Rosemary Green's story is more than just a weight loss journey; it's a decade-long saga of self-loathing, brave resolutions, and humiliating defeats, ultimately leading to a triumphant return to her pre-six-children figure. From morbid obesity to a healthy lifestyle, her experiences offer a glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of battling weight issues.
From Morbid Obesity to Goal Weight
Rosemary Green, a 5-foot, 9-inch woman from Beaverton, Oregon, weighed 135 pounds when her book, “Diary of a Fat Housewife,” was released. This weight marked a total loss of 185 pounds. The book chronicles a decade of her life, detailing the agony and challenges she faced as she battled morbid obesity.
Green’s weight loss journey took about half her life, a testament to the long-term struggle many face when dealing with significant weight issues. Her story is not a quick-fix solution but a realistic portrayal of the dedication and perseverance required to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
The Realities of Obesity
In her book, Rosemary Green vividly describes the realities of living with morbid obesity. She recounts how the immense weight drained her energy and caused both emotional and physical pain. "It’s ugly and disgusting," she writes, "I cannot describe in gross enough terms the ugliness of a body that has big globules, fat rolls of ugly, jiggly fat."
Despite her harsh self-assessment, Green feels empathy for other obese individuals. Having lived through the experience, she understands their pain and denial. She candidly admits that even as her weight climbed to over 300 pounds, she focused only on her face when looking in the mirror, clinging to the memory of being named her high school’s Rose Festival princess. "Fat people still see themselves as they used to be," she observes, noting that she eventually reached a point where even her nose started to get fat.
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Fat Secrets: Confessions of a Former Overeater
Rosemary Green claims to be the "last honest fat person in America," willing to reveal the shocking behaviors she calls "fat secrets." These confessions offer a raw and unfiltered look into the mind of someone struggling with compulsive eating.
Some of these "fat secrets" include:
- Eating her children's Halloween candy after they were at school, then rushing to the store to buy replacement candy.
- Buying and eating five candy bars at a time.
- Locking herself in the bathroom to eat cake.
- Sharing morsels of chocolate with her family after eating it herself to mask her own chocolate breath.
- Eating a whole box of chocolate mint cookies after devouring four candy bars, justifying it by telling herself the mint was like Rolaids.
These behaviors highlight the lengths to which she went to hide her eating habits and cope with her cravings.
The Winning at Thinning Action Plan
Rosemary Green eventually broke free from obesity's grip with a diet plan of her own creation, which she calls the Winning at Thinning Action Plan. This plan is essentially a structured way of documenting and managing her obsession with food.
Green maintains a daily checklist in a loose-leaf binder that includes prayer, menu planning, and hygiene routines like showering, flossing, manicuring her nails, and putting on makeup. She meticulously lists everything she intends to eat each day and notes any changes that occur. She also charts her weight and goals, clipping out magazine photos of attractive models and clothes for inspiration.
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Green keeps track of calories ingested and calories expended, and continues to write in her diary, hoping to publish a sequel titled "Thin Again." She emphasizes the importance of diets, stating, "We need to say diets do work. Diet is not a four-letter word. Thank God I was on a diet!"
A Convert to a Healthy Lifestyle
Now leggy and lean, Rosemary Green is a convert to low-calorie, low-fat food, which she carefully weighs or measures before eating. This is part of a maintenance program following a medically supervised diet that helped her lose the final pounds.
The transformation has given her vigor and youthfulness that belie her age. Her husband, Allen Green, is reminded of the teen beauty queen he married. He recalls having to cut her wedding ring off her finger within the first year of their marriage.
Faith and Weight Loss
The couple’s strong Mormon faith played a significant role in Rosemary Green’s journey. Believing that the body is a temple, she felt she had committed a sin by deforming her body through obesity. "I know it’s a sin to be obese like that," she says. "One of our purposes in this life is to serve our fellow man, and when you become so obese that your fellow man has to wait on you all the time, there’s something wrong with that."
She views weight loss as a form of repentance and paying the price for her actions. "Weight loss is a form of repentance and paying the price. I had to pay the price."
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The Ongoing Battle
Rosemary Green recognizes that she will need to stay on a diet for the rest of her life to combat her tendency toward out-of-control eating. She hasn't touched chocolate in years, and if anyone brings home tempting treats, they are locked in a kitchen cupboard with a combination that everyone but Green knows.
Despite the challenges, she believes it is worth it. She is finally able to wear her wedding ring again, and a pearl choker that was once too tight.
Polygamy, Reality TV, and Rosemary Williams
Rosemary Williams is also the name of the third wife of Brady Williams, featured on TLC’s reality series "My Five Wives." This Rosemary’s story provides a different perspective on family, relationships, and personal identity.
The Williams family, consisting of Brady and his five wives - Paulie, Robyn, Rosemary, Nonie, and Rhonda - and their 24 children, offers a glimpse into the life of a modern polygamous family. They live in an unnamed region south of Salt Lake City, Utah, and previously followed fundamentalist Mormon teachings that accepted polygamy.
Life on "My Five Wives"
The show explores the daily lives of the Williams family, including Brady’s attempts to balance his relationships with his wives, the challenges and joys of raising a large family, and the dynamics between the wives. The family aims to present their life of "love and commitment as a family" to the world, sharing their side of the story.
The show garnered attention for its unique setting and the intriguing dynamics within the family. Fans were curious about Brady’s time management, the children’s upbringing, the friendships and conflicts among the wives, and their efforts to promote the idea of polygamy.
The Wives' Individual Lives
Each of Brady’s wives has her own distinct personality, interests, and roles within the family.
- Paulie Williams: The first and only legal wife of Brady, Paulie is a dental assistant and hygienist who works to provide for her family.
- Robyn Williams: An artist and painter, Robyn is known for her caring nature and often gives her artwork as gifts.
- Rosemary Williams: The third wife, Rosemary has four children with Brady. She is considered the gourmet cook in the family and is passionate about composing music. She is also working towards teaching degrees in biology and music.
- Nonie Williams: Known for her cleanliness and organizational skills, Nonie is also a "worrier" who is frequently concerned about the family’s finances.
- Rhonda Williams: A medical assistant, Rhonda is eager to have another baby, possibly through adoption.
Rosemary Williams: More Than Just a Wife
Rosemary Williams is a multifaceted woman with various interests and responsibilities. She is a mother of four, a gourmet cook, a musician, and a student. She used to work for the family construction business and is now pursuing degrees in biology and music.
In November 2014, Rosemary bravely spoke out about being molested by her father, Lynn A. Thompson, who leads the Apostolic United Brethren in Utah. She hopes to be an advocate for abuse victims in patriarchal societies.