The title is kind of a summary of a quote by Oprah because her full direct quote wouldn’t fit in the space we have, but that’s pretty much what she said. Oprah, whose net worth is around 3 billion dollars and who has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and honorary doctorates from Duke and Harvard, has tackled her food addiction and puts that up among her major accomplishments. I kind of love her for admitting that.
As we reported yesterday, Oprah sent Weight Watchers stock up over $2, an around 20% increase, when she tweeted a 30 second video announcing her 26 pound weight loss and exclaiming that she still eats bread every day. Weight Watchers stock has since corrected a little but Oprah still made bank by disclosing that she lost weight. Oprah did a private Q&A session with Weight Watchers members as a follow up. In that call she discussed her lifelong battle with weight and body image and explained that she finally feels like she has it under control. Here’s some of what Oprah said, thanks to People and E!
She gained 17 pounds over the summer
I was really at my wits end. I had tried everything. Every other time I’ve ever gone on a diet, I’ve gone on a diet and then gone off the diet, because I had gotten to the weight I’d wanted to be. The difference is, I’ve made the shift and this is the way I’m going to live for the rest of my life.On being a food addict and the community at Weight Watchers
We’re smart people who have done a lot of good things in our lives, and then there’s this one thing, this one flaw, that we have that everyone can see. If you’re an alcoholic, you can hide that, or if you’re a drug addict, you can hide that. If you’re a gambler, you can hide that. If you’re a shopping addict, you can hide that. If you work too much, you can hide that. But if you overeat, it’s hard to hide that. The fact that you have the courage to come together in a community to give voice to it, and speak to the universe, I think that’s brave and powerful and I think that’s why Weight Watchers works.Dismisses critics of her commercials
None of those people had stood in their closets with three different sizes to try on the floor, where the waistline didn’t fit and the arms didn’t fit, and the hips didn’t fit, and you can’t get it zipped, and felt that shame and that humiliation of ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m in this position again,’ Nobody who’d ever been at that point was offended by these commercials.On moderation
At the end of a 17 lb. gain, I just thought, ‘Wow, there has got to be a way that I can eat what I want and not feel obsessed with the idea of what I’m not getting.’ Because the moment you tell me that I’m not going to have carbs, that’s all I can think about, is when I’m going to get a potato. So, it’s taken that obsession out of it for me. I know I’m going to manage it.On not eating all the chips
I actually was traveling the other day and opened a 5 oz. bag of crinkle cut, black pepper potato chips and I counted out 10 chips. And I ate the 10 and I savored every one. And I put the bag away.Of all the accomplishments that [I] made in the world, all the red carpets, and the awards and those things that I’ve done. The fact that I could close the bag and not take another chip – it’s major for me.
Oprah also discussed how she struggled to stick with restrictive diets like low carb, vegan and shake diets. So many people think that’s what you need to do to lose weight while Weight Watchers teaches realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes, which Oprah is feeling really positive about. She’s always been open and honest about everything she’s gone through, and I think she’ll help a lot of people. To me, Oprah isn’t like Kirstie Alley at all because even though she yo-yos and has tried so many different things she’s not full of sh*t or haughty about it. She’ll tell you the truth about what she’s gone through and invite you to go on a journey with her. I think that’s why Oprah resonates with people.
Oh and I have advice for Oprah on the chips – buy the 50 cent bags! You pay more for chips but there’s only one serving in the damn thing. You don’t have to hold back when you don’t have more in the house.
photo credit: FameFlynet and Getty
“Of all the accomplishments that [I] made in the world, all the red carpets, and the awards and those things that I’ve done. The fact that I could close the bag and not take another chip – it’s major for me.”
I’m like that with BBQ Shapes. Once I open a box I have to get my family to help me finish it. Otherwise I’ll eat them all myself.
o here it gon come: I have been on a terrible comfort eating streak. Yesterday, I ate a frosted cake. A whole cake. By myself. I’m still high on the sugar and I’m not even kidding. That crash, when it hits, will be a real mf. Nobody believes me when I tell them about my binge concerns because I dont pick up weight easily but I honestly scare myself. I literally dont buy fresh baked bread anymore because I’d end up finishing it as soon as I sit down. In fact, my general rule is to make my own pastries if I absolutely must have some wheat in me and yet still, my inner demon makes me buy a frosted cake and lick the plate clean. So I feel you on that BBQ Shapes problem.
