Obesity doesn't have to be a life sentence. The key is to find a healthy place where you are comfortable in your own skin. This can be easier said than done though if you have been overweight for many years but it is certainly not impossible.
Though genes do play a role in the size and shape of our bodies, we have some control over maintaining a healthy weight and making the best our own body shape. Everyone isn't destined to look like Barbie and few people actually do.
Here are some points to remember:
- Success will come with determination, regular exercise and diligence in your healthy eating habits.
- At some point you have to realize that you don't need to strive for perfection. Work on accepting your body shape and do what you can to make it as healthy as possible. Don't beat yourself with a stick to become something you can never achieve.
- If you are dealing with long-term obesity but have remained fairly active you probably have a lot of muscle built up. Have your body assessment done to find out how much of your body weight is made up of lean mass and add roughly 15-20% to that number to account for a healthy amount of fat. This will give you your goal weight. Pipe dreams of being stick thin will only cause frustration down the line if your lean muscle mass is very high.
- Plateaus happen to everyone and you should not let them deter you from reaching your weight loss goals.
- Don't let a bad meal or bad day turn into a bad week or a bad month. The longer you are off track the harder it is to regain control. Forgive yourself and move on by eating healthy at the next meal or working out the next day. Forget about waiting until Monday.
- Remember to break down your goals into smaller chunks and reward yourself along the way.
- You should also realize that even if the pounds aren't coming off the way you hope they would, you are still improving your overall health with proper diet and exercise. You can extend your life, lower your cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, and manage diabetes as well as other illnesses and diseases. So when you feel like you've hit a roadblock, don't give up.
If you've been obese since childhood or held onto those extra pounds for too many years to count it can be difficult to lose the weight because your body is hanging onto the fat. It can be done, but it won't be easy and there is no quick fix. Obesity is not a life sentence if you have the right mindset to make lifestyle changes that go along with your weight loss goals.
