2 Questions to Answer for Permanent Weight Loss

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I finally realized that there are two important questions that I needed to honestly answer for permanent weight loss. And they are: Why am I fat? and Why do I want to lose weight?

Why Am I Fat?

In the past, I really don’t think that I was asked or asked myself why am I fat. Instead, I had all the excuses for my weight. You know them.

I am too busy to cook. I am too busy to exercise. I am too tired to exercise.  I can’t afford a gym membership. It’s too cold or too hot to exercise. Healthy food is too expensive. I have a slow metabolism. I only eat when I’m hungry. Most members of my family are overweight, so it must be genetics. You get the picture. I was the queen of excuses who wrote the book of excuses.

However, at the start of this weight loss journey, I did a lot of self-reflection and dug deep to honestly answer the question: Why am I fat?

The answer is I love and eat a lot of high-calorie foods. And my portions were even bigger than the typical North American portions. A typical breakfast is a biscuit with sausage, bacon, and cheese from a local. Lunch might be a hamburger with bacon and cheese plus large french fries.

We ate a lot of Chinese food for dinner which usually included fried rice and noodles. Finally, I ate out or did take out for the overwhelming majority of my meals. I rarely ate desserts, but for snacks, I loved to munch on chips, popcorn with extra butter, and chocolate. 

Also, I was extremely sedentary. I sat at my desk a lot. I was either lying on the couch or bed watching TV. I walked very, very little. I always looked for the parking spot closest to the door.

Yes, I have a low thyroid problem that years later is still not stabilized. Yes, I was not blessed with the best genetics. Yes, I have three bulging disks on the back. But know I know that my diet and inactivity are also a major problem.

Once you know exactly why you are fat. It becomes a lot easier to start to work on changing your habits and achieve permanent weight loss. I found eating high protein, high fiber, as well as more fruit and vegetables, was filling and satisfying. Starting slowly with low impact exercises was the best first step for me to become more active.

Why Do I Want To Lose Weight

Previously, my motivation for losing weight always seem good t the time. I  want to look good this summer or an upcoming event. Of course, I would say I want to be healthier, but I was not specific about what healthier means to me.

Now my answer to the question of why do I want to lose weight is that I want to live longer and not have any more risk factors to obesity. I avoided going for annual medical check-ups for over 20 years. But in the past, I had borderline high blood pressure and slightly high cholesterol which did not require medication. There is little debate about the harmful effects of obesity and the risk factors. 

Many doctors say it’s not if, but when an obese person will be diagnosed with one of these diseases. I only have to look at my family members to see what may eventually happen to me. Perhaps, I’ll be one of the lucky ones. But I’m can’t count on it. 

I saw how my mom lived during the last five years of her life. Although she passed away at 95, she was bedridden for the last five years of her life and obviously had to depend on others for everything. Before, this it was a slow transition from a cane, to a walker and then a wheelchair. 

I have family members who are using canes and walkers. Again, maybe I’ll be different but I am going to do the best that I can to avoid or delay these mobility issues.  

Questions for Permanent Weight Loss

So at age 55, I finally honestly answered why am I fat and why do I want to lose weight and I am on my way to permanent weight loss. And that has made the difference this time around. When I am faced with a choice of avocado toast or sausage, bacon and cheese biscuit. Or deciding to walk while watching TV or lying on the couch. I think back to the answers to these two questions. This has really helped me tremendously.

Check out my top 5 food for weight loss and the best exercises for obese people. 

I hope that you will take the time to really figure out why you are overweight and why do you want to be successful at weight loss.

Let me know if this has helped your weight loss journey. 

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