Shonda Rhimes is the creator of the well known medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, as well as its spin off political series Scandal. She is also the executive producer of ABC’s legal series How to Get Away with Murder. In May 2007 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 People Who Help Shape The World. In her new book she discusses her struggle with her weight, and her dramatic transformation.
Shonda seemed like she had it all: a successful career, a great family, and financial security. Yes, she was a little overweight, but she convinced herself that made her more "normal" and less intimidating than if she had been rich, successful and thin. She also believed that she was not defined by her body. Her body to her was just a container for her brain, which is what really mattered. As a feminist she is still firmly against the idea that all bodies need to conform to societal expectations, but she realized that her weight had become a problem.
The idea that her weight was a problem dawned on her when she was on an airplane. She was flying from New York to Los Angeles and had booked a first class ticket. The seat looked so wide and comfortable, but Shonda couldn’t get the seat belt to buckle. At first she assumed it was a problem with the seatbelt, but then she realized that the problem was with her. She weighed her options: ask one of the flight attendants for a seat belt extender, or take the risk of not wearing her seatbelt. She took her chances and did not use her seat belt because she was too embarrassed to ask for an extender. It was at that point she realized that she needed to make a change.
Shonda lost over 100 pounds. She did it for her three children, so that she could be there for them and not have to worry about health problems taking her from them. To lose that much weight was a daunting task indeed, but it all started with the power of positive thinking. Instead of saying no, and hiding from things that frightened her Shonda made the conscious decision to start saying yes. She said yes to everything that frightened her, including public speaking and losing weight. Shonda found that the more fears she conquered the more confident she became. Eventually she was able to look herself in the mirror and say "I can do this, I can lose weight" and then she did.
Shonda is now a healthy weight, and feels better than ever. She has realized that being thin isn’t about conforming to a societal expectation, it is about being healthy and being able to live life to the fullest. It is about being able to actively participate in the lives of her children, and know that she will be there for them for decades to come.
Paul Anthony of Dream Body is one of Calgary’s premier personal trainers. For a free consultation call Paul at 403.612.3538 and visit paulanthony.ca today.
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