But the simple fact is, your weight is more than a matter of taste or aesthetics. It's a matter of health. I encourage you to read this chapter because it is, quite literally, the heart of the matter. Many of the problems associated with overweight affect your heart, and because of that, they affect your life. In this chapter, we discover why it is unhealthy to carry around excess weight.The medical perils of being overweightBeing over weight increases your risk for many serious medical problems. The vast majority of overweight people suffer from one or more of the following conditions: diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, gall bladder disease, and arthritis. If that isn't bad enough, obesity is the second most important factor contributing to death in the United States. (It should come as no surprise that smoking is the first.)DiabetesNearly 16 million Americans have diabetes, a metabolic disorder in which the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use it effectively. About 95 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, which is closely tied to being overweight. Each year, more than 190,000 people die from diabetes or its many complications. For people who live with diabetes, it is a frequently disabling disease.Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in people between 20 and 74 years of age.It is a major cause of kidney disease, requiring dialysis or kidney transplant.People with diabetes are as much as four times more likely than others to have heart disease or suffer a stroke.Diabetes causes nerve damage, which may require amputation of a toe, foot, or lower leg.In men, diabetes is a frequent cause of erectile dysfunction.There is no cure for diabetes, and it requires lifelong management and medication. All diabetics require a controlled diet to regulate blood sugar levels, and regular checkups to detect damage to the eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. There are ways to lower the risk of developing it, however. Although type 2 diabetes tends to run in families, people who are overweight and inactive are at much greater risk of contracting the disease.Losing weight, controlling blood cholesterol levels, and engaging in some form of regular exercise are the best ways to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
For the longest period of time I thought that guilt way a non-productive emotion. Just recently I came to realize how wrong I was. Guilt is much more than non-productive, it is counter productive. So much so that it prevents us from obtaining our goals, in this case, losing weight.
Naturally, you ask yourself how this works. It is quite simple really. Guilt is the mechanism that allows us to bind together two contradictory thoughts, beliefs, desires or actions.
Here is a simple example, one pertaining to your weight loss program. Let us assume for a moment that you are overweight. It is on your mind a great deal of the time. You are unhappy with this condition. As a matter of fact, it plagues you. It is on your mind constantly and you absolutely plan to do something about it. Maybe you are even in the process of dieting and exercising right now. Okay. So you have had a long, frustrating day. There is a pint of chocolate ice cream with your name on it in the freezer. You know in your heart that eating it will be counter productive. Jeez, it is worse than that. No only will it delay your weight loss, it will actually put weight on your thighs. What do you do? You guessed it. You eat the pint of ice cream.
What is the mechanism that allows this to happen? What is it that allows you to know for certain that what you are doing is against your own best interests and you do it anyway? Duh, it is guilt. Guilt is the means that allows us to bind these absolutely, contradictory actions together. We are dieting (or plan on dieting) and eating ice cream at the same time. Not to beat a dead horse, but what makes this alright in our minds and emotions. Guilt.
By this time you are saying to yourself, do not be silly. This is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard. Well, stop and think about this for a few minutes. Find other examples in your life where this can apply. You will discover that it is no so silly after all.
When you come to the realization that this may in fact be true, you should be asking yourself what can be done about it. The easy answer, on the face of it, is to just stop feeling guilty. Easier said than done.
You see, guilt has a small army of allies. This army of allies only strengthen the power of guilt. These allies include, but are not limited to, low self esteem, self pity and a general negative outlook on life.
By now, the picture is beginning to look hopeless. Not so. The fact of the matter is that there are a number of people who lose weight every single day. What is it that they do to successfully lose weight? What is it that I can do to duplicate their success?
The single, most important and powerful thing that you can do is to set your goal. When you establish this goal it has to be set in stone. Ghandi use to talk about taking a personal vow. I take this to mean to establish your goal at the highest and deepest mental and emotional levels. When you do this then every action that you take will contribute to arriving at your goal. That includes the slips and missteps.
Anyway, there you have it, something to think about. If you have tried to diet and lose weight in the past, and were unsuccessful, perhaps you have gained some insight as to why. With some self reflection perhaps your next attempt will be your last.
Both Ricky Hussey & Kathryn Soloff are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.