WILES' FILES: Bonnie Wiles of Fayetteville is featured in the Jan. 15 issue of People. For losing an entire person.
Wiles, a 58-year-old factory production worker for Tyson Foods, appears with five other successful women in the "We Lost Half Our Size!" spread. Her journey also appears online (tinyurl.com/bonniewiles).
Though it's hard to imagine now looking at the toned Wiles -- posing in a fitted, sleeveless dress and clingy faux-leather leggings -- the mother of four and grandmother of four was once obese.
"I was over 300 pounds," she says in an interview about her highest weight about 20 years ago. "The last time I had gone to the doctor around that time, I weighed about 310."
Wiles lost 162 pounds -- more than the 148 pounds she currently weighs.
She got serious about losing weight in 2012, joining the nonprofit TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly): "It's just a support group, it's not a diet, but it makes you accountable. You have to get on the scale and weigh every meeting. You have people to talk to."
As for the nutritional changes she made, Wiles says, "I just cut back. I eat a lot of protein. ... We eat more salads, more grilled veggies and eat more lean meat."
And she dusted off her home treadmill that went unused for years. She says, "Since I joined TOPS, I burned the motor out of that one and I have another one."
TOPS has acknowledged Wiles for her weight loss milestones. Last year, she received the best honor: "I was the Queen of Arkansas. I'm the queen until April; I'll have to hand off my crown."
Wiles never set out to become royalty or featured in a national publication.
"I just wanted to lose weight and be healthier," she says. "I was tired of being fat. I never liked to shop. There are only a couple stores you can go in and buy clothes. I can buy off the rack now."
And her story is in magazine racks now.
GET A ROSETTA: The Cotton Plant Historical Museum has set up a Sister Rosetta Tharpe Memorial GoFundMe account (tinyurl.com/fundrosetta), seeking $25,000 for a statue to honor the "Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll," a 2018 inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It will be made of bronze. So it won't be another Rosetta Stone.
FEUD CLUED: Survey says ...! Actually, it's a press release that says Family Feud auditions are taking place in Little Rock on Jan. 27 and 28 by appointment only. To qualify, families must first apply by visiting familyfeud.com/audition or calling (323) 762-8467.
At tryouts, families will play abbreviated mock versions of the game show.
Under "What can my family do to stand out?" in the site FAQs, it says, "Smile, clap, high-five, cheer for each other, say "Good Answer!" And have FUN!"
In other words, Family Feud doesn't actually want family feuds.
Email: jchristman@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 01/07/2018