When Emotional Eating Changes Form

Since I moved out to L.A. to finish the film and start a new life, I have found it a bit stressful.  You are hit with so many things at once. New friends you need to make. So much stuff to buy and learn about.  I began to wonder if I could take this personally or professionally.

Luckily, I am very good at what I do and will let nothing deter me from my true mission of making this film.

Fortunately during this trying time I have not turned to food for comfort.  This new dieting strategy has brought about major weight loss and resulted in a much better state of personal health.

I was very happy with this result.   Made me wonder if I had finally beaten those demons that had been pestering me my whole life?  Well the answer actually is yes and no.

Even though I had put away my anger and emotions towards past issues in my life, there were still stressors.  With emotional eating gone, I really had no way to deal with them now.

Suddenly though, I found myself in a very new situation.  I was actually not hungry anymore.  I wasn’t even eating during most of the day. There were times that I would eat less than a thousand calories a day.

I have always known emotional eating is about using food as a tool to deal with your emotions. What I did not realize is that by not eating when I am stressed or emotional, this was also using food as a tool.

Emotional eating could be both the consumption and lack of consumption of food.

I was blown away. There were truly two sides to this coin.

Well, as with everything in life and especially this documentary… I have more to learn and more to share.

If anyone else has gone down this road, I would really like to hear your stories or thoughts. So feel free to post in the comments section, facebook.com/findingthin, or anywhere I can read/watch it!

Sharing is the best part of getting through this and helping others.

I will report back more often now that I am settled out here in California.

Thank you for reading.

-Barry

How To Start Exercising Again After Weight Gain

How To Start Exercising Again After Putting On Weight

I used to be able to walk two miles in under thirty minutes. This was when I weighed about two hundred pounds.
Now of course I am quite a bit heavier and have not walked any significant distance in over four years. Most of it was spent in a car traveling the country shooting the documentary ‘Finding Thin’. Probably would have been good to get out and do some activity somewhere.
Now when I go out for a walk, I can go a couple blocks but then give out with heavy breathing. If going up hill, I am really in trouble.
There must be a way to make it back.
The weight has finally started to come off over the last few months but as I know so well, there is a major component missing. I have got to get out there and walk.
I think back to the days when I was well over four hundred pounds and just started two houses at a time. I then built up house by house until I was really down in weight and kicking butt.
This time around though, I am out here in the hills of L.A. and that does make it more interesting and a heck of a lot tougher. Though when I get to the easier parts I get to walk past Warner Brothers and I love their studio lot.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to walk for weight loss as much as just the endorphin rush feeling better.
It is just a struggle to do that I am wondering if there are other exercises that I should to until more of the weight comes off first.
Every pound down makes it even easier to walk up.
I am sure that others of you heavy and thin have gone through this. It is so discouraging at times to be starting over but I am the most stubborn person who will not give up. The word no does not exist in my vocabulary. I like to find a way around walls.
So if any of you have been through this and have any suggestions, I really could use the help.

The Weight Loss Journey Comes To A Close, A New Chapter Begins

The Weight Loss Journey Comes To A Close A New Chapter Begins

I have traveled over half the country in search of losing weight. Had the chance to meet over three hundred experts and celebrities during shooting the upcoming film ‘Finding Thin’. I started at one weight and ended up gaining more while trying some of the new diets that might have that magic bullet. This was not what was supposed to happen. Yet my mission was to set out to save the world. That was until I found out that I needed to save myself first, then I could figure out the rest. The funny thing is that it took until that last few miles when I moved out to L.A. to really have it kick in. This was my last destination on the journey and a place that I was to call home.
The last year had many changes in my life. I had lost two of my beloved pets, a very close friend who turned out to be a wolf in a sheep cloths and most importantly… myself.
Then it began to change. I suddenly began to find myself. No longer did I find the need for emotional eating. Of course that brought many challenges. Yet I never stopped and was able to continue on and grow the movie to the finest state it has ever been in as well as myself personally.
We have some of the finest names and I don’t know where to begin thanking people.
Do I start with Jillian Michaels who really opened the door for us and showed me that we don’t always have to be victims. Or was it Dr. Michael Roizen over at The ‘Cleveland Clinic’ who showed me that I don’t need to feel so old and can reverse the process. He also introduced me to the mighty ‘Health Corps’ created by the efforts of Dr. Oz and ran by the lovely Michelle Bouchard. Then of course there was Bob Harper of ‘The Biggest Loser’ who was so real and made me laugh so hard. Then there was Tony Horton of ‘P90X’, not only the strongest guy for his young age but I am not sure he ever takes a breath. He is that good.. Then I begin to think of David Wallace of ‘Weight Watchers’ who helped get me back on track’. Of course I cant forget the king of comedy George Wallace or the wit and heart of actress Carlease Burke. There are just so many great people that have changed my life and contributed to making this movie that that much more. I have enough material to make three films. There are just so many names to thank. I just hope they help to bring the change and hope to your life as they have to mine. This has been the greatest honer and chance that I could have ever been given. Far from what I ever had hoped for. Beating my wildest dreams.
As I settle in now for the final phase of the movie and make my new home in L.A., I will be writing more frequently. Not to push the film, which I hope you will see, but to be there for you with new thoughts and stories form the battles lines each and every day. Have hope for this is a journey we take together.

