Motivation #4

I'm still relatively young. My health has not generally been negatively affected by my weight...except for perhaps in pregnancy. My blood pressure was always good (except in pregnancy) and all the other markers that are important were fine. But as I'm walking into my 30's, I'm beginning to see the fragility of life. I think it hits us all as we age that we're not invincible and our choices do, in fact, have consequences.

I see one of the consequences to my years of excess every time I look in the mirror. Sagging skin. Yup, my body's not bouncing back quite like it did the last time I lost weight. Of course there were 3 pregnancies in there, but still.

So, if my skin has been affected by poor lifestyle choices (and age)...imagine what could be going on inside.

Here's a little blurb I took from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website.

Health Consequences (of obesity)
Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following:
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

It took me YEARS to accept that being so overweight was really that bad for me. It really did, I was in such deep denial. Not to say that all obese/overweight people will have these consequences and not to say that weight is the only factor for good health, but if I can reduce my chances of any of these things...I should. Check out this article that talks about criticism of the CDC's overstatement of the dangers of obesity and decide for yourself.

But I mean, really...when I'm standing at the cupboard at 10pm looking for a food fix, am I really gonna think, "Careful Amanda, this food is gonna clog your arteries and cause Type 2 Diabetes. Stop, put down the cookie and walk away"? Probably not. It does, however, change the food I put in my grocery cart.

You may delay, but time will not.

~ Benjamin Franklin