Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Drew Barrymore, Oprah and one final rant for the year

I didn’t plan on posting this week. I f igured I’d store up some ideas (and calories) for all that January-ness. Then I saw a page I had ripped out of People (in my bathroom, hey last TMI for 2014 too, why not).  I will take a photo of the clipping but you’ll be relieved to know I’m not typing this from the bathroom nor have I ever typed there. Anyway, this article featured the ever-adorable Drew Barrymore. The title was something like “losing weight on her own terms”  and the gist of the piece was that Drew immersed herself in her new baby, continued to eat what she wanted when she wanted etc etc. It was patting Drew on the back for not caring or not caring too much. But you know what happened? Yup, sure enough Drew eventually cared and hired Tracy Anderson who I happened to catch on the Insider suggesting we workout 7 days a week.

Then there’s Oprah (another one of my favorites). A friend of mine happened to tape something with O recently. She remarked how relaxed she was, barefoot on the set that kind of thing. She also said “she’ll never lose weight again. She’s fat and happy.” I hadn’t inquired about her weight but it seems with Oprah it’s always a topic. A few weeks later I watched Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Intriguing People special. How intriguing is it that Barbara is still at it in her 80s? And really, nobody does it like Barbara. Barbara asked Oprah “is there anything you still want to do?” Or maybe it was “what’s on your bucket list?” Oprah’s so spiritual I expected something with the words path or journey in her answer. No. You know what she said? “I have to make peace with this whole weight thing.” So much for fat and happy.

There are times we cannot think about our eating or our weight. And yes, there are people who rarely think about it (and that’s rare) but usually what happens is we get to a point where there’s more peace of mind when we’re actively trying to be healthy then when we pretend we don’t care and then we make changes. And that’s what January is for.
What do you think about the whole "I don't care about my weight or size" statements? Is that true for some? Have you ever felt that way? 

11 comments:

  1. I wondered about the Oprah thing too....reading her latest book she sounded like she had made peace with it but that's not what she said to BW.
    I HATE being FAT. I try to love myself but nothing fits, I don't want to go out and be seen by people who judge me, I used to be so active and now I struggle with everyday things...boy, do I need help.

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  2. I agree, so super soul, so centered, so doing things her way but not so much. Nobody likes it when things bulge or clothes don't fit so you are not alone. And it is more than weight when it is holding you back from going out and living your life. Perhaps, if you make things more about being active and feeling better (and less about FAT/weight) you'll be more inclined to take positive steps. Thanks for your honesty, I can guarantee others reading this feel the same way.

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  3. I hate how such comments make me feel vain/shallow that I do care about my weight. There is nothing liberated about carrying extra-weight - this is just not true...

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  4. You know, when the food culture is about healthy food not ice cream praising and fast food. And if we walk to work or do exercises genuinely not only in closed door gyms. And when we wont be threatened by chronic disease like CVD and diabetes,


    At this point, I think I can say I don't care at all

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  5. I think that last paragraph is really wise. Always working towards making more and more healthy choices is actually more liberating than pretending not to care.

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  6. Oh my, "wise" thanks Nina. When not yet on the healthy page so easy to think "don't have time" or "petty" but the ease and absence of self criticism when making good choices frees you up! Thanks for stopping by and reading.

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  7. Farida, I'm with you. The basics are always best and we need a real awakening in this country. "Caring" to me can be about cooking or meditating or really anything that may make us look better but also makes us feel better.

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  8. "there is nothing liberated about carrying extra weight" love that. I actually credit Oprah's honesty. She could so easily say "I have no regrets etc". She is Oprah for goodness sake and is still brought down by weight/food. The truth is what makes us healthy also makes us in a better weight place so we don't need to choose wellness or waistlines.

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  9. Whenever I gain some weight, I know that something is "going on" in my life. It's always a reflection of something being slightly off. So, no, I am never truly okay or happy when I'm heavier because it's actually a reflection of the other "stuff" that's going on...

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  10. I love every word of this, never about the weight.

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  11. I don't really care about my weight that much, and rarely think about eating specific things, but I am FIXATED on trying to tone up what my 9-year-old managed to mess up 9 years ago.

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