You aren’t alone on binge eating. Sometimes someone will tell me they binged and I’m like “oh, someone who gets it!” and then they say something along the lines of “I ate five Oreos.”
…
I too have eaten an entire cake by myself. I balance these things out by working out a lot but it terrifies me sometimes, that I don’t really have a switch that goes “um, you’re good, put the fork down.”
Is it possible you were about to be on your period? You wouldn’t know it but all women “binge” before our periods (that is, we eat a ton more than normal), and it results in no weight gain, it’s just mostly for serotonin modulation. We “binge” on carbohydrate/fat rich foods (2nd half of the month) [SR Barr et al., 1995; Lee et al., 1999].
@mp
I’ve just finished my period so yesterdays incident probably isnt gynae related. That said, wow. Thanks for sharing this. You learn something new everyday! i’m definitely going to start charting these urges against my cycle. Hopefully there are no more cake polishing sessions in my future, though.
I totally binge before my period. All I want to do is eat and lie around with a blanket on me. My guess is menstruating must burn calories or it’s because we don’t feel well and the body wants to get strong to endure it? IDK but when my time comes, keep you hands away from the carbs and comfort food lest you lose a finger.
I totally relate, I never buy the full size of any snack unless I know someone else will eat most of it once it’s opened. It’s great that Oprah could stop at ten chips but I don’t trust myself to do that each and every time. There’s always going to be that one day when I say the hell with it and just keep eating. The full size bags may be literally less expensive, but figuratively they cost way too much.
Probably the flavor she wanted wasn’t available in anything smaller than 5oz. The small bags tend to be plain or cheesy or BBQ unless you stumble upon a store catering to more gourmet tastes. Or just aimed at non-mainstream eaters.
One thing that can sometimes help slow you down is portioning the food out into small zip bags. That keeps it fresher longer also. At least you have to think before ripping open the next bag…
A lot of junk food can be frozen in reasonable portions, either by the piece (such as cookies) or cut up into reasonable portions (such as donuts) and twist sealed in cheapie sandwich bags.
To me it is sad that this highly successful, billion dollar, self-made woman, who overcame so many obstacles in life, is struggling her whole life with her weight. It feels like a lot of her thoughts circle around her weight and how to lose it. To me that is a waste of genius. You are Oprah! You are more than your weight!
BIRDIE
Exactly what I was thinking, well put!
How sad that at the end of the day we are conditioned to think that our self worth=Weight.
I was on that call and my take on it was that she knows she is more than her weight. That this feeling of major accomplishment didn’t really have anything to do with the scale, but it was more about being in control of something that had controlled her up to this point. She’s talks about other addicitions- drug, drinking, working too much. Food was her addiction and she felt out of control with it. So for her to be able to take those 10 chips and put the food away, when she admits it’s one of the foods that she has trouble controlling, I can understand why that would be a big accomplishment for her. She finally was able to control that which had controlled her for so long.
I agree with this take. Sugar is my only addiction and it is as hard to quit as tobacco or drugs. It is everywhere and when I am tired or stressed it is so hard not eat 5 oreos or a bowl of ice-cream . I feel out of control and I hate that.
not going to bash her or anything, but I did weight watchers for years. she’s a classic yo-yo dieter like me and honestly she’ll get burnt out on WW just like she’s gotten burnt out on every other diet for the past few decades.
moderation is great for people who don’t have particular sensitivities. I wish I could convey to oprah and other highly carb-sensitive people: when you eat a lot of carbs and use carbs for energy/fuel, it will only make you want more carbs. I know because I am very carb sensitive. it can’t just be “one cookie” or “a handful of chips” for me (and it isn’t for her either, but she won’t admit it). for some people, like for alcoholics, the only way to truly have control is to completely abstain.
AMAZING THINGS HAPPEN when your body starts burning fat instead of carbs…it becomes EASY to lose weight. if you’re interested, research the ketogenic lifestyle. I’m 80 pounds down and look like a different person…and despite all the coconut oil, beef, eggs, butter and cheese I eat, my cholesterol, blood pressure, and thyroid levels have never been better.
SUGAR AND HIGH-CARB PROCESSED FOOD IS THE ENEMY, NOT FAT. !!!
I get the impression that she feels the same way about this. That her life, her deep personal inside life, feels the lack of control with this struggle. This addiction. That she probably could and should be focusing on other things with her talents, but as she said when she diets or yo yos it becomes all consuming to her.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing, too. I get what Incognito is saying, too, but somehow I do still think she’s not entirely convinced that her weight doesn’t define her or diminish her accomplishments. Otherwise she wouldn’t be so fixated on it.
