I Got This (16 page)
Authors: Jennifer Hudson
My aunt Bae Mae is in her seventies and has lost more than forty-six pounds. I had only ever known Aunt Bae Mae as a big woman. She was so inspired by my weight loss that she decided to give it a try, too. I think she’s the true inspiration for making a decision to take control of her health and weight so late in life. If she can make that decision at her age, there is simply no excuse for anyone else to say they can’t do it. I was especially stunned when I heard that my uncle Charles, who is known as the barbecue man in our family because his brother once owned his own barbecue restaurant, is sitting in weekly Weight Watchers meetings, losing weight, too. These two relatives are living proof that it is never too late to get control of your health.
AUNT BAE “BABY” MAE
Age 74
I began my journey with Weight Watchers in May 2010 after one of my cousins called me to say she had started on their program. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about losing weight. I’ve never been a big eater, but I like rich food. I rather enjoy eating grits, greens with salt pork or ham hock, but most of all, I really like butter. And as they say, “Everything is better with butter!” Still, I’d been a big woman my entire life and at my age, I thought, What’s the point? She tried to entice me by telling me that the Weight Watchers people were coming to talk to everyone in the family and we were going to have our picture taken to track our progress. “Picture? I don’t want any pictures taken!” I told her the only way I would join her was if she took a bus trip with me to an upcoming family reunion. She said, “If I go with you, will you try the program with me?” I reluctantly said I would try it for a week or two.
So many members of our family had started on the Weight Watchers plan that they held their own meetings every week at our church. I really enjoyed attending those meetings because they inspired me. When I heard other
people’s stories and saw how well my family members were doing on the plan, I felt like I could do it, too.
I lost two or three pounds the first week on the plan. That was enough to get me to go back to another meeting and see how I could do better during week two. I gave up drinking excessive amounts of cola like I used to and replaced it with water. I was amazed that I could eat all types of food as long as I ate them in the right portions. It took me some time to realize that I could no longer go back for a second hamburger, but at least I could still eat one if I wanted to. Today I still eat my beloved grits, but now I’ll have a half of a cup instead of a heaping spoonful serving—I get the flavor without all of the unwanted extra Points. I won’t bring my old favorite foods into the house, and though my husband still drinks his soda pop, I keep it in the basement where it is out of sight, out of mind, so I won’t be tempted. And even if I were, as a senior person, I am not walking those stairs unless I have to!
I’m a Christian woman, who believes that the Lord always has a plan. When I joined Weight Watchers I realized that, like my faith, the door is open for all those who will come. You have to accept the plan and realize that if you slip, and you might, you can’t use that as a reason to
give up or stop. Even if you go a week without losing a pound, be happy that you didn’t gain one. Eating healthy is a continuous way of life. We’re all human, which means we will make mistakes. Don’t dwell on that—focus on getting back to eating right and you will feel so good.
Even my twelve-year-old cousin Star has benefited from the program. Her story is very near and dear to me because she is a young girl with a bundle of talent who has always been a little chubby and didn’t have the self-esteem to see herself as the beautiful girl she truly is. Her mother came to me awhile back to ask my thoughts on how to break her daughter into the music business. I knew from my own experiences that there is so much competition out there, and like it or not, my cousin was going to be judged on her appearance before her talent. Lord knows I had lived through that scene too many times in my life. I encouraged her mother, who was also a Weight Watchers member, to share with Star the new healthy habits from the program. That way Star could face the competition that she was up against with a fair shot of breaking out. Star said she was scared to make changes. Discouraged by Star’s refusal, her mom asked me to talk to her, hoping that I might be able to convince her to listen to the advice and learn how to eat healthy.
I spoke with Star for about an hour. I reminded her of all of her
positive assets. I told her that no one is perfect—no one. We always think the grass is greener on the other side, but the reality is that everyone struggles with something. I laughed as I shared my thoughts on how everyone has a shape. Some girls have great shapes while others are built like boys. Both are still shapes. Some are built like two-liter bottles of soda and others are built like single cans.
