Wednesday

The Biggest Winner

Last night my husband and I went to have dinner and watch the season finale of The Biggest Loser with friends.  I haven't watched this show in several years, so I was struck last night by how I felt watching it.  I was emotional for two reasons.

First, because there was a girl whose starting weight was only 7 lbs heavier than my heaviest weight.  It struck me right then.  At one point in time I was big enough to have been on the show.  Now I would never have wanted to be on the show, but we look at the before pictures and that was ME.  I could see myself in so many of those girls.

Second, because I knew how they felt.  I knew how they felt when they were showing interviews from the beginning of the season.  I heard girls saying they were nothing, that they had failed at life because they had failed at their weight.  One girl said she felt like she deserved nothing out of life because of her weight.  Someone referred to their weight as a prison.  I understand all of those statements to my core.  I felt them, I lived them.

But what was great about watching the finale, is I got to rejoice with them. I know how great that victory feels!! When their faces light up with joy at the scale, I've been there.  I, too, have done my share of weigh in dances and shouts of joy. I get it, and it was great to see.  Losing weight is such a hard battle, but it is so worth the fight.  It remains one of the best things I could have ever done for myself.  The changes in me run so much deeper than my physical size.

Last nights show inspired me to keep living the healthy lifestyle I had established, to not slip into old habits...because I don't want to look in the mirror ever again and see the girl I was a year ago.  One lady on the show last night said how there might be only one Biggest Loser, but that they were all Biggest Winners.  I liked that. :)

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