And believe me, I know how harrowing it can be to be fixated on food/weight, and how tied to your self-esteem you rosy image can be. My son is struggling with that right now and it’s painful to not be able to help him more.
I disagree, this is actually about making money. I mean, she is essentially saying: “I’ve done all these great things, but the greatest thing I’ve gone is only eat 10 chips. You too can be great, just follow Weight Watchers.” At the end all the day, it’s about her making money. I mean, she can afford a team of personal chefs and the best food and she’s eating chips.
Agree with you Andrea: Oprah always sells her latest “discovery”: it worked for O try/ buy this and it will work for you, too..
Oprah has been on many diet journeys and time will tell if her latest, cure-all discovery will work for her. Perhaps, as others have mentioned, O being a major shareholder has the public scrutiny to make this succeed, as it becomes a public endorsement for her own part ownership in this company.
After all, she does have the advantage of bringing in chefs, personal trainers to her home to cook and help her work out.
Thank you. That was my very first thought as well. That it is really sad that this is what she is most proud of. It is a telling and concerning reflection that at the age of 62 what concerns Oprah most is her weight and appearance.
I’m trying to figure out why this is bugging me, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. The best I can do is to say that I’d feel a lot better about her honesty and sincerity and motives if she wasn’t raking in money hand over fist to convince people that WW is some kind of magic bullet that will change her life forever. Again. I’ve done WW and found it ineffective and burdensome. Their prepared foods are terribly sweet/fatty tasting, and they were always pushing you to buy them. We don’t need more processed foods in our life. It’s just another diet. Healthier than many, but it’s not magic and it doesn’t work for everyone. You can achieve the same thing on your own by tracking your food and exercising. And I just figured out what bugs me – she knows this. But she wants the money. And people trust her. She’s acting like this is a personal discovery when it’s commerce.
So well said. A billionaire lady is selling a billion-dollar business and capitalising on our disfunctional relationship with food… I believe O is sincere in her story. I am sure WW helped her lose weight. But WW is such a huge industry and is so successful because people have to keep paying, keep coming back. I get that some people need help to break bad habits and associations with food. But replacing one dependency with another (on WW) isn’t the healthiest either.
@GoodNamesAllTaken…I also agree about the money part, and IMO I think she is obsessed with Jennifer Hudson’s successful weight loss from WW.
Exactly this. Also, with her limitless resources – personal chefs, people who could bring her the right foods in the right amount to eat, dieticians, therapists, etc., etc. – she still struggles with this to that degree? She’s probably a complete trainwreck in private.
I was going to point that. If Oprah with all her resources can’t do it, how can a normal person with all the worries typical of the lives of normal people can?
I am skeptical for the same reasons. Plus I want her to specifically tell us what WW has that will enable her to maintain lifelong healthy weight that was missing from all of her other weight loss/maintenance regimens.
I’ve been thinking the same thing. If she still binge comfort eats with all her resources, it’s therapy she needs to learn how to control things, not Weight Watchers. Like everyone else, I get lazy or greedy and eat crap, but if I had a trainer and personal chef, there would be far less of that.
I agree she is in it for the money. If she was only in it lose weight and get healthy why not just do that and forget about buying into the company.She is always gung ho on every weight loss plan she starts out on . Its easy to lose the weight but success is measured in how you keep it off. I yo yoed for years but have maintained my 80 lb weight loss for 8 years now by eating foods I like but knowing when to stop. The best exercise is pushing yourself away from the table.
Well, this IS the woman who thinks Dr. Oz is the be-all end-all. ‘Nuff said.
She has lost 26 lbs on weight watchers and can eat 10 chips and not all the chips (all of the sudden)? And she attributes this change in her to WW? *sigh*
I wonder if she hopes that having to be a public face associated with WW will help her stick to the program even after she’s reached her goal (which is when she has trouble maintaining).
I don’t think Kirstie Alley has a sincere bone in her body. I don’t know if it’s because of my strict aversion to anything associated with scientology, or if I just can’t stand her based on her obvious lies about weight. Probably both.
I have mad respect for Oprah tho. She has never tried to convince anyone she was a size 6 or that it was easy to lose massive amounts of weight.
