Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
MY FINALE AND FINDING HOPE
Ruby on Finales and Finding Hope by RUBY GETTINGER
Hi, y'all!
It is the finale for the first season, and yes, I will let you follow along my journey till the end. Can you believe it? In seven months, I have lost 104 pounds! That averages out to be about 14 pounds a month; that is 1 pound every two to three days. YAY! I am hacky wacky about it. I still have over 200 pounds more to lose! WOW!
But I am determined to win for me and you! It is the hardest battle of my life. But this is the battle for my life. For the first time, I really got it! I really got it that this was killing—and will kill—me. It is not only about the weight, y'all, it's what having 10 to 100, to 200, to 300 extra pounds will do to you. The scary thing to me, even knowing this, is that I have to fight to beat this. This is an addiction!
Addiction is a dependence on a behavior or substance that a person is powerless to stop. The term has been partially replaced by the word dependence for substance abuse. Dependence is the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else. Substance is the most important element in any existence; the characteristic and essential components of anything; the main part.
Yes, Ruby has been doing her homework. LOL! Y'all, for the first time in my life, I am having to look at the mental part as to why I got as high as 716 pounds. And why, in my adult life, I have never made it below 350. I am facing the BEAST!
I find it strange how fearful I am of the beast. I feel he is always out to get me, that he is in hiding and will appear when I least expect him to. In the past when he appeared, I didn't know until it was too late. He has disguises on. He comes in love and beauty, and I am blindsided. Then, when I know it's him and I defend myself, I lose. Why? I do not know yet. Is it because he is much stronger and bigger than me, or is it that I get tired? I do not know yet, but I am going to find out.
There has been a lot of dispute over whether or not obesity is a disease. I do not know yet, because I am only at the beginning of my journey. That is something I want to know and find out. People have their opinions on this matter, and I have to say, I see both views.
The meaning of disease: A pathological condition of a part, organ or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms. A condition or tendency, as of society, regarded as abnormal and harmful.
I do know this for a fact: Whatever this is, it's not as simple as, "Just go on a diet and lose weight." It is bigger than that! If it were that simple, I would have won a long time ago. I do know eating wrong and having extra weight on your body will kill you mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Our frames were only meant to carry a certain amount of weight. If my knees, back, legs and shoulders could talk, they would be telling me off. Trust me: We are doing so much damage to our joints, heart, kidneys, etc.
How can our minds allow us to do this? Isn't it crazy that our bodies, minds, emotions and hearts are all one, but they are constantly battling against one another? I still do not get it all, because I am still at the beginning of my journey. This has been part one of the journey. We are about to start part two…
Click here for more finale thoughts from Ruby!
FASHION, FRIENDS...AND FAT NIGHT
Ruby on Fashion, Friends...and Fat Night
by RUBY GETTINGERHi, y'all!
I was so hacky when I lost some more weight in this week's episode, and it was sweet of Brittany to come to town and try to find me new clothes. But I knew it was going to be impossible. I know I have lost a lot of weight, but I still have several hundred pounds to go. I always had clothes made for me, and every once in a while, if I was lucky, I might find something to fit me. But I have never been able to choose what I really liked.
I am hacky wacky about losing weight, and I love going shopping with my beautiful friends Brittany, Georgia and Lindsey. I love watching them try things on and decorating them. I love helping my friends find outfits that make them feel good and look incredible.
Yes, I called the support group Ruby's Fat Night! Some of them said, "Let's call it Chubby or Tubby Night." I did not like those names at all. I think they are uggie! So, we all have trouble with a name for Ruby's Fat Night. But to me,fat is not an ugly word. I want people to see fat is beautiful, and everyone finally agreed!
I called a support group together like Overeaters Anonymous. I wanted to get one started for all of us. Watching and hearing and looking at my friends made me so proud of every one of them. They are beautiful girls, inside and out, who deal with the same issues I have, though in different realms. We all want to beat the beast. They are the sweetest and most loving and compassionate women you will ever meet. Leslie, Chellie, Judy, Vernita, Georgia and Joan, I love you all! We can beat this, and we will. I sit there and think to myself how many people (men and women) are missing out on the most beautiful friends, loves, etc., because they judge us all on the outside.
