"I’m mad at myself,” Winfrey writes in an upcoming issue of O magazine. “I’m embarrassed,” she says. “I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, ‘How did I let this happen again?’”

No coincidence that I read this article online Tuesday morning, and the night before in my tele-support group some of the participants were talking about their frustration with themselves re: having lost weight, knowing how to do it, understanding when and why they overeat, yet still sabotaging their long term weight loss success. One woman having lost nearly 100 pounds with Weight Watchers gained close to 30 pounds within the last 6 months. She was saying how angry and frustrated she was with herself and she couldn’t believe she let this happen. This prompted me to go on a bit of a spiel about the need for self love and compassion, trusting that you are exactly where you are meant to be, accepting what is, living in this moment, listening to your inner voice right here, right now, and acting on it’s guidance in terms of what you need to do in this moment to honor your highest good. That means not beating yourself up about the last moment or worrying about your ability to succeed in the next but rather learning to be a non judgmental witness to your behaviors and their consequences and evaluating their effectiveness in supporting you in living your best life. The words we speak to ourselves are powerful. I believe that what we say to ourselves in this moment creates our experience/reality in the next moment.

Isn’t it amazing that even Oprah would be angry and disappointed in herself? Even with all the access she has to the world’s most powerful spiritual teachers on some level she still struggles to truly/unconditionally love herself. More than anything this proves the point that we are all the same, we are all connected, we are all human.

On a very positive note Oprah has said that being thin is no longer her goal, but that she wants to be healthy strong and fit. Like I wrote in my last blog re: What Motivates You? I do know that chances are slim (pun intended!) that you will maintain your weight loss if your only motivation is the number on the scale. Motivation must come from the inside out!

Some things you may want to affirm for your life:

I listen to and trust my inner wisdom.

I treat my body with kindness and respect.

I listen with love to my body’s messages.

I say only kind and loving things to and about myself.

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog or would like to learn more about my tele-support groups please do not hesitate to contact me at Louisa@louisalatela.com , www.louisalatela.com or 856.429.9799. Also you can read my column "Soulful Living" in WLS Lifestyles Magazine (www.wlslifestyles.com )

P.S. Thank you Oprah for speaking your truth and sharing your story. Your words resonate deeply with millions of people and serve to motivate positive change in the world. You are a most precious gift to the universe!

Edited December 11, 200817 yr by Louisa

Oprah is addicted to food like I am. And even with her personal chef and personal trainer(who come to her house for goodness sake's) and millions of assistants, she still can't lose weight and KEEP IT OFF.

So I feel vindicated about my choice of getting the band. If she can't do it with all the support and money in the world, I sure am going to have a really hard time too.

I got the band to help me keep it off and I feel I made the right choice. Yea!

I fell off the Band Wagon for a month or so but did not gain back all the weight I lost - just a small portion-- that's why I got the band -- to help save myself before disaster (or 40 pounds gained back!).

Thanks Oprah for helping realize I did the right thing! Get WLS for goodness sake and stop beating yourself up. Admit that eating is a very powerful impluse for you - get some help.

Sadie

Sadie, you think Oprah's reading this thread? :smile:

Sadie, you think Oprah's reading this thread? :smile:

Gee I would hope so! We have some great info for her-- yuk yuk

Sadie (not afraid to admit to having a Band!)

Maybe we should all send an email through her website and tell her to come here and read!

The main thing that bothers me about Oprah, other than being against WLS, is everytime she gains the weight back, she makes such a big deal about it, like it is the first time she has done it. Then when she loses it again, that is a big deal as well. It's like everything is about weight to her, nothing else is important.

OMG--isn't that all of us?! I've been dieting for the past 41 years! There have been times in my life that I weighed myself everyday multiple times a day (my scale was in the bathroom...and well, you know...). My days revolved around what I ate, didn't eat, wanted to eat, shouldn't have eaten.... Oprah resonates with people because when she talks about her weight, people can relate to it. Still, I've been none too kind to Oprah lately. It's a little bit satisfying (in a bad way, I know) to see Oprah gain weight again. All the research says that losing weight and keeping it off is practically impossible--the body's survival insticts kick in and save us from dying from starvation. The research also says that obesity is as much genetics as it is environment. When Oprah was successful losing weight, a little voice said, "She did it. Why can't I? What's wrong with me?" Now that Oprah's gaining weight again, that little voice can say, "There's nothing wrong with me. Even Oprah's getting fat again. See.. I told you."