I’ve been on and off with Weight Watchers for 6 years. I lost 3.5 tones (49lbs) back in 2011.
I then met my soon to be husband and put it all back on with some more – because I stopped tracking and ate anything that I saw. I’m now back at Weight Watchers. It’s hard. But it does work. Sure they have food you can buy but you don’t have to. The plan actually works around healthy food – you can eat as much fruit and veg as you want without pointing it. They’ve changed it again so that high protein foods are lower in points and processed foods are much higher which cuts out a lot of their foods as well.
Oprah doing it doesn’t actually inspire me but it does interest me when celebs follow it to see how quick they lose it and if they keep it off.
You can do it Sitka! Weight Watchers works. The celebs I know who follow Weight Watchers are Jenny McCarthy and Ginnifer Goodwin. Goodwin is pregnant now.
Thanks so much CB 😀 It’s easy to stick to once you get into it; just trying to get my head into it now 😀
But my problem was that I CAN’T eat as much fruit as I want and lose weight. I don’t think anyone can. I went on WW for two weeks and followed it exactly and did not lose one pound. So it doesn’t work for everyone. I hope you find continued success on it, and I’m not trying to discourage you, but I would recommend that you limit your fruit to one or two servings a day.
I completely get on board with what she’s saying as I too struggle with my weight and diets. I lost a lot of weight last year by controlling carb intake and portion sizes, I would limit myself to one piece of brown bread a day and 1 or 2 cubes of dark chocolate but returned to my comfort ways after a stressful period and regained some of that weight. It takes a lot of willpower to overcome habits of a lifetime.
These fad diets like Lighter Life are not sustainable and are unrealistic – they r also not good for your body and don’t teach you healthy eating habits.
I don’t know what “plans” Weight Watchers is shillin these days, bu if you’re simply looking to lose weight – count calories. There are so many FREE apps that do this very easily. Like Oprah, I have thyroid issues which make it difficult to lose weight, but when I count calories it really helps. And I can still have chips and ice cream – just not ALL the chips and ice cream.
And whe you pay attention to what you eat, you really, really start to savor your food in a different way. This is actually a technique taught to smokers, as well – if you are completely focused on the food you’re eating or the cigarette you’re smoking, you won’t just mindlessly reach for more becuase you will have satiated that craving.
That’s why you can eat the 10 chips and put them away – because you are focusing on them, not just watching tv with your hand in the bag.
Some people need a little more structure and accountability than doing it on your own offers Gigi. I was using myfitnesspal.com to track calories but I was never very successful with it. The new Weight Watchers program is really much more geared toward eating healthy foods, in my opinion. And they are teaching/talking about enjoying your food without guilt, making time to do things you enjoy that have no bearing on weight or have anything to do with exercise too.
I’m only a week and a half in and I’m feeling pretty good about it. By now, I would have stopped tracking on myfitnesspal. Knowing I’m going to weigh in next week and I’m going to see people who are in the same boat and we’re going to share our successes, our stumbles, our lessons learned and support each other has me feeling pretty pumped.
I’m kind of a loner so MFP works for me but I did Weight Watchers in the past and that definitely works too and is good for people who like the community (there are some really nice people in my local group) and the accountability.
@celebitchy: I’m nearly a year into using MFP and the community there is one of the reasons I’ve stuck around so long. I’ve made really good friends; we chat every day, exchanged christmas presents, and generally cheer each other on. If weight watchers is going to be that place for some people, I have no hate for that. I just wish there was more focus on what constitutes sustainable effort in calorie-counting programs in general, as I think one of the main reasons they fail is that people push too hard and do not have realistic expectations.
I used to be a huge Oprah supporter. But this has gone on too long. If she was doing the WW program as a regular person, I’d be supportive. Instead she bought a huge share of WW and raking in millions for every tweet and pound lost.
This turned out to be less depressing than I thought it was going to be (when she explained more fully that it’s about her relationship with food and obsessing about it), but still – Oprah! You have many, many accomplishments greater than not eating chips.
Totally agreed that low calorie shake nonsense programs are at best useless and at worst damaging. The only thing that consistently works* is to eat plenty of good food (i.e. anything that’s not chemical and sugar laden) and move around a lot… but ‘Clean Eating’ charlatans won’t make money from that, so…
*Speaking very generally here, obviously some people have medical conditions that make weight management more complicated for them.
