I have (at least) five reasons for losing weight that have nothing to do with “looking good”.
1. I have Sleep Apnea. I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea three years ago. (Side note: If you wake up “tired” or you snore, you may have Sleep Apnea, a potentially DEADLY condition. Get tested!) Hopefully, as I lose weight, my symptoms will dissipate.
2. I have “lower-back pain”. While this may or may not have something to do with the fact that I am overweight, I am sure that losing a few pounds will less the strain on my back.
3. I take Lunesta, a sleep aid. I have had trouble going to sleep for the past ten years. I’ve been taking Lunesta for the last year or so. Before I began to lose weight, I was taking it every night. Now, I take Lunesta once or twice a week. Proper exercise helps me to go to sleep without using Lunesta.
4. I want to be able to “run and play with the kids”. Seriously, before I began this site, I was lethargic and lazy. Now, I have more energy.
5. I hate spending money on “junk food”. As you can tell from my main blog, No Credit Needed, I believe in living a “frugal” life. Buying junk does NOT equal being frugal.
I’ve replaced diet mt dew, diet coke , etc., with “crystal light” on the go packets great flavors , I find the various lemonade flavors the best, they are usually on sale somewhere for around $3.00 a ten pack, Wal mart has a great value brand for $1.99 a 10 pack the orange flavor tastes just like juice, check out getting yogurt and high fiber granola bars to hold down hunger also Morningstar vegan burgers at Trader Joe’s only 100 cal per patty, plus Trader Joe’s is cheap and has all kinds of great stuff, also look for Alvarado st bakery sprouted wheat bread only 50 calories a slice, I can go on and on but hey ! keep at it you will make it!
ugh. Just drink water.
Let me give you a few more reasons: you are lowering your blood pressure, your cholesterol, your risk of having a heart attack, the stress on your joints, and your risk of developing diabetes. None of the above is “vain”. Neither is wanting to feel better about how you look, IMO.
Becoming debt free and losing weight seem to go hand in hand. As my husband and I paid off debt, we wanted to live better. We started eating better food (organic) taking walks (cheap) and we only drink water. Husband lost 33 pounds and is off all high blood pressure meds (saving $60 a month). I lost 17 pounds and stopped taking lipotor for high cholesterol at an addt’l saving of $20 med co -pay per month. We followed the Marilu Henner diet (www.marilu.com). Two + years and counting. Bought the book used @$7 on Amazon. (30 day makeover). Plus I do not suffer from painful arthritis anymore. AND ALL MY DEBT IS GONE! Go figure.