Today was my first day of poetry class with a new group of students. As I always do, I started by asking the class to brainstorm possible benefits of writing poetry. Usually we come up with the usual suspects: Telling their stories in their own words, stress relief, practice reading and writing which will help when they take their GED exams, etc. But today’s group came up with something novel: Weight loss.
“Weight loss?” I asked. I wasn’t following.
“You know, you hold your stress in your stomach, so if poetry helps to relieve stress, you get it out of your stomach.”
That was a stretch, but hey, I’m willing to stretch. Stretching is part of any good work-out plan, so maybe that would be part of the Poetry-for-Weight-Loss program, after all.
POETRY DIET
Jenny Craig has endorsed it.
It’s the reason behind Oprah’s new svelte silhouette.
It’s the POETRY DIET!
Try it!Put an end to stress eating, by instead putting your pencil to the page.
Release that rage!
Watch the ounces melt away
as you let go
the pain of your first heartbreak.
Sweat away pounds as you lift verbs, press nouns into service.
Lose those ugly pounds of bitter regret.
Say goodbye to the weight of sadness –
the confounding poundage
of a heavy heart.
Don't Call it Poetry 
The link between poetry and weight loss might be more real than we are willing to accept. The number one reason for overeating is stress, the number two reason is to ‘fill in the gap’. Poetry can be an outlet for stress and poetry can be a ‘gap-filler’. So there you have it… writing your way to a slimmer you 🙂
I am starting this diet today!!!
hahahaha! this is wonderful! i am unbelievably happy i got out of bed today: i’ve got verbs to lift! 🙂 thank you!