The (American woman) ommivore's dilemma

October 26, 7:55 AMSF Healthy Living ExaminerLani Muelrath

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You could call it the American woman omnivore's dilemma.

The luscious cake with frosting that thick pictured next to the latest diet.  It screams from the magazine covers every single time we hit the checkout stand at market.

Even the cover of Oprah Magazine often pictures delectable desserts next to "how to lose weight over 40" article headlines.  Gadzooks.

It's an oxymoronic juxtaposition that has us all scratching our heads.

The story behind the picture

This set of street signs (picture above) just north of San Francisco on a quiet side street in downtown San Rafael, California, draws one like a magnet for a snapshot to underscore the point.  After driving past it a dozen or more times ourselves, we decided we must bring our camera on a downtown walk  so I could strike a quick pose for a picture to post here.

Yup, that's yours truly of this landmark set of signs:  the Diet Center right next to "Cake Art".

Hello frosting, it's me, Lani

A bit of personal history here. On my long and colorful path to fitness freedom and 50 lb weight loss, I was once a Diet Center customer.  I stuff-starved my way within 4 lbs of Diet Center "goal weight".  It lasted about 6 hours, until I started my way back up again.

Don't get me started on my Diet Center experience.

OK, you twisted my arm. 

Diet Center was one of my last desperate efforts many years ago to get a grip on my spiraling weight and roaring hunger.  My first point of alarm should have been during my induction interview with the Diet Center "counselor".

When I dissolved in tears while trying to explain to her my utter desperation at finding myself time and time again in my car stuffing down a full bag of M n M's, her nervous quizzical looks should have tipped me off that I was in the wrong place.

My second point of alarm was in the next stage of the process:  setting my goal weight.  The counselor simply asked, "What would you like to weigh?"

I answered "125 lbs. "

No matter that I weighed 124 lbs. in the eighth grade (not fat then, mind you) or that I was born weighing 120 (as I like to say).   I was wedded to the fantasy that somehow I should match the weight of my petite classmates, all of whom were between 5'2" and 5'4" to my 5' 7" and climbing.

Nope.  My "counselor" never "counseled" me on my weight goals.  She simply put down 125 lbs as my goal and it was set in cement.  No turning back now.

In retrospect, I am grateful for the Diet Center experience. It was such a painful process that it forced me to seek out the shift in paradigm that has become the foundation of my own fitness, weight loss,  – and eating – freedom, and the scaffold for the Women's Fitness Blueprint program.  Yes, there is a solution to the omnivore's dilemma that presents itself daily to women.

Still, the ubiquitous mixed message – as in the image above – confounds and saddens me.  Even while it is great fodder for a photo op.

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