We American talk Skinny but eat fat!

We American talk Skinny but eat fat!

At the beginning of every year many of us make a weight loss resolution. But how many of us keep it and actually see great results, not many. Why is that? America is a country obsessed with losing weight and looking skinny. Yet America is the only county whose obesity rate is sky rocketing. When we are young, we don’t care about weight, and eat whatever we want too. But once you hit your mid 20’s we seeing changes in our bodies. And with age it gets harder and harder to lose, but it isn’t impossible as long as we are willing to still try.

Before I start writing I just want to clarify that my focus is on women who are trying to lose weight in order to be healthy, not in order to follow stereotypical ideas about being skinny.  My focus is on real women whose lives are full of many responsibilities. Their first priority is family and then themselves.  But we women need to put ourselves first in order to take good care of our families and feel good not just from the outside but inside too.

If we look around us we are surrounded by good health ideas. There was a time when we would have to ask the doctor how to lose weight and what foods are good for us and what isn’t it. Now through magazines, the internet and TV we can find out what kind of food is good for us. We have access to so much knowledge, so why doesn’t this trend of obesity stop?  

It’s very easy to blame fast food restaurants and our busy lives. However restaurants don’t come to us, we go to them.  Everybody’s body, and lifestyles are different so each individual needs to adjust accordingly. If you have health issues talk to your doctor. As adults we have our responsibilities, isn’t taking cares of ourselves one of them?

When this year started I was satisfied with my weight. At that point I was working out, eating healthy and feeling good about myself. Slowly, before I knew it, I completely changed the way I took care of myself. When my daughter graduated from high school, family came and stayed with us.  I am from a culture where food is a big part of celebrations. I truly enjoy food, but I am also an emotional eater. During this time, my food was controlling me due to my inability to control myself.

I have never liked this but I understand that when women lose weight we feel good about ourselves. That’s not the way it should be because we are still the same person. But psychologically it affects us and it helps our self-esteem. I am not talking about becoming skinny or dreaming about having the same kind of body we had before we had kids. That isn’t going to happen, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t feel good.

What happened to our New Year’s resolutions? My willpower has always been very strong but when I am under stress I lose it. I get disappointed in myself as well. But their is nothing I can do about the past, we still have six more months to go for this year. Why not focus on that.

When I was younger I had lost weight easily before and have helped others to lose as well. It wasn’t hard for me and I know I can do it again. But this time, it’s not about the number, it’s about the life style. Everybody has some kind of weakness, mine is sweets. I don’t want sweets to control me; I need to find a good balance.

The very first thing we need to do is stop checking our weight every single day. Have a realistic goal and do not compare yourself with any other women. Enjoy everything but with moderation. We all know that diet and exercise work together. When we go grocery shopping for our families, watch what we are buying, because that is what you and your family are consuming. When you go to a restaurant, share your meal, there is more then enough for one person.  

Don’t let another year go by and still be in the same place as before. We have all the tools and we know how to use it. Now it’s up to us to do it.