"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

I love the video below:

DietHobby is my digital Scrapbook. It contains my own articles, videos, and pictures, mixed with copies of other interesting or entertaining articles, videos and pictures, all of which are presented here in a manner that I find personally pleasing. 

The thoughts, opinions, and emotions reflected here are based on my own personal views.  As a consequence of having an open mind, my opinion today might not be the same as my opinion tomorrow.

DietHobby advertises nothing, sells nothing, charges nothing, and accepts no donations.  It is my own personal website which exists to help me further my own personal Dieting Hobby. 

  Below is a copy of an outstanding article which I very much enjoyed.

I've spent years trying to get skinny.
Oprah's Weight Watchers ads convinced me to stop.
                                 by Caissie St. Onge

Oprah's Weight Watchers commercials are everywhere. Last October Oprah bought a 10 percent stake in the company and joined its board. Now she's appearing in ads where she tells us that "inside every overweight woman is the woman she knows she can be."

If this were true, it would totally explain why overweight women are overweight; we have a whole extra woman inside of us! But I don't think it is true, because I believe that inside me is just more me. And I have my doubts that there's a better, happier, more acceptable woman inside of Oprah either.

I love Oprah. Longtime Oprah lover over here. Since my tweens, I've admired how she's made celebrities seem like regular people and turned regular people into celebrities. I read the books her Book Club boosted. Hell, I'm wearing a bra she recommended on her "Favorite Things" episode in 2003. I think she has earned every ounce of success she enjoys, so I am glad for her that she made $70 million on the first day of her deal with Weight Watchers. That amount of money will be heavy, and if she binds it together, she can use it to weigh down stacks of her other money so none of it blows away when she opens a window in one of her many beautiful homes.



But by the ninth or 10th time I heard Oprah talk about how we're gonna go on this weight loss journey together, I had an epiphany. I have put on my sneakers and jogged down this road with Oprah before! I cried with joy for her back in 1988 when she dragged a wagon of fat onstage, to represent the 67 pounds she'd lost on a liquid diet. Lord knows I have considered dragging a wagon of fat around to celebrate the three or four times I have lost 60 pounds. Then when it crept back on, just like it did with Oprah, I was glad I never did that. And Oprah has said she regrets that moment, which is probably why she never did it again either, even though we've watched her drop, then regain, a few more wagonloads over the years.

My epiphany was this: Oprah is one of the most accomplished, admired, able people in the world. She has an Oscar to keep all her Emmy Awards company. She creates magic for other people and herself on the regular. So if Oprah can't do permanent lifelong weight loss, maybe it can't be done. Oprah is also crazy rich. If Oprah can't buy permanent lifelong weight loss, maybe it can't be bought. And that sucks.

But it is also incredibly freeing if you, like me, have thought about your weight so many times throughout every day of your life that it becomes as maddening and distracting as if you'd stowed a beating telltale heart beneath your floorboards.

Ever since I wasn't little, I have thought about how much space I am taking up in the world as many times per day as men supposedly think about sex. I have wanted to be the girl who could playfully sit on a friend's lap, or be carried across a threshold on my wedding night. But I'm just not. I never have been.

At my pre-kindergarten physical my pediatrician asked me, "Do you like to eat?" and when I guilelessly said yes, he told me, "Well, you should like it less." In college, I was probably the thinnest I'd ever been in my life, and when I got up the nerve to tell an older classmate who ran with my group of friends that I didn't like it when he gave me unsolicited shoulder massages, especially in front of my boyfriend, he said, "Maybe you're just angry because your thighs are so huge." In front of my boyfriend.

These are just two of two million incidents where someone tried to make me feel small because I was bigger. And I guess it's made me the kind of person who would just stand on a 90-minute train commute every day rather than insinuate myself into an empty seat between two strangers who might sigh as they bring their own thighs marginally closer to make way for the entitled fat monster. But am I not entitled? To a seat? To civility?

As people, we all run into your odd crank every now and again, but I have seen a fat person turn the most decorous individual into an eye-rolling, tongue-clicking social contract breaker simply by daring to try to occupy the assigned seat on her plane ticket. I'm sure it's been a long time since Oprah's flown commercial, or since anyone's had the sack to roll their eyes in her face, but I'm sure she remembers, which is why I can't fault her for still wanting to change. But after trying to change so, so, so many times, I'm starting to realize it ain't me who needs to be different.

I'm not saying you should give up on your dreams of having the body you want. I'm just asking, if you never get that waist, will your life have been a waste? (I see what I did there.) Every day we are bombarded with media, content, and products. Special foods and drinks. Programs and plans. None of this shit has ever worked for Oprah, and it probably isn't gonna work for me or you. Not forever, anyway. Some science has said this.

