Thanks for all the positive feedback on my recent posts! It really means a lot! However, I have something on my mind and just feel the need to get it off my chest:) So I am writing a more personal post regarding a very personal issue..... size.I grew up assuming that I would "thin out" and then later being told, "All that matters is what's on the inside." My friends assured me that "the right guy will come along and love me for me, not for how I looked." The list goes on & on of why I should be comfortable in my own skin, with my size.
But the truth is, size does matter.
It matters when getting a job.
It matters when I go shopping.
It matters when I try to learn new lifts.
It matters when I make new friends.
It matters to me.
I read an article recently about an angry man that wrote a nasty letter to an airline in the UK. His complaint was that he had to sit by an obese person for his flight. He filled the letter with hateful things saying that fat people should have to buy 2 seats, etc. I'm not saying that that's not the solution to the problem... Unfortunately eventually there will have to be special accommodations. But yet, it still makes my heart hurt. I think back on the last time I flew. Was the person next to me uncomfortable?
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| Photo Credit: glamour.com |
Probably... But what really makes things hard is, that even when I'm working THIS hard to lose weight, stuff like that still is going on.
Even though I'm in the gym 2-3 hours a day and eating less than 1500 calories it doesn't change the fact that people are making assumptions. Assumptions that I am a failure, that I don't care about my health, that I am lazy, that I don't take care of myself.
And that hurts....
I am reminded at least 50 times a day of my weight, sometimes verbally, most times not. I am reminded by coworkers, friends, family members... With phrases like "Should you be eating that?" "That lift will be easier when you lose weight." "Have you gotten your steps in?" or to myself, saying, "I wish that shirt fit." "I can't bend over and get that at work."
One frustration that I have is the assumption that overweight people stuff their faces all day long with fast food and sweets. But the truth is, most people that struggle with their weight eat 3 meals just like the rest of the world. Sure, there are exceptions, and portion size control is an issue but it's not like we're often depicted in movies. When you go to McDonalds, there are just as many thin people as those overweight. But it's the fat ones given the label "disgusting."
We live in a world where opinions will always be attached to size. I'm asking you, my friends, to think before making an assumption and I will try to do the same.
Size matters. And mine is changing.
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ReplyDeleteVanessa,
DeleteWhile pseudo-starvation is certainly a consideration and decreased metabolism over the long term can have marked deleterious affects physically and can in fact impair an individuals ability to lose weight in the future, in a controlled environment a significant calorie deficit is still the most effective way to rapidly shed excess body mass and in fact is encouraged when the primary goal or the only goal is adipose tissue loss, aka weight loss through fat loss. Consequently certain weight loss programs, including Medical Weight Loss, place individuals near "pseudo-starvation" when weight loss is the goal. Exercise, particularly HIIT or CrossFit style high intensity workouts complicate this since they both increase the stress placed on the body and increase the calorie deficit. However, generally speaking if carbs are eaten directly prior to any such workout it keeps the body from catastrophically entering any "pseudo-starvation" mode while still encouraging weight loss. In reality the affects of pseudo-starvation are only catastrophic if endured for too long, hence Medical Weight Loss not allowing their clients to maintain such restricted diets for more than 6 months. Bottom line, as long as carbs are ingested prior to a rigorous workout, a severe calorie deficit is encouraged when weight loss is the primary concern as long a the length of time on such a restricted diet does not reach an extended period, aka greater than 6 months.
Thanks for the info!
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