What Not Being Quite So Fat Has Taught Me.

Over the course of the past two years, I've lost a total of seventy pounds. I believe I still have thirty to fifty pounds to go, but I'm definitely over the halfway mark on my journey. In that time, I've grown to understand what I was doing wrong with my body -- little to no exercise, non-existent portion control, eating when I was angry or sad, etc. As I've relearned how to eat and manage my weight, certain aspects about life have become apparent to me. Here's a few observations relating to weight and food that I've witnessed along the way.

• I don't become angry when I go clothes shopping anymore. I have an easier time finding clothes that fit me. Going shopping for clothes used to be an activity I absolutely dreaded. I knew I'd just end up feeling disappointed because nothing fit me. Now, I can find items that readily fit, without having to try the slightest. Though, locating a pair of shoes that will accommodate my wide feet is still a dilemma -- one that losing weight will not fix.
• We are literally surrounded by processed sugar. I can't walk through a grocery store without seeing aisles of products that are loaded with sugar -- canned fruit, dry cereals, soda pops, snack crackers, breads, peanut butter, candy, cake, cookies, soup, yogurt, pasta. Many things that I used to purchase as recently as three or four years ago I won't even touch today. Why? Knowledge is key. Until you actually start paying attention to what's in your food, you'll never see the insane amount of sugar and calories they hide. Sugar is the phantom villain that's ruining the lives of countless millions.
• No one cooks anymore. Sure, people purchase raw meat and vegetables on occasion, but the vast majority purchase food-like products that require little to no effort -- processed dinners, boxed side items like macaroni & cheese, pre-made pasta, and so on. One of the most sincere ways we could combat the weight epidemic in this nation is to have a cooking revolution. Let's get back to actually preparing our meals.
• Eating has become an activity for our society. This isn't to say I personally don't enjoy a good meal out at a swanky restaurant. Yet, eating at a restaurant has become more than merely seeking tasty nourishment; it's become something for people to go and do with their friends at random. They do it too often and consume too much.
• My feet get cold. What the hell?! Is this what most people deal with? Is it normal for people to experience the sensation of cold? I used to never get frosty... though I was carrying many, many, MANY more inches of fat on my body.
• The Fat Acceptance movement is pure laziness; it is a cop out to avoid making a positive change in your life. This has nothing (I repeat NOTHING) to do with beauty standards -- people of all shapes and sizes are beautiful in their own way. This has everything to do with improving your physical health and living a longer, more fulfilling life. I was going to die young if I didn't start getting the excess weight off. When I came to understand how being obese was slowly killing me, that's when things clicked in my head. I WANT TO LIVE!