Speaking of ... every day, that jackass science comes up with another possible reason for the so-called "obesity epidemic" America, and almost every other country, is facing. It's because of portion sizes. It's because of processed foods. It's because of genetically modified wheat. It's because of our microbiomes. It's because of stress and cortisol. It's because of a virus. It's because of insulin resistance. It's because we no longer use scythes to harvest rye. It's because of chairs.

The reason I hear about every piece of news relating to weight loss is because besides having an automatic Google search set up for my name and for the TV show I work on, for years I've also had an automatic Google search for "obesity," so I'll be among the first to know when some doctor comes up with something new I can try. And I've nearly tried it all, with the exception of having several feet of my intestines removed. Yet. That's ... sad.



Maybe someday they will figure out the reason for the rise in obesity, but I do know the reason isn't NOT trying hard enough. Oprah tries harder than anyone, and nearly every other thing she's ever tried in her life has been a smashing fucking success, so she's pretty good at knowing how to try.

I know the reason isn't because you're weak. If you're carrying around 10 or 20, or 50 or 150 pounds more than the tiny friend who always calls herself fat in front of you and you don't kick her in the back of the knee, you're the opposite of weak. You're very, very strong in at least two different ways.

I know the reason isn't because you're a bad person. Unless you gained weight from eating puppies and babies. But if you just ate some pizza like everyone else does all the time without giving it a second thought? What's bad about that? And, yes, eating sensibly is a great idea. Two eggs. Four ounces of chicken. A cup of Brussels sprouts. A third of a cup of polenta. That's what I've eaten today. Very sensible. I've gotten in the habit of memorizing what I put in my mouth so that I can write it down later.

I have years of food journals stretching back to when I should have been writing about my crush on Nicholas from Eight Is Enough and what I hoped Santa would bring me that year. (I probably would have said that I wanted a Barbie Dream House, Wonder Woman Underoos,  size extra husky, and to get skinny. Even then.) And all food journaling has taught me is that sometimes you can whittle down what you're consuming to the point where you barely have to write anything anymore, and you still might never be able to reach your goal before you break.

Do you think Oprah doesn't have the resources to pull together teams of people to tell her what is sensible to eat? And to berate her when she becomes emotional, melts down, and eats a potato with her bare hand? Where is the sensibility in any of that?

I realize there are people who are DYING to tell you what they think about what you should do with your body. It always starts with, "No offense, but..." or, "Not to be mean, but..." And it's always offensive and mean, but also, you probably say things to yourself every day that are way meaner than what any "well-intentioned" "friend" or internet troll could come up with.

You're gonna have to try harder if you want to beat us at our own game, internet trolls. I would pop someone in the chops if they spoke to me the way I speak to myself. And I would bet all of Oprah's money that Oprah says mean shit to herself too.

I've heard some ladies I really like on some reality shows telling other women to, "Get your life," and I think I finally understand what they mean. I think they're saying that it's possible for the person you are today to have a life full of good and worthwhile things that you want without waiting for some transformational moment to take place before you feel you have the right to pursue anything else.

Nobody is doing you a favor by thinking you kick so much ass at your job even if the business suit you are wearing was purchased at Lane Bryant. Nobody is doing you a favor by finding you sexy even when some BMI chart says you don't deserve life insurance. Nobody is owed your gratitude for "looking past" your weight. Those people are just seeing things the way a minimally non-garbage person is supposed to. Everything above and beyond that baseline, you're earning it. You're "getting your life," and the people around you are getting some of their life from you. And if that isn't happening right now, it's not because you've failed to become svelte. It's because the people around you are turd burglars whose biggest accomplishment, apparently, is owning a shorter belt.

You can do what you want. You knew that. But I'm gonna stop wishing that I didn't have dimples on the backs of my hands or that my ankles were more flattered by strappy shoes. I'm gonna stop telling people that they look great and start telling them what I really mean, that's it's nice to see them. And I see you. And I like you so much, just how you are right now, and not a year or five years from now when you may or may not be smaller.

I hope Oprah gets what she wants, and maybe $70 million in one day is the motivator that will finally make it happen for her, once and for all. Hell, according to her latest commercial, she's already lost 26 pounds while loving bread and eating it every single day!

As for me, I think I'm gonna stop wanting something that I might never get even though I'm very good and very strong and I try very hard all the time. I'm gonna take a break on all that, at least for a little while. Let me know how it turns out this time, though, Oprah. I'll love you either way.

Caissie St.Onge is a television writer and producer who has worked with David Letterman, Rosie O'Donnell, Graham Norton, Joan Rivers, Bette Midler, and Paul F. Tompkins. At the time this article was written she is the co-executive producer of Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen on Bravo

The women in this picture are different shapes and sizes, but all are professional athletes at the peak.

