What makes you fat is a good question to ask yourself if you’re overweight. Is it the food you eat, your lifestyle, your food habits, or is it genetic? It’s different for everyone since we’re not all the same, but there maybe other things you might not have considered, if you’re looking at weight gain the wrong way.
If you are more than 10 pounds overweight, you cut more than 3 years off your life. If you’re more than 100 pounds overweight, you will cut more than 10 years off your life.
You also increase your likelihood of having major health issues, like Diabetes, Cancer, and Heart disease. 63% of adult Americans have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0 and are therefore overweight, but more than a quarter surpass a BMI of 30.0, and are considered to be obese.
The new IHRSA/ASD Obesity/Weight Control Report recently published graphic and visceral images of a dangerously overweight population. The 'real' research statistics on obesity reveal that:
3.8 million Americans carry over 300 pounds
The average adult woman weighs in at a staggering 163 pounds!
400,000 Americans (mostly men) fall into a super-massive 400+ pound category.
What Makes You Fat
Overindulgence – When you gain a few pounds, its easy to lose sight of what you’re eating in a day. This is one major cause of what makes you fat. You don’t keep track of the foods you consume, so you tend to overdo on it. Then you become complacent with this lifestyle. I hate to tell you this, but if you’re not watching your weight, no body else will! (except in a negative way) It becomes easier and easier to pack on the pounds as you neglect to think about portion sizes. Once you start overindulging, it’s hard to turn back. One little bit more here, leads to one little bit more there. Overtime, you become fat.
Lack of Self Discipline – When you can’t stop eating more, you might be lacking the self discipline to do so! My son for example, lacks the ability to know when to say when. I constantly have to remind him that food is supposed to be medicinal and feed his body and soul. It is meant for nourishment, not engorgement! When you just can’t stop eating, you have lost control of your life. Discipline is something that’s acquired and has to be self taught. Other people can tell you about it, but to be effective, you must learn how to use it yourself.
Product Choices – What makes you fat might be the foods you choose to eat. You can’t lose weight for example, munching on a plate full of brownies everyday. You also won’t get any nourishment! Instead of packing down your grocery cart with high fat cuts of meat, Little Debbie cakes, and processed foods, you should be opting for more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole healthy foods that help you lose weight! Fatty foods only make you fatter.
Excuses – One of the worst things you can do is to make excuses for bad behavior. (i.e. overindulging) Examples might be that you had a bad day and wanted to feel better, or that you work long hours and have to eat out a lot. Excuses never helped anyone shed one pound! When you’re finally mentally determined and committed to losing weight, you won’t be looking for excuses. What makes you fat might just be your bad behavior.
Low Self Esteem – Often times people find that they’re overweight because of a low self esteem. They think they look bad so they eat more to compensate for those feelings of inferiority. Maybe someone in your past made fun of you as a child. Maybe a parent abandoned you. The real paradox is that you probably won’t be able to get your self esteem back until you do lose weight.
High Self Esteem – On the other side of the equation are overweight people who think they look fine just the way they are. They might seem uncaring and actually regard themselves (and their weight) very highly. The problem with this view is that you lose sight of how you really look, and your health is greatly diminished by being overweight. You talk the talk and walk the walk, but may feel like dying inside.
Entitlement – What makes you fat sometimes stems from your attitude. It never ceases to amaze me how entitlement leads many people into undesirable circumstances. Many folks think that they’re owed something in this life, or entitled to something. In this case, food is used as a tool. If it feels good, do it! You’re entitled to it! So what if it’s only one more piece of chocolate cake! "I put up with a lot of shit stuff when my husband comes home from work. Am I not entitled to a little happiness?"
Lack of Self Control - If you can't control your eating habits, you won't lose weight. Period.
Emotions – Emotional eating is one of the worst traps to fall into. Eating when you’re upset has a narcotic effect in the moment. Once the moment has passed though, you tend to get more emotional, so you eat more. Food becomes a crutch for what you’re feeling inside. Mentally you know what you’re doing, but when emotions take hold, you can’t rationalize your behavior. Don't let emotions be the cause of what makes you fat. Talk to a pastor, trusted friend, or get counseling, but don't let your emotions control your life.
Lack of Education – If you don’t know what foods make you fat, you are walking a slippery slope. Junk food makes you fat. Wholesome fresh foods help you lose weight. If you need an education about the foods you eat, learn about portion sizes and serving sizes. You also need to know what's a healthy weight for your height. Get your education and learn what makes you fat and what makes you lose weight.
Distorted Perceptions – Many overweight people use money excuses to eat the wrong foods. They assume that healthy foods cost more money so therefore they just stick with junk foods that they consider to be less expensive. Its simply not true though. My son and I eat a large salad for dinner at least twice or three times a week. Fresh vegetables bought at local groceries are not expensive to buy! They make you feel so much better than processed foods that lack nutrients and decrease your health.
Lack of Water – What makes you fat might just be that you don’t drink enough, if any, water. Drinking water is essential to flush fat cells and toxins from your body. You just can’t get rid of fat cells if you’re not drinking at least 8 glasses a day. Clear diet soda’s do substitute water, but should be limited to one or two at most a day. Water is essential for all life, including yours!
Happiness – Many people think that an extra serving of Spaghetti is going to magically make them happier in life. Bah. Hum Bug! Happiness has nothing to do with food, although sometimes it might seem like it does. Happiness has everything to do with the way you feel inside and the way you feel about yourself. Most overweight people say that they feel much happier after they slim down.
Focus – Focusing your life around food all the time is not a good way to spend your time. I rarely think about food until I have to. Focus your life instead on the contributions you can make to this world to be a better place. Obsessing over food is destructive behavior. If you’re trying to lose weight, get busy and do something to occupy your time, and get the focus off of food!
Joy's LIFE Diet
Joy's Life Diet: Four Steps to Thin Forever
The answer to what makes you fat might be hidden inside of you. Every person must answer this question for themselves. If you need to lose weight, the best place to start is at the beginning. Find one plan or diet that you can stick with and go for it! Your weight loss plan is essential to your weight loss goals!
