Benefits.

What do you think when you see a picture like this?  I think about how unhappy this lady must be.  I see a woman who probably does not think very highly of herself and wants to change.  Look at all of the negative effects of being obese.  I'm going to elaborate on just a few.

1.  Lower life expectancy:  I am deathly afraid of growing old.  Over the past few years as I watch life pass by so quickly and my children growing I am even more terrified.  If losing weight and being healthy will help me lead a longer life I am all for it!  I  know as we eat our cheeseburgers and cake we aren't thinking about how it is essentially taking years off of our lives.  Maybe after seeing and reading this you will think a little bit before you eat it.  I will gladly trade the junk food for a longer life spent with my husband and children.

2.Joint problems:  I know from personal experience with Lupus that obesity is terrible for the joints.  When you are obese all of that extra weight to move around is focused on the knees and hips.  We need to help our bodies out and give them some relief.  A lot of people use illnesses as a crutch and say that because they have ,lets say Lupus, they cant exercise.  I know that when I am sitting around not doing anything I feel more pain than I do if I am exercising.  It doesn't have to be hard core aerobic exercise.  Take walks do strength training or swim!  Swimming is AHMAZING for your joints.  It is so beneficial for those with arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia to name a few.

3.  Low self-esteem: I am the poster child for low self esteem.  When I look in the mirror I feel like the lady in the picture above.  There are rolls of fat that shouldn't be in places on my body.  Its not pretty in the least.  How can I expect other people to think I am worth looking at if I cant even look at myself positively?  The one thing I think about most is how different physically I will look when I get to my goal weight.  Ive never had a positive self image and I am so excited to try it out in the future! 

4.  Chronic health conditions:  Who wants to live life with high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, breathing problems, high cholesterol, cancer, blood clots and risk for heart attack?  Short answer is NOBODY.

5. Limited mobility:  Personally I enjoy being able to get up in the morning.  I enjoy being able to get dressed, go to the bathroom, get a shower, and fix my meals.  Who wants to be so immobilized that they cant take care of themselves? 

6. Social discrimination:  This is such a huge one in our society.  It is everywhere and so sad.  I am sure every single one of us has said "Oh my gosh look at how fat she/he is"  If other people are looking and saying these things about someone you can only imagine how the person feels about themselves.  I have a husband who very openly does not think highly of overweight people.  He is a personal trainer who takes very good care of himself and sees most obese people as lazy.  As a woman (his wife) who is obese its hard to hear sometimes (well most times).  He doesn't ever address his comments at me but it still effects me more so than he thinks or knows.  He doesn't understand food addiction at all.  He thinks it should be simple to just not eat so much and to eat healthy foods.  I often wish he were more sympathetic/empathetic when it comes to obesity.  Everyone has a story and a reason why they are obese and sometimes they just need to be heard.

So any new opinions having read all of these?  Any new perspectives?  What I do know is I DO NOT want to be obese anymore.  I am taking every step I can to change my life for myself and my family.