hoping people wouldn’t take a notice of me. Frankly, I was pretty happy-go-lucky plodding along in my existence not paying attention to these kinds of things. But when I’m fat I am so utterly uncomfortable in my own skin, it’s almost painful… we’ll I guess it really is painful.. emotionally at least. And no, being comfortable in my own skin doesn’t mean I need to be a size 2 or anything. I was quite comfortable even at heavy times when I was taking really good care of my self like exercising, eating right, and taking vitamins, despite still being heavy. I guess that’s what it’s really about though, isn’t it? It’s not the physical reason of being fat that makes us uncomfortable.. it’s the mental and emotional reasons behind the fat that make us miserable. And when I’m doing the right thing for my body (the working out and healthy eating) I really do start to feel great about myself again. It ties all into that mind body connection. Take care of the body and your mind starts to feel great! We all got fat for some reason, and for most of us it was emotional. I’ve always said you need to get your mind into a better state to really tackle weight loss, but maybe that isn’t the best approach after all. How can you get into a happy place when your body is just wearing you down and weighing you down.. physically and emotionally? I think starting to eat right and exercise is key no matter how fat, how depressed, how miserable you are. Over time, something magical starts to happen in your brain… maybe a few happy endorphins from the exercise, less blood sugar and mood crashes by eating better, and hell.. you start to lose a little weight.. the clothes get a little loose.. damn, if that doesn’t shoot you through the roof I don’t what will. Guess it’s all about a step by step process… and the first steps are by far the hardest, but you just have to do it. It’s really a feedback loop in your body… fat, sad, and depressed now… work at it… get a little less fat, sad, and depressed… work at it more… gets a little easier… even less fat, sad and depressed… and it just keeps snowballing. But it’s the starting that’s key. There will never be a “best time” to get healthy. You WILL feel like crap when you start. I had hit my rock bottom when I started this weight loss journey. I just couldn’t stand being in my own skin anymore. You know, even though I’ve lost 65 pounds, I’m looking better, feeling better; I’m still not comfortable in my own skin. Yes it’s getting better, but I’m not there yet. I just have to keep plugging away, not beat myself up when I have set backs, and always look to the future. Because I know, one day I’m going to wake up and not even think about all this stuff anymore. Someday I’ll just be comfortable and content with me. I know that day is coming and I can’t wait for it!

I'm back, I'm alive, I'm ok

Hey guys! I just wanted to drop a little note to tell you that I am here and I am ok. I'll get back to posting soon again. The events of the past few months were very jarring on my life and I didn't think I could write humorously for a while. But life has a way of repairing itself and even the few months that have just past have been good ones for me. So stay tuned! I will write again!!

A Modern Greek Tragedy

I wanted to update everyone about the situation and tell you the whole story. It's a bit of a long story. 9 months ago I started dating a wonderful man, Vagelis. Instantly we had an amazing connection, soul mates if you believe in that sort of thing. Our relationship was a bit strained as he lived in Athens Greece and me in Connecticut, but we were able to make due by talking on a free internet phone for more than 8 hours a day. Our lives became completely intertwined despite the distance. You may have known that in October I traveled to Greece to be with him for a month. During that time he asked me to marry him and everything seemed so perfect, that kind of 'pinch me I must be dreaming' kind of perfect. We had both been single for many years and were not sure if we would ever find true love. We both said that our month together was the happiest month of either of our lives. I then returned to the states with plans for him to join me in the US soon. But our plans changed suddenly. After returning home for only a few weeks on December 13th I was notified that Vagelis was in a serious motorcycle accident. Vagelis sustained a serious injury during the accident, breaking the 5th vertebrae in his neck causing him to be paralyzed from the shoulders down. Immediately I rushed to his side in Greece to help him in the hospital during this difficult time. Unfortunately, after surgery to repair the broken bone in his neck, he contracted pneumonia. We believed he was beginning to recover from both the neck injury and the pneumonia, but very tragically his pneumonia turned to sepsis then finally septic shock. His body was unable to fight the infection and he went into a condition called multi organ failure. After one week in the ICU his heart finally stopped. Vagelis passed away at 9:55pm January 18th 2008. My heart is utterly broken. I have lost not only my love but my best friend. I am remaining in Greece for another week to help his brothers begin to sort through Vagelis' things. It is times like these that you realize life is so fragile and so precious. We must truly enjoy the moments we have here on Earth for they may be our last. I hate to be the armchair philosopher, but please heed my words: live your life full of love and happiness, do not waste your time with anger and hate, follow your dreams, and take the time to be kind to the strangers around you for they may return the favor someday, and never ever take anything or anyone for granted. I wish you all a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Jenny

