Day 184: This is Why We’re Fat
I go to school five days a week as I try my best to get edumucated. I’m pursuing some certifications in order to become a computer ninja of sorts. I’ll spare you the gruesome details of what I’m studying; let’s just say that if this blog is for my right brain, then my school work is definitely targeted at exercising my left brain.
As I’ve lost some weight and become more aware of what it takes to be healthy, my eyes have been opened to a few things:
- Eating 5,000 Calories of Junk Food a day causes weight gain.
- A stagnant lifestyle is not good for any of my physiological systems.
- Increasing activity and reducing caloric intake causes weight loss.
- Filling my calorie allowance with good, wholesome foods six times throughout the day gives me sustained energy and eliminates the “crashes.”
- Drinking water instead of soda helps me focus and helps me to feel less hungry.
- AS A SOCIETY WE ARE FREAKING LAZY!
As I was walking out of the school building the other day I noticed something I hadn’t really given much thought to before. There was a trampled path of snow cutting across the grass to get into the building. Now I didn’t take any detailed measurements but I paced it off and the extra distance of using the sidewalk was about 50 feet ( ≈15.24 meters for those of you who don’t still use the imperial system). My mind started racing; Holy Crap, that Jane Fonda was right! We do need to park at the back of the parking lot and walk farther!
Our whole mindset is completely screwed up as a society! Our entire thought process seems to be “How can I accomplish this task quickly while exerting the least amount of effort possible?” Our society strives on finding the quickest, easiest way to get things done. I’m as guilty as anyone! I work in a small office and I was expecting a package yesterday. I swear to you that at about 11:00am I fired up my web browser to check the tracking status of my package instead of walking the 15 steps to the reception area to see if it had arrived. When I realized what I had done I hung my head in shame and repeatedly punched myself in the stomach. OK, I didn’t really do that but I seriously felt like a total laggard.
So how do we reverse the curse? How do we change our mindset going forward? This time, I leave the advice up to you. What ideas do you have for changing our mindset and understanding that it’s ok to work hard, and to exert effort, and push ourselves, and get out of our comfort bubbles?
This is so critical when it comes to weight loss! There is no “magic pill”. It takes hard work. Does the process of losing weight suck? Sure it does; but it is so worth it!
12 Responses to “Day 184: This is Why We’re Fat”
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| Current Weight: | 261.0 lbs |
| Goal Weight: | 225.0 lbs |
| Calories Eaten: | 0 |
| Calories Burned: | 0 |
| Exercise Status: | |
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I could have sworn that was my campus because people do that at my school too! We are all so lazy! At least you acknowledge it and are trying to make a difference!
LOVE this post! Throw in our constant need to multi-task and you have the American condition down to a “T.” And we wonder why our nation is so consumed with weight loss products without losing any substantial weight
I think that shortcut is universal!
Sadly many times I feel people just don’t want to change. It is hard work to lose weight or stay healthy. We take our health for granted and then want the medical community to give us pills to treat the damage we have inflicted. Awesome post.
Oh Ryan!!! You are such an entertaining writer! I LOVED this post! Its so True! I would ask my nurse to do things that I could have done myself!! I, Now, get up and do it myself!! I park in the Back of the parking lot (During the day) and I wear my Pedometer to make sure I move a little more everyday!!! Thanks Ryan!!
Love Ya Lots
Monique
I think it’s human nature to find a short cut, especially when we’re all in such a rush! And technology fuels all of it. And so that’s why we all make time to exercise. 100 years ago no one went to the gym, ran or lifted weights because in a normal day people got all the exercise they needed! Not to mention that they ate whole, real, unprocessed food. Awareness is the key! And you, my friend, are AWARE!
I really do not like being called ignorant, so here is your comment back
Most ignorant post I’ve ever read from you, congrats!
I really don’t know where to start but your opinion on this matter is skewed at best. A personal trainer does a hell of a lot more than give you a rah rah rah in the morning. They aren’t just a person who you pay to draw attention to yourself.
A personal trainer can provide tons of insight that a book, DVD, or the veteran gym rat cannot. Do you think if you considered the money you spent on all those other resources you could possibly have hired a trainer that could have provided real time feedback while you worked out? Even though you’ve done something great and lost 200 pounds do you think it’s possible that you could have done it more efficiently or more safely with the help of someone who actually had years of experience?
Injury prevention is extremely important and you’re fortunate that you never experienced a setback using your self-teach methods.
You’re also fortunate that you were able to continue losing weight along the way. Many people have to change routines frequently to maintain weight loss and what better resource to have at your fingertips than someone who understands the science and physiology behind why your weight loss may have slowed down.
Is having a personal trainer a luxury? Perhaps, but it’s no indication of the motivation of the individual hiring the help. I bust my ass six days a week and work with a trainer twice a week. Guess what happens if my trainer has to go out of town or gets sick? I still work out. I still push myself and work hard even without being coddled out of bed.
Last thought, I guess I could say the same about Weight Watchers. “I don’t need points to tell me what I can and can’t eat.” “I don’t need a meeting every week to talk about my feelings and to weigh myself in front of a counselor.” “The day I need a weight loss program to tell me how to eat will be a sad day for me.”
Bottom line is that I’d probably think a little harder before making such a sweeping generalization. End Rant.
OK, I’ll bite.
Are you unwilling to admit that your comments on this post (http://theantijared.blogspot.com/2010/01/friday-quickie.html) were not in the least bit closed minded?
I may have completely misinterpreted your blog post so I’ll give you a chance to defend it. It would just be nice to have some arguments that validate your opinion other than “I am not Tiger Woods. I do not need to pay someone $100 an hour to wake me up, be nice, make me breathe heavy and tell me to “feel the burn!”
If I misunderstood what you were trying to say I’ll be more than willing to apologize, I just think that completely discounting a profession that can do so much good is irresponsible at best(especially with your huge following).
Hope to hear from you!
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