Being disabled and overweight

One of the major causes of being overweight in adults is being unable to exercise due to physical limitations. Another factor is depression. Often those 2 factors go hand in hand in the development of an overweight person.

When an adult becomes disabled they often go on social security disability. If their disability is not apparent to the average observer then they could be the victim of ridicule. That ridicule will often cause the disabled person to become depressed and that depression can lead to overeating, alcoholism or even drug addiction.

Contrary to popular belief, being on disability is not a free ride but only enough of an income to barely get by. Next time you see an overweight disabled person consider that over eating might be their "mental crutch" that they have had to lean on due to depression.

Shopping while fat

I have been overweight for the last 15 years. I sometimes get to the point that I really hate to look at myself in the mirror. It is at those times that I find great relief in going shopping. It is not that I substitute shopping for feeling guilty for being overweight, no it is that I go to Walmart and see huge obese women and say to myself I am not that fat after all.

To me shopping and looking at other people makes it a true reality check. I think I have been comparing myself to those skinny gals on TV and not to real life. Whether I am shopping for pond supplies at the local pet store or just cruising down the grocery aisle it puts my own life in a better perspective. Try it for yourself and see if you feel better about the way you look.

Advantages of losing weight

Did you know that besides the added benefits of better health there are other benefits to losing weight? Here are just a few:

• Lower life insurance rates
• Lower health insurance rates
• Lower cost of clothing (stores charge higher prices for larger sizes)
• Saving money on your food bill
• Your furniture will last longer
• Finding a job will be easier. Employers are not supposed to discriminate but they do according to what a person looks like.
  

I bet you can think of more than that small list. I did not include the social advantages like being asked out on more dates or invited to parties.

Losing weight allowed me to save money

I had no idea how much money was being spent on snack foods until we started to cut them out of our diet. Would you believe that it was an extra $40 a week just in junk food? I was totally shocked.

Hubby an I decided to put that extra money in a "rewards" savings account. The reward was to give us something for not eating junk food and losing weight. We were thinking about going on a vacation to somewhere exotic like the Bahamas, Morocco or punta cana dominican republic, just because they are not the normal places the general tourists go to. I actually like Greece but Hubby would like Japan so we are still discussing the plans.

You might try and reward yourself for losing weight like we are doing. Either a vacation or an item you have always wanted. Don't reward yourself by going out to dinner, we use to do that and it got us nowhere with our diets.