It’s not a one-size-fits-all world. Every Diet works for Somebody, but not Every Diet works for Everybody. 

Also, the evidence seems to suggest that Some people can’t lose AND MAINTAIN WEIGHT-LOSS LONG-TERM on Any Diet.

Although as Human Beings, all people share certain physical characteristics, we have genetic variations which make us different from each other.  There are tall people and short people, males and females.  People can have different hair and eye and skin colors. Our facial features differ. 

There are also natural differences in body types. Some people tend to be a pear-shape, - naturally carrying more weight in their bottom half.  Others tend toward an apple-shape, naturally carrying more weight around the middle of their bodies.  Some bodies are shaped like an hour-glass, with a larger top and bottom divided by a small middle. Some bodies are rather straight with bodies that tend to be the same size from top to bottom.  Some are more triangular, having a smaller bottom half and carrying most of their weight in their upper half, chest, shoulders, arms. Some people are naturally more muscular. Some people have a stocky build, while others are naturally lean.

All of these differences are based on differences in Genetics, and mostly people understand and accept these differences. So why is it so hard for our society to Understand, Believe, and Accept that …..just like those other differences,….. the bodies of some people naturally work to collect fat, while the bodies of other people naturally work to stay thin. And, that just like some people are supposed to have blue eyes and others to have brown eyes, some people are supposed to be fat, while other people are supposed to be thin. 

Yet, …as is stated in the compelling article posted below,… our Society’s belief is that a Fat Body is Evidence that a person is Doing Life Wrong.

Or Maybe Fat People
Aren’t Doing It All Wrong
         .....excerpt from article....
         by Ragen Chastain - danceswithfat

Every day we are lied to about dieting, weight loss, weight, and health by people who profit from the lies. We are told that anyone who tries hard enough can lose weight and maintain that weight loss.  This despite the fact that there isn’t a single study, anywhere, in which more than a tiny fraction of the subjects were able to do so. Still, anyone who claims to have a method of weight loss that works seems to be able to get airtime, and to get their idea reported in the news as if it’s fact, despite the actual fact that there is simply no evidence to suggest that it will work.

There are obvious issues with this.  The most obvious is that it contributes to a world where the governments enthusiastically oppress fat people and try to recruit others to do the same. It sets fat people up for a life of yo-yo dieting, and putting the lives we want on hold until we get thin, which will never happen, thus ruining our lives and making the weight loss industry money (to the tune of over $60 BILLION a year,) selling a product that they know doesn’t work.

But there are also consequences that are more insidious. With all the weight loss plans out there we are told all kinds of things will lead to weight loss – the gym, “healthy” eating, vegetarian diet, boot camp workouts, vegan diet, crossfit, paleo diets, yoga, pilates, yogalates, intuitive eating, meditation, you name it and I can pretty much guarantee that someone has made diet out of it.

Of course the truth is that fat people participate in all of these things and remain fat, and that there is no reason to believe that any of them will lead to long-term weight loss. (And let me be clear that not everyone who is involved in these things sells them as a diet, but there are people who do.) But such is our trust in the diet industry that instead of using the opportunity to question stereotypes and beliefs about weight loss and body size, people simply claim that fat people must be “doing it wrong.”

If we are fat athletes, we must be doing athletics wrong (because, we’re told, the only “good” outcome of being involved in fitness/movement/athletics is a thin body.)  If we’re fat vegetarians we must be doing that wrong.  If we’re doing a diet but not getting thin we must not be able to properly measure a quarter cup of rice. If we’re meditating but still fat we must be doing meditation wrong.  

The belief is that a fat body is evidence that we are doing life wrong. And that’s oppressive, and it’s bullshit. If you did something to get thin and you didn’t get thin (especially if you lost weight and then gained it back) then welcome to the “Almost Everyone Club,” you should know that what happened to you is exactly what we would expect to happen based on all the research that exists.

Dreams and Goals are good things to have.  
Most accomplishments start out as just a dream existing in the mind.  However, Dreams and Goals need to be based on REALITY, which means they need to be based upon a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.

While we can appreciate the Value of Dreaming about Future Goals, an emaciated Rhinoceros will never become a sleek and lean Unicorn. The Reality is that no amount of Diet or Exercise will ever turn a Morbidly Obese body into a Naturally Thin body. 

It’s not a one-size-fits-all world.  I’ve posted many articles here at DietHobby about the genetic differences of various body types.  I’ve also posted many articles about the differences between bodies of the “naturally thin” who have always been at or near a “normal” BMI weight; bodies of people who have spent a few years or so being at a BMI of “overweight” or “borderline obesity”; and bodies of people who have spent many years with a BMI of  “Morbid” or “Severe” obesity.   You can find all of these articles in DietHobby’s ARCHIVES.