It’s hard to see a vegan diet described as “restrictive”… there are SO many alternatives to the foods I’ve chosen to eliminate, so many delicious ice creams and cheeses in addition to a whole wide world of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc… so much so that I know plenty of fat and/or unhealthy vegans.
Not trying to be that person… but our world is dying & after being a vegetarian for 15 years, these last 3 years of veganism have been life-shifting and made me love, appreciate, learn, and THINK about food more than ever before in my life. There are vegan restaurants in the rural South, FFS!
So, basically… to anyone considering it for ethical reasons, or not considering it because it seems too difficult, or only considering it as an extreme weight loss method… think again. I’ve never felt better or enjoyed food/cooking more, and there are SO many options if you just put a little effort into looking for them.
While I’m coming at this from a totally different perspective (low-FODMAPS for medical reasons), I totally agree that a restrictive diet doesn’t have to be about endless self-denial and focusing on what you can’t have. There’s such cool vegan food around these days, too – I recently tried some chocolate that was blended with alternative fats: coconut oil in one case, olive oil in the other, and they were both so delicious. Restrictions do also make you think about food in a different way, encouraging you to be constantly aware of what you eat, and to appreciate what you can eat.
Senna, thanks for your input! You’re right, and I haven’t thought of my newfound appreciation that way: I’m just more aware!
I wasn’t trying to minimize the psychological aspect of food addiction (focusing on what you can’t have, as you & Oprah both said), so I’m glad you reiterated that point… I guess I’m just really, really frustrated by the fact that everyone obsesses over exactly this, even when it’s someone else’s diet.
My previous comment is the closest I’ll ever come to being “preachy” or trying to convert omnivores… but when people hear I’m vegan, their token reactions always revolve around the animal products they “just couldn’t” give up, or asking “what DO you eat?!”, etc. To me, it’s the opposite… there are several foods I won’t eat, but there are exponentially more foods that I *can* and do enjoy. If anything, non-vegan dishes seem lazy/boring now that I realize how often the same ingredients are used, almost like a default, when I’m well aware of the vast potential out there.
I’m glad you liked those chocolates, too! I’m always glad to hear non-vegan opinions on the foods I find, because I’m well aware that my tastebuds have been conditioned differently… just like someone who cuts out processed sugar and realizes how sweet fruit really is.
She’s talking about control first here and weight loss second.
Oprah seems happy, she’s on a program that works for her. She’s making money, WW is making money, some people will be inspired and helped by this. WW works for a lot of people, but Oprah did mention a point that gets lost in the mist. It’s a lifelong commitment, not a program you go on and when you’re done, you’re done.
You can do WW without actually joining WW, but it’s a lonely road. I do think some (most?) people will find the program more doable with a crowd.
I am into my third week of WW and doing it online. It is definitely working for me…because WW is a for-profit business, I would expect that they want to make money from their product (weight loss plan). It doesn’t bother me because WW does a lot of research and changes their plan to incorporate the most recent research. Their product is a good one. Oprah is part of their marketing strategy.
I stopped watching Oprah years ago for various reasons. I can believe that she (like myself) has an emotional relationship with food. But, I don’t understand why anyone-including Oprah-would need to have such a public forum for addressing this issue. I find her very narcissistic- that’s my opinion-and WW will not help with that.
Years ago I joined a weight watchers community and found that the weigh ins really worked.
There’s something about the process that’s holds you accountable.
My one issue was when you close in on your goal weight the points can seem restrictive and I quite honestly felt hungry. Breaking the carb addiction (morning bagel which had me craving carbs all day) did it for me! Ohhh and a hideous divorce helped but I don’t recommend it….
Although I found Oprah preachy in the last years of her talk show, I don’t think anyone can say she is a dishonest person. I think she’s incredibly honest, and speaks from the heart, which is why what she says resonates with so many people. I think it’s unfair for those who have never struggled with their weight to comment or criticize her on this issue. For those that have been there, like myself, I appreciate her honesty. I most certainly have never taken 10 chips and put the bag away. I’ve also never eaten half a chocolate bar. Being able to attain a sense of control over these things is satisfying to say the least. I gained weight with my last pregnancy and am currently on MFP and doing well with that. I can still eat what I want, just maybe not in the quantities that I would like. And it gives me a sense of mastery. A sense, that I can do this for the rest of my life, and not be miserable. I think that being able to reach out to others and speak honestly about these things is powerful and I think that Oprah’s intention is to connect with and help people.
