Weight Loss: Autobiography of a Former Fit Kid

Way back when I was a kid, I was the perfect weight. I've the pictures to prove it. Sometimes I even get those old black and white photos out to ponder the age-old question. "What the heck happened to me?"

You see, back then it was an oddity to see an overweight child. There were two boys in my class one year who were fat but their moms told us they had a "gland problem". I never understood what they meant.

Did we have any secrets to staying at our correct weight? Never knew weight came with any secrets. Or gave any thought to it.

We were too busy playing! Outdoors in the fresh air. We didn't let the weather dictate our business of playing either. And we played hard. I remember being in constant motion. Climbing, running, skating, tobogganing, softball, hockey, swimming, you name it! We did slow down the pace at recess by skipping.

I never heard any talk of "eating too much". Remember too, those were the days of "cleaning your plate". Because bad things were bound to happen in the world if you didn't.

True, we had a better quality of food to choose from. Not much was processed. Nobody lamented about all the hormones being pumped into everything. Anti-biotics were bad. Because if you had to take them, it just meant you couldn't go out and play. They certainly weren't injected into anything we ate.

I was 17 years old before I was even inside a MacDonald's! Try telling that to a kid today!

Then one day my innocence was robbed. It happened slowly. I blame peer pressure. My friends starting eating french fries. Burgers and pizza. I wanted to fit in. I did not say NO. Then I became addicted. The cravings were unbelievable. I wanted more. Before you know it, I was out in the workplace. There was bad food out there. I ate. Funny, I gained weight. I stopped playing hard. Exercise was walking up a flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator. Run? Only if my life depended on it.

There were times I even went on a diet. I joined the different weight loss centers. Did I lose weight? You'd better believe I did. I had no trouble "cleaning my plate"! Did the weight come back? Believe it. Who wants to pee on a stick for the rest of their life?

So I stopped with the fad dieting. They don't work. Years passed. There were times I did keep my weight at a good number for me. But now, as I look in the mirror, I ponder again, "Whatever happened to that young girl? How did I get like this again?"

Yes, there is a secret to losing weight and keeping it off. You've heard it before. To lose weight, we must eat the proper food in the proper amount. And we need to play again.

I'm a lot older now. I have to get it right this time. My health depends on it. I know it's a lifestyle change. I'm ready for it. Wish me luck!

(c) Karen Cook

To find out what Karen is going to do to make her lifestyle changes, visit http://thesecrettofatloss.blogspot.com
Karen Cook works in a Public Library. She finds weight loss books for patrons. She doesn't take any of them home.