Why Am I Overweight?

I have written similar posts before about the same subject but now I want to take a different approach. My last post was on another website, that covers the same topic, "losing weight".

It's true that Americans like to "overindulge". We have those people who don't see a problem with their weight, even though they are 20 pounds overweight. Then there are people who have a more serious problem and try and cut calories by skipping meals.

Those people with little to lose (20 pounds or so) are basically living in denial. "Yes, I could take off a few pounds but it's not a big deal, I'll get around to it." These are the ones that are pretty active and generally able to maintain their weight about 20 pounds over and because they don't see themselves getting bigger, they are happy to do nothing. These are the people with "creeping obesity". That 2 pounds a year that you add to your weight and don't even notice it. But after 10 years your 20 pounds heavier and don't know why.

Maybe because you never tried to change your diet. When you had the change and you first saw that your belly was getting bigger you shrugged it off and did nothing. You never tried to change your diet because you didn't see anything wrong.

Other people with a more serious problem are usually heavy from childhood. They grew up heavy for their size and age and because of their diet continued the same lifestyle. These people grew up eating the wrong way from little on.

I was one of those children that grew up heavy. My family owned a farm when I was growing up. My brother and I lived a farm life until I was in 4th grade and then we moved to the suburbs. I bring this up because I might have been heavy but my brother was thin and we ate the same food, same dinner table, ate the same time of the day and ate a very good diet. My diet was dairy, organic fruit, and vegetables, berries, and grapes that were in season. All seasonal home-grown produce and poultry and eggs from our farm. Almost everything we ate was from our farm. It was a very good life, but for some reason I was heavy and my brother was thin. And I stayed heavy until I was in my 20's when I got a construction job as a laborer.

In my 20's I did thin out but in my 30's when I left construction I started to gain weight again. The reason I brought up my story is because there was no obvious reason for the differences between my brother and I except for genes. I conquered my weight problem after a lifetime of bouncing up and down between 170 and 220 pounds. Now I'm 160, I have more strength than I've had in years and I have more energy than I can ever remember. I don't have body fat anymore, not that you can see anyway and I'm happy and healthy.

So maybe genes are a factor, or my it's the food you eat when your small and growing up. There could be many reasons for a weight problem but that doesn't mean that you can't do something about it. It's easy to pick up bad eating habits. Some come from childhood and others just because we don't want to take the time. We get in the habit of doing what's easy. Then we explain it away by blaming our actions on a "lack of time". I didn't take the time to do it the right way and I took a short cut. Maybe that's what bad habits are about. Maybe being overweight is because we are taking the short cuts in life to make more time for the pleasures.

The problem with that is we will pay the price for taking that short cut. We pay the price in different ways. And with our body, taking short cut means that we don't take care of our body. We don't eat the right foods we aren't active enough to keep our body in good working condition. And the price you pay is that your body will start to fail. Body functions will slow down to the point that they quit functioning and you die and early death.

You are responsible for yourself, not your doctor. All a doctor can do is make you more comfortable. They treat the symptoms, very seldom can they stop the problem from reoccurring. I never take painkillers because painkillers will cover up the problem and I want the problem fixed.

I write several blogs and e-books, check out some of my other sites.

gettingtoahealthyweight.wordpress.com
idropped40pounds.wordpress.com
howbaddoyouwanttoloseweight.blogspot.com
blogonweight.blogspot.com

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.