” I actually was traveling the other day and opened a 5 oz. bag of crinkle cut, black pepper potato chips and I counted out 10 chips. And I ate the 10 and I savored every one. And I put the bag away.”
I have huge respect for everything Oprah has accomplished in her life. I am a mess in many ways, and I have lots of regrets, but one thing I’ve never had a problem with in my life is my weight.
Sorry to say, but Oprah’s still doing it wrong. She will once again gain the weight back, because she still has an addictive relationship with food. That was made clear to me when she said she saved the bag of potato chips. The fact that she saved it shows me that she thinks she might “need” it later…
She should have eaten a few chips (not counting them, just take a small handful) and then just thrown the bag away. Because she was finished with it. All done. Gone.
“She will once again gain the weight back, because she still has an addictive relationship with food.”
But, the nature of an food addiction is that one can’t manage “just a few chips.” For folks who are truly addicted to something, there is a chemical reaction triggered in their brain in response to a stimulus(for example, a particular food).
I don’t hold folks responsible for being predisposed to some addiction-that’s all tied up with their chemistry, genetics and psychological history-the issue is what happens as a result of an addiction. Some addictions like drugs and particularly heroin-are incredibly difficult to deal with. I personally think that a lot of diabetics are folks with a food addiction, but that’s my opinion. Anyway, I understand Oprah’s comment on chips because they are my downfall. Right now, even though I am doing well on WW and not feeling particularly emotional, I can imagine the lovely taste of potato chips!
The other thing about food addiction is that you’re addicted to something you actually NEED to live. It’s like having an “oxygen addiction.” Yes it’s easy enough to come by drugs, alcohol, or tobacco if you really want them, but that’s nothing compared with the ease of finding food (if you’re well-off enough not to be starving, that is). I once saw a recovering alcoholic post something about how he couldn’t even imagine going to a liquor store and buying “a reasonable amount of booze” which is what food addicts deal with every week.
Yes, food addiction is a bitch. I feel like I am finally starting to get a handle on mine, but what I’ve noticed is this; without the food, I’m not as patient, as accepting or as kind. I’ve been using food for years as a way to mellow me out the same way that other people use a drink or a cigarette. So the struggle ahead of me is going to be really challenging, because it’s not just about the food.
Wif:
Can I share a couple things that work for me?
(1)I figured out what my ‘trigger’ foods are-It used to be both sweet (chocolate) and salty (chips), but for whatever reason, staying away from chocolate has removed this as a primary trigger. I seem to crave only chips now.
(2)If I find myself thinking about chips and wanting to snarf some, I make myself have a healthy meal first. Doing this sometimes makes the craving go
away.
(3)Sometimes I admit that I just need to allow myself to snarf chips, because they taste so good and make me feel good. When this happens, I push the reset button the next day, try to acknowledge what was happening emotionally that triggered my craving and continue eating healthily.
In my case, I truly love food and do quite a bit of (healthy) cooking so my love of chips is not part of a larger junk food diet. For whatever reason, I love chips. As I wrote my posts, I remembered that as a kid, I made potato chip sandwiches…so I think my deal with potato chips is something I need to accept.
Why should she toss food away when she can now control how much of it she eats? Of course she “needs” it later- when she’s wanting a few potato chips again. You don’t throw a bag of apples away because you’ve already eaten one apple from the bag. If the chips have been her downfall before, it’s especially important that she learn how to enjoy reasonable portions. Consider it training equipment.
Actually, my lunch today was potato chips… 🙂 I was on a tight deadline on a difficult job without enough sleep, and I’m a stress non-eater. I especially balk at having to prepare anything. Plain potato chips are one of the few foods I can manage to eat under such stress. Rice crackers work also. I had managed to drink some soy milk earlier (a rare food for me, but I keep 11oz bottles on hand for such emergencies), but only a few ounces. Fruit and veg and wheat etc. don’t seem to work in my stomach until the job is done. So I always keep a large bag of potato chips around, although it can take weeks or months to get through one since I don’t eat them every day or every week and can even “eat just one”. (Fortunately, they are almost Twinkie-like in their longevity.) Probably ate about 20 chips max, though, straight from the bag, which is about the right amount of food for me in a small meal (“snack” to other folks). I had no idea how many I wanted so that made more sense than shaking some out into a bowl. And yes, I was watching a few minutes of a taped TV show, which relaxes me so I can eat. Violating all the standard weight loss guru rules…. I use other kinds of higher protein/fiber chips (like bean&rice, or quinoa blends) and a variety of crackers as part of small meals ordinarily instead of wheat bread, but under stress they are too much. So plain potato chips it is.