Emergency Update

Again I have to apologize for not posting in some time. I find myself back in Greece already, although this time not under happy circumstances. I have had a serious family emergency that I'm dealing with right now. My fiance (who lives in Greece) was in a serious auto accident and broke his neck. Of course I rushed to his side to help in anyway I can because right now he is paralyzed. I think I'm still in shock about the whole thing. Currently he is still in the hospital, but relatively stable. The injury was the best type we could hope for (if that makes sense). He didn't sever any nerves, there is no bleeding or fluid in the spinal cord, it was a compression injury meaning his spinal cord got a little squeeze during the trauma. But now we wait, wait to see what will happen, to see if he can regain the function of his arms and legs. In the next week or so he will transfer over to a rehab facility to start physical therapy, I think then we'll know more about the prognosis, but the doctors are optimistic. But with this type of injury it's kind of a 50/50 split: he might recover, he might not. Only time will tell. And with spinal injuries, it takes A LOT of time.

During this hard time it has got me to thinking about strength. In my day to day life I'm always complaining about feeling tired or sick or some dumb complaint. I never seem to have the energy to do anything. I'm always saying, "I can't do it", or "It's too hard", or "I don't know if I'll make it." But now, in dealing with all of this, I seem to have found endless energy. Where does this energy come from? Why don't I have this energy in my everyday life? I guess it's all about adrenaline. In times of extreme need we find strength we never knew we had. It just makes me realize I am strong and I can accomplish anything I set my mind to in my daily life. And during such a serious crisis it really makes you see what's important, and all those little things we worry about seem to melt away.

Another thing I've been contending with is food during this time. Of course when I'm stressed all I want to do is reach for comfort food. I really need those serotonin releasing carbs right now! The hard thing is that it's really hard to eat well when you spend a lot of time at the hospital. I find I grab any junk in site to keep me fueled after 14 hours in the hospital. But I know I need to eat real food to keep me going in the long run. It's impossible to run on Cheetos all day long! Luckily the hospital has a nice store that sells great sandwiches so I've been living on those for the past two weeks. On the other hand, I've thrown my weight watching out the window right now. Of course I don't want to gain weight, but it's really not a priority or concern right now. And actually I'm running around so much that it's probably impossible NOT to lose weight at this point no matter what I eat. I noticed in the past couple weeks my jeans are getting looser and looser. So I guess that's a good thing, but again, right now it doesn't seem important.

I guess sometimes it takes a real crisis for us to access our lives, to make us see how strong we are. It makes all of my shallow thoughts about weight seem so dumb (you know what I mean - worrying about what other people think of my butt and things like that). The most important reason to lose weight is for health, period! I want to lead a healthy long life, and the only way to do that is by losing weight. And remember we do have strength, all of us! Sometimes it takes an emergency to really see it, but it's there. So whatever your challenge, remember that you too have the strength to deal with it. You just need to believe in it, believe that you have the strength and energy to keep going.

So let me close this post in saying, if you believe in it, please say a little prayer for us. We need as much positive energy flowing our way as we can to get during this difficult time!

~*~ Mail Bag ~*~

I got some great questions the other day so I thought I'd post the questions with my answers. I know they are questions on a lot of your minds.

Lisa asked: "a few things i was wondering is how long it took for you to see some physical kind of result from diet/exercise? and in the first few weeks of starting how much weight was lost? and also how long did it take for you to lose a dress size?"


-How long it took for you to see some physical kind of result from diet/exercise?

Ugh! This question is tough. My best answer - a while. LOL. But seriously, after about 30 pounds I was really starting to see and feel a difference (remember I was 315 pounds so it took a lot of loss to see the difference). Now it seems with every 10-15 pounds I can see changes. But honestly, even with a couple a pound loss I see little changes like my double chin doesn't look so big and puffy.

-And in the first few weeks of starting how much weight was lost?

I have been losing SLOW. I've only made gradual changes, so the weight loss is gradual. Even in the beginning I only lost about 5 pounds the first week I think, then it slowed to the current rate of 0.5-1 pound lost per week. It's been
pretty steady at this pace.

-And also how long did it take for you to lose a dress size?

