Sharon’s Story

Thu, 7 Oct 2010 15:49:36 -0500

My dad was morbidly obese for most of what I can recall growing up. I always tell him that I “inherited his fat gene.” A couple of years ago he joined a program called Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), that is modeled on the AA program (it even uses the big book) and treats food as an addiction. He is now SKINNY and in his mid-70's changed his life, which is, I am certain, the closest thing to a miracle I will ever witness. 
I do hope that you'll consider the "addiction" piece of this epidemic when you tell the larger story. Dr. David Kessler's book, “The End of Overeating” addresses the addiction issue—I am assuming you've read it and really think that you should be sure to include him in your movie, or at least as part of the research.

I'm in the midst of trying to take of the 70 pounds I gained in once year, having lost 50 the year before. I have tried all kinds of programs, and am now just steadily taking of the weight by going to weight watchers and mixing in all that I know from a host of things I've done.

I think it speaks to the fact that if someone with Masters in Public health, with great health insurance and a real understanding of food and weight loss can't get her weight under control then how can we expect others with lesser resources to be able to?

Gustavo’s Story

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:30:55 -0500

I’m 25 years old and I’m 5'8 and I am 220 pounds. I joined the gym a year ago and had lost weight and was on a diet. I went to a low 197 which—was awesome. I gave up soon after because I found it very hard. I took weight loss pills and I could not do it.

I come from a family of 10 siblings and we are always having parties and eating—the main thing is food. To much temptation.

I am also gay which is hard in the gay world to be anything over the ordinary it’s a constant label. If you are not thin in the gay world you are not accepted and its a sad thing. No one wants you if you are husky like me. So dating is hard and being motivated is hard especially seeing so many guys in shape. This is my story. I live everyday to be accepted.

Kathy’s Story

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:25:38 -0500

Hi, I have always been thin, but have also been saddened by other peoples' struggles with their weight. My story is about maintaining a consistent and healthy weight.

Overweight people who want to be thin are jealous of thin people. They seem to think thin people can gorge on anything they want to eat and still remain thin. Nothing is further from the truth! It is just as hard for thin people who want to stay thin to maintain their weight as it is for overweight people to lose the extra weight in America. Why? Many, many factors that bowl down to 3 simple truths:

1) Brainwashing
We are brainwashed at a very young age to worship sugar and unhealthy fast food. It starts with many well meaning outsiders who love to see a smile on a child's face when handed a cookie or an ice cream cone. This was fine in the old days when the portion sizes were small, but now a cookie can be 6 inches in diameter and an ice cream cone can be enough for three people! Brainwashing continues with marketing and advertising. You see that juicy burger on TV and the next time you are out, you can’t help it, your mouth waters and you want one. I significantly reduced my desire for fast food when I stopped watching commercials.

2) Lifestyle
Lifestyle forces us to be too busy by our "drive everywhere" long commutes, demanding corporate jobs and a feeling that our children are not good enough if they don't participate in at least three after-school activities. The lifestyle choices we make put us on a treadmill that dooms us to make unhealthy eating choices multiple times per week and also keeps us very sedentary which contributes further to our weight problems. Unemployed people are the best ones to decide right now to change their lifestyles for the better. Use creativity to find a new income that allows you to get off the treadmill. Don’t ever look back. No amount of money is worth it.

3) Our Tendency to Resist Change
Let’s face it, we get comfortable, we like it and we don’t want to change. That’s the bottom line. If we are fortunate enough to get past this resistance, we are faced with numerous confusing facts, statistics and research studies that seem virtually impossible to navigate. However, they can be navigated. It can be done one small choice at a time. Over many years, it all adds up.

By the way, not everyone should be thin. But everyone should obtain a healthy body weight that is appropriate for their bone size. The worst thing an overweight person can do is try to achieve a weight that is not right for them. It just won’t work because their body will always want to weigh more. Unless one has a medical condition that prevents it, anyone can reach their ideal body weight and maintain it by making one small choice at a time.

What is the first choice I made? I decided to “never” eat white bread/pasta or rice again. “Never” is in quotes because in our society it is very difficult to achieve this goal because whole grains are the exception rather than the rule. Fortunately, it is changing, but when I started doing this 17 years ago, I ate a lot more white bread and rice than I wanted to. We all know what refined starches do to the pancreas. Whole grains also move food through your digestive system more quickly, prevent cancer, etc., etc.

