Theresa’s Take – Take 14 “Justice for All?”

Ladies, Gents and Janet Jackson Wannabes, have you ever thought about weight based discrimination?

As I entered my polling place on Primary Day, a freedom from discrimination poster caught my eye. The poster featured the Statue of Liberty,  with bold wording – Justice For All , followed by what to do if you need information on discrimination. As a former “Fat Chick,” I thought how fitting it was that the designer of this poster chose Lady Liberty, a robust woman, to discourage discrimination.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France, to celebrate our independence. She symbolizes freedom, standing over 111 feet tall and tipping the scales at 450,000 pounds, with a 35-foot waist line. The folks on my side of the tracks would say, ”Baby Got Back.” Think about it, a female with such grandiose features could not have been made in the image of a skinny chick.

Contrary to the freedom she represents, those broken shackles of oppression at her feet are not reflective of how obese and overweight people are often treated in the United States. There have been headlines that companies threaten employees to either lose weight or lose their job. In 2009, the Associated Press ran a story titled – HBC (Historical Black College) forces overweight students to lose weight to graduate!

Society has found comfort in believing that most obese and overweight people are the cause of their condition, therefore they should accept the consequences, including ridicule. Not so, says the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). This civil rights organization lists on their website that they are dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people.

Some people who are so obese and want to get healthy don’t even want to leave their homes for fear of ridicule and public humiliation.  There was one such woman who had a YMCA membership for three months and never used it because she was too insecure to work out in front of people.  When the Y called her and asked her why she hadn’t been coming, she explained that she was fearful people would make fun of her. So after reassurance from multiple staff, and a commitment for one employee to join her every time she came in, she finally made that first step in the door.

There are people of every size on the road to health. Big people that can run a marathon and skinny people that can’t even get off the couch. It’s not about size, so why as a society do we continue to look at it that way?  Join me and lady liberty today, and light a torch of health promotion, inclusion and acceptance, so that we may truly experience justice for all.

Theresa’s Take – Take 12 “Weight Watchers @ Church”

Weight Watchers has just started a new meeting at the East Henrietta Road Church of Christ. You are probably saying to yourself, really, why? Think about it, the church is the place where believers in Christ come to equip themselves with the tools needed to overcome sin.  Weight Watchers teaches a healthy way to live. Weight Watchers @ Church is a perfect combination. How many times have you heard someone say, “Eating too much is just a sin?” Well, if that is true, some of us have eternal reservations for a really hot spot.

My understanding of the biblical scriptures is that gluttony is a sin.  The sin of gluttony encompasses more than just eating too much at one meal. It is more indicative of behaviors that need to be corrected. The pearly gates don’t slam shut just because you ate a whole bag of Oreos. Gate closure begins when you take your kids’ allowance to buy the Oreos. They continue to close when, with cookie crumb lips, you tell those kids that you donated their allowance to charity.  The Angels will hang a “do not enter” sign when you smile as you hand the cashier an expired coupon to buy one pack of Oreos, get one free.

Weight Watchers does not endorse any religion, however, it does teach healthy behaviors. This at-church meeting works by transforming the worship place into a supportive and healthy environment to lose weight. Success is achieved by eating healthier using the Weight Watchers Points Plus Program, moving more and becoming mindful and smarter about food choices. The members will address common church eating challenges such as the Building Fund Fish Fry, and the Ladies Day Pound Cake Bake Off. The beauty of Weight Watchers is that no food is off limits, not even cookies! You just have to calculate your food choices into your daily points plus allotment.

USNews and Reports ranked Weight Watchers the #1 best weight loss diet plan, and the #1 best commercial diet.  Follow the link to see how yours truly corrected her behavior to find success on and off the scale.

Ladies, Gents and Janet Jackson Wannabes, Weight Watchers works!

Theresa’s Take – Take 10 | “It’s Not Always About You”

How many times have you heard sayings such as, “What’s in it for me?” or “What have you done for me lately?”  I even have “GIVEMEME” on my license plate. For me, it means give me only what I deserve. However, many people have interpreted it as a badge of selfishness.

Over the past few months I have not been feeling well. Exhaustion had me jacked up physically and mentally. I’d come to realize that I’ve been living in survival mode. For years, I’ve been working sixty plus hours a week to clean up some poor financial decisions and to finance my daughter’s college education. She graduated, but that Parent Plus College Loan has eternal life. I’m going to update my will and leave the outstanding balance to my ex-husband.

I went through a very bitter divorce, the loss of both of my parents, and the death my precious catVernonwithin three years.  I finally decided to stop looking for the man in the red car that hit my cat. I’m sure that he couldn’t have known that he killed a small part of me when he tookVernon’s life and kept going. It was an accident. Had he stopped, I would have tearfully accepted an apology. I know that he kept going because he was more worried about himself than a silly cat, or even the person that loved him most, me.

In my life’s journey I’ve always had a drive for excellence. I have high standards and I strive to be the best at everything I do at all times. It is not uncommon to see me grocery shopping in a dress and heels. I don’t go anywhere without my Mary Kay, including the Y. Recently my family members have shared with me that my unrealistic standards and drive for excellence has often left them feeling inadequate or unable to measure up. Because I was so focused on self-actualization, obtaining more education, earning more money and getting a better body, I didn’t acknowledge their pain. I just kept driving.

I’m so thankful that they loved me enough to tell me that I needed to change. Today I’m in a much better place spiritually, mentally and physically. I still have my goals, but they are much more considerate of others. Ladies, Gents and Janet Jackson Wannabes, as they say, “do you” but please consider others while on the road.

Theresa’s Take – Take Seven

I can’t figure out for the life of me why retailers put Valentine’s Day goodies out the day after Christmas.

NEWS FLASH: We single folks don’t need a 51-day notice that Valentine’s Day is coming!

We know exactly when the clock strikes February 14^th. We just secretly hope that February 15^th doesn’t arrive without having received a flower, card or a heart-shaped box filled with chocolates. Most of us have even memorized the lyrics to Tina Turner’s anti-love anthem:

What’s love got to do with it?

What’s love but a second hand emotion?

Who needs a HEART when a HEART can be broken?

Me, I need a heart. Yes, my heart has been broken a time or two. Most likely it will get broken again. I’ll shed a few tears or a river, and keep it moving. I’ve never been one to throw myself a pity party. This year I’m celebrating Valentine’s Day old school. Do you remember those boxed Valentine’s Day cards you begged your Momma to buy and gave to all your classmates and the teacher? Well, that’s what I’m going to do this year. I am sending out Valentine’s Day cards to my friends, family and foes. My friends and family need to hear three simple words from me. I want my foes to know, that I’m sorry for any pain that I may have caused, and I now extend the olive branch. Truth be told, I can’t even remember why we are mad at each other. This outpouring of affection was inspired by the “Jack of All Trades” at the Maplewood YMCA – Scott.

Last week, Scott gave me a tour of the newly-renovated Maplewood Y. The interior decorator has placed huge pictures of the neighborhood throughout the building.  These pictures are so life-like. Looking at them makes you feel as though you are in the neighborhood. Scott was nearly brought to tears when he showed me the very spot on the picture of the Maplewood Rose Garden, where he and his wife had taken their wedding pictures in 1976. He went on to tell me that she had lost her battle to cancer six years ago. Nevertheless, Scott still boldly wears his wedding ring. That my friends, is far more than a second hand emotion.

Ladies, Gents and Janet Jackson Wannabes, don’t let another day come and go without telling the folks in your circle, or on the perimeter, how much you love them.

This blog posting was written with permission from Scott to share his story.