There are so many reasons to kick the bad habits and, once and for all, finally get healthy. But everyone has their own set of reasons. These are ours:
- Health - heart disease runs in Katie's dad's family. High cholesterol runs in Katie's mom's family. Carrying around so much extra weight, even at a young age, only makes the situation worse when one is facing genetic predisposition to these conditions. I (Katie) saw my doctor in January for a routine physical, etc., and she recommended I get my blood drawn, not just for cholesterol but also for Type 2 Diabetes (adult-onset). That scared the crap out of me. I have always known Type 2 Diabetes was a possibility for obese people but just assumed my youth would keep me safe. Thankfully, the test came back negative so I dodged that bullet... this time. Hopefully by losing this weight and keeping it off, I won't have to worry about that anymore!
- Appearance - this is a given for pretty much every obese person who isn't happy with their size. In the society we live in, appearances matter big time. I cannot wait for the day when I can walk into a room of strangers and not have to worry about the thoughts that are going through their heads the first time they see me. I want to be able to blend in when it comes to size.
- Saving Money - to lose weight, one has to eat less. Eating less means we can buy fewer groceries, which means we are saving money! In the last year or so, I have become quite frugal and any kind of savings like this gets a gold star in my book!
- Stairs - my parents live on an inland lake. The side of the lake they are on is hilly and all of the houses are roughly 3 floors of stairs up from the lake. I like to spend my summer weekends there, hanging out on the giant dock, swimming "in the deep" as we've been calling it since we could talk, and going on pontoon rides around the lake. Those stairs are pretty rough going up. When we were there for Memorial Day weekend, I never went up the stairs except when I was done being down by the lake for the day. Thankfully, lakes are nature's bathroom (you know you do it!!) and I never needed to go #2 while down at the lake.
- Pregnancy - of course health is a factor here. It will be healthier for both the baby and myself if I am at a healthy weight. Appearance is a factor; don't most women want that cute baby belly that everyone oohs and ahhs over? I'm pretty sure at my current size a pregnancy would just make me look like I was gaining food weight in my stomach. Comfort is another factor. I can't imagine putting on more pounds at my current weight, and having to lug that all around town. Lastly, labor might be easier at a smaller weight. This isn't something I've researched, nor is it something I've been told, but it just kind of makes sense to me.
- Parenting - toddlers and children have energy. A LOT of energy. We would not be able to keep up with their energy levels at our current weights. We are pretty confident that by losing all this weight we will be able to better handle sleepless nights with a baby and running around all day with a toddler. Hopefully :)
Monday will bring another results post, so stay tuned!!
Katie's Food and Exercise Diary can be found here.
Tony's Food and Exercise Diary can be found here.
Our weight loss tickers can be found at the bottom of every page of our blog.
