With the percentage of overweight people increasing throughout the world, one has to think that their have to be more variables in play than just "fast food". The world is hustling and with the advent of computers and the internet, the hustling is more informational and mental than physical. So, if the majority of us are trying to lose weight in some form or another, the main question we need to ask ourselves is "Are we addicted to our lifestyles?"
Bad Habits or Lifestyle Addition
If you are reading this right now, there is a huge chance that you are overweight. After all, studies show that 64.5% of Americans fall into the overweight category. (F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2005)
Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself:
- Have you been trying to lose weight but seem to keep falling into the same rut?
- Do you constantly tell yourself that you need to lose weight but just can't get around to it?
- Have you thought about losing weight, but keep telling yourself that it's not a big deal?
- Do you ever lie to yourself and think that people should love you for you and not because of how big you are?
The funny thing is that no one saying yes to only a few of these questions. It's either all or none. If you've said yes, congratulations: you're addicted to your lifestyle!
Lifestyle addiction explained
Have you ever seen a drug addict or are you familiar with a person with an alcohol problem? Have you seen their struggles?
These people have huge problems getting away from those drugs. They need support networks and strong councelling just to make it through the day.
Now, of course, these are very strong physical dependencies. A lifestyle addiction would be classified as a psychological dependency. If would compare to "needing" your husband or wife when they leave you.
You know that you shouldn't care and that you should just let go...but you can't...and you can't figure out why. Losing weight can, and often does, fall into this same category. Let's say that you've been on an exercise and diet plan for 3 days but you break your plan on the third day. A drug addict would call that a relapse, right? You can see where I am going with this.
The Justification of a Lifestyle Addition
Let's classify an addiction using these assumptions:
- An addiction is something that you don't see as a problem, yet you get angry when someone else says it is (Doc says, "Hey Bob, you need to drop 20 pounds.)
- An addiction is a "rut" that you can't get out of (I just don't have time)
- An addiction is something that harms you in the long run, but is satisfying in the short run (Oh, that chocolate cake looks so good)
- An addiction is a problem that you can't change because of "willpower". (I just can't seen to get motivated)
- An addiction is something that's "too tough" to change (Twenty pounds, I'll NEVER be able to lose that much)
Face it. If you need to lose weight, but just can't take the time to get around to it, you are addicted to your lifestyle. It's an ugly way to look at it. After all, who wants to be grouped in the same group as crack addicts, alcoholics, psycho boyfriends, and the such.
No one. But the premise is still the same. The ugly truth is still here no matter whose glasses you look at the world through.
Losing weight is a serious matter and it is about time you look at it that way. The shear fact that you might be having trouble doing it just reinforces this even more. Look, it's your life and your journey.
Don't lie to yourself anymore. If a doctor told you that you would die tomorrow if you didn't get in at least 30 minutes of exercise today, would you go about your day and ignore the doctor (because he/she OBVIOUSLY doesn't know what he/she is talking about) or would you immediately rearrange your day and find a way to get it done?
Think about all of the above definitions before you answer. I'd like to think you'd get off your butt and do something. After all...in this particular case...it's do or die.
So...what are you going to do?
Copyright 2006 Brad Howard
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