Craving fitness...life is a choice

Craving fitness...life is a choice

Life is a choice

craving fitness

Original post written on

July 9, 2013

By: Gina Yoryet Roman

One of the first things I do after coming back from the gym in the mornings is skim through the news headlines and only read the one or two most slamming breaking news. This a. m. in particular I woke up reflecting upon tip number 8 on my ‘How to Nurture a love for exercise and a good diet,'  interview in mid May, (which made me connect to the disappointing report I read today). 

1. Avoid mindless, compulsive, impulsive, emotional, unnecessary, and excessive eating.

Life has been a roller coaster lately, not anymore than the day before and the day after. What differentiates this recent episode from prior moments, is my will power which has been very feeble. Deep down I felt a sense of loss, the reason is unknown. It is only my nature manifesting a need. I am professionally, financially, economically and spiritually fulfilled right now and I am reaching physical wellness little by little. Each time that happens I can foresee what’s coming...

I always ‘compensate’ that longing with food! Mostly everyone who knows me is filled with skepticism since I am a health and fitness enthusiast but it is the ugly truth. I won’t go into all the things I got a hold off in the prior days, no wonder my knee started resenting the consequences with the two added kilos in my midriff!

The disappointing news earlier today made me feel angry and let down by my brotherhood, by my society and by my nation, why do we always have to get the ‘best’ of the worst? Sometimes I feel like an outsider everywhere I am for yearning other things than the majority of the population. 

I knew the answer immediately after reading this headline

“America no longer world’s fattest developed nation, UN report says”

Dylan Stableford 11 hours ago Yahoo! News HealthSocietyUnited StatesMexico

We did it, America!

According to a new report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States is no longer the world's fattest developed nation―Mexico is.

Nearly a third of Mexican adults (32.8 percent) are considered obese—people aged 20 and older whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 and above. That edges out the United States, where 31.8 percent of American adults are considered obese.

Syria at 31.6 percent, is the third fattest among developed countries, while Venezuela and Libya are tied for fourth at 30.8 percent.

Mexico's urban lifestyle and rising income levels coupled with malnourishment among the country's poor have helped it claim this unhealthy title.

“The same people who are malnourished are the ones who are becoming obese,” Abelardo Avila, a physician with Mexico's National Nutrition Institute, told the Global Post. “In the poor classes we have obese parents and malnourished children. The worst thing is the children are becoming programmed for obesity. It's a very serious epidemic.”

Diabetes kills an estimated 70,000 people a year in Mexico—"or roughly equal to the deaths authorities say are caused by more than six years of the country's gangland wars," the Post noted.

About 12 percent of the world's total population is obese, according to the U.N. report.

The world's fattest nation overall is Nauru, a South Pacific island where a staggering 71.1 percent of its 10,000 inhabitants are obese.

The U.N. report does not include data for American Samoa, which has been tabbed in the past as the world's fattest country. According to a 2010 World Health Organization report, nearly all of that Pacific island's inhabitants (95 percent) are considered overweight.

On the other end of the scale is Japan, the thinnest developed country. Just 4.5 of Japanese adults are considered obese, the U.N. says.

Prevalence of obesity among adults in developed countries (% obese)

Rank	Country	Rate
1	Mexico	32.8
2	United States	31.8
3	Syria	31.6
4	Venezuela	30.8
4	Libya	30.8
6	Trinidad & Tobago	30.0
7	Vanuatu	29.8
8	Iraq	29.4
8	Argentina	29.4
10	Turkey	29.3
11	Chile	29.1
12	Czech Republic	28.7
13	Lebanon	28.2
14	New Zealand	27.0
14	Slovenia	27.0
16	El Salvador	26.9
17	Malta	26.6
18	Panama	25.8
18	Antigua	25.8
20	Israel	25.5
21	Australia	25.1
21	Saint Vincent	25.1
22	Dominica	25.0
23	United Kingdom	24.9
23	Russia	24.9
25	Hungary	24.8

Source: United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's 2013 State of Food and Agriculture Report

The picture and the word ‘fat,’ are very demeaning to begin with. I thought the U. S. was all about using the ‘politically correct,’ way to imply a statement? Perhaps!

When I get negative news about Mexico, I always react with strong emotions, especially with health and fitness matters. Like this one.

Despite my doubts of whether or not Mexico reigns in obesity, I relate to that WORLDWIDE majority. 

“Shelter myself in food, let cravings overpower me, conceal myself behind the excuse of, “I come from a family where we always ate abundant meals, I don’t have time to  exercise, I can’t stop eating this, another bag of potato chips, one more chocolate bar, just one more doughnut or piece of gum are not all that bad.” No pasa nada, like we Mexicans say. “I am only human so it is completely ok to continue filling up that imaginary huge abyss.”

Craving sweets, potato chips, fried junk and all the low quality poison becomes a habit that governs us very easily. Why not crave fitness with all our might instead? Why not overturn all that angst and lust and be passionate for health and fitness matters? Why not thirst a healthy body? Why not be eager to sprint to the gym or park to break a sweat a few times a week? Why not covet a clean and transparent diet, the right fuel for our body? Why not hunger feeling and being lighter? Why not lust to make a positive and healthy difference in our lives?

I honestly get carried away and there is not a real excuse for it BUT I move around a lot, I spend a great part of my day working in the computer but I make sure I move and even after my body changed and there’s more flab all around, I make sure I stay at 50 to no more than 52 kilos. After that, it no longer feels right.

I have always believed that life is a choice, full of opportunities and sadly but truly, most of us are too weak willed, we give in to our appetite. That excessive famine to inject our temples with the wrong fuel that we are subdued by. I choose to hold on to health and being whole and energized to have a  more immune engine as that is my most valuable asset.

If that valuable asset doesn't function properly, my entire world crumples into tiny particles.