Why Am I Fat?
On BL last night, the following question came up, “Why are you fat?” Other than the most basic answers…overeating and not exercising…have you ever really given some thought to the reason you allowed yourself to get fat?
For me, I learned how to comfort myself with sugary carbs from my Mom. Not that I’m blaming her for my weight gain! As someone so wise recently said, I am an adult and must be accountable for my choices. But, Mom was frequently depressed and I inherited those tendencies from her. Cookies, cakes, doughnuts, candy all make me feel better….really, they do! In the book, You On a Diet, the doctors explain the reason why sugary carbs make a depressed person feel better. There really is a chemical reaction that takes place in our bodies…I won’t bore everyone with the details.(Even thought I love the whole anatomy & physiology side of things!) Okay, so now I know why I head for those foods on very stressful days or days when I’m just feelilng very down, so it should be easy now, right? Wrong! Yesterday, I was stressed about one of my projects for work and I found myself wandering the kitchen and looking for something. Fortunately, I’ve made my kitchen a “safe zone” and there are no sugary snacks anywhere. My automatic tendency is to head for what I know will make me feel better. So, I have to build new habits…..like exercising to relieve my feelings. Not so easy. They say that exercise releases some of the same “feel good” hormones in our body that the sugary carbs release. Wouldn’t it be great to develop an exercise dependency? Have a tiff with Hubby?…run 5 miles. Kids whining and fighting…run 10 miles….etc etc etc. With all the stresses of life, I’d be thin in no time!
January 16th, 2008 at 10:22 am
I’m right there with ya. I eat emotionally b/c that’s what I know. But, like you, I’m learning to turn to other things under stress; prayer, friends and fruit.
Have a great day and keep up the good work!
January 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Natural endorphins rule. But yeah, my first impulse is always to start nibbling, too. Here’s to replacing old habits with new, healthier ones!
January 17th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I’m glad you got rid of the junk in your kitchen. Good going! An exercise dependency would be fantastic. I actually think I’m starting to develop one. When I work out, I just feel better mentally than I do when I don’t. Here’s hoping we develop one! Or to want to nibble on carrot sticks instead of chocolate cookies hehe.