“You know what? I was once that bottle!” I said. I think she knew what I meant.
As we talked, I assured her that no one needed to know she was changing her eating habits and that she could go at her own pace. Before we went our separate ways, I committed to becoming her mentor throughout her journey and promised that she wouldn’t go through any of these changes alone.
I didn’t have anyone to guide me like that when I was her age, but I was determined to break that cycle in our family by making myself available to anyone who had the desire to get healthy. I managed to talk her into listening to what her mother had to say, and guess what? It worked! She is a whole new person; she can see herself for the amazing girl she is. While her outer appearance has definitely changed, it is her inner beauty that is finally shining through.
Altogether, seventy-five of my family members have gone on the program and, as of the writing of this book, they have collectively lost more than
two thousand
pounds. They attend a weekly
Weight Watchers meeting where they all get together to support one another through their journeys. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from Liz was the importance of having a solid support system. That lack of support is one of the biggest reasons people gain back the weight they have worked so hard to take off. Weight Watchers was so impressed by my family members and their commitment to the program that they actually put two of my cousins in a television commercial for the company in an effort to make their weight loss real for everyday people. Ultimately, weight loss and getting healthy have become a real family affair.
It blows me away to see these people taking control of their health because our family has always loved food—especially unhealthy food. It’s such a change in lifestyle for everyone, especially the elders in my family, who never dieted a day in their lives. When I threw my son’s second birthday party, almost everyone attending asked me to plan a special Weight Watchers–friendly menu so they could stay on the plan that day. As I walked around the party, we all began talking about our personal weight-loss journeys, and we created a spontaneous Weight Watchers meeting on the spot.
“Jenny, how many Points are in this burger?”
“Can I eat this?”
“Help me not fall off today…”
I suddenly felt like I was a Weight Watchers leader, and I loved every minute of the joyful experience. Seeing so many of my relatives
enthusiastically embrace these changes makes me feel like Jesus has a bigger plan for me outside of music.
Sharing this moment was amazing. I felt more proud that day than I did receiving my Oscar. For real. Part of my drive to keep at it myself is so I can continue to set a positive example for my family and others.
H
ealthy eating is a choice, a lifestyle, and a decision only you can make for yourself, but once you do, you’ll never want to go back to the way you used to feel.
Even though I have been extremely public about my commitment to Weight Watchers, some people still think I lost the weight by some other means. Some even believe that I had gastric bypass surgery. Here’s the thing. I am all about doing things in a natural way. My sister came to me awhile ago to say she wanted to have her stomach stapled. I was all over her before she finished the sentence.
“Julia. That’s cheating. It’s the lazy way out and I won’t let you do that. You have to want to lose the weight and then do the work for it to truly mean anything.” And that is how I really feel. So when people ask me how I took off my excess pounds, I tell them I did it the old-fashioned way—with determination and commitment. And just so we’re completely clear about what I am saying,
whenever you see my stretch marks and excess skin—that is to let you know that my weight loss is real. I am proud of those reminders of how I once looked. They are my war wounds, my battle scars, and they’re there to remind me of what used to be the truth. A truth I created and a truth I changed. If I had any type of cosmetic surgery, don’t you think I’d get that stuff fixed, too? Of course I would! But I didn’t. I didn’t do anything but eat right and exercise. You can take that to the bank. And you can do it, too.
According to a recent OECD study, in the United States, the cost of treating obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, will increase $66 billion per year by 2030, and represent a 2.6 percent increase in overall health spending. The increasing rates of obesity would mean 7.8 million extra cases of diabetes, 6.8 million extra cases of coronary heart disease and stroke, and 539,000 extra cancer cases by 2030. Losing just a little weight could offset those increases. The report noted that a 1 percent population-wide decrease in body-mass index (just 1.9 pounds for an average 198-pound adult) would prevent more than 2 million cases of diabetes, roughly 1.5 million cases of heart disease and stroke, and 73,000 to 127,000 cancer cases in the United States.
