Dear Friend...

This was the original email I sent out to a few "select" friends which led to this whole crazy journey:

I'm fat. If you're getting this email, you probably are too. At least YOU think you are, I think you're perfect. I have been lamenting since before Thanksgiving about what kind of diet program I'm going to have to start this January. I hate diets, I hate exercise, but even more... I hate being fat and unfit. I've been dreading January... in my mind it's like the day life ends. No more food, no more drink, no more fun. Lot's more stress, lot's more feeling of failure... lot's more misery. I convinced myself right before Christmas that my drug of choice is going to have to be Weight Watchers (again)!!! It's the only program that ever works for me and it allows me flexibility... i.e. I can eat AND drink... as long as I don't go over my points. ha ha. But then Mikey pointed out to me that the last couple of times I did WW, I was not only a miserable failure, but a stark raving bitch to live with. I could not even achieve the 5lb bookmark. (For those WW virgins, WW rewards you with every 5 lb weight loss you achieve. The first one is this stupid little cardboard bookmark, it's bright red. After that you get a Gold Star sticker which most fatties apply to the coveted bookmark. 5 lousy pounds for a bookmark... most people get that in 2 weeks tops. Last time I was on week 8 and still had not been rewarded with said prize. And I was following program!) My poor friend and neighbor... the shit she had to come up with to justify my lack of success was in retrospect really quite amusing. "Muscle weighs more than fat, water retention is a bitch... maybe you grew a couple of inches..." she was grasping! Home life became less than pleasant. The kids were asking their friends fat Mom's if they had a Red WW bookmark they could "borrow"... anything to shut me up and calm me down. Finally, after I think week 10 or 11... Mike convinced me to NOT bring a gun to the meeting and just "live my best life". I went to the dreaded gym faithfully, worked hard if I wanted to, had a light workout if I wasn't up for it. I ate smarter, most of the time... and by the end of the year... my poundage was not necessarily where I would have thought it to be, but I was about 2 sizes smaller in clothes. And I had fun all year, didn't become a hermit because I couldn't eat or drink so therefore not have or be any fun. It was almost effortless... (except that whole gym part!) But I had forgotten all that in this latest self-deprecation party I've been on regarding my fatness. I called my friend/neighbor who still goes to WW and asked her what day and time she goes and how has the magic program changed this year. She called me back and I swear... this is what she said on the message. "Chris... you do NOT need to go to Weight Watchers. You are not an over-eater (note... nothing was mentioned about my over-drinking!) You just need to get back in the gym and get your metabolism back up and build some muscle." I was flattered.... for about a minute. Then I realized her true message which was, "Oh my God, no.... please don't ruin my WW experience with your crazy obsessiveness, I'll just give you my bookmark"!!!

And then came Oprah yesterday. Now let me say right here, I've been kind of "over" Oprah for the last few years. I think it was when she turned 50 and got all full of her fine-belly-showing-self. Quite frankly, I never understood what took her so long to lose the weight... for God's sake she had a trainer, a chef, all the money in the world AND the whole world watching her. That would keep me honest. But then yesterday she came clean... well sort of. I still think she's in denial... she told us she doesn't have a weight problem, she has a "love" problem. News Alert Oprah... your fat... just like the rest of us. (I'm very fearful for poor Steadman now... I think he might be on the chopping block, she certainly laid the groundwork yesterday yakkin about that whole "love starved" gibberish.) Oh... and by the way, I don't believe for a minute the woman is only 200lbs. She's 220 if she's a pound! But no matter what my feelings about Oprah are... I do like me some Bob Greene; I think he is the real deal.

So what is this big idea I have you wondering? I want to give the ol Bob Greene way of living a try. But I'm a pack animal when it comes to diet... oops, we don't use that word anymore, and exercise. I need accountability. I also need help in staying motivated and planning. My thought is this...

If you would like to join me on this journey... maybe it lasts a week, a month or at least to Pool Season, I would love for you to do it with me. In fact, I'd love for a bunch of us to do it together. "Many hands makes little work" Mikey's Grandma always said. Think of it as a book club. We get together twice a month at my house (double whammy for me... motivation to clean my house every other week too!), we share what works for us, what doesn't work for us, we (gasp) track our progress, and YES... we all get a friggin bookmark just for showing up!!! And a gold star each time for coming back!!! This is how I think we can help each other:

Meal/Snack planning... share what works for you (If I don't plan, I don't loose. We can plan together.)
Accountability... say no more
Motivation... I love other people's success stories and want one of my own
Pity Party... for when we do fall down, we help each other back up.
Activity Planning... maybe we find some 5K's to walk, or meet at the Arboretum for a walk. Mix it up & have fun.
Rewards... and I'm really not talking about a stinkin bookmark. Real rewards, like a girl's weekend away, or a pot of money. Bring ideas!
New Friendships... pass this along and then bring along that friend.
Zero Failure Rate... we may not get skinny, but we will get healthy, make some friends, and have some laughs along the way. That's a Win!

So what do you think? Still undecided? Check out this link... http://www.thebestlife.com/ I'm willing to throw $70 bucks at this... heck, that's one night out and probably 2000 calories saved! But we don't have to "buy into it" either... we can do it ourselves together, or better yet both! Gotta buy the book though.

So you decide... is this a hair-brained idea or do you want to give it a whirl? I'll report back with responses once I have them and we can plan from there. Love you all and my wish for your New Year is good health, happiness and inner peace. (But we wouldn't balk at a smaller pant size or two either!!!) cb