I've been tracking jeans size. I started at a TIGHT 28. Quickly - after about 20 pounds lost - I went to a 26, another 20 pounds to a 24, and now (25 more lost) I'm sitting at a 22. So I went from a 28 to a 22 in 65 pounds. That's pretty slow. Don't expect to see the sizes change too fast. I keep thinking, "I'm almost in a 20, I'm almost in a 20"; but I've been saying that for a couple months now. LOL. Time, time, time; it takes time!

My advice for you is to focus on exercise if losing dress sizes is your focus. I hear great stories from people about how they tighten up really quick and lose dress sizes with exercise. I must say I hate exercise and avoid it like the plague. But I know I'd be A LOT more successful if I worked out more. That's my new years resolution - exercise! (Isn't that my new years resolution every year? yes it is!)

And please don't diet like crazy, and do drastic things. Everything in moderation is key. I think telling yourself you CANNOT have something is the worst thing to do. It just makes you want it more. Tell yourself you can have what ever you want... but just a little. Just try to cut out the junk from your diet - cakes, cookies, sweet are my absolute downfall.

But my best advice is just to keep at it. Results WILL come if you work at it long term. You wont lose the weight in a day, a week, or a month. It takes time! But DONT give up!!! You can do it! I can do it! We can do it. Better yet... we WILL do it!

Read the last Mail Bag question

#90 - Double chins!

OK, OK, it's another one of my shallow posts, one of those physical appearance reasons why I hate being fat. But hey, it bothers me so I gotta write about it! I hate that being fat gives me a double chin. I hate that flabby loose skin that just hangs around my neck. So not only do I have one chubby chin but two!! Why, I ask you, why? When I was young, I used to have this long slender neck. No more!! It's two chins for me now! I've been talking on my webcam a lot lately (my honey lives far away, so it's the best way to communicate with him right now), and I've been noticing my double chin a lot. Of course it doesn't help that the camera adds 10 pounds... or two chins. Every once in a while I catch site of my chin in the webcam image and tilt my head a little or change positions just to improve the look of my chin. Isn't that silly? The crazy things we do!

Speaking of crazy. Are you like me? Do you do this? I find that I am totally self-conscious when getting my picture taken. I don't worry about my hair or my clothes or my makeup... it's all about how I can position my head to minimize the double chin! And OMG last year I had to renew my driver's license so it meant another trip to the DMV to get that dreaded snapshot taken. I practiced in the mirror and found the best head position and headed off to the DMV. The DMV lady got me all set up for the picture and said I should move more this way, turn this way, put your chin more down... more down? Crap that was exactly what I didn't want to do. I hate pictures where I'm looking down because my chin appears absolutely ginormous. So anyway, I put my chin down *frown*, and she snapped the picture. I took one look at my picture and wanted to cry. You mean I have to spend the next 5 years with this picture? Can I get a new picture taken? Of course it also doesn't help that the pic was taken at my highest weight - ouch! I know people get new licenses when they lose theirs, can I get a new one cause I look too fat? Or do I just pretend to lose it? Hmm... that's an idea. Then a friend told me that they save the digital pictures and just reissue a new one. Bummer! I guess I'll have to look at my two chins for the next 5 years. The one upside is that when I went to get my international drivers license at AAA, the lady behind the counter looked at my license and said, "Wow, you've lost a lot of weight!" That sure made me feel great! It does make me wonder though, is there some point where you should request that a new picture be taken because you look SO different than the original picture? Honestly I don't think I'll fall into that category. I still look like me in the photo, just fat. I suppose my license will just be a reminder to me for the next 5 years of all the hard work I've done with weight loss and that I never want to look like that again.

One thing I think about though is that as I lose weight, I might never fully get rid of the extra chin. Sure I might lose all my excess weight, but age and stretched skin could be a problem. I might go from having a double chin to having a turkey neck. Gobble, gobble. What's worse? Hmmm... Double chin! At least with a turkey neck you can have plastic surgery to fix it (not that I plan to have plastic surgery, but at least the option is there). I've seen these infomercials that advertise exercises to tighten up the skin under your chin. Maybe I need to start working out my chin! But do those things really work? I don't know. I guess I just need to be happy with what Mother Nature gave me. I suppose I should just look at my double chin as a temporary imperfection that will improve with time. And you know, with winter coming, I guess the double chin will help me out and keep my neck warm all winter long! And hopefully, like a hibernating bear, I'll be able to lose the excess fat and chin by summer!