You see, you don’t have to eat “healthy” all the time to lose or maintain normal weight. You just have to avoid eating more than you need for your activity level. Oprah was much better off eating her ten potato chips if that’s what she wanted to eat, because not paying attention to what we really feel like eating gets us into more trouble. We also need to pay attention to when we can stop eating because we’ve had enough. She had a reasonable portion and enjoyed it thoroughly. It may be potato chips today, but a craving for carrots or melon is not far away… If I weren’t so tired, I’d mix peanut butter or almond butter with chopped carrots and onion right now. Maybe tomorrow.
I diligently maintain my weight through healthy eating, exercise, staying hydrated, and drinking lots of green tea. My biggest advice to people struggling with binge eating is to not buy unhealthy food in the first place. When you are home in the evening and ravenously hungry and feeling like you couldn’t care less about your diet or your weight in the moment, you’ll be forced to either eat nothing, eat something healthy, or god forbid have a cup of tea and sit and think about the underlying issues that are triggering your self destructive behavior. Another thing I want to add is that anyone who thinks in terms of diets is doomed to fail. You need to find a nutrition plan that works for you, if you are eating the right food for you, you will not be hungry, and you will no longer crave unhealthy food.
A bag of Lays Salt n Vinegar chips can destroy me during a 22 minute show.
A friend has a love hate relationship with WW. She was on it I think in hs then went off n she’s back on it, now. I think she’s lost about 26 lbs and was doing well, until Oprah came onboard. She said that the points on food changed. So for instance, a bowl of idk, cereal went from being 4 points before Oprah to 7 points after.
My thinking was if that wouldn’t make her loose weight faster. Apparently I missed the point of what she was saying.
I think WW’s new counting system (SmartPoints or something like that?) is intended to encourage eating some foods and discourage eating others. That’s why the big jump for some items like cereal. I’ve heard WW fans say they just continue to use the older systems because they work better for them. I don’t know why, it seems complicated and today it would be easier to just track food on a free app that will tell you calories, protein, fiber, fat, carb as running totals for the day and week. I do that myself for other reasons (allergies mainly).
I doubt that Oprah had anything to do with the change. She doesn’t own the company all by herself, she just has a piece of it.
She needs to take several seats. Ain’t nobody got the time to listen to Oprah and her OprahisGod thumping. Gurl, please. I’d have more respect if you simply owned your size. I am not taking eating advise from Oprah, no more than I would relationship advise from any of the Hilton’s
This makes me SO sad. She is one of the most successful women on the planet. She had her own show for decades, now has her own network, and runs schools in Africa for girls and her biggest accomplishment has to deal with not eating food. I know she’s shilling for WW and she’s likely exaggerating, but I really don’t think this was a good statement to put out there. Not when so many people look up to her. I am 150% for a healthy lifestyle but I don’t think anyone, even Oprah, should determine their self-worth by their eating habits.
This reminds me of the time many years ago when I was on a committee for a service organization and they decided to go around the table, asking everyone to give one thing they did this week that they felt especially good about. Everybody else was in world-saving mode, but I had to honestly say I felt best about the fact that I had remembered to take out the trash for pickup two weeks in a row… I also felt good about actually washing the dishes a few times rather than continuing the usual biology experiment in the sink, but wasn’t sure I should admit that. So those things really can loom large. I can believe that the ten potato chips were the high point of her week. All the other stuff she does comes much more easily for her, even though it seems so much more important to observers.
I’ve said it here before- oprah’s issues are in her head. They manifest in food but the issues are in her head. And until she gets some solid therapy she is doomed to repeat this cycle.
Gaining 17 pounds in one summer is a tremendous amount. That is a lot of food to consume daily to gain that much weight. The reasons behind that eating won’t be solved with weight watchers.
Agreed. Therapy and hypnosis. I think maybe she just can’t/refuses to admit that she needs therapy, being that she’s “Oprah” and all…
O needs to get off her butt and exercize. She is not a mobile person and the bigger she gets the more cumbersome it is to move around. Hate to say it about her, but she is lazy. When she has a trainer pushing her, she’s okay, but left to own wiles, girl doesn’t want to move any more than she has to. Just do it and get it over with. No whining.