Not only did Weight Watchers change the way I thought about food, it altered my entire way of thinking. I became a much more organized person because I had to practice structure about my meals and keep meticulous notes on what I ate every single day. And even though many experts will tell you not to weigh yourself daily, it’s now the first thing I do every morning. I weigh completely naked so there is nothing that can mysteriously add an unexpected pound here or there other than my food intake. This routine helps me to control my fluctuations in weight. If I see a small gain, I know I can do something about it that day. I can drink more water and make smarter food choices to move the needle on that scale back down. I try to weigh myself only in the morning because doing so at other times of the day can have slight fluctuations. Doing this helps keep the circumstances the same each time, so I feel as if I am getting an accurate weight. I know I’m not alone in this—it is just a human compulsion.
If I don’t get on the scale every day, I feel as if I am not on top of my progress or lack thereof. If I check into a hotel and my room doesn’t have a scale, I call housekeeping to bring one up. Call it a habit or an obsession—either way, I have to know where I am on the scale at all times. If I’ve gained a pound or two and don’t know it, there is nothing preventing me from continuing to gain weight, especially if I am unaware of that movement in the first place. I also do my weekly Weight Watchers weigh-ins like all members, just not usually at meetings. Everyone has their own method of
gauging where they’re at. Some people never get on the scale and merely go by how their clothes are fitting, while others obsess over the number they see at their feet every day. I am one of those obsessed people. Hello. My name is Jennifer and yes, I am addicted to the scale.
B
y late 2009, I was back in the studio recording my second album,
I Remember Me.
The title track is based on a poem I wrote one morning because I wanted to share how I felt about all of the experiences I have had, including the highs and the lows and everything in between. The song was written to allow people to get to know and then embrace the new me. I had been through so much throughout my career, in my personal life, and during my weight loss that I wanted to reconnect with my fans by giving them some insight about how all of that felt. I felt like a new person, but I was still the same girl.
While recording the album, I got to work with the incredibly talented R. Kelly, who wrote my first single “Where You At.” R. Kelly really got me. Although we both live in Chicago, we had never met while making the album. Even so, he somehow understood me.
I also got to work with the fantastic Alicia Keys, who wrote “Angel” and cowrote “Don’t Look Down” and “Everybody Needs Love”; and one of my favorite songwriters, Diane Warren, who I
had previously worked with on “Still Here” for my first album, but made it onto my second album instead. “Still Here” was originally dedicated to my grandmother, but it really relates to my whole family. It’s a way to remember and keep them in my life.
Diane’s songs are the type of music I love to sing. When it comes to songwriting, she is in a league of her own. We recently collaborated on a song for the sound track of
Winnie
called “Bleed for Love.” It is such a beautiful song. Give me a Diane Warren song any day of the week and I will smother it with Jennifer Hudson singing love.
I had purposely kept a pretty low profile while recording my second album. The first time I publicly revealed my partial weight loss was when I was asked to participate in a tribute to Whitney Houston at the 2010 BET Honors, held in Washington, D.C. As you can imagine, that was a treat for me. I was finally able to show my appreciation for Whitney by singing one of her biggest hits and most difficult songs to perform—“I Will Always Love You.” That song meant so much to me that I told producers they had to let me do that song or I wouldn’t perform at all! At the time, I had lost about thirty or so pounds. Although it wasn’t that much, the change in my appearance was drastic. I wore a custom-made dress that hugged my body and showed off my brand-new shape.
When I came out onstage, I received a standing ovation based on my look alone. I hadn’t even begun to sing. I had to look behind me to see if someone else had come out on the stage, too, because I
couldn’t understand why they were on their feet. I didn’t realize it was just me they were screaming for. I think everyone was shocked by the change in my appearance. It felt unreal.