#89 - Afraid to go to high school reunions

I was talking with a friend the other day, and high school reunions were mentioned It made me think about my own lack of attendance to any of my reunions. This past summer was my 15th high school reunion, but I made absolutely NO plans to attend. I actually would love to go see people from high school, see what's become of everyone, but honestly I'm totally afraid. I still fear what those people think of me. Isn't that ridiculous? When I graduated high school I was 195 pounds, no skinny mini, but not very fat either, just pleasantly plump. But now... I am really scared to let those people see me. Sure I've lost a bunch of weight now (I'm only [haha...ONLY] 50 pounds away from my high school size), but I still don't want them to see me like I am. I guess I was hoping, like I'm sure EVERYONE does, to go back to my high school reunion with the perfect hard body, and wow them all and make the popular kids envy me.

LOL popular kids... Isn't that silly? I am 33 for God's sake and I'm still worried about what the popular kids think of me. You would think we'd out-grow all that silliness, but I guess not. I guess no matter what age we are we just want to fit in and be liked. I always wonder what made those kids the "popular" kids anyway. Was it looks? I don't think so. I was leafing through my high school alumni newspaper the other day, looking at pictures of the homecoming king and queen. The thing that was striking to me was that the "popular" kids that I saw in the pictures were not amazingly attractive or anything. Just average. In fact, some looked kind of unattractive. So good looks isn't the way to popularity. The one trait I do remember all the popular kids having was an amazing amount of confidence. It just bubbled out of them. They were people magnets, everyone wanting in on a piece of their confidence.

You know, that is what really attracts us to people and makes us want to be friends with someone. Confidence. It really can take you far. With a healthy dose of confidence we feel like we can accomplish ANYTHING! Hell, I think this time around it's confidence that has gotten me so far with my weight loss. Every time I thought I was gonna quit, I would just say to myself "you can do it!", and then I did, I stuck to it. I think for many of us this is a constant struggle, to feel confident. Low self-esteem probably made us use food as a tool to cope with life in the first place. The only way to get out of that vicious cycle of feeling bad and eating more is to reverse it - get confident. Don't feel confident? Fake it. I think if you tell yourself you are confident enough, the confidence will follow. Sometimes when I'm feeling really self-conscious, I just remind myself of something great I've done. That shuts my inner demons right up. The little voice that tells me "you suck" is replaced with the other voice that says "na uh, you rock!". We all need to give ourselves little pep talks now and again. I know I sure do!

So maybe I need to practice a bit of what I preach. I guess I need to suck it up, be confident, and in 5 years promise myself to go to my 20th high school reunion no matter what I weigh. And honestly, what do I have to fear? Some of those popular kids have probably put on a few pounds. Heck, they might even be fat now too! I can't keep hiding behind the excuse of being fat as a reason not to go to my reunions. I just have to remind myself that if I am confident, warm and friendly, people WILL like me no matter what size I am! Who knows, maybe 20 years later I'll be one of the popular kids!

#88 - I don't want to become the crazy cat lady!

I'm back after my long vacation! Hope you enjoy the post!!!

So... The crazy cat lady... You know who I mean. Those women that become so obsessed with their cats. No, not one or two cats, but three, four, five... or twelve cats. I honestly had this fear that being fat was going to keep me alone for the rest of my life, leaving me with cats as my only companions. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of the crazy cat lady inside me. Let me ask you this... Are you guilty of spending more on cat toys and cat food than you spend on yourself? Are the only pictures you take of your cats? When people talk to you, do you find yourself always talking about something so funny your cat did the other day? Be careful... If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be becoming a crazy cat lady!

I was uploading some old photos off my camera the other day and found that most, ok ALL, of the pics were of my cats! And no, it wasn't one or two pics, it was 45! What is that? Why on Earth did I feel the need to take 45 pictures of my cats? Well I suppose part of my excuse is that cat photography isn't the easiest thing. Your cat does something cute, you line up the shot, *snap*, and they move... So then you need to take another then another then another. You get the idea. I found that a lot of my pictures were strange blurred and out of focus action shots of my cats acting crazy. But still... Why do I need to take pictures of my cats so much? Answer? Well, maybe I am becoming a crazy cat lady lol.

