I live in a town where virtually no one is fat, and certainly not obese. Maybe some of the 50- and 60-something women have the usual 15ish pounds to lose, but very few women my age are truly overweight. Quite the opposite, they are toned and tanned and coiffed.
So I am definitely an aberration in my town. Even in my family there are clear delineations when it comes to weight. My dad and his side of the family have always had weight problems. My mom is uber-thin (my sister teasingly calls her Lexi Anorexi), my sister is very thin and my brother has gone from stringbean to puffy and back a few times but generally is really fit.
My husband weighs 168 and hasn't varied from that by more than four pounds in the ten years I've known him. He weighs himself every day and when it's at the higher end of his allowable spectrum, he cuts back for a few days. End of story. Needless to say, I find this amazing.
On one hand, all these healthy-weight people are a constant reminder that I am not normal, and while most people can hide their issues, my "secret" weakness is broadcast to all by my heft. On the other hand, I think it's good for me to not be lulled into a false comfort by seeing overweight people all around me.
What kind of environment do you live in? Do you think it helps or hurts your weight-loss efforts?
Note: I had the Hubs pack up all the chocolate kisses in the house and take them to work. Getting it out of the house is half the battle, right?
