Get Angry to Get Motivated and Get in Shape

According to a study published by NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), about 42% of the adult population in the United States is obese. I don’t know about you, but to me that number is astonishing and sickening. Just about half of the people walking around in this Country are obese; Not overweight, not a bit out of shape, but belly hanging and fat protruding obese. As someone who has a regular exercise routine and cares about how I look in the mirror, I just don’t know how this can happen. Even if you don’t care about how you look, don’t people want to be healthy and live for as long as possible? Well according to the data, just a little more than half of us do.

Get Motivated

The biggest problem and reason this is happening is because people just don’t have the need to exercise. Back in caveman days, whether you were a hunter or gatherer, you had to walk and run around. People had to use their muscles to build things, and even be in shape to defend against, or flee from, predators and threats.  These days, people don’t need to physically use their bodies for more than opening a pickle jar (and they even have devices for that). So that means the only way to stay in shape and to get in shape is to be intentional about exercising and engaging in physical activity, in addition to eating right. If everybody in the US exercised for at least 30 minutes 1 time per week or more, I bet we would see the obesity rate drop significantly.

Love Yourself and Strive to be Better

Another big reason the obesity rate has climbed so much over the years is due to the ever-increasing push of the “body positivity” movement. Sure, everybody should be comfortable and happy in their own skin, but people should also be wanting to do better and become the best possible version of themselves. Not everybody has to be skinny with six pack abs, but you should not be encouraged to be comfortable with having a BMI of 30 or higher (medically obese). For a person to not exercise at all and eat whatever they want all the time, it is an atrocity and true act of self-destruction.

Americans need to step up to the plate and start having some more self-respect. How do we expect our kids to know how to be healthy and in shape if they are growing up watching their obese mom and dad shovel down French fries and soda, never witnessing them do any exercise at all? We shouldn’t, because the fact of the matter is that those kids are likely to end up obese too.

Dads and moms need to have more respect for themselves, because in turn it’s really about having respect for your children. To be so overweight that you are considered obese, is disrespectful to your spouse and children. Don’t you want to live for as long as possible so you can spend as much time with your kids, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren for as long as possible? Or would you rather look in the mirror and tell yourself “I love me no matter what,” as your belly hangs over your waste band as you digest the pizza or fried chicken that you just chowed down during your family dinner.

Don’t you want your kids to look at you as an example and role model for as many things as possible? How obese parents are able to be confident around their children is beyond me. Obese parents should be ashamed of themselves, so ashamed that it drives them to want to change and do better. If not for themselves, then for their kids. I’m using this harsh language not to offend anyone, but more to motivate them to change their lifestyle.

At the time I’m writing this article I am 39 years old, and I have a workout routine that includes weightlifting and cardio, at least 4-5 times per week. Sure, it’s hard to get motivated sometimes to workout, but I do it for myself and for my son. I do it because I have standards. I do it so my son respects me. I do it so that when my son sees me with my shirt off at the beach or pool, he is proud to be my son and doesn’t ask me why my belly is bigger than a circus balloon and why I don’t look like other dads who are in good shape.

As You Probably Already Know…Diet is Very Important

Eating whatever you want sounds great, but diet plays such a large role in our overall health and appearance that it must be talked about. It’s not just about exercise, it’s about eating healthy. No, you don’t need to be crazy about your diet at all times, you just need to be mindful about what you’re putting into your body.

I find that eating healthy and clean during the week and living a little bit on the weekends works best for me. It’s not realistic to eat clean and perfect all the time. You must allow some days, or at the very least some meals, to be “cheat” meals where you can enjoy yourself.

Cutting out horrible things from your diet completely can be an absolute game changer. For example, if you drink regular soda you are already putting yourself at a disadvantage when it comes to your health and appearance. The amount of sugar that is in a regular soda is just disgusting, and I assure you it’s not worth it. Replace regular soda with diet soda and you will already see some improvement. You think the fake sweetener they use in diet sodas is worse for you than just having the sugar? Find some diet sodas that use the good natural type of sugar-free sweeteners. Or, you can just stop drinking sodas all together and solely drink water and flavored waters. Flavored carbonated waters come in so many different varieties these days, and they are quite delicious.

Cut Out the Sweets

Do you have a big sweet tooth? That could very well be your downfall. You need to control the amount of sugar you eat, because when it comes down to it sugar and carbs are what will make you the fattest. Try to save your desserts and sweet treats for special occasions, or at least only once or twice a week. At the very least, just have a couple bites and don’t cut yourself a monster slice of cake or pie or go triple with the ice cream scooper.

The hardest part about dieting is that the better you are doing with your diet, the harder it gets, especially for the first few weeks. Just remember, the longer you stick to your diet plan, the greater the chances you will create permanent lifestyle changes. You are going to crave all the things that you love and are essentially the worst for you. When a bowl of cheesy pasta sounds like heaven, just treat yourself to a nice turkey or roast beef sandwich instead. You will be giving your body some of those carbs it’s craving, but without the overload of a huge bowl of spaghetti.

Change Your Lifestyle and Improve Your Life

Living a healthy lifestyle and looking good is about balance. You don’t have to torture yourself to stay out of the obesity zone, you just have to stop yourself from overindulging. It’s not about having six-pack abs and getting shredded like you’re some type of model, it’s about not having overloads of fat hanging off your body. Most importantly, it is about being healthy and staying alive for as long as possible so you can enjoy getting older with your loved ones. If you are obese, make changes to your lifestyle before it’s too late. Just try executing a healthy diet and good workout plan (workout at least 1-2 times per week) for 2 weeks and see how you feel, I bet you that will be enough for you to change course for the better and for good.