Yea, I feel the same way. But I am SO glad that I have the band and it helps keep me from gaining it back.

I think there is enough to criticize Oprah about that we could spend more than a wee bit of time doing it. I must say, however, that I am alarmed by how harsh and, frankly, nasty some of the posts are. It is almost like people feel somehow vindicated that Oprah has regained the weight and simultaneously have some irrational rage focused on her.

I get that Oprah has not been kind about weight loss surgery. But guess what? Most people aren't. Otherwise, why would there be so many threads dedicated to coversations about whether to tell, who to tell, how to tell and when to tell that you have a band. I am scheduled to get the band in January and I'll admit that it took me years to get to a place where I could decide this is the right thing to do. There IS a stigma against it and it is not reasonable to somehow assume that Oprah would exist outside the hegemony of weight culture. She is, as has been pointed out, just a human. Let's allow her that.

None of this is to say that it isn't fair to critique her politics around this. What I am arguing is that the comments have gone far beyond that to something far more sinister.

As a media empire, Oprah has lots of power to influence public sentiment. That makes it important that people continue to try and influence her so that she can become at least kinder, even if she ultimately disagrees with WLS.

As to whether Oprah should consider WLS -- I think it is highly presumpious of anyone to try to make that determination. It reminds me of a friend who told me about being asked by the woman doing her pedicure if she had considered gastric bypass. What??? It is not appropriate and is unkind.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful end of year. :thumbup:

But that's exactly why Oprah's attitude towards WLS pisses me off. She is in a great position to spread the mesasge -- that diet and exercise alone doesn't work and that WLS does work and is the only tool we have right now that does work.

Just cause Oprah says it doesn't make it so. She is just a rich woman who now thinks everyone listens to her .Money talks I guess . We made our choice to fix our problem let her make more money trying to figure it out. I used to really like her now what she says doesn't even phase me .. I chose the band and my only worry is I never want to loose it ..

Once O gets big enough(250-300lb range) she may have change of heart. Time and poundage(increase) can cause even the staunchest wls basher to look for way out. Im sure it crosses her mind many times a day as she changes outfits, just as it does regular lay person. Shes very attractive when at 150lbs(arent we all!).

And perhaps, just PERHAPS....Oprah has access to the finest medical minds on this planet....and just MAYBE they're telling her that it may not be the wisest thing to do?

I'm not the biggest Oprah fan. But as another poster alluded to, some of you seem to be taking a certain amount of delight in her inability to lose/keep weight off.

Consider the fact that WLS is just simply something that SOME people DON'T want to do. And, for very good reasons.

Perhaps.....O is happy fat? Could be, I dunno? Perhaps her med team is telling her she is happy fat? We must be going to different dr.s, lol! Maybe...she is telling herself she is fat, healthy, and happy(lies we tell ourselves)! Been there, done that! Please, if her wonderful planet dr.s are telling her dont get help for your weight(O), then what is she to do? I know ....think for herself.

No one should criticize another for weight gain and no one should take pleasure in anothers faults. Hers just happen to be front and center and she discusses it, so do we. If I put myself on tv and discussed my weight issues, so would others, of course.

Edited December 25, 200817 yr by maddy

Maybe her doctors aren't the ones telling her that, maybe she is telling them that!

I am so with Coltonwade, gone4 ever, OH Juli, Jachut, cCarrie_C, bandofhope, snowinHim and others with their viewpoint of Oprah. When I read that she said she "Couldn't believe' that she let this happen, my initial thought was 'Guess what, Oprah? You're human. Just like the rest of us.' I think that is what she can't believe.

I didn't realize that Oprah bashed wls over the years. I try to stay away from her opinions.

Edited December 30, 200817 yr by marie715

Well, she was on ET tonight going on and on again about how embarrassed she is. Give me a break.

For those that complain about Oprah, they seem to know alot about her. If I did not care for someone and their opinions, I would not choose to watch her show and complain about it. Once upon a time, I was against all weight loss surgeries. I had to educate myself and learn alot more to make the decisions to have the surgery. Everyday people make revelations about their lives and the choices we make. Oprah is no different, why is everyone sitting on this high horse about the lady. For those that can not stand her, I do not see why you would spend so much time on this topic. Regardless of her motives behind some of the things she does is between her and a higher power. I am just glad that someone is able to benefit from her generosity.