(One of my earliest blog posts. I was so inspired by Ryan! Originally published June 27, 2013.)
Did you happen to catch Extreme Weight Loss on ABC last night? It featured a young man from Appleton, WI who not only started losing weight at 410 lbs, but did so with one arm. This young man, Ryan, gave it all he had and lost over two hundred pounds over the course of a year. Ok, he had help. Lots of help. But so what? Could I do it, even with help? Could you?
Here’s the thing, I have help. Maybe you do too. We all (well, you and I anyway) have the internet, so we have TONS of resources, right? And if you’re anything like me, you already know plenty about health, fitness, and nutrition. I’ve often said I could write the book… but would I read it?
Maybe you’re stubborn, like me. Or a slow learner. Or a procrastinator. Or in denial. Maybe you are so incredibly stunningly gorgeous that the very thought of altering your appearance in any way, including by losing even an ounce, is unacceptable to you. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re ready to try. Again.
That’s what this is all about for me. Allowing myself the space to try again and again and again. That’s what it’s going to take for me. I’m fat. Really really fat. I could stand to lose at least 100 lbs. Seriously. You’re welcome to come along, or stand on the sidelines and watch. Laugh when you want to, sob if you feel like it, but do something. This business of doing nothing is crap.
Until last year I had never seen an episode of Dancing With The Stars. I don’t dance (two left feet, I’m afraid) and I’m not starstruck (okay, maybe there are a few exceptions, Chris Powell and Channing Tatum come to mind, but never mind that). Why would I want to watch some B list celebrities prance around a ballroom and makes fools of themselves? Then I watched an episode.
Oh my. Look at those moves. She’s not a dancer? Really? He’s a singer/football player/spokesmodel? I had no idea. But look at those moves. I loved the routines, I loved the variety, I loved the costumes and sets, and I grew to love those formerly unknown “stars.” Well, some of them. Some of them rubbed me the wrong way and I looked for every little flaw in their routines. If only I had my own judges scoring paddle at home.
That was last season. I started watching partway through the season, but was invested enough to be thrilled when Kellie Pickler won. She did a dance in silhouette that took my breath away. This season I buckled in from the first week. This group was going to be tough! Some of those people have been paid for dance, that’s kind of unfair, don’t you think? But dang, I loved to watch them dance. Still, I wanted someone who wasn’t a “dancer” to win the competition and take home the coveted mirrorball trophy. I didn’t have a clear favorite until about halfway through the season. I liked Leah Remini‘s spunk, and Brant Daughtery was certainly one to keep an eye on. Snooki was just fantastic, and Corbin Bleu and Elizabeth Berkley Lauren took my breath away. Even the stiff guys, Jack Osbourne, Bill Engvall, and Bill Nye were a pleasure. Oh heck, I liked them all! Let’s face it, I just plain enjoy the show, but when it got down to the final few, it became clear to me that Amber Riley was my choice. Of course she could not have done it without her fantastic partner, Derek Hough.
First of all, this young lady is gorgeous, inside and out. Every time the microphone was in her face she was smiling and upbeat. Whether that’s the sign of a really positive attitude toward life, or a really disciplined actress is a mystery to me, but either way I was impressed. Oh, and then there’s the dancing. The girl can move! She was dancing with an injury for most of the season, but she was still very fluid and light on her feet. I just loved to watch her dance, and the performance she did last night and the night before with the male professional dancers? Well, it blew me away. I could not be happier that this woman, whom professional dancer Karina Smirnoff described as not having a traditional dancer’s body (what a classy way to put it, Karina) danced her heart out and won over the judges and the audience. Way to go Amber. Thanks for winning one for the big girls!
Did you happen to catch Extreme Weight Loss on ABC last night? It featured a young man from Appleton, WI who not only started losing weight at 410 lbs, but did so with one arm. This young man, Ryan, gave it all he had and lost over two hundred pounds over the course of a year. Ok, he had help. Lots of help. But so what? Could I do it, even with help? Could you?
Here’s the thing, I have help. Maybe you do too. We all (well, you and I anyway) have the internet, so we have TONS of resources, right? And if you’re anything like me, you already know plenty about health, fitness, and nutrition. I’ve often said I could write the book… but would I read it?
Maybe you’re stubborn, like me. Or a slow learner. Or a procrastinator. Or in denial. Maybe you are so incredibly stunningly gorgeous that the very thought of altering your appearance in any way, including by losing even an ounce, is unacceptable to you. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re ready to try. Again.
That’s what this is all about for me. Allowing myself the space to try again and again and again. That’s what it’s going to take for me. I’m fat. Really really fat. I could stand to lose at least 100 lbs. Seriously. You’re welcome to come along, or stand on the sidelines and watch. Laugh when you want to, sob if you feel like it, but do something. This business of doing nothing is crap.
Did you happen to catch Extreme Weight Loss on ABC last night? It featured a young man from Appleton, WI who not only started losing weight at 410 lbs, but did so with one arm. This young man, Ryan, gave it all he had and lost over two hundred pounds over the course of a year. Ok, he had help. Lots of help. But so what? Could I do it, even with help? Could you?
BulgingButtons 