Curb Your Enthusiasm, Not Your Weight

About six months ago, Jeff Garlin from HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” went on a nationwide tour promoting his new weight loss book. Garlin had taken off a considerable amount of weight and was doing the talking circuit to promote it.

The funny thing is, is that I was trying to get him to participate in my film “Finding Thin” and I was turned down twice.

I just couldn’t understand what was going on. He seemed like a nice guy and we were only trying to help people.

Perhaps Jeff was frightened to have his image on film forever instead of talk shows which would soon be forgotten. Perhaps he thought that if he gained weight, people would look and laugh.

I certainly am a fan of his work and feel for the man now that he has gained almost all of his weight -or even more- of it back.

This phenomenon is so common. The current statistics state that anyone who goes on a diet has a 98% chance of gaining back. The probability is nearly the same as winning the lottery.

Diets just don’t work. A change of lifestyle does; and this may be easy to say, but not necessarily easy to put into effect.

Everyone struggles no matter how much fame or money one has.

My suggestion for celebrities with recent weight loss is to keep it off for a year before you go writing a book about it.

Even Jennifer Hudson waited until she maintained her weight for a while. Not to mention that Ms. Hudson has a great program behind her as she is part of the “Weight Watchers” movement… she was an icon for one of the much healthier programs.

My final message to Mr. Garlin is to spend more time curbing your enthusiasm for a while and just concentrate on yourself, before you promote what certainly did not work for you.

There is hope out there and it applies to everyone. Keep going. I’m cheering for you.

This is a struggle that we all share together.

Welcome Back to Weight Watchers

About five years ago before my accident, I lost an incredible amount of weight.

This was partly due to belonging to a very helpful group ran by Weight Watchers.

 

My doctors approved and I had made many a friend.

Then tragedy had struck when I was rear ended by a truck while driving by a car that led to many medications, injections and eventual surgeries. With this, my weight ballooned back up and I was not able to attend meetings.

I was looking for someone or something to blame and I felt there was no weight loss program or book out there that could help me.

Then last Friday; I was able to sit down with the President and Chief Executive Officer David Kirchoff. He flew into Chicago from NY and was a pleasure to sit down with.

At first I did not know what to expect. After all, Weight Watchers had just introduced a revamping to their program and perhaps they were just out to promote that.

To my great surprise, David only touched on that when asked. Instead, he talked to me as any fellow person would with a weight problem. The struggles and eating problems affected him as much as anybody else.

He talked about what he experienced and that this is a lifestyle change that we all have to go through.

Okay, I have heard this over and over… so what made this different?

First I was given a chance to I watch a group of members meet beforehand. They really were there for each other. They bonded and supported each and every story or problem that needed it.

I was then able to look at the new program itself. Instead of just listing foods and numbers or points, the conversation went into emotional eating and a slew of other issues. I was really shocked.

A group charging a nominal fee every week that lets you eat what you want but tries to guide you towards better choices…this is just unheard of. So with optimistic delight, it really was. At no point did I look at all the different foods laid out and feel like I was deprived or on a diet.

I mean they have Jennifer Hudson promoting them. She is one of the most gifted and talented motion picture stars out there who had no reason to join on for the exposure. So what could draw Jennifer in to this?

Perhaps it was the fact that this group really was filled with care and integrity. I felt so invigorated standing by and watching a truly inspiring group and this was even before I was sat down with Mr. Kirchoff.

If there was ever a man to lead a company, this was the guy to do it. He is on the road several times a year just to talk to fellow members to give and receive the support that we all need.

I am supposed to be unbiased in this film and have always kept that promise to myself as a filmmaker. Though I cannot help but disclose what I felt was one of the best interviews and rediscoveries that I have had in my three years making this film.

So I will actually encourage you to take a very close look at this group and give it a try.

I know that I am going to. That doesn’t mean it is going to be easy and all roses but I have a gut feeling that it is going to be the help that I am looking for.

As all of you know, I will film my progress every few days and keep you informed in the film. I just really have to say that this is by far, one of the most exciting moments of the film so far.

 

Weighing In On My Resolution

I was feeling quite guilty this past year as I saw myself gaining weight going against my resolutions I set last year.

This feeling of guilt followed me until I discovered the other day that I was exactly the same weight that I was last March.

Some might say that this is a terrible fact and I should be filled with shame, but I am taking a different approach this year. I now look at it as an important piece of information through my personal journey on the film.

And even though at my same weight, I have to give myself the benefit of the doubt that I did not gain any weight back.

I have not gone back up to four hundred pounds. I have beat the odds in an odd kind of way.

Now I find myself able to turn away certain foods that I used to eat all the time.  I don’t feel deprived anywhere as much as I used to.

So, the next time I make a resolution or goal, I will think realistically and make it more attainable so I actually feel better about myself… and prove myself against all odds.

 

Digging My Own Grey-ve With Food

Went to the doctor…

Lost 10 gained 13. Not a good time on the scale for me this week.

I am discovering so many things about myself on this journey. I’m discovering metaphors… and they come in color. There is only black or white for me. No middle ground. I am always going to the extreme when dieting. Eating too little is my black, and eating too many calories is my white.

When I go off the wagon, I make excuses and start bargaining with myself for my physical “grey area”.

I was shocked to find out that I really wasn’t addicted to sugar. When I was feeling good or upbeat, I could actually eat one cookie and not another.

It really is the emotions and the images of the food that gets me. The visual, emotional and physical tastiness seems to be the hardest to bargain against.

My most favorite thing out of all of this is the life lessons that I get to learn.

And I’m ready to use them to get myself out of this middle- grey -ground.