If there was a way to convince people just how awful it feels to be fat BEFORE they got fat I would do everything in my power to tell them and I’m going to attempt to do that now.  I’m not talking about the mental and emotional challenges that come along with being fat, I’m talking about what it actually feels like to be fat…

First, imagine squeezing into a full body suit that is two sizes too small, especially around your entire middle section- worse than your tightest pair of jeans, worse than a jacket that is two sizes too small.  Think about how it would feel to sit or bend over, fold your arms or even scratch an itch on your back. That tightness, limited range-of-motion and lack of mobility is almost what it feels like to be fat…almost.  Being fat is discomfort that never goes away.  You can’t escape the feeling of claustrophobia that makes you want to unzip those tight jeans or unbutton that jacket and exhale a sigh of relief.  That suit, those jeans, that two-sizes-too-small jacket…they ARE your body…your over-sized, constricting, restricting, HEAVY body.

Actually, “heavy” doesn’t quite cover it.  If you’ve ever carried a 30 pound bag of dog food up a flight of stairs you know what heavy is and what a difference 30 pounds makes but that’s still not what it feels like to be fat.  To fully understand what fat feels like you need to exchange that 30 pound bag of dog food for a 30 pound water balloon.  That will give  you a better idea of what I’m talking about.

The best way I can explain what the weight of fat feels like is this:

Think about carrying an eight pound bowling ball by the finger-holes in one and an eight pound water balloon by the knot in the other hand.  Now think about what each one would do if you jumped up and down.  The bowling ball would stay with you, it would be heavy, but it would essentially be an extension of your arm moving with you, not against you.  The water balloon on the other hand would flop around being drastically affected by inertia: staying up for a split second longer than your body when you come down and staying down for a split second longer when you jump up.  Awkward, right?  But when you’re fat the awkwardness of that water balloon isn’t just in one hand, it’s spread out across your entire body!  That constant feeling of your body dragging you down and working against you, literally…That’s what it feels like to be fat.

Let’s take it one step further…

G-force; another lovely concept when it comes to the laws of physics.  When you jump your body absorbs more than just your own weight each time you land.  In-fact, landing from just two feet in the air requires your body to absorb approximately 3.5 times your weight. So if you’re an extra 50 pounds overweight, meaning you should weigh 135 pounds but actually weigh 185 pounds, your body is absorbing 647.5 pounds!  If you’re 100 pounds overweight that number jumps to 822.5 pounds!

I personally once weighed 325 pounds.  So if I had to jump off a small step ladder I would have been asking my 5’1″ frame to take on a whopping 1,137.5 pounds! Fortunately I didn’t have to do that very often but with every step I took, my  water balloon of a body, was slamming approximately 600 pounds onto my muscles, bones, lungs and heart.  A short jog, or stint of jumping rope?  We’re looking at closer to 800 pounds!

Are you able to imagine how that feels?  It’s beyond awful.  It’s painful and there’s no way to escape it…except to lose the weight, a bit of a catch 22, no?

So here’s my advice:

If you’re even just a little overweight, nip it in the bud!  Next time you think about hitting up the drive-through at your favorite fast food joint or have the urge to grab a candy bar at the gas station, ask yourself how much you value your body and what it’s able to do for you.  I promise you, the few moments of pleasure you’ll get from that sugary, salty rush will NOT be worth it. If you’re hungry, grab a banana, a bag of pretzels, a granola bar– something sensible that will calm those hunger pains so you can make a better choice…even just a few minutes later.

Life is much better when you’re able to live it rather than eat it.