STOP PRESSURING ME!!

It’s January! Obviously. I hope you knew that. Every ad I see on TV and everywhere I go, there is a company pressuring me and others to lose weight, get in-shape, stop smoking etc. I’m sick of it! Instead of making me feel better about myself, these companies are making me feel like I’m not good enough. Why are you making me face my insecurities? I’m stubborn and I’m sure there are a lot of people who feel the same way. These companies are forcing my insecurities in my face. I can’t take it anymore.

The worst part about it is, there are a million other companies advertising the opposite of what these “New Year’s Resolution” companies are offering. First you’ll see an ad for a gym, offering you a “spectacular” deal to join their gym and get in shape. Next you’ll see an ad for McDonald’s advertising their latest fat sandwich. Yuck! How is anyone supposed to get healthy when companies are advertising for the unhealthiest food options.

Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

I’m ashamed to say that I live in one of the fattest countries in the world. Unhealthy food is so readily available. Just about every corner has a fast food restaurant or a convenience store that holds the unhealthiest snacks and soda. Eating unhealthy is just too easy.

Eating healthy food seems to be a big inconvenience. The healthy fast food options are far and few between. If I want a healthy food option, I usually have to drive twice and far and pay twice as much. IT’S JUST NOT FAIR! On top of that, the unhealthy food options usually taste better! I need help!

There are many websites that offer meal plans and shopping lists to get on track to a healthier lifestyle but who has the time to do all that food prep? I’d much rather catch up on the shows I missed throughout the week, go see a movie, do karaoke, play video games, play with my dog, read a book, etc. The list could go on forever. Usually the options on those pre-planned lists are bland and don’t’ really make me excited to eat them.

I want to eat the good stuff, the sweet stuff and I want to eat as much of it as I can. Dr. Oz once pointed out that I may be addicted to sugar. I’m sure he was telling the truth. There are studies that point out that food addiction can be just as serious as drug addiction. Sheesh.

So how does one change their food addiction and eat healthier. These New Year’s Resolution companies want you to do a crash diet. They want you to change your eating immediately. Sharply cut out all the bad food. I don’t think this is the right way to do it.

Starting slowly and gradually adding healthier foods to your diet while cutting out the unhealthy foods at the same time seems like it would work best for people who feel like me about food. The hard part is teaching yourself to love the healthy food options and dislike the unhealthy food options. Also, thinking of it as a diet is a major downfall. Diets never work. What happens when you get to your goal weight and you go off your “diet” and back to those unhealthy food items that you worked so hard to stop eating? All the weight comes and back and most people gain more weight than what they lost.

In conclusion, the best option to eating healthy, in my opinion, is by slowly changing the foods that are in your everyday meals to healthier options. Make a small change instead of making it a sharp change in the way you’re eating. You could start by swapping your McDonald’s breakfast sandwich for a healthier homemade breakfast sandwich. The best part of this plan is that you can still eat your guilty pleasures from time to time.

What do you think?