I'm in California

It was strange.  When I flew out of Seattle this morning at 6:45 a.m., rain pelted the windows of the airplane.  When I landed in San Jose ninety minutes later, the sun was shining, birds were singing and I hadn't even eaten the snack they gave me.  I might have if I had remembered.  But I was way too tired after getting four hours of sleep.

But enough about me. 

What I want to talk about is other people who have gained weight back.  (Smite me now for having noticed; I feel bad about it, but I can't help it.)  I noticed last night while half-heartedly watching ER that one of the nurses on that show gained back a lot of the weight she lost a few years ago.  And Kelly Clarkson appears to have gained weight.  And I think it's sad that I notice these things . . . but how can I not?

And that is why I know that everyone can't help but notice my weight gain.  I judge and therefore, I feel judged.

I really have no analysis or even a commentary.  Actually, my contacts have stuck to my eyes and my headache reminds me that sleep is actually NOT optional, despite my deepest desire to eliminate sleep entirely from my schedule.  Also, I am sitting on a vinyl couch in a lodge in the area that has wi-fi between two people who are comparing who they know.  They are quite entertaining, but I cannot think straight or see straight, so it's probably best that I end this.

Comments

[MamaBearJune]

When celebrities gain, yeah, we notice. (And the media does an "awesome" job of flogging them mercilessly when they do.) When they don't age well, yeah, we notice. But what about the people you love? If it's a sister or a dear friend, I might notice, but do I care or love them less? No. I know who they are is not their weight. Many of the people I truly love are obese. That doesn't change my love for them, though I do have concern about their health.

Get some rest and know that you know the healthy things to do and you will be able to get back on track when you get home.

[HellTygr]

And here I was worried you were talking about me! I, too, gained 40 pounds back after losing 30. Why, oh why, do they choose to bring friends?
(and have a great time at the conference)

[MackAttack]

I fall into that same trap. Especially since I've gained so much back. It's terrible since I feel like I need to avoid people who last saw me at my skinniest, so they won't know. Oy.

Enjoy the beautiful California weather!

[somebodys mother]

I used to feel like I was being all judgmental if I noticed someone's weight change. I don't anymore and here is why. I figured out that the things I notice most about other people have loads more to do with how I feel about me than how I feel about them. I am more likely to notice weight changes/bodies when that is something I am really focusing on in my life. Lately, the whole weight management/healthy lifestyle/body image thing is going fairly well. Last Friday I had to go to an event with my husband where I would be meeting many people for the first time. So, of course that was the day my head decided to have the worst hairday in the history of, --history. It was awful. I spent a good portion of dinner looking around the room judging everyone's hair. It didn't really have anything to do with their personal hair. It was all about the fact that I felt like I had a neon sign on my head that said worst hair ever.
We all have opinions; we all judge. I think when we are gentle with ourselves and others it is just noticing what's new/different than the last time we saw someone. Give yourself a break, have fun at the conference by letting yourself enjoy some much deserved 'Mel time.'

[Sandy McCann]

Mel...

Let the planned effect of the conference (focus on your writing) become a "style." Choose when and what to focus on. (then when you get it down, help me master the focus!)

Still up....still not getting it together....less than a week away from the inital inspiration of being born again....maybe I should prayerfully accept the challenge....

[Helen Baldwin]

We love this blog and wish we had more time to look around! Until then, we're sharing this award:
http://thesuitelifeoflucyandethel.blogspot.com/2009/04/straw-wrappers-awards-and-prayers.html

Lucy

[RG]

Unfortunately society does have both a conscious and unconscious bias towards overweight. Stress, tight budgets and tight time all make it difficult to eat properly, take care of ourselves. I'm not sure why some people are expected to be thin with no effort - especially in an obesogenic environment in the US. It's like people think "he's rich, he should be able to work our 3 hours a day and live on vegetables!" Rich people like to eat chocolate too, and short of liposuction, being rich doesn't make weight-control a cake walk.

[Susan a.k.a Happy Hag]

Hi Mel!

Hope you had a nice holiday!

Your post got me thinking about weight loss and gain in my own family. It's always changing! Right now, two of my sister-in-laws and my mother-in-law look great, and I'm the "fat one". (Next year this could be all switched around ~ it's just crazy the way we go up and down.) I feel like a fat load around them! There seems to be an unspoken competition among us ~ friendly and loving, but competition nonetheless.

So, I'm judging myself, I reckon.

[mrs darling]

Waiting impatiently for an update. ;)