Anybody can be too smart to be fat

I’m too smart to be fat. I’m not saying this in a boastful way and I certainly am not saying people who are overweight are not smart. I’m saying I used my smarts to overcome my weight struggles. You can do that too.

Screen Shot 2016-04-01 at 1.47.34 PM

I realized that losing weight was a matter of motivation and making changes to my daily routines. Getting motivated is easy. Sustaining motivation isn’t so easy. Identifying the changes I wanted to make to my daily routines was also easy. Following through with those changes wasn’t easy.

I discovered if I wanted to sustain my motivation to get and stay thinner, I had something that was very powerful and I was not applying it properly to successfully accomplish the task. I have a good mind, I’d even say I’m quite smart (as are you) but I was using my intelligence to convince myself that I would not be able to get thinner and definitely would never remain thinner.

I read scholarly and scientific articles about the low rate of weight loss success. If successfully maintaining a lower weight is not possible because our bodies have set points, and genetic influences, and resistance to the hormone that tells us we’re full, and too much of the hormone that tells us we’re hungry, and stress hormones messing with our metabolism. I read and heard through various media sources there may even be pathogens such as viruses and bacteria causing obesity. If all this is true, then why am I putting myself through this futile and frustrating attempt at weight reduction?

I read about changing routines and how our actions become habits over a matter of time. So I willfully made changes to my eating and exercising routines and I doggedly performed them daily to establish new habits. After the 21 days I heard that it took to establish a habit, I still defaulted to old behavior. More evidence that the failure rate statistics were true!

I was overweight and my attempts to change that weren’t successful until I realized the one powerful weapon I had, I was using against myself. I’m smart and I got a quick and nimble and inquisitive brain, just like you! Why was I using it to defeat myself?

I decided I’m too smart to be fat because I’m too smart to let statistics rule me. I’m too smart to think that statistics apply to every individual. I’m too smart to let reports of fat genes, and obesity germs, and metabolic and hormonal imbalances stop me from getting what I want.

I’m too smart to worry about how to long it takes to make a habit. All I need to do is consciously apply my brain to make the changes that will take me to a lower weight. I only need to keep using that same brain to repeat those actions, if not consistently, then frequently enough to get the desired results.

It doesn't take an advanced degree to fight fat. Anybody can be smart enough to do what's needed to weigh less!

It doesn’t take an advanced degree to fight fat. Anybody can be smart enough to do what’s needed to weigh less!

I am too smart to fall for all the warnings about foods I should avoid entirely to enable my body to detoxify. I’m too smart to fall for all the doctors who use their title to write and sell books that are based on sketchy science, or worse their own quacky theories.

I’m too smart to drive myself crazy sticking to some restrictive diet. I’m too smart to make myself broke buying expensive, food that tastes bad. I’m smart enough to eat healthfully, tastily and calorie controlled. I’m smart enough to be active doing things I like.

I’m too smart to be fat and if you’re not happy with your weight, you’re too smart to stay fat.

 

Jackie Conn

About Jackie Conn

Jackie Conn is married and has four grown daughters and four grandchildren. She is a Weight Watchers success story. She's a weight loss expert with 25 years of experience guiding women and men to their weight-related goals. Her articles on weight management have been published in health, family and women's magazines. She has been a regular guest on Channel 5 WABI news, FOX network morning program Good Day Maine and 207 on WCSH.