I missed the memo on how not to get fat. 

I noted previously that in the enduring battle between my face and my ass, my face is winning.   This was affirmed this weekend when I took the walk of shame back to Weight Watchers and one of the ladies guessed my age as 10 years younger than I actually am. 

I’ve never been one of those super skinny girls, and I actually like my big butt, and I cannot lie.   I don’t need to be a stick, I just need to fit into my suits.  I didn’t gain a crazy amount of weight with my pregnancy, and was actually below my pre-pregnancy weight within six weeks of my son’s birth.  I credit breastfeeding for this quick weight loss, and I completely exploited the metabolic benefits of breastfeeding and pretty much ate whatever I wanted.  However, I ignored the memo that said that once your baby weans, you’re supposed to stop eating like a trucker.  So in recent months, I’ve become a softer, but not gentler version of myself.  I’m definitely pushing maximum density and it sucks. 

For anyone who’s ever tried Weight Watchers, you know it’s commercially packaged common sense and accountability.  There’s no rocket surgery about it…eat healthier food, less of it, get some exercise, lather, rinse, repeat.  For someone like me who can completely rationalize and deny crappy food choices, it helps.

Because I’m now completely pre-occupied with my food choices, when Netflix suggested the documentary Fat Head the other night, I dutifully added it to my queue.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look.  The DVD cover art tells you a lot:

Filmmaker Tom Naughton undertakes his own experiment with fast food, setting out to see if he could actually lose weight by eating an all fast food diet.  In a light-hearted way,  he skewers the methodology and agenda of Super Size Me‘s protagonist, Morgan Spurlock.   And along the way, he points out all the “bologna” that we’ve been fed about nutritional information in this country.  Several interesting and articulate people are interviewed in the film, and some of them even wear schnazzy white lab coats.  They make a lot of interesting points about the political, economic, social and psychological forces which shape how and what we eat.  Please pardon the obvious pun, but it really was food for thought. 

I still don’t know what it is that I’m “supposed” to eat.  McDonald’s every day?  Probably not.  McDonald’s every once in a while?  Probably.  Memo received. 

© 2011 Jamie Walker Ball