First off, I am no expert and secondly, I don’t have anything to sell. All I can do is share; namely with those who are tired of, well, let me say it straight, being fat!
We live in a society that treats overweight people worse than drug addicts. It is drilled into the head of little girls that only thin means success; and it is drilled into the mind of boys that girls need to look like movie stars, models or porn stars. What is sold as attractive is so far off the grid that a mere 1% of the population actually meets the requirements. Having said that though, there is the other extreme; this would be the “screw you” extreme where all health issues and good advice are completely ignored and gluttony rules above all. This is the world where “big is beautiful” is translated into making it OK to be morbidly obese and giving ample excuses to not take care of oneself, and instead, keep shoving whatever one wants into one’s mouth, while making absolutely no or very little effort to change one’s habits.
I have been on both sides of the fence. There was a time when I was really skinny and a time when I was pretty overweight; although, I stopped myself before I crossed the line to obesity. This “line” is different for everyone. I found it to be not too different from being a drug addict when it comes to the vicious cycle it creates and overcoming the hard-wiring that keeps you from doing the right thing. So what exactly got me to turn it all around? Well, I had reached my own personal “maximum density” at a size 14. I was also diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, I had no energy, my back always hurt and I simply felt like crap. My family history wasn’t/isn’t too hot either. Everyone has high blood pressure and my two oldest nieces are diagnosed with diabetes.
I have started my journey almost 2 years ago and here is what I found:
- It’s all in your head!
If you cannot fix your head, you won’t fix your body. It’s as simple as that. Your brain, specifically your reward center, craves carbs and sugars. You are addicted to both of them and getting rid of the cravings and addiction is quite difficult and in some cases, impossible to do on your own. Also, any and all negative thoughts you have about yourself, i.e. I can’t do it, I won’t lose the weight, this is too difficult, etc. reside in your subconscious; which is the driving force to create your reality in your conscious mind! Hence, I started with the head and went to hypnotherapy for weight loss. The image my hypnotherapist instilled in my subconscious about how I wanted to look and feel is always present and dictates my behaviors and choices in the now. Not treating the head will only end up in failure, once the initial excitement has worn off and the real work begins. - There is nothing quick about it
Oh, how I hate the fads and quick weight loss diets all kinds of infomercials and “experts” promise to you. It’s all a lie! Losing weight permanently and efficiently requires lasting and consistent changes to one’s diet and lifestyle! Diets fail, because once we start eating “normal” again, we pack the weight back on and then some. Also, no diet works without exercise! In 2 years I have gone down to a size 6/8 and have lost about 12% body fat. Anyone who promises you to lose 10% or more body fat in 3 months is full of crap; unless you have no job, go to the gym 7 days a week (for about 3 hours) and restrict yourself to a 1,000 calorie diet. Good luck with that! - Diets
By “diet” one should consider permanent changes to what one eats. I did it by keeping a food log. Everything I ate, no matter how small, was logged and accounted for. It’s quite a wakeup call when you see how much you thought you ate, versus what you actually consume! Then one can go about eliminating or cutting down on certain things. For me that meant sugars and white flower/processed foods and fast food. - Exercise
Turns out, you HAVE to work out if you want to lose weight, period! Not only does regular exercise speed up your metabolism, but it also creates endorphins, responsible for one’s feelings of well-being and happiness. I knew that I needed help here too, so I opted for personal trainers; and I am still with mine! Why? Because a trainer holds me accountable when I don’t feel like going to the gym and when it’s “too hard.” Plus, he will make sure that I progress, that I don’t injure myself and that I reach my goals. He will push me when I think I can’t go on, or can’t do better. My trainer motivates and encourages me and keeps track of how far I have come; which is an excellent tool when it comes to staying with the program. You should see how amped up you are, once you lost inches from your waist! - Genes
Here is another thing no one talks about, your genes. There is a reason that not all of us can be skinny and tall, for example. Fighting genes is the hardest thing in the equation and there is only so far one can go when it comes to overcoming them! Not all of us are natural runners, sprinters, dancers or body builders. And sometimes you can only go so far before you hit the wall. This wall approaches quicker with passing age and is also determined by how long you have been inactive.
I, for example, stem from a long line of overweight, non-athletic people; now insert biology. The amount of fat cells in our system is already determined by the time we hit puberty. If we keep eating, these fat cells will expand. Getting rid of them is impossible, but you can shrink them. However, if you sat on your butt until you were 40, like yours truly here, you’ll find it really difficult to lose all the fat on the problem zones for women, which are the arms, hips and thighs. As we get older, we also start storing hormonal fat, namely from estrogen build up. No matter how hard you train and diet, you won’t get rid of all of it. This is also why men don’t have saddle bags! If you feel you have done whatever is in your power and you can’t go any further, you can only turn to liposuction, or accept yourself the way you are! The key here is starting as early as possible. By the time a woman reaches her 40s, it’s going to be hell to get in shape; and will take considerably longer than it took in your 20s or 30s.
There is no quick fix and there is no getting around to eating the right stuff and working out, period. If you want to get rid of fat and weight, you’ll have to work out at least 4 times a week AND you have to do cardio. Weight training is important, as it builds your muscle and muscle is needed to speed up your metabolism. But without the proper cardio, you won’t go far. If you do sufficient weight training, you can get away with 20 minutes of cardio! This is why having a trainer helps; he’ll teach you how to work out smart and properly.
At the end, it isn’t just the way you look that is at stake and it should never be all about that anyway. It should be about the way you feel and how healthy you are and I do not think that I have to list all the problems too much weight poses for your body. There comes a time in our life when we either become complacent and make excuses, or we, literally, get with the program. Guess which one holds the higher reward?
