Last Updated on May 23, 2023 by Michael Brockbank
Too many people rely on excuses as to why they are overweight. It’s often a defense mechanism to help them feel better about themselves. In reality, a lot of people can avoid being obese by simply making a few changes in their lifestyle. Instead of making excuses, why not try to fix the problem?
I’m not saying I am a saint by any means. In fact, I often make some of these excuses myself. The difference is I am tired of being out of shape and unable to perform certain tasks.
It’s not about being attractive or trying to impress a mate. It’s about improving my life outside of the kitchen.
1. Convenience
We live in a digital world where anything we want is literally at our fingertips. But does it contribute to a positive way of life? Something as simple as a TV remote is actually taking away physical activity and keeping you planted in your favorite recliner.
Of course one of the major contributors to being obese is the drive-through window. For many, it’s simply easier to pick up something from McDonald’s on the way home from work. However, it doesn’t bode well for health. Not only is fast food more often bad for your weight, it also takes away the activity of cooking something yourself.
Take the service, Post Mates. It’s a delivery service for “busy people.” It also takes away the activity of going out and doing your own shopping.
After all, you can burn an incredible number of calories depending on what you need from the store.
Another convenience many take for granted, and one of my personal pet peeves, is escalators. It’s not a ride. Instead of walking up the steps, and getting to the top much quicker, people often stand and let the machine do all the work.
2. Digital Entertainment
Digital entertainment is closely related to convenience. Videos, games and other diversions are easily streamed to your smartphone or computers. When’s the last time you entertained yourself at a park or on the beach…without your electronics?
I know a lot of people personally who center entertainment around their computer systems who are overweight. I am one of them. It’s easier to sit and stream than it is to simply get up and walk to the living room to watch something on TV.
I know not everyone centers their day around computers, tablets and smartphones. Unfortunately, there are too many who do.
3. Lack of Commitment or Willpower
For me, being obese is more of a matter of willpower than anything. I do great on my 600 calorie diet until after dinner. It’s the midnight snacking that usually takes its toll on my health and fitness.
It’s easy to talk a big game about losing weight. However, a lot of us just can’t seem to make it happen because of low motivation, commitment or sheer willpower.
The hardest part is breaking the cycle. If you’re a stress eater or have a tenancy to make excuses when you fail at a diet, you need to find what is hindering your performance. Is it a mental thing? Perhaps it’s stress or depression.
In any case, you’re not alone.
Find those elements that are holding you back and do something to change. If you’re stuck in a rut, it’s often easier to find help and get back on the road.
4. Outright Laziness
Another aspect I am guilty of while being obese is laziness. No one likes to point out how they are simply too lazy to get up and move about. So, it’s easier to make excuses why exercise isn’t on the daily agenda.
Being lazy is one thing I am actually getting over. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve used the Xbox Kinect about 10 times per week at 30 minute intervals. Each time, I burned as many calories as someone doing intense aerobics.
If you’re tired of being obese, you need to make some changes in your daily activity. It’s not just because it will help you lose weight, but also because you’ll find yourself in better physical condition overall.
Case in point, I’ve found myself able to do far more physical activity just in household chores since playing the Xbox.
5. Consumerism
We live in a world where manufacturers-a-plenty want you to buy goods, services, apps and food. This is especially for restaurants who tout a $5 “meal deal” which is usually loaded with calories.
In many instances, restaurants feed you far more food than you need in any one meal. That $5 meal box from Taco Bell, yeah, that’s nearly all my daily calories in one sitting.
It’s all about understanding portion control and knowing where your limits lie.
How often do you have to throw food out because it’s gone bad or that it was just too much to eat? Myself, I never throw food out. This isn’t because I am a better person, but it is because I only serve myself what I am capable of eating. Left overs are frozen and eaten later.
One of the biggest elements to being obese for me was the inability to throw food out…even when I was full. This meant I would stuff myself with as much as possible.
I don’t just blame companies for making me think I needed a cheap meal deal. I blame myself because I could have stopped eating at any point.
6. Lack of Social Engagement
When I say, “social engagement,” I am talking about more than just telling someone happy birthday in Facebook. I’m talking about actually going out and meeting people face to face.
For many, the lack of interpersonal social engagement leads to gaining weight. This is because you’re not getting out and burning calories while attending a ball game, playing pool or simply hanging out at the zoo.
This is another problem I have. I don’t really go to many places and meet new people. I am a bit of a hermit. As a result, I don’t get enough physical activity in the day.
It’s amazing how many calories you can burn just by getting up and doing something. A walk in the park, window shopping at the mall or even attending a live band is all beneficial to health by improving the cardiovascular system as well as melting fat.
7. Body Positivity
OK, so I know this one is a bit of a sensitive topic. However, body positivity isn’t always a good thing. I know everyone should have a higher self-esteem and love the person they are. On the other hand, it also leads to a lack of change within many.
It’s one thing to love yourself while being obese. It’s another to maintain being overweight and causing continual damage to your body. It’s not about what hurts today, but what is going to hurt tomorrow.
I am another example of this. True, I don’t have body positivity. But maintaining a sedentary lifestyle for so long also stopped my heart once. And that was enough for me.
There are a lot of people who believe, “If they don’t love me for who I am, to hell with them.” And this is OK, to an extent. When your joints begin to fail, your heart starts to break down and you’re incapable of living without medication, then being obese is a problem.
One way I look at it is like this: If a disaster was going to strike right now, are you a hindrance on your family because of your physical condition? Can you run in the event of a zombie apocalypse? If the Yellowstone Caldera erupts this second, will you survive?
Body positivity isn’t going to prevent an earthquake or hurricane from making your life miserable.
Think about it, $147 billion was spent in the United States because of obesity in 2008. Are you part of that statistic?
Get More Out of Life
Losing weight isn’t about looking good. It’s about living longer. Whether it’s playing basketball at 60 or being able to handle a natural disaster, being obese takes away from what you can accomplish. Find what motivates you to be a stronger person, both physically and mentally.
About Author
