Did you know that you probably are not as overweight as you might think? That's right, it turns out that man and women incorrectly perceive their weight. Women often think they are heavier and bigger than they actually are and men- men seem to think just the opposite. Men typically think their weight is just fine when in fact the typical male is actually over weight. The confusion occurs on both sides because of the society we live in; women are pressured by media outlets such as the mall, magazines, commercials, and TV, that thin and slim are in- think Barbie. On the other hand men might be smaller than some of their friends or colleagues but that does not mean they are at an ideal weight, and when it comes to TV, commercials, and news papers, the average man is portrayed as medium to over weight to fit a "normal" that has arisen since the average American continues to gain weight.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Nation Center for Health Statistics, American adult males weigh nearly 25 pounds more than they did in 1965, and the number of overweight and obese adults is growing every year. This means that we as a society are getting accustomed to a new "normal" that's far heavier than what's healthy for most.
According to a recent study of more than 2,500 adults, nearly 30 percent of the women ages 18 to 35 would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize. The general public is obsessed with themselves and the sad truth found it's way into another survey conducted by Parenting.com where a survey of more than 30,000 moms were asked if they had a choice, would they rather be 15 pounds thinner or add 15 points to theirs child's IQ? Sadly the study results showed that more than 45 percent of those moms surveyed would rather be 15 pounds thinner than add to their children's IQ.
Whether you are looking at magazines, movies, or the television, these perfected bodies you are trying to emulate can not be obtained because most of them have been made to appear the way they do because they are in a professionally lit studio, had their hair and makeup done, and many, many times the photography has been professionally digitally retouched with aggressive shading, shrinking, and airbrushing...how could you ever compete with this, you can't and shouldn't.
Only nurturing your self-acceptance builds confidence and self-esteem; which in turn helps you make the hard decisions of what to eat and how much exercise is needed to feel good. Instead of obsessing about a certain number on the scale, focus on how you feel when you exercise. Shift your self-berating of how you slip up and eat junk food to how well you are doing by making good food choices. One great way is to notice the good is by starting a journal and highlighting every time you eat something healthy, by the end of the month you will notice more highlights in your journal entry's after documenting your progress for a while, then you will have had towards the beginning due to the fact that everyone likes positive reinforcement this will give you more incentive to keep on track.
At the beginning it is especially important to take note of all your successes big or small, by being mindful of each personal victory even if it's just eating one healthy thing a day, by doing this it will give you the confidence to choose healthy again and again until it becomes a healthy habit that you enjoy. The same goes for getting exercise, when you see that you really can make it to the gym and get your heart rate up for a bit then your body and mind recognizes the energy you put forth and will reward you with more energy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Nation Center for Health Statistics, American adult males weigh nearly 25 pounds more than they did in 1965, and the number of overweight and obese adults is growing every year. This means that we as a society are getting accustomed to a new "normal" that's far heavier than what's healthy for most.
According to a recent study of more than 2,500 adults, nearly 30 percent of the women ages 18 to 35 would rather win America's Next Top Model than the Nobel Peace Prize. The general public is obsessed with themselves and the sad truth found it's way into another survey conducted by Parenting.com where a survey of more than 30,000 moms were asked if they had a choice, would they rather be 15 pounds thinner or add 15 points to theirs child's IQ? Sadly the study results showed that more than 45 percent of those moms surveyed would rather be 15 pounds thinner than add to their children's IQ.
Whether you are looking at magazines, movies, or the television, these perfected bodies you are trying to emulate can not be obtained because most of them have been made to appear the way they do because they are in a professionally lit studio, had their hair and makeup done, and many, many times the photography has been professionally digitally retouched with aggressive shading, shrinking, and airbrushing...how could you ever compete with this, you can't and shouldn't.
Only nurturing your self-acceptance builds confidence and self-esteem; which in turn helps you make the hard decisions of what to eat and how much exercise is needed to feel good. Instead of obsessing about a certain number on the scale, focus on how you feel when you exercise. Shift your self-berating of how you slip up and eat junk food to how well you are doing by making good food choices. One great way is to notice the good is by starting a journal and highlighting every time you eat something healthy, by the end of the month you will notice more highlights in your journal entry's after documenting your progress for a while, then you will have had towards the beginning due to the fact that everyone likes positive reinforcement this will give you more incentive to keep on track.
At the beginning it is especially important to take note of all your successes big or small, by being mindful of each personal victory even if it's just eating one healthy thing a day, by doing this it will give you the confidence to choose healthy again and again until it becomes a healthy habit that you enjoy. The same goes for getting exercise, when you see that you really can make it to the gym and get your heart rate up for a bit then your body and mind recognizes the energy you put forth and will reward you with more energy.
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