Be Well

Barry Roskin Blake
Producer/Director
Finding Thin

Heavy People Getting Burned At the Clothing Store

Fat People Punished For Buying Cloths

Before I begin, it is true that as an obese person I do need more material then the normal person.
That could certainly make for the higher price for the plus sized cloths. Though do consider that when buying in bulk, the price does go down.

Big Sizes Mean Big Money

I have heard many argue that the bigger you are the more you should pay. Though if we go ahead with that argument, the issue becomes much larger. The truth is that big and tall stores are charging three to four times the prices.
I went looking for a 3x bathing suit and was told it would cost me over fifty dollars. This would normally be around ten dollars in a Target or Walmart.
So why do heavy people pay such large prices. It feels as though we are getting taken advantage of at the over-sized stores.
Some people say if you can’t go to the normal sized stores then that is your problem.
The reason that I take issue with the “normal” phrase may be a shock to you. Right now   over sixty percent or more of U.S.A. is overweight or obese.

That would put the heavy people in the majority and actually the normal ones.
So my question is still why we should pay more money for something that is far greater in demand.
Wait… I think I just answered my own question. Greater demand means greater profits.
It has nothing to do with discrimination or prejudice. Instead it is pure greed.
So my hat goes off to the plus size stores for getting what they can but sooner or later the Targets’ and Walmart’s are going to catch up. So watch out.

It’s Smart To Be Healthy

A Special Guest Post By: Chris Steurer

We all know that getting healthy can bring  tremendous amount of positive results in our lives… but did you know that being healthier can also help you become smarter?

Perhaps this sounds like a strange idea, but when you break it down, it can clear up some speculation.

1. The brain is a part of the human body

2. When we are healthy all the parts of our body are able to function properly.

4. Being healthy can help your body better maintain one of its most important parts, the brain!

Strange has turned into simple.

The overall health of our brain and our bodies can have a major impact on how well we are able to perform certain cognitive functions.

If we partake in unhealthy activities such as smoking or becoming overweight, we increase our risk of unhealthier brains and cognitive abilities. In order to keep our minds in tip-top shape, we must take care of our bodies’ health and well-being. Who knows, perhaps increasing our health can also help us increase our wealth?

Do Americans Work To Gain Weight?

           A Special Guest Post by:  Chris Steurer

Throughout the 1900′s in America, we were known for our powerful and growing production industry. Many people worked in factories and other jobs that required physical activity at work. Today in America, most of the jobs here are service industry jobs that for the most part don’t require physical activity beyond visiting the coffee machine and getting back to your desk.

It is blatantly obvious that America is now one of the most notoriously unhealthy countries in the world. We are very well known for our overindulgence in unhealthy activities, most notably, living sedentary lifestyles and consuming way too many unhealthy foods (http://www.heartattackgrill.com). Despite the growing number of fast food chains that seem to be popping up on every corner, we can’t place our blame on them for our weight issues. We all have a choice as to where we eat, but that is only half of the problem at hand.

Most of us can agree, especially those of us who are overweight, that we aren’t getting enough physical activity in our days. There are thousands of excuses as to why we might not get in our needed physical activity ranging everywhere from “I am to tired after working all day” to “I just can’t do it.”

