Atlantans feel Oprah’s weight pain

It’s hard to lose weight under a public microscope. Just ask Ruby Gettinger and Oprah Winfrey.

As these two TV personalities watch their weights waver, so do a legion of viewers. For Winfrey, it’s upward of 10 million. For Gettinger, it’s more like several hundred thousand.

Still, when the talk-show queen recently announced feeling embarrassed that her up-and-down weight was … well, up again, Gettinger was sympathetic, but not surprised.

“I could gain 5 or 10 pounds and feel embarrassed, too,” said the Savannah resident, whose personal struggle with weight is being chronicled on “Ruby,” a reality show that premiered last month on the Style Network. She once topped 477 pounds before losing more than 100 pounds while making the show.

“My heart goes out to her,” she said.

For decades, Winfrey’s personal battle of the bulge has played out across television screens and in tabloid headlines. From her wheelbarrow-toting stunt in 1988 after losing 67 pounds on a liquid protein diet to starvation diets of desperation, the highs and lows of her efforts have seesawed along with the pounds.

In 2005, she claimed to have found the root cause of her fascination with food and committed to living a healthy lifestyle, regularly flanked by personal trainer Bob Greene, a variety of personal chefs and physician Mehemet Oz. Health and fitness became a new calling card for the daytime dynamo.

Now, as she tips the scales at about 200 pounds, Winfrey and millions of her fans are asking how she could let this happen. And in an industry where image is everything, many question whether her credibility as a fitness proponent might be tarnished, even if she trades in a desire to be thinner to focus on being healthy and fit.

Mental and physical

Ian Smith, medical consultant for “Celebrity Fit Club” and author of “Extreme Fat Smash Diet,” wonders, too.

“It’s more confusing than anything else,” said Smith, questioning how someone surrounded by a team of experts can fall off the health and fitness wagon.

In April 2007, Smith launched the 50 Million Pound Challenge, a national health initiative that so far has registered more than 750,000 people who have lost a total of 3 million pounds. He stresses that issues with weight are mental and physical, so people have to connect the mind, body and spirit.

Winfrey’s situation, he said, is “a mixed bag for people who are struggling. Some will be happy because they will say, ‘It’s not just me.’ Others will say, ‘If she can’t do it, how can I do it?’ “

Not so, said Chris McCray of Hampton, who has lost 50 pounds since joining the challenge last year.

The AT&T project manager and occasional “Oprah” viewer acknowledges that setbacks are part of the process, even with ample resources and money, and that “nobody is perfect.”

“That’s just the human experience,” he said.

Be careful not to place too much emphasis on weight setbacks, warned Atlanta registered dietitian Marisa Moore.

“When you talk about ‘falling off the wagon,’ you’ve done something that you feel really ashamed of and there’s a lot of guilt associated with it,” said Moore, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Celebrities are people, too, and they can allow the stressors of life to take priority over their well-being, she said.

It’s important for people to recognize their own personal strengths and weaknesses and resources to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle, she said.

“Don’t feel guilty,” she advised. Frustration can be motivating, and sometimes it takes being frustrated, even publicly, to get back and stay on track, she said.

‘She’s human’

Winfrey, known for her candor about personal matters, has never avoided the public’s watchful eye on her weight. In fact, she often turns the spotlight on herself.

The January issue of O magazine features Winfrey on the cover gesturing at a much slimmer image of herself, and on the Jan. 5 episode of her syndicated daytime show, she plans to talk candidly about her weight problems.

Her vulnerability resonates with Atlantans such as Crystal Bradley, who share her struggle.

The Ellenwood school teacher has battled obesity her entire life and applauds Winfrey for tackling the issue in front of millions of viewers. She expects the celebrity’s new emphasis on being healthy at any size to encourage many people to live better.

“You’re not dieting and exercising just to lose weight,” said Bradley, who’s dropped from 265 to 195 pounds since January. “If my doctor says I’m healthy, then I’m OK.”

Still, concerns abound about whether Winfrey’s iconic stature might plummet, and about how her throngs of cultlike followers —- many of whom consider her something of a spiritual guide —- will view this latest chapter of her saga.

Devoted fans such as Brandy Rousselle of Canton say that her reputation and status are intact.

“She’s Oprah Winfrey —- she’s caring and generous, and she’s human,” said Rousselle, an operations manager at a collections agency. Although she records Winfrey’s show daily, Rousselle says she has never placed her on a pedestal. Any fans who have may now realize that she is human and not a deity to be worshipped, she said.

“I still love her, and she’s still a great leader and a fantastic person,” said Rousselle.

Gettinger agreed.

“She never gives up, and that’s what makes her a hero in my eyes,” she said.

GETTING BACK ON THE WAGON

If you’ve fallen off the fitness wagon, or if the wagon has fallen on you, you can get back up. Registered dietitian Marisa Moore says it’s crucial to realize that setbacks are a part of process and that weight loss requires a continuous lifestyle change. Here are some of her strategies to get going again:

> Don’t diet. Diets just don’t work. Instead, eat right and focus on long-term behavior changes.

> Start small. No matter how much weight you need to lose, it starts with the first pound. Cut just 100 calories per day to lose 10 pounds in a year.

> Don’t ignore the creep. Check your weight at least once a month and make a change when you notice the first signs of weight gain.

> Buddy up. Team up with a healthy eating or workout partner to establish accountability and keep you motivated. You can even set up a healthy eating team at the office.

> Beware of mindless munching. Empty calories add up.

> Set a small, measurable goal every week and stick to it.

> Keep a food journal. Research shows that food logs help with weight loss. A log not only helps you identify where any extra calories are coming from, but it may also help you identify food triggers and establish accountability.

> Start a new hobby. Emotional eating is often due to boredom or stress. Try something new to occupy your mind.

> Educate yourself and stay motivated. Visit www.eatright.org.

> Seek help. Consult a registered dietitian or nutrition and fitness professional.