Lemon detox diet, Acai and Colon Cleanse, Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers and all the rest of them: How on earth are we suppose to cope, choose or live through all these different weight loss programs? The markets for such programs are HUGE! Weight watchers alone is in 30 different countries. As for the others, few are actually effective whilst the rest are scams, taking money from people's credit cards because they can. People are that desperate, they'll try anything, from anywhere!
I somehow fit quite nicely, thank you, amongst those desperate people.
Healthy eating and exercise are two things that specialists would advise you to do in order to lose weight, yes? Well, for me, these two things are rather rare and shunned in my life. This may be the reason why I am struggling to lose weight. Despite the fact I'm not incredibly overweight, I just don't like the size I am at, at present (then again, when am I ever?).
The first year moving to Auckland to study was the worst year for me. I had come from my final year at high school feeling rather proud of myself. These two factors for weight loss were second nature in my life. I maintained a healthy 71 kilograms all year, which to me was really good considering I LOVE junk food. This lifestyle I had kept quite religiously soon dissipated. In the wake of my first year at University, I swear I made up for loss time. I easily added 11 kilograms to the scales within 6 months. HORROR!!!
Casting off all restraint, I embraced food like big noses to breath; not a second thought given. I couldn't stop myself. The responses I received from my family and friends were a mix of shock and horror, sighs from thinking what I used to look like when I left. I guess they didn't really recognise me. They most probably thought this thing standing in front of them had eaten me. It was quite embarrassing to say the least.
Yet I am not the only one who struggles with this problem. Why don't we take a look at the statistics for eating disorders. Over 1 in 150 people in the world suffer from Anorexia Nervosa. In America, 1 in every 100 people will suffer from Bulimia Nervosa. These are serious. Much more serious than our decision to have that chocolate bar or not. Much more serious than deciding what milk we are going to buy: Full cream or non-fat. These are decision of life or death. 60% of these people come out of it, 20% will maintain a job and some relationships but still strictly diet etc. The final 20% will not come out of it. They will continue to refuse food in their bodies and most, if not all of them, will die prematurely.
Going over this research, I got to thinking about how immature I was being about this whole issue of living a healthy lifestyle. Exercising and healthy eating is not some marketing scheme to get people to buy the most expensive food (which they generally are). No, they are experts advise in order to keep us alive. Knowing that my frequent and temporary whims for junk food may prevent me from ever meeting my grandchildren is beyond belief. It's one of those things you have to think into the future about. How great are the consequences? How important are the temporal things I receive, compared to the benefits I will receive in the future if I were to withhold from them. Crazy right?
Think over it. I wonder what lifestyle changes you will begin to make when you really take time to think about these factors are to LIVING.
I know I have MANY to make!
Until next time.
~JP~
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