DOT Says Pigs Can Fly

The Department of Transportation in all its wisdom declared today that airlines must allow service animals on planes, including pot belly pigs and miniature horses.

Please know, this post is not about the need some may have for service animals to help them with their daily needs regardless of what type of animal it may be. I say, God Speed, and whatever gets you through the day is all right with me.

This is simply about the irony of it all. They throw fat people off planes for being too big to fly, but a horse or a pig, no problem. The article went on to say that if there wasn't a seat available for the animal, that a passenger might be asked to move to a new seat to accommodate the animal unless, that is, the passenger is willing share some of their floor space and leg room with the animal.

When's the last time someone was willing to share some of their seat with an overweight person let alone livestock?

Honestly, it boggles the mind.

I can hear it now, "Excuse me, ma'am, you don't mind if my pig sits in your lap do you?"

The passengers with these animals do have to promise that the animals won't go to the bathroom while on the plane. You know, I had a hard enough time house training my dog. I'm not sure I could get a horse to go...or not go...on command.

The airports will be required to have bathroom spaces and personal to take the animals for that all important last potty break before boarding.

All I'm saying is if a 300 lb pig can fly and not have to pay for an extra seat than so can I.

Time

I wonder when motivation kicks in. What does it take? My father died a week ago. He had been ill, but the timing seems off. We assumed he had time left. That got me to thinking about time. We always think that we'll have tomorrow to do what we just didn't get to today, but maybe we won't. I think about the life I'd like to have. It includes more friends, more freedom to do the thinks I keep myself from doing because of my weight. It also includes companionship and dare I say love. Being overweight is isolating. I do it to myself, and it is done to me by others. People don't seem to want to take the time to get to know who I am as a person. They don't like what they see on the outside, so I guess, they figure they won't like what's on the inside.

I'm not silly enough to believe that being thin solves all of a person's problems, but it doesn't hurt. Maybe there is a whole other list out there of problems just waiting for the day I finally lose the weight. Honestly, I'd welcome them. At least, they would be a change of pace.

So, back to time. It is so easy to say, "I'll start tomorrow. I'll worry about that on Monday. This isn't a good time, maybe next week." I just have to wonder, how much time is left?

Still Fat, Still Flying

Well, here it is, over two years since I started this blog. At that time, I was concerned that being over weight would make flying to England difficult. Since then, I have flown to England twice. In fact, I just got back a couple of weeks ago. Guess what? Being over weight made flying to England difficult. The seats were small, the tray table wouldn't lay flat across my lap, and let's not even mention the bathrooms. Let's face it, airplane bathrooms are a nightmare on a good day! Try stuffing 240 lbs into one and, well, it doesn't even stand talking about.

So, the $100,000 dollar question is why am I still over weight? I know the simple answer - I eat too much and don't exercise. Why do I eat too much and why don't I exercise? Now there's the rub. I think, I could even come up with an answer for that. Having said that, it still doesn't explain why I can't seem to get myself off the sofa for more than a trip to the ice box.

I'm a terribly smart person. If I want something, I go after it and usually get it. I don't stop or back down. That is unless we're talking about losing weight and getting into shape.

I'm back on the blog because I really want to get this all in hand. A new decade has started, and I'd like to see what I can do to change the direction of my life.

If nothing else, it should be interesting!

a moment is the answer to all of lifes mysteries!

Back Injury and Exercise

I hurt my back a couple of months ago exercising. I was twisting at the waist and throwing my arms back and forth in front of my chest, as the video showed, and yikes, I pinched a nerve in my lower back. The pain and discomfort has come and gone and come again.

The issue is, I am trying to exercise to lose inches to, hopefully, fit my backside into a plane seat in January. I can't simply not exercise, so I have been looking for gentle exercises I can do while my back heals.

So far I have come up with this:

• Walking - I'm not sure this is the best thing for a bad back, but it was suggested.
• Swiming - There is no way I'm getting in a bathing suit!
• Callentics - I did this years ago and lost 3 inches off my thighs in one week. It is supposed to be very gentle. I found it to be difficult but easier each time.

I did go for a walk today with the dogs. They enjoyed it. My back is screaming at me right now, but I don't know that the walk had anything to do with it. At least, it was a beautiful day.

I actually have the Callentics DVD. I think, I'll get it out and give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes.

If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know!

Weight Loss (or the lack of weight loss) and Dating

I had a conversation today with my former boyfriend. When we met, about one and a half years ago, we both had some weight to lose. I'd say he was about 70 lbs overweight. I was more like 100 lbs overweight. Yikes. That is always scary to see in print.

Anyway, we went our seperate ways. I won't bore you with the details, but it was one of those things where after a year of dating all of a sudden he, "wasn't ready for a relationship." I guess, he didn't realize he was already in one.

Anyway, in that year he not only lost his 70 lbs he has become Mr. Exercise. I think that is wonderful, really. I haven't seen him for sometime, but from what he tells me, and he likes to tell me this as often as he can, he is looking really good.

I'm afraid to report that in that same year, I have gone up and down in weight, but have ended up pretty much where I started. Now, he wants to get together in November. He is in Denver at the moment, and I am in South Carolina.

What to do. What to do. I hate that I have wasted so much time in the weight loss game. I hate that I feel as if I need to go exercise 12 hours a day as if I am on the Biggest Loser. I hate that I even have to think about weight. I hate that he wants to see me. I hate that I care what he thinks. I hate that I have failed where he has been successful.

I just mention this because, I find the whole thing depressing. The easy out, of course, is to not see him. The shame is, I'd kind of like to see him.

What to do. What to do?

Introductions

I read an article yesterday that talked about over-weight people and the size of airline seats. The bottom line, no pun intended, was whether or not larger people should pay for two seats. The truth of the matter is airlines are not going to give their customer's more room without higher costs. The population is not going to get smaller. The seats are not going to get larger. People's views on the heavy are not going to change.

Regardless on which side you may fall on this issue my problem is, I have a fat butt and I am flying to England in three months time.

My options are limited. One seat is about $1200 Economy class. Business class starts at around $2,600 a seat. Forget about First class.

I can't afford two seats let alone Business or First Class.

It's not that I can't fit into one seat. I can. The arm rest goes down. I lean towards the window and hold my breath and I don't touch anyone else. Of course, after eight hours in this position, I have cramps in my whole body and most likely have turned blue.

I live in terror the entire flight that the person next to me will make a snide comment, that I'll have to go the bathroom, or that my legs will have to be amputated from lack of blood flow due to the arm rest digging into them.

I'm afraid the only option I see available to me is to have a much smaller butt three months from now.

But how?