Well maybe not too crazy yet, because I only have two cats. And I would not want any more cats in a house my size. I definitely won't become that lady down the block that takes in all the stray cats. NEVER! So I guess I have a limit. I guess I won't become that super crazy cat lady... maybe just a little crazy. It is funny though, when I go out with friends they talk about their jobs, their kids, their hobbies... I talk about my cats. OK sure I talk about other stuff, but still, it's a lot of cat talk. And I swear, I talk about the cats like they are my kids or something! "Guess what James did the other day that was so cute..." "Hazel is so smart, you should see what she does..." These are the kinds of conversations I have with people. I know, it's strange. But in the past it was all that I had. My fat kept me from meeting new people and going out into the world and doing things. So what did I do? I sat at home with my cats.

I really don't have that fear anymore, the fear of becoming the crazy cat lady. I don't talk about this much in my posts (cause I want to keep my private life private), but I've been seeing someone for the past 7 months now. As I've been losing weight my confidence has gone through the roof. I've gotten out there and started meeting people again, started living again. I met an absolutely WONDERFUL man. He loves me for me. It's so great to meet someone that sees the real me! He fills up my life now so I don't find myself talking about my cats so much. My poor cats were so accustomed to massive amounts of attention from me, but I fear they will just have to get used to less attention. And pictures? Well let's just say my camera is now full of pictures of my man and not of cats. Definitely a step in the right direction away from the doomed path of the cat lady.

So weight... update time!!! How am I doing? Well... I've been in Greece for a month! Give me a little slack! OK it's not that bad. I managed to maintain my weight loss in Greece. I didn't lose, I didn't gain. Actually when I first got to Greece I noticed right away I lost some weight, probably from an increase in exercise. All my clothes were looser and I felt lighter. But then I discovered Kinder Bueno, Kinder Delice, Sokofreta, Caprice, and, and, and... Basically all the yummy junk food Greece had to offer. Of course I loved the feta, the Greek salads, souvlakis (gyros), and baklavas too. So I put those few lost pounds back on. I just told myself to enjoy Greece and worry about the scale later. One thing I did though was to make sure that I didn't over eat. I just ate until I was satisfied. No pigging out! I think that definitely made a difference. You can still enjoy ANY food you like, just don't binge on it! But when all was said and done... I hopped on the scale the day after I got back to the states... and saw the exact same number I had seen when I left - 250. So there you have it.

Unfortunately a few days after I got back was Thanksgiving, the day Americans worship food. I was a bit bad. I ate what I liked - no diet foods or anything - but instead of stopping when I tummy said "no more", I took a deep breath and kept going. Big mistake! So this week I'm recovering a bit from a couple pound backlash. No serious damage, I just need to work out a little harder to rid myself of this holiday weight. Note to self: in the future say no to seconds!!!

Update: #85 - Traveling

I'm here, I'm here, I swear I'm here! I know it has been AGES since I posted! I'm still away in Greece on my long awaited vacation. I'm having the time of my life!!! Unfortunately, I have very limited internet access, hence my long absence.

I wanted to post a little bit about my trip and an update of reason #85 why I hate being fat. A few posts ago I wrote about the pains of traveling while being fat. Like traveling isn't bad enough, add a few pounds and traveling can be a nightmare! So before I left for this trip I was down 65 pounds from my all time high weight. Traveling at 315 was terrible! I couldn't fit well in airplane seats, the seat belts didn't fit. I felt cramped and uncomfortable and down right embarrassed. So I sucked up my pride and boarded the first plane I had flown in the past three years, and damn, I was surprised. To my utter amazement I fit comfortably in the airplane seat. Hum... a fluke? Did I happen to get the biggest seat on the plane that was roomier than the others? Probably not. I grabbed the seat belt and sucked my gut in. Again to my surprise the seat belt fit... not only fit, it was loose and needed tightening. Are you kidding me? Wow. Later in the flight the drinks and dinner came. Oh great I thought, now I have to deal with a tray table that doesn't open all the way cause my fat gut and thighs get in the way. I lowered the tray table and gasped a bit. It opened all the way with room to spare. Really? Wow again. I comfortably ate my sucky airplane food, beaming with amazement. I even managed to keep any food from falling onto my chest (a past hazard of having big big boobs). This is just a sample of my experiences on this trip. So far I have yet to find an instance where traveling was any harder for me than the average sized Joe. Don't get me wrong - I'm still fat at 250 - but it's just not as bad as it has been. This trip is really making me realize how far I've come and how you can feel truly better even shedding a few pounds.

