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Oprah Winfrey is known for her weight loss (and weight gain) almost as much as she’s known for her talk show. I’ve seen people come on to the show over the years and she’s really talked to them like she’s an expert on weight loss.
Before I go any further, I want to make it clear – I really respect Oprah for not being more overweight than she is because if I had Oprah’s money, I would probably weigh 400lbs. When you can afford to have your favorite food shipped in from anywhere (or can travel someplace in your jet because you just gotta have your favorite ribs) what would stop you from gaining weight?
The thing I never liked is that Oprah talked to show guests like she was a professional and sometimes even talked over the experts she had on the show. I always felt like weight loss is a journey for those of us who have been overweight or obese so it’s important not to get too cocky. In my opinion, you’ve never got overeating beat – it’s a daily struggle that will with that person for the rest of their lives.
Am I shocked that Oprah has packed on the pounds? No. I think she lost her way dishing out advice that she wasn’t applying to herself. She gets major points for honesty, though. In the January issue of her "O" magazine, she admits to "falling off the wagon" and gaining 40lbs since 2006 to bring her weight back up to 200lbs. She said: "I’m embarrassed," she writes. "I can’t believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I’m still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, ‘How did I let this happen again?"’
She explains that the thyroid problems she has been facing have caused her to develop a "a fear of working out." I think that’s valid but if one of her guests said something like that, she would accuse them of making excuses.
My new year’s wish for Oprah is that she gets her healthy lifestyle back on track (I wish that for everyone who needs it, actually!) but that this experience gave her a bit more humility for when she talks to guests who may be struggling to do tasks that she feels should be easy for them to do. At least she’s aware of the difference between what she says and what she does. She added: "I definitely wasn’t setting an example," she writes. "I was talking the talk, but I wasn’t walking the walk. And that was very disappointing to me."
image: Newscom