Oh what a celebration...

Yesterday, Alex was routed with a very light day, and a very difficult trainee, so when he returned home just a little after noon, he was happy to spend some of the evening out enjoying the gorgeous weather and relieving a little stress. When the girls got up from their naps we spent some time playing outside before we decided to go for a bike ride. Michaela has anxiously been attempting to ride her "big girl bike" with the training wheels for some time now. She is finally getting better at pedaling but our driveway is simply too small for her to really get the hang of it so we thought we'd let her try it out at Cliff Cave on the trail, fully prepared to strap it to the bike trailer when she tired out. With a little frustration and a very pokey toddler we made it nearly a 1/2 mile down the trail when we decided it was time for her to get in the trailer or else we'd never finish before sunset. Well, the ride was gorgeous. It was just before sunset, the air was cool the sounds of the birds were all around us, and we saw at least a dozen deer in the fields. Since it was late when we finished our ride, we opted to get dinner out, as opposed to making our very hungry children wait any longer to eat, so we went to a new buffet restaurant called Golden Corral.

Now, typically I'm not one for buffet restaurants. I don't feel like it's worth the price for me since I'm not going to make 5 trips to the buffet line, but the kids ate free and Alex would make several trips so the cost would be comparable to any other restaurant. Immediately when we got inside though, my heart broke. As I looked around, all that I saw were severely overweight people at every table, and I felt like this establishment was nothing but a celebration of gluttony. As I made my way down the buffet line, carefully trying to pick out the foods that weren't swimming in a pool of butter, or deep fat fried, and loaded down with heavy creams, my options were severely limited. While all the while people pushed passed me with plates in each hand loaded down with fried chicken, okra, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, baked spaghetti, pizza, and french fries. Or full dinner plates with a whole array of desserts! Now maybe this is harsh for me to be saying, maybe I should shut up, since it wasn't that long ago that I was making my 6th trip to the buffet line for another plate of nachos, but I've never felt so emotionally wounded for people in all my life.

I want to make my point perfectly clear, this is not a criticism of the individuals; while I feel there are always much better options that could have been chosen, this is largely a criticism of the establishment. It was as if this was a place where obesity was not only accepted but celebrated and encouraged. You were encouraged to make several trips, the restaurant made no attempt at offering anything with any health merit. A few raw veggies on the salad bar, but tucked between premixed salads with rich cream dressings. Two options of fresh fruit, again tucked behind the cherry pie filling, and peaches in heavy syrup, every cooked vegetable was bathing in melted butter or stationed next to the pump of nacho cheese sauce to be topped with. And all the while as I sat there, watching this take place I couldn't help but think of Jillian Michaels. Since my obsession with all things fitness, especially Biggest Loser, she has become an important part of my life through her work out DVDs, daily email support, and updates of her app on my phone, she's on my mind a lot. I was wondering what her response would be walking into that place. Would it be heart break like I felt, or anger, or sheer disgust? And I couldn't help but contemplate the name of the establishment...Golden Corral. I'm pretty sure that the name is intended to indicate the carved ham, turkey and steak that are available at the buffet line but my mind went to the concept of animals at the feeding trough, being fattened up for the slaughter. I don't want to be likened to an animal of any sort, especially not in my eating habits, and especially not like that.

Perhaps the most heart breaking was the children. I have an especially soft spot in my heart for kids who are overweight. I largely feel like they are a victim of their circumstances, they have no choice over their weight gain until they make their own food decisions and even then, without having been properly educated their choice is made for them. Seeing as how I've spent the better portion of my life as morbidly obese by medical standards, I know the pain of being an overweight child. I know the challenges, I know how mean other kids can be, I know what it's like to not be able to wear the same clothing as everyone else, because it doesn't come in your size and I hurt for those kids. The kids with the 3rd bowl of whipped cream, plates full of cookies, brownies, cup cakes and ice cream. Plates mounded with mac and cheese and french fries but never any vegetables. Even with the butter bath the vegetables were swimming in I felt it was still the valuable option for nutrients, but I guess I was in the minority. I left there feeling sad and even more secure in the choice that's pulling me towards a career in health and fitness.