Valerie Bertinelli is no stranger to the spotlight. From acting in "One Day At A Time" to "Hot In Cleveland," she has been in front of a camera for many years.
She became a Jenny Craig spokesperson a couple of years back. She lost 50 pounds and inspired millions to do the same.
Recently, she has gained back the weight she lost. With an injured foot, she is not able to go to the gym as much as she used to, according to US Magazine. She started to eat a little more.
The media took pictures and she was in the tabloids for her weight gain. The media is extremely hard on women who gain weight.
Some people would argue that she gained weight because she was on Jenny Craig. Yet, there are millions of people who have lost weight on the popular diet. Some might say she is weak for gaining back the weight and I would argue against that as well. She seems like an incredibly strong woman. Some might say she is not smart for gaining back the weight and I would disagree again.
Here is why I think Valerie gained back the weight.
She is human.
Like so many of us, it happens.
No one wants to talk about weight gain. People want the fantasy. They want the before and after picture of weight loss and that is it. The end. People want the fantasy of living happily ever after...
It does not always happen that way.
People gain back weight. It is not rare. It is not a "one off" thing, although everyone wants to make it out to be that way. So that when you gain weight you feel shamed. Like YOU let people down. Like YOU let yourself down. Like YOU are the only person in the weight loss world that did not keep off all the weight right after.
Well, YOU are not the only one. It happens a lot. When I lost 221 pounds in 2009, I wanted to gain muscle. It turned into eating a lot more food than I should have. I felt stupid that I was gaining weight. I mean, I lost 221 pounds. I was called an inspiration by people. there is no way I could gain back weight. I did something no one thought I could do.
Yet, I gained back 80 pounds.
I caught myself. I did not want to get back to 420 pounds. If I could be healthy at 420 pounds that is one thing, but I knew how I felt at that weight.
So, I started to eat better and less. I lost back the weight.
It might happen again though. Not because I am stupid or uninspiring. Not because I do not know how to lose or maintain a weight loss.
It might happen because I am human.
I am a human with a lot of faults. As passionate and caring as I am, I know food is my weakness. Do not worry; I will think I am stronger than food. Then food will beat me again. And then I will be in the parking lot of Taco bell with $30 worth of Chulupas. Eating each one and getting sad because they will be gone.
That is why I repeatedly tell myself that I am not stronger than food. For me, and only for me, food is fuel. I am a man who does not know the meaning of "leftovers."
Although I might gain back weight, I will never be over 400 pounds again. I will not allow it. I do not care what I have to do, I refuse to ever let my wife or kids see me at that weight again. I refuse to ever let myself see me at that weight again.
But gaining weight happens to A LOT of people. It does not make you stupid or a bad person. it does not make you weak or someone who does not "get it." It happens to a majority of people who lose an extreme amount of weight. They do not want to say it because of embarrassment. Yet, there is nothing to be embarrassed about because it happens to so many.
And I applaud Valerie for talking about her weight gain. And I agree that there is no shame in it.
I wish more people would talk about it. I do agree that we do not need the media to tell us when someone gains weight. It does not help. We all know when we gain weight. It happens.
And to Valerie and the millions of others who have gained weight after losing, I am proud to be next to you.
We are all human. You will always be awesome.
And it happens.