New Year's Resolution

I am thankful to say that this is the first year I have NOT needed to put "Lose weight" on my New Year's Resolution list.

As a matter of fact, I have very few things I want to change in the new year. It has been a blessed last few years and spiritual growth has taken me to a place of loving myself. So in the new year I feel that I need to use my life long experience with weight, weight loss, food issues, & banding to help others.

So I vow to be an active advocate for obesity awareness. Oh, I'm not planning a campaign or anything, just helping a little here and there, starting with my own family. I think that if people here things over and over and from different sources, sometimes that sticks a little more than a full throttle campaign. That little voice saying 'proper portions', 'healthy choices', 'nutrition'....we've all heard those things for so long they are FINALLY starting to seep into popular culture. So I intend to be another one of those little voices that repeats those phrases and with the help of my band, lives the lifestyle, so that maybe, just maybe, the next generation doesn't have to suffer through the obesity epidemic as we are now.

I notice in this past year that the general food service public seemed very confused when I ordered extra small portions of things or asked for less of something. I generally didn't go into detail about why I wanted less but on a few occasions when I did explain people seemed surprised, almost like a little light bulb went off over their heads, that less is ok.

For example, every time my daughter and I stop at our local ice cream shop for a cone I have to literally yeall "STOP!" as they are scooping. I say "That's plenty." Inevitably, the kid says, "Are you sure." I have had to explain that their 8oz portion of ice cream (which the kid informed me was in reality a 9oz portion) was far to much for both myself & my 8 year old combined and that a 2 to 3 ounce portion was more realistic for a healthy lifestyle. The confused look on their faces speaks volumes to the obesity epidemic here in the U.S.

Throughout this whole process I have tried to teach my 8 year old daughter that it's about health, not weight. She is a head taller than most kids her age and has a very sold frame (thanks to Eastern European genes). According to governemtn growth charts she would have to lose a whopping 20 pounds to be considered 'normal." 20 POUNDS!!, from where I ask? She isn't overweight.

She is heavier than almost all the kids in her class except for one who is her height but she is most definately not fat and she's 5 feet tall. She has already voiced concerns about being fat based on the weight of her best friend who is of Asian decent & at age 8 is barely out of a size 6x. That worried me so I spoke to her about exercise, nutrition & the fact that we are all different body types & she was good with that. Admittedly I had to throw in the fact that she will probably grow to be 5'10" like my mother. That really perked her up. She loves her grandma.

Proper portions, enjoying food for it's health benefits, & enjoying our favorite treats in the right portions. So I figure if I start with her an maybe catch a few unsuspecting people along the way I'll be helping the community.

So, how will you help enlighten folks based on your weight loss experience? Good luck.