Top Ten Excuses Mothers Use in Weight Loss

I recently came across these statistics:

National Obesity Trends

About one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese.
Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.
[Data from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES)]

Trends by State 1985–2010

During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. In 2010, no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more.

I have to admit, my jaw dropped when I read this information. I perceived that more of my neighbors in town and those I saw during out-of-town travel seemed to be more “fluffy” but I had no idea the numbers were at this level! Are you wondering why these numbers are so high (and growing…no pun intended)? If you carry a little...or a lot…of “fluff” on your body, ask yourself “why?” 

My weight loss journey has been just a little over a year now. OK, if I am really honest, it has been over the last 10 years! My oldest child is 10 and when I was pregnant with him, my top weight was 196 on a 5’4” frame (I am now fluctuating between 130 and 135). I asked myself the same question I just posed to you…”why?” I had all sorts of reasons to not to take care of my body. Here is my personal list.  

10.  I am pregnant (or will be again in the near future) and I need the extra calories/weight to support that precious baby growing inside me.

9.  I may be a little soft around the middle but I am healthy because I take a stroll in the evening with my husband and child(ren).

8.  Mommies aren’t supposed to be hot or sexy. After all, we don’t want to traumatize the kids if they see someone besides daddy checking me out.

7.  Do looks really matter that much? I am just as comfortable in my size 12 pants as I would be in a 4.

6.  I DESERVE to eat 5 tacos and drink a large Diet Coke at 10:00p…I have had a hard day!

5.  None of my friends exercise. (i.e. I might not fit in with them if I start exercising).

4.  My husband loves me no matter what…even if I keep adding “fluff” (Please understand this is not about vanity. As a wife I am simply very tuned into the fact that it feeds a man’s ego to have a hot wife; and vice versa for women. Taking care of your body is an expression of your love for your partner.)

3.  I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. I am my own person!

2.  I am getting too old to worry about adding muscle…I just need to accept that the mommy-body comes with age.

And…drum roll please….

1.  I am too tired to care! I have three kids, a husband, a job, social commitments, a house to take care of, laundry to do, etc., etc., etc.

Do any of these sound familiar? In future months I’ll look at each one of these excuses in more detail. I want to share with you how I overcame them and chose health over disease…weight loss instead of “fluffiness”. I hear so many women (and men for that matter) lament the fact that their pants are getting tight…or they aren’t what they once were...or the fact that their upper arm keeps waving once they have stopped the action. I want you to KNOW that you can be BETTER, STRONGER and FASTER as you gain experience in life! You are an amazing person on the inside….let it shine through every part of your being on the outside!