Do these images look familiar?


And do you remember when...

...President Reagan was nibbling jelly beans in the Oval Office; acid-wash Guess jeans were really hot; Saddam Hussein was our FRIEND because we wanted him to win the Iran-Iraq War; Dustin Hoffman was on the cover of Time Magazine wearing a red sequined evening gown; Eastern Airlines still existed; Tab was a popular drink; no one had ANY IDEA that Darth Vader was Luke's father -- much LESS that Luke & Leia were (GASP!!) siblings; Underoos were fun to wear; the Space Shuttle was a phenomenal new technology; we cooked Shrinky Dinks in the oven; 9-11 was just a phone number; we were all pretty darn sure we'd die in a Soviet nuclear attack; "The Brat Pack" was the newest thing in Hollywood; Benetton was in every mall; Friday Night Videos were cool; postage stamps were only twenty cents; Argentina & the UK were at war with each other in the Falklands; and the words "internet," "SUV," "e-mail," and "iPod" didn't exist...?

I remember .

And I also remember being told by my pediatrician that -- at 5'4" tall and 140 lbs -- I needed to lose 20 lbs. So in addition to everything listed above, 1982 was also the year that I learned (from a graduate of Harvard Medical School, no less) that 140 lbs was fat. Being only 10 years old at the time, and having no idea whatsoever how to lose 20 lbs, it is ALSO the year that I said to myself "I guess I'll just be fat forever."

It has taken me 23 YEARS to get back to 140 lbs. And -- being the kind of person who can hold a grudge for a while -- I would like to say the following to my Harvard-Medical-School-educated (and also deceased) pediatrician:

GUESS WHO'S 140 LBS. & LOOKIN' HOT, BUDDY???


Sorry I just had to get that outta my system.

Sorry the doc was such an insensitive jerk! But thanks for a blast from the past. And KUDOS to you for making it to 140!!!!

Congrats on making it to 140. Let me find that doctor for you and hang him by the toenails.

Man, what a trip down memory lane (including being 140 pounds and thinking I was fat...only that was highschool and the late 80's / early 90's for me!)...BIG CONGRATS on going to 140!!! You're an inspiration, seriously!

Congrats on 140!! What a wonderful accomplishment! Too bad that doc isn't around any more so you can show him how terrific you look...

WTG lovebassetts they say success is the sweetest revenge why not go visit the doctors office? LOL

Good for you! Losing weight is hard enough but developing a positive body image is much, much harder. It would seem that you've done it! Congratulations!

Kate-- Congrats! And you always have the most inspired way to introduce topics!

I was only one, but I remember HEARING about all of that!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a great post!

Kate!

Wow, girl. You rock!

I was also 10 in 1982. Also a "fat" kid at around 5'2 and 130 pounds. And, can't wait to join you a little farther down the scale. My pediatrician's not around any longer, either. Bummer, man. Ah well. I guess it's enough just to do this for ourselves...and looking hot in little black coctail dresses doesn't hurt either, right?

Keep up the awesome work - and thanks for all your inspiration!!

cheers!
paula

Congratulations! What fabulous news. I wasn't even born yet in 1982 .

Muchos gracias on the quotations for that one. That is just wrong.

I was a bump in 1982, but I was 9 when I weighed 140lbs! I do remember most of those things though!

Respect to you kate, for getting to the magic 140!

hehehehe You start the best threads, Kate

I went on my first "diet" in 1982 (I was 12 or 13) and lost those 20 lbs that the doctor was traumatizing you with. When I look at the photos for that year, I can see that I was painfully thin afterwards.

In retrospect I can see that I was setting myself up for 20 years of yo-yoing my way up to massive weight gain. My original goal weight this last time around was the very weight that I had been prior to all the dieting.

Congrats!!! Awesome job!!