P
Prairie Roots
Guest
Have any of you seen the article in the January issue of Oprah magazine excerpting the book "Passing
for Thin"? The book is a memoir by Frances Kuffel about her experience losing nearly 200 lbs. There
were a few things in the excerpt that resonated with me, and I think I'm going to be looking for the
book when it's available in a couple of weeks.
But the thing that struck closest to home was how she came to the decision to undertake and continue
the weight loss journey. She says, "What you want has to be stronger than what you have, and I
wanted dignity more than I wanted food."
I've been trying for a while to articulate for myself what changed in me that I decided to try
losing weight yet again, that I decided to hope I could succeed, that I feel this time to be
different from all the other times, that I decided to give myself over to learning about food in a
way that didn't feel like punishment. I think I just became so disgusted with my "I don't care"
attitude, tired of hiding behind the size of my own shadow. To wrap all of that up in the word
"dignity" comes real close to naming my own personal Switch.
What else do I want? I want to wear clothes I like and not just those that cover up my body. I want
to eat in public without feeling like people are judging or pitying me. I want to feel confident
about having my picture taken so my granddaughter will have visual memories of me as I have of my
parents and grandparents. I want to try any exercise that looks fun instead of giving up before I
start because I'm so self-conscious about my size. I want to delight in feeling the muscles in my
legs, the ribs in my chest, the bones in my hips. I want to live out loud and not just sit on the
sidelines. I want to join Match.com and take a chance that I'll meet someone who falls hopelessly in
love with me. I want to respect myself.
Yeah, that dignity thing. That's what I want more than I food.
What do you want?
--
Prairie Roots
232/167/WW goal 145
joined WW Online 22-Feb-2003
for Thin"? The book is a memoir by Frances Kuffel about her experience losing nearly 200 lbs. There
were a few things in the excerpt that resonated with me, and I think I'm going to be looking for the
book when it's available in a couple of weeks.
But the thing that struck closest to home was how she came to the decision to undertake and continue
the weight loss journey. She says, "What you want has to be stronger than what you have, and I
wanted dignity more than I wanted food."
I've been trying for a while to articulate for myself what changed in me that I decided to try
losing weight yet again, that I decided to hope I could succeed, that I feel this time to be
different from all the other times, that I decided to give myself over to learning about food in a
way that didn't feel like punishment. I think I just became so disgusted with my "I don't care"
attitude, tired of hiding behind the size of my own shadow. To wrap all of that up in the word
"dignity" comes real close to naming my own personal Switch.
What else do I want? I want to wear clothes I like and not just those that cover up my body. I want
to eat in public without feeling like people are judging or pitying me. I want to feel confident
about having my picture taken so my granddaughter will have visual memories of me as I have of my
parents and grandparents. I want to try any exercise that looks fun instead of giving up before I
start because I'm so self-conscious about my size. I want to delight in feeling the muscles in my
legs, the ribs in my chest, the bones in my hips. I want to live out loud and not just sit on the
sidelines. I want to join Match.com and take a chance that I'll meet someone who falls hopelessly in
love with me. I want to respect myself.
Yeah, that dignity thing. That's what I want more than I food.
What do you want?
--
Prairie Roots
232/167/WW goal 145
joined WW Online 22-Feb-2003