Smacked in the face by some bitter, bitter truthiness

I'm currently watch a documentary entitled Weight of a Nation.  At this point, they're talking about why weight maintanance is so difficult for people  who have had success with weight loss.

They did this incredible study where they kept overweight people for 9 months in a closed setting, where their caloric intake was purely liquid and completely controlled.  They monitored the difference between these people's bodies at their "natural" weight, and and then after having lost 10 and 15% of their body weight.  After weight loss, they found that their bodies had become more efficient.  Their bodies expended less energy, and desire more food.

What does that mean for me, and for all of my "wanting to lose weight" friends?  It means your heavy weight is your gravity.  It's your magnet.  No matter how much you lose and no matter how long you've kept it off, your heavy size is constantly calling you back.

Because here's the real bitch of the issue:
This effect never. goes. away.

Once your body has been fat, it seems it never readjusts to being thin.  It responds like you're trying to kill it, and it's so convinced that heavier is better.

I know.  Depressing, right?

Also, women apparently start to experience discrimination at a BMI of 27.  So now I need to lose at least 4 pounds just to remove the effects of discrimination on my life.  There's a weight loss goal for ya. Also also, men don't experience discrimination until they reach a BMI of 35.  This documentary is starting to tick me off.

In allowing myself to become fat, I've changed my brain.  I've done the same thing to myself that happens to an alcoholic, and just the same, I'll always be in recovery.  I can't eat as much as others who weigh the same as me, because my body WANTS to weigh more.  Theirs doesn't.  So cut Kirstie Alley, Oprah, and all the other yoyoers a break.  This whole thing really sucks.

Of course, this doesn't mean we can't lose the weight.  And it doesn't mean we can't keep it off.  It just means it's always going to be hard.  It means we have no laurels to rest on.  And it means diets are never done.  Also, it means that the grapefruit/cottage cheese Hollywood colon cleanse seaweed body wrap diet isn't gonna work out.  Don't waste your money.  If it's not sustainable, like, fortherestofyourlife kind of sustainable, then it's really not worth your time or your ca$h.

And just a thought, do some good by your kids.  Take them to the park.  Say no when they ask for a hamburgers every single day of their lives.  It's called parenting.  Have the battles, and learn that yes, any child will eat his vegetables if he has no other options.  If I have one more parent whine to me that their toddler will only eat chicken nuggets and Oreos, I'm going to snap.  Don't give them the Oreos.  They won't starve to death, I promise.  Also, it's not like eating Oreos is healthier than say, eating absolutely nothing.

It's hard work standing up to your kids, I get it.  But being fat is worse.  And one day, when your kid can comfortably eat more than 1200 calories a day without immediately turning into the Michelin man, you tell her she's welcome.