Fat Woman Walking

The author and her husband before Weight Watchers Mother's Day 2016 ____________________________ After months and months at a standstill, WW Freestyle has started working for me again. This is not a random occurrence, for I have made two significant changes: (1) I have re-evaluated how Freestyle can work for me specifically. For example, I have accepted the fact that some zero foods cannot be zero points for me, such as corn. I have gone back to counting it. Also, I am very careful about how much I use as 0-points food. After three small servings of fruit, I now start counting any additional fruits. I weigh all fish, chicken and beef and limit them to 2-3 ounces at lunch and 4-5 ounces at dinner, less if it’s beef, salmon (or any high fat fish), or ham, then it’s no more than 2/4. I count points for additional ounces of fish and chicken (Except steamed shrimp – I will eat up to six ounces without counting points). Like many people prone to gaining weight, I ha...

The author reading excerpts from Fat Woman Walking College English Association, New Orleans, March 2019 ____________________________________ Hey, body, where are you when I need you? Body: You called? Me: Where have you been for the last year? Body: Watching helplessly as you packed on 20 pounds. Me: You have betrayed me. Body: How so? Me: You made me gain weight. (Body laughs.) Me: What’s so funny? Body : You’re delusional. I didn’t feed your face. Me: (Pouty.) I didn’t cheat all that much… Body: How about those three servings of Bananas Foster in New Orleans? Me: That was a special case; I was at a conference, and it was there . Body: And the Jambalaya …  Me: Hey, I only ate one helping of that. Body: If the line hadn’t been so long, you would have gone back for more. You made up for it with the King Cake .  Me: I had only one Sprite and rum. Body: And I commend you for that. My point: when you overfeed me, the foo...

The author mostly off camera _________________________ I’m taking a break from meetings at Weight Watchers, now known as WW, although I’ll probably continue weighing in. This has not been an easy decision; WW has been my second home for the past two and a half years – it was there when I needed it most, and I’m forever grateful. However, for the past year or so, my uneasiness has slowly grown, first as a nagging little voice letting me know that all wasn’t right, at least for me, to full-blown discontent. Before I offer my reasons for pulling back, let me first affirm what I still love about WW. 1.     The program itself is sound, emphasizing a life-style change, as opposed to “being-on-a diet.” Because of this focus, I have, within a 16-pound window, kept the weight off for over a year and a half, something I have never done before. 2.     The people, both the other members and the staff, are very welcoming. No one has ever said a mean...