Life as an Overweight Person

Like many Atlantans, I listen to The Bert Show each morning during my commute. For those who don’t listen to the show, The Bert Show is a morning talk radio show on 99.7FM that features a small panel of folks who discuss everything from current events to their personal lives.

I typically enjoy their witty banter as I drive in, but this morning I was surprised at what I heard. Someone on the show (who wanted to remain anonymous) had written an editorial about the Delta Airlines overweight passenger situation accusing all overweight people of being lazy gluttons with no will power. The thought behind it is that those who are overweight are there completely by choice. As if you wake up in the morning and think to yourself, I want to be fat today...

Here’s a little of my backstory:

I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I was a big kid, preteen, teen, and adult. About two years ago I decided enough was enough and, through diet and exercise, lost around 70 pounds. Since then, my husband and I have decided to try and start a family. This process has caused me to slowly gain some of the weight back. I’m currently in process of taking back off what I gained, and it blows. Every night I pack in a bag the food that I will eat during the following day.  (This is pre-measured to ensure that it’s within my calorie allowance and keeps me from wanting to snack on anything at work.)  I use a calorie tracker on my phone to double check everything. I exercise outside in the Atlanta heat because I can’t afford a gym membership. It’s this kind of dedication that it takes to lose weight. 

Why this article pissed me off:

1. I highly doubt the person who wrote it has HALF the discipline that I administer on a daily basis.
2. This person ignored the societal issues that have cause a third of Americans to be overweight.  .
3. I believe that 70 percent of Americans need to work on their nutrition and exercise habits.  I feel bad for the one third of people like myself who “wear” on the outside what the majority only wears on the inside.

If you are overweight and want to get healthy, you can do it! The information is out there. It’s a journey that is well worth it.  Forget the ignorant people out there and go for it. Leave me a note if you need any advice, encouragement, or tricks of the trade.

Here’s a link to the editorial, if you want to get riled up.