People often have magical thinking about thinness.  It is common to become invested in The Fantasy of Being Thin.

The Fantasy of Being Thin is not just about becoming small enough to be perceived as more acceptable. It's Not about appearing indistinguishable from “naturally” thin people, while one wears clothing that flatter one’s body type, and which also serves to conceal existing body flaws such as loose, flabby, hanging skin, stretch marks, scars, wrinkles and cellulite etc. 

It’s a dream about one’s body morphing into that of a Goddess…, achieving the appearance of a supermodel, looking “fit”, lean with taunt, smooth skin, firm uplifted breasts, flat stomach, tiny waist, firm bouncy buttocks, slender thighs, and long lean legs.

It is often, also, about becoming an entirely different person …one with far more courage, confidence, and luck than the Fat You has. 

It’s not just, “When I’m thin, I’ll look good when I’m dressed well.”

It’s  “When I’m thin, I’ll look really good in a skimpy bathing suit.”….And that fantasy goes on to include changes in our personal characteristics ….  “When I’m thin, I will be the kind of person who struts down the beach in a bikini, making men weep.” …  “When I’m thin, I won’t be depressed anymore.”  .... “When I’m thin, I’ll start liking exercise.” ..... "When I’m thin, I’ll begin loving the outdoors.”  ...... “When I’m thin, I’ll be more extroverted and charismatic, and have more friends than I know what to do with.”

We must overcome The Fantasy of Being Thin in order to be able to do what it takes to successfully maintain a large weight-loss long-term.  The biggest cost of dieting for weight-loss is not the financial cost.  It is the high emotional price of false hope.  Many people have been wearied and traumatized by having their hopes repeatedly raised and dashed by the False Claims made by the Diet Industry. 

I currently believe, and I think it is necessary to point out,….that once one’s obesity has become severe and long-term, no treatments currently exist that will dramatically influence the natural course of that morbidly obese body’s greatly increased set point. This means that, for such people, maintenance of weight-loss will always take a great deal of hard work.

I have also discovered that it takes a lot of Love for one’s own thinner body, along with a personal Acceptance of the …. what-some-would-consider-to-be-“flaws” ….. existing within that formerly-fat-body, to summon the sustained strength to continually follow-through with the changed eating behaviors which are required for long-term maintenance of a “reduced obese” body.  Even after 10+ years of maintaining a “normal” weight, my body continually fights to return back to its higher weight through via increased physical hunger, increased appetite, reduced basic metabolic rate and so forth. 
 
There will always be a vast physical difference between an emaciated Rhinoceros and a naturally sleek and lean Unicorn.  There are also many physical differences between human beings.  Realistic expectations can greatly help with achieving successful weight-loss and maintenance of that weight-loss.

I have a clear idea of my own personal weight-loss goals.  Like most people, I also have an image of how I want to look and feel at my Ideal Weight Goal, and I have an intense desire to BE there - not only Reach that Goal, but Stay there Forever.  Here is a picture showing my own personal ideal Weight Maintenance Range.

However, what I’ve learned is that Life involves Balance and Trade-offs which are based on what each of us “brings to the table” (genetically & otherwise), as well as what each of us values the most.  

There are many different definitions of what is individually “beautiful” and also of what is “healthy”, and ….for many people here on earth,….. a BMI number doesn’t define either beauty or health.  Not only do people define Beauty & Health differently, there are many differences in how highly various Food and Eating issues are valued within each individual life. 

Advertising, the media, and the Diet Industry tells us that “thin” is the most beautiful and healthiest body type. Most people who reach a weight at the bottom of their BMI range would be considered “thin”, and some might even consider those people to be the “healthiest” that they could be, because of their low weight.  However, there are others who define “Beauty” and “Health” differently, and THOSE people would prefer and choose different weight-goals.

For me, maintaining a large weight-loss involves striking a balance between how I want my body to look and to feel at a specific size; AND how little food I am prepared to eat indefinitely.

Personally, I place a high value of keeping my body somewhere inside my “normal” BMI range, and I am willing to eat very small amounts of food indefinitely to do so. 

However, …. if the only way I could maintain that body size was to eat only 5 bites of food twice a day for the rest of my life, would I be willing to do that??? ….If the only way I could maintain that body size was to entirely eliminate specific foods from my life … whether it be sweets, carbs - refined or otherwise, meat, dairy products like cheese or butter?????? 
..................… No!!!  …...................... 

Neither of those things would be an acceptable trade-off for me.  It’s a matter of values. 
In order to be able to moderately eat those foods, I would choose to accept being a larger size.  
................How moderate? 
................How much larger? 
That’s where the individually balancing of values comes into play.

The video below demonstrates an ongoing problem with research (and popular thinking) on weight and health.