Does This Make Me Look Fat?

Are Your Weight Issues Controlling Your Life?

The amount of pressure society places on a woman’s appearance leads many otherwise sensible ladies to obsess over eating habits, wrinkles, and wardrobe, to the point of misery. Check out these signs that you’ve allowed your obsessions over weight to hold you, your life, and your happiness hostage.

1. You Need Prozac After a Day of Shopping

For some women (of the past few generations at least), gone are the days of shopping with excitement and ease. While acquiring new things may still hold appeal, the process of trying on numerous pieces of clothing that only make you feel bad about your body gets old fast. If you aren’t in the small percentage of women who can look as good in the clothes as the perfectly proportioned—if not under-nourished looking—mannequins in the window, trying on the same outfit can definitely dampen your spirits. If the thought of clothes puts you into a major funk, your negative obsessive thoughts are impeding your enjoyment of what most women for centuries have considered a fabulous female pastime.

A method for recapturing the joys of shopping involves a different perspective and learning to appreciate your finer points. It is easy to fall for the media’s skinny-crazed campaigns and messages. You don’t have to buy into it though; instead take a look around you at the other women in your environment. You will discover that it is much more common to find women heavier, and not perfectly proportioned. Knowing and loving your body makes all the difference in how you feel, how you carry yourself and how others see you.

2. You’re Addicted to the Gym and Maniac Workouts

Exercising can be a wonderful and healthy addition to any lifestyle, but in moderation. Unless you are training for the Olympics or planning on taking on the superstar of WWF Wrestling, working out for hours on end, day after day can quickly go from a healthy habit to unhealthy obsession. Exercise has many benefits for your body—and along with a healthy diet can aid in weight-loss—but taking the exercises too far and hard can cause potential injuries, blackouts, and a gym-obsessed persona which often alienates others in your life.

3. You’re Counting Calories Like Ebenezer Scrooge Counts His Coins

Being conscientious about what goes into your body can be a great benefit for longevity and good health. If your goal is weight loss, it is important to remember to get the nutrients your body needs as well. Obsessing constantly about every calorie that crosses your lips will quickly make you miserable. Eating is one of the pleasures of being human, and while it is good to eat responsibly, life is too short for every thought to revolve around what you can and cannot have. Better to focus on living a balanced and healthy lifestyle where you can occasionally savor the sinfully caloric treats that you so love.