The Celebrity Diet Gravy Train

The thing that gets me about celebrities losing weight is the cynicism on both sides.

Look at the Kirsty Allie thread (I'm sure I spelled that wrong)... People were even accusing her of gaining the weight just to lose it and make money off of it. Or even Brittney Spears, when her tummy gets a little un-flat, she's suddenly a cow? Then, when they lose weight, oh, sure, it's easy when you're paid for it...

If it's so hard for someone who has every reason to lose weight - like an actress, a dutchess, a singer - all who have public lives and incomes directly related to their appearances, how can we be so hard on people who have no reason - other than personal motivators - to lose weight? To finally lose weight, Kirsty Allie was paid, received meal planning and supplements and most likely has a personal trainer hounding her daily to work out and lose weight. I'm sure all actresses, dutchesses, and singers have budgets for such things, but again, if it was easy to do, they wouldn't need all that help, would they?

Now look at the average overweight person - trying to fit diet modification, exercise, and self-control over habitual eating into a normal working-class day and budget. Sure, sure, celebs have demands too, but they have money to pay for chefs, personal trainers, and agents that remind them how important losing weight is. It sucks to have your picture thrown up weekly rags so everyone knows what you look like on your worst day, but it's one hell of a motivator to get a better part in a series or more money for a commercial if you lose that last ten pounds. Isn't that why so many people join the weight loss clubs and exercise facilities - for the cheering section?

Losing weight isn't easy, no matter what lot your life has given you. But, given the choice, I'd take the chef, personal trainer, and agent any day.

-D

Danielle, I agree with all that you said. It is harder for regular people, and our livelihoods don't depend on our looks (although the studies show the overweight make less), but the struggle that even celebrities go through should serve as a reminder that losing weight is nowhere near easy.

Jan and Danielle: No, it isn't "easy" to lose weight but it's a lot easier than you think. You do not need to climb K2 without an oxygen mask. And regular people can do it without a chef, personal trainer and agent. It's my mission in life to try to drive this home to anyone who'll listen. Not to worry; attrition is my strong suit.

I used to think that it was hard, if not impossible to lose weight. I've found out that weight loss is not what's hard. It's self-discipline that's hard. I've lost 61 pounds over the last year by simply burning more calories than I consume. But I still struggle with the desire to overeat (especially at night), every single day, and sometimes I lose.
It is frustrating at times, but I've also learned that guilt and self-recrimination are not productive.
I don't care that the "stars" have a lot of help. That's just another excuse people use for their continued obesity. I care about me. And I want to be healthy, so I pay the price.

Mary: when you assume... etc. etc. etc. You just had me pegged as an overweight "I can't lose weight, it is too hard, so I'll have 10 more doughnuts" person, didn't you?

Preaching to the choir. I've lost over 100lb. Have you? I went from 230lb to 126lb. That is pretty much 50% of my starting size (I did get down to exactly 50%, at 115lb for a while but I'm a "failure", so I'm 11lb fatter now). No personal trainers, personal chefs, magic pills, books, programs, or even money to buy a freaking multivitamin during some of the time.

Vern, congrats on your loss, but no, pointing out that the stars have a lot of help is not "an excuse". It is simply stating a fact, like "the sky is blue". If you say "I can't lose weight because I can't afford a personal chef like Oprah", then yes, THAT is an excuse.