NSV - Fat, Weight Loss and Amusement Parks: Expectations vs. Reality

My stomach sunk as history repeated itself.

“Ma’am, can we have you move to another seat that can accommodate riders of a larger size?”

I had been here before, you see, I have a complicated relationship with amusement park rides, fear, sickness, love, exhilaration, and shame all rolled into one complex emotion.

As a child, my parents forced me to go on one roller coaster during our once annual visit to the amusement park. I hated it.

One year during my annual forced family fun roller coaster ride, I took some Dramamine for my ever-present motion sickness and prepared to endure it.

Halfway through, I realized that I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t throwing up. I was having fun. When I got off, I quietly asked my mom, “Can we do it again?”

Since then I loved amusement parks and all types of rides but still steered clear of the ones that were meant to make you throw up.

That is, I loved them until a few years ago, I attempted to go on a ride and I heard those words.

“Ma’am, can we have you move to another seat that can accommodate riders of a larger size?

You see, I had gained a lot of weight since I was a young adult, and topping the scale at 272, the ride no longer worked for me. The larger seat didn’t work for me. I was asked to exit the ride.

I was so embarrassed and filled with shame. That was the last day I attempted any rides.

When I started my weight loss journey last year one of my goals was to be able to ride any amusement park ride I wanted to.

Down 80 pounds, I returned to the specific ride I was asked to exit from last time. With actual fear in my heart, I got on and waited to see if the seat would latch. It seemed possible until the attendant came up to me once again and said.

“Ma’am, can we have you move to another seat that can accommodate riders of a larger size?”

I moved and was latched into a new seat. As the attendant came over for his final check, I summoned my courage.

“Excuse me, can I ask, was I the larger individual? Or the smaller one?”

He looked at me surprised and said, “You were the smaller, and in fact, you are in the smallest seat we have.”

I am not done on my weight loss journey. I still have about 50 pounds to my goal, but this was a huge personal victory for me.

If I am honest, I still have fear when I am waiting in line for rides. I still check the weight limits before I go to a new park. I still feel that complex ball of emotions when I think about going and doing rides.

But, I think I can finally start walking away from that chapter of my life and chalk this up as a win.

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There are some links to other articles on this topic and a picture of me in front of the offending (and victory lap) ride - on my blog. https://midsoulfitness.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/fat-weight-loss-and-amusement-parks-expectations-vs-reality/