Society need to stop going out to eat so much

Society need to stop going out to eat so much. People must learn to start preparing meals at home, this allows one to be aware how the food is prepared. Everyone wants fast food. Fast food companies are selling foods high in calories, fats, sugar, and etc. not to mention the foods are loaded with grease. Some of the consumers eat at different fast food restaurants daily or several times a week. These food that are consumed can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks and more. So, the question at hand is fast food really that good? One may ask themselves how I got in this condition. How did I become so addiction to fast food? If one, make frequent trips back and forth to the fast food restaurants the weight will come add on. I believe the food consumed away from one’s home has a negative effect on one’s diet.
I encountered some challenges being obese clothing was a major issue. I would order clothes online, receive order clothes would be too small. I would go from department store to department with no success. I remember a sales person asking may I help you, I told her the size that I needed; she said we don’t carry sizes that large, my feelings were so hurt. I could remember needing an extender for my seatbelt on the airplane on a flight to Vegas, what an embarrassing moment; having to ask the flight attendant for an extender. My mind goes back when I was driving, and my abdomen was so large, I could barely turn the steering wheel. Walking a long distance or going up or downstairs were a difficulty for me; I would give out of breath easily now I enjoy walking. I suffered from high blood pressure, and anxiety once I lost the weight I no longer suffer from either. I was able to come off my blood pressure medication. I knew if the weight came off things would get better for me and it did, that why I am able to let everyone know if they are able to get their weight off things will better for them as well.
My family has always been supportive of me. My family has always told me whatever size you are we love you regardless. I have always heard its ok to be large because our family is big boned, but it is not ok with me. I feel like this is an individual choice. I have made a choice to live healthy at this given moment. My family cook soul food dinner on Sundays which is a family tradition, oh my how hard the temptation to resist on Sundays. It does not mean that I cannot take part with the family as long as bake, grill, seafood on the menu. I am trying to convince my family to prepare healthy meals. They want always to listen to me, their favorite saying old habits are hard to break. I have been cooking this way for years don’t try to change nothing now. When I cook at home I prepare healthy meal for my family. When my husband prepares meals, he prepares separates meals at times he will prepares healthy meal for me and unhealthy meals for him and the kids. I am still working on him, he is a work in progress as well. I have been working on my house hold for years for the most part, when I think I have convenience them; I sense a relapse.
After the weight loss, I felt good about the new me. My family and friends didn’t recognize me. The people in neighborhood, the ones I went to school with no one knew who I were. I had to introduce myself to people all over again. Some people were asking what happen to you, you look bad. I never let that hurt my feelings. I have a lot of excess skin even with work out, the flabby skin is still present. I am so thankful that I had a desire to want to make a change in my lifestyle. I was tired of being fat. I was tired of being the largest friend in the crowd. I have been fat all my life and I have had enough, it was time for a change. The change started with me, I was the change.
It is a lot of options for obese people to chose from. According to University of University of San Francisco Health the following is the treatment for obesity dietary modification, behavior modification, exercise, medications, and surgery(UCSF). Diet modifications on a limited calorie diet. Behavior modification is setting realistic goals, keeping daily food logs, being held accountable of what one eats, support groups all of this fall within behavior modifications. Various medications such as Phentermine, Fastin used as appetite suppressant. I used Phentermine 37.5 mg it caused my heart rate to speed up so fast I thought I was having a heart attack. I was not able to take this medication. The doctor tried lowering the dosage to 15 mg I still was not able to take this medication; the weight was coming off rapidly within the first month I lost a total of 30 lbs but it almost cost me my life. I was unable to continue. If all the above options have failed as a final option, surgery will be a last resort. The different type of surgery is gastric bypass, sleeve, and gastric band. According to (UCSF). The requirement for Gastric Bypass Body Mass Index must be 40 or more and have an obesity- related condition. A small stomach pouch is created using a surgical stapler. The average weight loss is 70-80 percent of one’s excess body weight. Medical conditions related to obesity such as acid reflux, high cholesterol and high blood pressure and sleep apnea are improved or eliminated after surgery(UCSF). With the band, a band is placed around the upper part of the stomach no stapling, cutting or removal of stomach tissue required. With the Gastric sleeve a small sleeve, or narrow pouch, is created using a stapler to separate the stomach. No foreign body is implanted, no rerouting of the intestinal tract (UCSF). It is several treatment options available to obese patient the choice is up to everyone.
I am a living testimony with proper diet, exercise, life style changes the weight will come off and stay off. One must be willing to make the change. One must realize we messed up, we were not educated about the correct portion sizes, how to read food labels. We didn’t know about BMI, carbs, and how many calories we should consume daily. The information was always there, but we never took time out to research it. One need to try to live a life to the best of their ability; obesity is a choice. One must realize the choices made today will affect you tomorrow.