There was also some discussion in previous posts about how accepting the Greeks are of fat people. I was a bit apprehensive. Well let me tell you... the Greeks are fat too. I walk around and see plenty of people that look just like me. I really don't feel out of place at all here. I am treated NO different here than I am in the states. Sure I get an occasional look that I'm sure is fat related, but I got those at home too, so no surprise. If anything I'm finding the Greek people much more friendly and warm than people at home, but maybe that's because I live on the East Coast where people are notorious for being a bit crabby and cool. I'm really loving the Greek way of life. I could learn a thing or two from the Greeks. Everyone walks a lot and eats pretty healthy, favoring fresh foods over anything processed. It's really making me rethink my cooking style and food choices. Honestly I could easily see myself living here in Greece quite happily. I love it. I love it so much, I actually extended my trip. I just can't leave Greece! Well not yet at least. Unfortunately real life calls and I need to get back to work. :(

But anyway, soon enough I'll be home and resume my regular posting. No worries, karaokekitty still has a lot to say about being fat!

#87 - Celebrity Weight Loss Shows

I love them! I hate them! You know the shows, like VH1's Celebrity Fit Club or NBC's Biggest Loser, and a host of others. Honestly I do love to watch these shows. Something about watching these shows makes me feel better about myself. What is it? Is it because I see people even worse off than me and that makes my life not seem so bad? Is it because I take pleasure in others misery? Or is it just because it feels good to see people in the same situation as me, thereby making me feel not so alone? I don't know. But I do like to watch them. At the same time, I TOTALLY hate these shows! The biggest reason I hate these shows is that it perpetuates the myth that get-thin-quick schemes work and are healthy. I think most doctors would agree that losing 20 or 30 pounds in a week is NOT healthy! The thing I have taken from the vast number of diet and healthy eating programs I have been on is the idea that you should be losing about 1-2 pounds a week for healthy weight loss. Studies have shown that the faster you lose, the easier it is for your body to regain the weight. Sure, we all want to be thin TOMORROW, but it didn't take a day, a week, or a month to gain all this weight, it took years! I have been losing weight at a slow healthy pace (65 pounds in about a year, a little over a pound a week), and at this pace it seems easy to maintain. I guess you give your body time to catch up with the idea of being thin or something. I suppose it's physical and psychological: you shrink both your physical stomach and your psychological cravings at this pace. But 30 pounds in a week??? I would imagine these people need EXTREME self discipline to maintain their loses. I would imagine they have to fight serious cravings to keep the weight off. At the pace I'm losing, I really don't fight any intense cravings at all. Sure we all have cravings... like I HAD to have a caramel filled Ghirardelli candy last night, heehee. But everyone has these kind of food-specific cravings from time to time, even really skinny people! When I have lost weight very fast in the past (like when I was on Phen-Fen or when I had the gastric band) I fought intense physical cravings for food and struggled with huge loss issues about not being about to eat much at a time. I don't know. This time it just seems a lot easier, and I am attributing it to losing so slowly. I just don't feel deprived and I don't miss the massive quantities of food.

OK back to the subject: weight loss shows. Why have these shoes become such a phenomenon? I suppose it is just another topic that fascinates us in the long line of reality-based programming we all seem glued to. I suppose it does have something to do with the fact that we love to see other people in our same situation, we can relate. Some studies have shown that as many as 120 million Americans are overweight (maybe even more!). That's over 65 percent of Americans!!! And I think the rest of world is not far behind us! So I guess watching these fat shows seems very familiar to us. We like to see other people like us on TV.

The one good thing going for these shows is that they are doing it through diet and exercise, showing us that it CAN be done without pills or surgery. That I like! When I had to have my gastric band removed (due to an allergy) my surgeon wanted me to convert to the gastric bypass. I told her adamantly that I was going to do it on my own. She just shook her head and said with a chuckle, good luck. She just keep forcing the idea down my throat that 98% of people who lose weight by diet and exercise, gain it all back. Well, I don't know how accurate her statistics are, or if that was some scare tactic she uses, but I know people who have done it successfully, and I was going to be one of them too no matter what she said. And shows like this show us that it is possible. I like how they come back to the people from previous seasons to show how they are doing, and it's great to see that some of them have kept off the weight and have even gotten healthier and more fit! So I guess these celebrity weight loss shows are OK as long as you watch them knowing that you probably wont be able to (or want to) lose weight that fast and that the best way to do it is with good old-fashioned diet and exercise. It's not an easy battle, but we can all do it!!!