Despite the fact that I would like to say we need to stop making excuses and placing blame elsewhere, there is some validity to people who blame working all day as the reason to why they don’t exercise. Even if your job isn’t physically demanding, we are often mentally drained by the end of the day and it becomes hard to find the motivation to wear yourself out even more. So, what do we do?

We need to find ways to bring more physical activity into the office. I am not saying that we need to replace our desks with treadmills that have a computer attached to it, but we need to find ways to allow employees to get away from sitting in a chair and not moving all day. If that means getting a headset and notepad so you can walk around the office and take phone calls, then we should highly consider it. Some places, like Google, have taken things a step further by offering a work out facility in the office.

If you could design the perfect office that blends physical well being with staying productive, how would you do it?

Is Miss Piggy Promoting Obesity?

You must think I am crazy, but there is a level of seriousness to it.

Miss Piggy is one of the most beloved characters within the crew of Muppets… but she certainly has a weight problem.

The audience can see her as a prototype of the overweight people they like to make fun of. Yet nobody behind the show has done anything to counter that.

I give credit to team Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. They don’t make fun of the difference in size there. Size doesn’t matter in this case.

Still I question the reasoning behind Miss Piggy being overbearing and loud. Is it because she is overweight?

In all seriousness though, if you look at many of todays animated characters, they are certainly all suffering from an uncontrolled eating problem.

Surely the Cookie Monster changed his ways to promote his veggies; but when we see just a picture of the blue creature, we immediately associate a chocolate chip cookie being devoured and start to perhaps crave one ourselves.

It is time that we control what goes into our mouth and take responsibility. It is time to not stereotype. It is time to promote health along with a healthy image.

If not, I guess we can just cook Miss Piggy for a pig roast and see how the kids react.

When Food Doesn’t Take The Pain Away Anymore

Almost three years ago I began the quest for “Finding Thin.”

During my quest to find thin, I started to gain even more weight.
Traveling all around the country interviewing Jillian Michaels, Bob
Harper, Tony Horton and more, was extremely stressful and offered very
few healthy eating opportunities throughout the way.

In truth, I used the stress as an excuse that in turn failed my body,
my health, and overall, myself. Emotional eating has interrupted any
successful weight loss for as long as I’ve ever known.

Last week I lost my beloved Pug and it was devastating. This was the
last of my dogs and the loss of two in a month or so time.

My world was completely torn apart. Life didn’t feel right, even in my
own bed where I’ve been barely fighting off sleepless nights. Any
mention of my dog broke me into a million little pieces.

In the past, I’d usually turn to food to ease my pain, but this time
it just didn’t feel right.
It was as if someone put some sort of mind trap in me and I could not
reach for the food.
Suddenly there were just a few poor food choices…but I didn’t even
care. I believe that I even lost weight.

Whether or not this is because I feel so empty inside or not, I am not
sure. Though the one thing I know is that over the last couple of
months, I have felt very different when it came to emotions and
eating. I wasn’t even trying for weight loss and yet it seemed to be
coming naturally.

There is still internal pain that I have to get through, but there is
also that feeling of success for being able to deal with something as
devastating as this in such a different way.

I guess the point that I am trying to make is that even in the darkest
hours, there is still hope out there.

Welcome to America, Would You Like a Grilled Cheese?

America.

Of all the things we associate with our ethnicity, food is probably at the top of the list.

American immigrants may be eager to eschew their ethnic dress, music, and language for the sake of acclimating to this culture… but their food? They’ll hang on to that, thanks.

The resilience of ethnic cuisine is much to our benefit, too. The choices in many
American towns used to be limited to ordering a burger or chicken wings  but now customers are in line for bibimbap or chicken masala coorg.

Unfortunately, a recent study suggests that this exchange between the U.S. and its newest residents is a two way street that might be leading immigrants’ kids to obesity.

The study showed that when Asian-American students were made to feel insecure about the American part of their culture- even if was only on a subconscious level-they tended to choose foods that were typically “American cuisine” (fried chicken, grilled cheese etc.) and shy away from traditionally Asian dishes.

The logic by the researchers is that the children of immigrants are so concerned with fitting in, that they are willing to order highly caloric foods to do it.

Getting fat to fit in?

They are willing to get fat to fit in.

I question that logic. American society looks down on heavy people far more than it does on people who enjoy the occasional plate of chicken feet.

Still, it is troubling that children perceive the unhealthy choice to also be the American choice.

So what’s your order?