Next, I eliminated saturated fat as much as possible. Although I made an exception for real butter because I read their was no correlation between butter use and heart disease in a study done on 100,000 nurses. I use real butter in moderation. I replaced other saturated fats first with olive oil, but more recently I switched to grapeseed oil because it sautees better. I do not advocate a low fat diet because not eating enough fat makes you hungry and can cause binge eating. Moderate amounts of good fats is the best way to go…

Dino’s Story

Thu, 5 Aug 2010 11:27:19 -0500

I am a 41 year old father of 3, married for 14 years and until recently I have been yo-yo dieting my ENTIRE life. 9th Grade at 208 lbs., 38” waist—first dieting experience to 150 lbs. Weight goes up and down through High School, College, and Law School, topping out during this period several times at about 220 lbs. Married in 1996 at 183 lbs., 36” waist. Fast forward 11-12 years, working hard at work, raising a family, making partner at law firm, constantly exhausted and perpetually eating junk: Chinese, Pizza, BBQ, tons of pasta, Fast Food breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, scones, muffins, donuts. March 18, 2008 at 270 lbs., 44” waist, BMI at 39, Total Cholesterol above 200, LDL at 140, HDL at 30.

Just prior to my epiphany, I would have told you I was "relatively healthy", despite that in retrospect I probably had metabolic syndrome. At a very low point in terms of my self-esteem and sense of self-worth, I somehow miraculously realized I was on a path to an early grave, and that I was setting a terrible example for my kids with my poor nutrition and lack of exercise. I say “miraculously” because, truthfully, I really didn’t understand or appreciate how bad off I really was— at 270 lbs with a 44” waist, I really thought I was just a little overweight. I really wish someone had just shaken me by the shoulders and told me its not OK for a person at 5’9” to weigh 270 lbs. Nonetheless, somehow I realized at that point that if I things got any worse for me I would be dead before long.

I set out to LEARN how to eat to live, and committed to a CONSISTENT exercise routine. I learned on my own about how to balance my nutrition, in terms of protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. I committed to eating nutritious WHOLE FOODS whenever possible and eliminating engineered foods with HFC, trans fats, and high sodium. Realized that I DESERVE to focus on myself, that I am worth eating well and exercising to live a long, happy and healthy life with my wife and kids. I realized that every step I move in the right direction adds up over time, and that even though at times the steps are small and from time to time there are setbacks, over time all these steps forward add up to make a huge difference - my "Grains of Sand” theory of nutrition and exercise. I learned to VISUALIZE myself as a healthy and fit person. I learned the importance of PREPARING food for my day in advance, and now I bring my breakfast and my lunch almost every day, which are always healthy and balanced foods, and I always know in advance what I will make for myself for dinner when I get home from work.

Over a 16 month period, from March 08 to July 09, I lost 95 pounds and landed @ 175 lbs, BMI = (a very fit) 26, body fat at about 15%, 33 in. waist, total cholesterol @ 142, LDL @ 70, HDL @ 66. I diligently run 25-30 miles per week, and I lift weights 2 or 3 times per week. I have maintained this weight for over a year, and this morning - 8/5/10 - I weighed 175 lbs on my bathroom scale.

I finished the Maryland Half Marathon in May 2010 - my first ever race - in 1:50:02, which was 21/70 in my age group of Males 40-44 yo, and 181/1154 overall. I love my new life and there is no going back for me now. Unlike all my earlier efforts to lose weight, some of which were "successful" to varying degrees, this experience over the past 29 months has been truly transformative.

Knowledge is power. So much of weight loss is overcoming the ingrained - almost institutional - psychological and emotional obstacles that have kept us from living healthy lives. We need to eliminate our self-limiting beliefs, because there are no secrets about weight loss, just aspects of our lives - things that we think and believe - that keep us from losing weight.

I am WORTH the HIGH STANDARDS I have set for myself. I refuse to be poisoned by the food industry any longer. I am responsible for my own nutrition (and that of my kids), and I will not let others determine the nutrition I receive, or fail to receive. I learned that I AM WORTH the effort to prepare my foods in advance, to eat nutritiously, and to forego the humongous portions of fat laden, sugar laden and sodium laden empty calories found in processed and/or fast foods. I learned that I AM WORTH the effort of a committed, consistent, and diligent exercise program. Best of all I am setting a great example for my kids, and I would like to think that I have inspired others - primarily colleagues at work and some close friends - to make better choices to live healthier and happier lives.