Fat Chance!

My longtime readers know I’ve not hidden the fact that I have a few extra pounds on my frame.  (For example, see What Would I Be Like Today If…)  And as we age, who doesn’t?  But also, I think you know that I’ve been dieting since being told I needed to lose weight for my hip replacement surgery.  I started dieting, met my initial 50-pound goal and kept on going.  I’ve lost 80 pounds so far and need another 45 to hit my ultimate 125-pound goal.  I’ll get there, slowly but surely.

It’s funny how some people lack any measure of self-awareness.  I have an acquaintance who recently told me “you’re fat!” while they have chubby legs and a thick middle. 

And that’s the point.  My Boardwalk buddies and I joke that we’re all 18 in our heads.  Especially when a pretty girl walks by the benches.  True that.  And I’m 190 pounds in my head too!  I’m sure my acquaintance is rail thin in their mind as well.

By today’s standards we’re all fat.  Most of us remember “Twiggy” the ultra-thin British model of the ‘60s.  At the time she was 5’ 6” and weighed 110 pounds.  According to the fashion of today, Twiggy would be 10-15 pounds overweight!  Back then her boyishly thin image was, and still is, criticized for allegedly promoting an "unhealthy" body ideal for women.  Today, models go to extreme lengths to be skinny enough to be competitive in the fashion industry.

But it’s not how society (or acquaintances) judge us that’s important.  It’s how we view ourselves.  Are we healthy?  Are we happy in our own skin?  Do we like who we are?

What my acquaintance forgot is that fat, like beauty, is skin deep.  One needs to look closer to see the real value of a person.  Are they kind?  Are they thoughtful?  Can they carry on an intelligent conversation?  Treat you with respect?  Empathize with you?  Do they share your values?

They say that being overweight is unhealthy.  Folks could look at my hip replacement and two very bad knees and say that being fat caused my joint issues.  And it may very well have.  But running 30-40 miles a week for 15 years may have contributed.  I firmly believe the fractured hip I received when I ran the 1993 Marine Corps Marathon contributed to my bum hip today.  Well, that and heredity.  Hell, a 100-pound friend of mine had her hip replaced.  Not an ounce of fat on that girl!

So, I guess my thought for the day is: I’m me.  What you see is what you get (and, I might add, a lot of it!).  You want Brad Pitt or Charlize Theron?  Move to Hollywood.  If someone has unrealistic goals for themselves or others, maybe it’s time for some introspection.  And perhaps a bit of reflection on who THEY are.

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I’m writing this week’s blog on Easter Sunday morning.  I needed a break and took a walk out front where some of the neighborhood kids were playing. 

A young boy ran up to one of the girls: “Guess what?  My dad let me have CHOCOLATE for breakfast!”

Now that’s a GREAT dad!!

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“If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  Then quit.  There's no point in being a damn fool about it.”

-          W. C. Fields

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OMG, This Is So Nice!

(My apologies. When I pasted this videos link into the article I got a message that says “Video unavailable” and to watch on YouTube. Please click the “Watch on YouTube” link. It’s totally worth it.)

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