Determined To Succeed

Because I write a weight loss column (and am a freelance writer) for the Courier-Post newspaper in southern New Jersey I get to do a few very cool things. For example, I got to cover the Pearl Jam concerts closing down Philadelphia’s beloved Spectrum sports and concert venue. It was very cool being with these photographers from other papers who had their thousand-dollar cameras that each had thousand-dollar lenses taking pictures of the band while I am there with my simple point-and-shoot digital camera – the kind you take on vacation – taking photos this/close to Eddie Vedder. Amazing.

Another of the cool things I get to do is interview people who can offer insight into weight loss. I’ve interviewed personal trainers, doctors and other “big loser” weight loss success stories – all of whom I hope help my readers find the motivation to start or continue a weight loss journey.

Yesterday, I did something daring and bold. I decided I wanted to do an interview with two people very close to public pulse of weight and weight loss. Dr. Sanford Siegal (creator of the famed “Cookie Diet”), who has decided to dig into his own pocket to pay Donna Simpson of New Jersey the sum of $50,000 (!) if she agrees to stop trying to get to her 1,000-pound weight goal and start losing. And Donna Simpson, herself. I’ve written about her before. This woman has a desire to become the “fattest woman in the world,” and is well on her way to doing it. Currently weighing between 600-700 pounds she consumes 12,000 (that’s right – 12,000) calories a day to get to her goal weight. I want to interview her to hear for myself WHY she wants to slowly eat herself to death. WHY she wants to get to such a point she can’t function on her own anymore. WHY she wants to not be able to leave her own house, tend to her poor children who have to see her do this to herself thanks to an enabling husband, and most importantly WHY she wants this kind of attention on herself for GAINING the weight you, me and everyone on a weight loss journey struggle to lose every single day.

I may be off my rocker but when I think of “goal weight” I think of actually trying to LOSE weight and set healthy weight goals. Like losing 5, 10, 20, 50 pounds, maybe more. Not gain the equivalent to two-times the amount of weight I lost to finally get to my weight loss goal. That’s, quite simply, crazy talk and I want to hear from her mouth (I can’t quite bring myself to say horse’s mouth since she’s eating like one) her reasons for doing this.

I have to admit it’s hard trying to remove my personal feelings from the questions I am devising for this woman as I have to retain a level of distance between myself and the subject. But I can’t help but be passionate about not only her seemingly lame-brained weight goal but also her seemingly intentional need for attention using a perverted, reverse cry for help. Like she’d be somehow invisible without it all. Is this a cry for help? Does she want to not be in this situation (her life, relationship, be a mom, etc.) and this is how she sees getting out of it? Does she want this attention and would she try to get to this goal without it?Does she even have any self-esteem and/or respect left? Might you want to lose it once you’ve gotten to 1,000 pounds? And, if so, do you think that will be as easy as packing the weight on?

I have so many questions because I think it’s important to keep your head on straight when it comes to weight loss, and this woman and her “goal” is scary for two reasons. One, this WILL and IS getting her the attention she wants. And yes, I am included in that. Two – there might be people out there so weak-minded (and not in a cruel way just in a lost way) that might say “hey, I need and want attention, too, so I’ll do this too.” But while I am part of that media circus surrounding this story I also do it do say to all my readers “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME! THIS IS STUPID! THE HUMAN BODY WAS NEVER MADE TO WEIGH 1,000 POUNDS AND IF YOU DO THAT YOU ARE EATING YOURSELF TO DEATH!”

Yesterday I wrote about a dear friend in Chicago struggling to help save the life of one of her dear friends, “Elle,” who doesn’t want to address her own weight loss and health issues, and how that is killing her. How my friend’s friends have all given up and are willing to turn a blind eye to Elle who obviously is feeling so far gone it’s too late. But it’s not too late, neither for Elle or for Donna Simpson. I go back to my own weight loss tenets:

TELL EVERYONE to build a support system and to hold yourself more accountable

WHEN YOU CAN, PURGE YOUR “FAT CLOTHES” to give yourself no way back to being larger

LOVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TO START AND BE BE FORGIVING OF YOURSELF TO CONTINUE

KNOW THIS WILL TAKE TIME – Sustained weight loss and maintenance should and will be a part of your life for the rest of your life.

KNOWING YOU ARE WORTH IT TO MAKE THE TIME – You are so worth this effort and work, and you are so worth the rewards you will see on your journey.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Keeping these in mind can and does help. Believe me, and I use them myself every day in my quest to re-achieve my weight loss goal of 225 pounds. And as of today I am down a pound. And as hard as that pound was to take off I will continue to whittle down, pound by precious pound, my number. It is that important. Quality of life is that important. And while I am no where naive enough to think the questions of one freelance reporter amount to a hill of beans in this crazy weight-gaining world, maybe the collective questions from us all, the offer from that doctor and the eyes of her own children will be enough to have her stop this insanity and return to the land of the living.

We will see. Stay tuned…