Motivation & philosophy

What motivated me this time around is turning 60.  I still felt young but knew I'd feel even better if I was a healthy weight and more fit.

The negatives of being overweight/obese

• Health: possible high cholesterol, plaque in the arteries, making the heart work harder, visceral fat (intra-abdominal fat) which can cause cardiovascular disease, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased risk of breast cancer, increased risk of colon cancer due to bad diet.  
• Comfort: clothing never fits right, waistbands too tight, uncomfortable bras, bending over to tie shoes and having uncomfortable pressure on the abdomen, getting breathless too easily, not being able to get comfortable in an airplane seat on a long flight. 
• Vanity:  hating photos of myself so much that I delete them, feeling frumpy and unattractive, having a fat face!  

The positives of being a healthy weight & physically fit

• Feeling younger and healthier
• Enjoying shopping for clothes
• Clothes fit much better and are much more comfortable!
• Not having to avoid looking in full-length mirrors or windows
• Much easier to do physical things that are enjoyable - hike, bicycle, any physical activity
• More energy

I've dieted off and on since my late 30's.  Somehow I never thought about how to maintain the weight once I lost the excess.   This time I did.  This time I'm determined not to need to go on a weight loss diet again.  A huge percentage of dieters gain back what they've lost within a year.  I won't be one of them!  Yo-yo dieting is very bad for health.

Something I try to keep in mind is to ask myself - Which is better?  Indulging in a  high fat, high sugar treat for 10 minutes of pleasure, or 24 hours of being a weight and size I am comfortable with?

I notice often that many obese women claim they are comfortable with their size.  They are either lying or in denial.  Other women tell them that they are beautiful just the way they are and there's no need to be thin to look good.  Sure, you can be big and beautiful but making obesity all about outward attractiveness is being self-deceptive.  You can't be healthy and obese, at least not in the long term.  How many obese people are there who are over the age of 80?  Not many.  Obesity is BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH!