Marching Into The Peace Corps, pt 14: Weight Versus Fat

For lack of a better word to adequately describe the action, I’ve been on my diet for 46 days and have lost a total of 16.5 pounds and 3% body fat. I don’t like to use the term “diet” anymore because I think most people understand diets make people fat instead of thin.

Diets are by nature, a temporary change in behavior; if they were anything more, so many people wouldn’t name weight loss as the top New Years resolution. The fact we as a nation keep finding our collective waistbands expanding instead of shrinking should validate dieting makes a person fat.

Stop and think about every diet you’ve ever been on as well as the ones you’ve created. You cut your calories so low, you make parakeets look in their cage mirrors and ask, “Does my butt look big in these feathers?” You experience palpitations and nausea as you pop the latest and greatest “NEW!” diet pill that will give you the resistance and discipline of a Tibetan monk, but all you can think about is that dirty four letter word: F-O-O-D. You crave cake, ice cream, burgers, French fries, and everything else under the sun – and your pet begins to look tasty. Lastly, your mood swings could get you a guest shot in any horror flick as your spouse screams, “Who are you and what have you done with my mate?!”

If you really, truly, HONESTLY want to change your body image, you need to admit to yourself, “I am fat. I did this by myself, and only I can get myself healthy.” I will admit to walking around with a mental image of a skinny woman with perfect abdominal muscles and a drum tight booty. Sometimes, it’s much easier to pretend than it does to actually come to terms with the reality because when you do, you are faced with taking action.

Next thing you need to do is to put aside your concepts about weight – unlearn what you’ve been taught and start fresh. Weight is an overall measurement of the body; it contains bones, skin, organs, fluids (blood, water), waste products, muscles, and fat.

The more I watch TV these days, the angrier I become with the diet pill industry. Almost every single advertisement created makes the same claims: “lose weight now the fast and easy way!” My brow furrows in frustration as I see through the obvious flaw that’s so simple, I often why I never asked the question myself: “What KIND of weight will I lose?” If the American public demanded to know the answer, they would be surprised to learn the obvious answer: muscle tissue and fluids, and very little fat.