I think everyone in every city and state needs to start a support group to discuss and walk with. Come on, y'all, we can do it! Lets fight together! :O)
When Dr. Bradley told me about Anthony Miller from the Savannah College of Art and Design, I was nervous. He's a fashion guru, and I knew he had no idea what he was dealing with. Especially when I heard his pause in the phone call. When I saw in the episode where Anthony said, "Fat is not fashion to me," and then, "too much poundage to absorb," it shocked me! I was hurt at first. But then I said to myself, "Ruby, he is a fashion guru. He doesn't deal with women or men who are 400 to 500 pounds." I really had to understand and did. It touched my heart when Anthony said he was transformed and that "design is design, no matter if you're designing a size 6 or a 3X." And then he said, "[This experience] made me a better person." Anthony and students, I LOVE YOU! You made me feel normal!
Just to let everyone know, I love my Anthony, and he is one of my biggest supporters. YAY!!!
For plus-size fashion resources, visit our Living Large section.
MY OPINIONS, TEMPTATIONS-AND TAKING RISK
Ruby on Opinions, Temptations—and Taking Risks
by RUBY GETTINGER
I learned a lot during the filming of this week's episode. I was so hacky I finally got under 400 pounds. That was a huge accomplishment for me. I feel like I have been working so hard, and right now the only way I can see any change is by looking at the scales. Yes, I am humidified that I cried in front of my trainer because I wasn't under 400. Who cries in front of their trainer? LOL!
But in the end I finally conquered and got below 400 pounds. I am hacky wacky and now I am able to drive Georgia's car. Freedom, YAY! But I am finding out that there is a price that comes with my newfound freedom that I had no clue about. In my freedom, my temptation became bigger and much more accessible to me. YUCK!! Fast-food store on every street, convenience stores for days. Can I conquer this when I am alone, facing myself? Can I conquer this when the beast disguises himself and tries to defeat me?
My team—Dr. Bradley, Dr. Brewerton, Helen Hussy and Reese Brown—I know they all want me to win. They are passionate about what they believe. But I was getting mixed signals, and everyone was saying what they truly believe is right for me. I meant it when I said they can't let me decide what to do this early in the game. I am the addict, and I will choose what feeds the addict instead of the girl.
I was insulted when Dr. Brewerton called me a BS'er—who?! To me, a BS'er is someone who is knowingly manipulating a situation. I know where he is coming from, but to me when it is innocently done, it is not BS'ing. But I do have to question: Is this part of my addiction?
I could have killed Jeff for putting me on the spot at the DMV. Before I knew it, I was taking a driver's license test. They didn't put this in the show, but I told Jeff that if I failed the test he would be driving me everywhere. You've heard of Driving Miss Daisy; he'd be driving Miss Ruby! LOL! I not kid!
Personally I think the biggest problem out there is that there are too many people with so many ideas, when it's as simple as A-B-C. We know what we should eat with good portion sizes. Personally I think everyone should base their eating on the American Diabetic Association's recommendations. It should be a life change.
The eating right and exercise is not a problem. The problem is trying to connect the mind and the will to do it. There is a huge disconnection. I do know with all I have I want to beat this, but when I come face to face with it the mind and will are no longer connected. The scary thing is, I know we have all the tools we need to fix our problem. The diet industry, doctors and science have provided all the tools to fix this, but that is not the problem. The problem is, there is a huge disconnection between the mind and the will. I believe that is where the problem stems from. What others think should be so easy for us we find difficult to grasp, which makes us aliens to this. Something else controls us, and we don't even know it until it has captured us into bondage. Now I am fighting to connect my mind and will. I believe when the mind and will connect, then we will win.
In closing, I want to share my favorite quote, from Theodore Roosevelt. I would love for me and everyone else to live by these words:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
COMING TOGETHER
Love from Ruby: Coming Together
FClick to see Ruby celebrate the inspiration she's found in her supporters, and get some savvy advice on changing your life one small action at a time.
Plus, check out the Ruby site for diet and fitness tips, message boards and more!
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