Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
Late to the commentary, but here goes:
I was a very skinny kid, and DH wrestled at 114 in High School. We have gained 5 lbs a year for the 13 years we've been married. We now weigh around 200 at 5'9" each. We started seeing a personal trainer 2x a week within the last 6 months. My strength and endurance have improved, and my eating habits have improved. It is extremely expensive, though, and I wouldn't do it if my boss didn't pay for it (he's a fitness freak & runner). We just pay for DH's portion, which is still a lot (to us).
I am disciplined and organized in every other aspect of my life: finance, household, relationships, whatever. But the diet/exercise problem is the first thing I've not been able to fight by myself. I have 60 lbs to lose, and I just hope it won't take 13 years to take it off. There is nothing easy about this; and it takes intelligence and determination to make the good choices everyday that healthy living requires.
I'm sure that most of the obese people in this country do not have access this kind of information/training. So if I have struggles even with expensive training and a sharp eye for labels, I don't know how we plan to just say "You can do it" to the obese in this country and hope for personal responsibility. Even having cut my philosophical teeth on Ayn Rand, I have seen just how tough it can be to make the changes necessary to lose the weight.
And, yeah, I quit a pack a day smoking habit a few years ago--it sucked, but nothing like the ongoing struggle that is weight loss, like Martha and Astro pointed out so aptly. You can't just put down food.
Sarah
I was a very skinny kid, and DH wrestled at 114 in High School. We have gained 5 lbs a year for the 13 years we've been married. We now weigh around 200 at 5'9" each. We started seeing a personal trainer 2x a week within the last 6 months. My strength and endurance have improved, and my eating habits have improved. It is extremely expensive, though, and I wouldn't do it if my boss didn't pay for it (he's a fitness freak & runner). We just pay for DH's portion, which is still a lot (to us).
I am disciplined and organized in every other aspect of my life: finance, household, relationships, whatever. But the diet/exercise problem is the first thing I've not been able to fight by myself. I have 60 lbs to lose, and I just hope it won't take 13 years to take it off. There is nothing easy about this; and it takes intelligence and determination to make the good choices everyday that healthy living requires.
I'm sure that most of the obese people in this country do not have access this kind of information/training. So if I have struggles even with expensive training and a sharp eye for labels, I don't know how we plan to just say "You can do it" to the obese in this country and hope for personal responsibility. Even having cut my philosophical teeth on Ayn Rand, I have seen just how tough it can be to make the changes necessary to lose the weight.
And, yeah, I quit a pack a day smoking habit a few years ago--it sucked, but nothing like the ongoing struggle that is weight loss, like Martha and Astro pointed out so aptly. You can't just put down food.
Sarah