prescriptions

My kids and me: Anne (12), Ty (9 for a few more days), and Jack (14)

I made the call today. As I was leaving my Pilates class I overheard one of my classmates asking our instructor how much weight she had lost, to which she responded 15 pounds. I congratulated her and told her how jealous I was; then quickly left, jumped in my car, and dialed the number for my “preferred” weight-loss program (the number was preprogrammed). Nervously waiting as the phone rang I felt a sense of relief when a familiar voice answered. I sheepishly asked her if the program took “repeat offenders” – the name I’d given myself as a feeble attempt to lessen my humiliation and embarrassment at being a “restart” TWICE! Of course they take repeat offenders, weight-loss being big business in a country where half the population is overweight! (My commentary, not hers; she was very gracious and immediately put me at ease). I scheduled my “work-up” for today – before I could change my mind. So as of now I’m officially “on the wagon.”

Weight has always been an issue for me. I went on my first diet when I was in 5th grade so I could wear “Luv-It” jeans – the original jeans with embellished pockets. My weight was successfully maintained through Middle and High School, no doubt due to my “religious” commitment to healthily eating, avid water drinking, and frequent exercise. Naturally I gained the “Freshman 15” (or 20) in college but was able to beat it back, despite being introduced to Diet Coke and late-night studying. The status quo prevailed until I had children in my early and mid thirties. Since then I have been a solid 40 pounds overweight except for a brief respite in 2009 when I initially enrolled in this particular weight-loss program at the occasion of my 40th birthday. I lost 36 pounds but it was back in less than a year.

What I’m trying to say is this: but for the grace of God I’m addicted to food and not heroin or alcohol! I’ve actually had the thought that if I was an alcoholic I’d be a miserable drunk because I couldn’t stay off the bottle. One taste is not good enough. So I understand why they say “once an alcoholic always an alcoholic!” Once an overeater . . . you get the picture. But unfortunately I still have to eat, so moderation and portion control are a must. It’s up to me to find a “framework” to achieve and maintain my goal – a healthy lifestyle of which proper weight is a byproduct. This is the genius of America’s Founding Fathers. They accurately assessed “flawed” human nature (self-destructive tendencies being one such flaw) and accounted for it in the republic they designed. In a society based on self-rule, people will necessarily be given a lot of power, particularly those popularly elected to govern over others. But that power has to be limited and checked, in other words, carefully prescribed. After much trial and error, the Founders devised our constitutional republic as the best form of government to maximize personal and public happiness. The Constitution prescribes the optimal arrangement of political power to achieve a government of, by, and for the people.