Atkins Diet: Psychological and Social Aspects of Weight Loss
In this video, I deal with the perhaps unintended or least recognized consequences of obesity and losing weight. That is social and psychological aspects of losing weight or why you may be self-sabotaging yourself from losing weight. Many of us appreciate or utilize our fat as an insulator from the outside world.Our obesity prevents us from having to deal to with certain situation, like a poor marriage, or gives us an excuse for something we should be doing, such as exercising or being a good parent. Here is a list from Tracy Rose on some potential sel-sabotaging reasons (http://... Worrying how youll be accepted at your goal weight. * Letting fear of life without the fat barrier get the best of you. * Being afraid of how youll respond when people show they are attracted to you. * Fear of losing yourself to the new, slim verson of you. * Fear of failure and fear of success. * Wish not to deal with jealous friends. * You wont be able to use fat as an excuse to stay on the sidelines of life anymore. * You think people will have higher expectation of you after you lose weight. * You are unhappy and feel undeserving of success. There are certain ones in that list that I can definitely relate to thinking and that kept me consciously or sub-consciously fat for many years. The quote re: fat as an insulator came from this blog post ( http://...
Unfortunately, when we lose the weight, all the above psychological issues don't immediately disappear either. Sometimes there are real issues underlying these issues that removing the insulator or the excuse forces us to deal with. Some of these are internal to ourselves as we may begin to treat people differentlyfor better or for worse. Weight loss will typically lead to a better self-image of ourselves. Our children however may be unaccustomed to an active parent in their life, or we may become judgemental of our less fit friends unfairly.
Even our most bedrock relationships, our marital partners willlikely be affected by our weight loss. Testosterone, a fat soluble hormone, will get released as the fatty acids in the fat cells are consumed. This typically increases the libido (sex drive), and according to studies, weight loss is responsible for a better sex life, better orgasms, and happier marital relations. Significant weight loss in morbidly obese people however also raises the divorce rate over the norm. Here are a few studies: * Partnership, Sexuality, and Sexual Disorders in Morbidly Obese Women: Consequences of Weight Loss After Gastric Banding (http://... * Surgery for obesity and marriage quality (http://... * Removal of a Psychosomatic Symptom: Effects on the Marriage (http://...
I think it is pretty conclusive that after weight loss we are seen differently. To some extent that is correct.We aren't the same person as we just did something AWESOME and life-changing, but to another, we are still the core personality. Dealing with that dichotomy is just reality for those who have finally achieved their weight loss success.
Or you're too old. I am 32, but i swear I have used excuses that I am too old to start and what's the point now. Also,my partner is not too keen on having me too skinny. he isnt really attracted to skinny chicks and he's afraid that he might lose me, which is crazy because i've been this size forever and I still had lots of boyfriends.
healthyfitmom(November 22, 2008 at 11:01 pm)
I think it is so important to address psychological issues. Overcoming those barriers is much harder to do then losing the weight itself.
ed2276(November 20, 2008 at 5:00 am)
I'm glad you have a good sense of humour:)I really want to thank you for these vids, bowulf. I did atkins many years ago and it worked so well. I felt great and had an amazing energy. I fell back into poor eating habits/choices over these last few years and now have about 40lbs to lose. Your vids have inspired me to start with atkins again this weekend.
Thank you.
bowulf(November 20, 2008 at 4:46 am)
Nope, just my house rabbits. Start talking like that, and Rachele77 will start offering up stew recipes.
bowulf(November 20, 2008 at 4:45 am)
Been there and used them myself as I said in the video... It's those darn invisible hand cuffs that keep us fat in the first place. I hope by putting voice to them we can ward off the demons or at least recognize them.
ed2276(November 20, 2008 at 4:41 am)
What is that in the cage over your right shoulder...lunch?
Bustydee(November 16, 2008 at 9:51 pm)
Great vid!! Thank you so much. You are so motivational!!
robertr70(November 16, 2008 at 8:48 am)
WOW!!! You just described me to a 'T', I've used all of those excuses before and currently I have pretty much resigned myself to a life of morbid obesity, thanks for the inspiration to at least try one more time to lose the weight.
bowulf(November 16, 2008 at 4:38 am)
Yeah, sometimes we have to go through the negative to finally learn the lessons that will help us stay where we want to be. I certainly didn't fully appreciate my weight and health I lost them. Sorry you had to learn that lesson of who you actually were and how to be safe in your own thin skin, but it sounds like you have done it now. Good job!
stripe66506(November 13, 2008 at 8:01 am)
Great video!I believe this aspect of weight loss is often overlooked.
I lost 70 lbs over the course of two years after I got out of high school. It was quite a culture shock after being obese since age 5. It became too much for me to handle and by that next year I put the weight back on. It was more familiar and I felt safer.
However, now that I'm older an more mature, I've decided that this is not the life for me and I've decided to loose the excess weight and keep it off for good.
bowulf(November 12, 2008 at 12:26 am)
Thanks. I appreciate the viewers of this video and their comments as this one was probably the hardest to make. I am not one to lay it out there so to speak very often, and I thought I had to with this one.
Weight loss and obesity can really affect how you think and act around others. I am just thankful my marriage and kids were helped and benefitted by mine, but I knew that isn't the case for everyone's. Thanks for watching!
bsbuntin(November 10, 2008 at 2:08 pm)
Kenthis is the best video ever!!Thankyou:)I have alot to think aboutBarb
