Obesity and weight gain have become epidemics in the United States. According to Harvard University, 36% of the American population is obese, and 32.5% is overweight. These statistics are shocking to read because of the country’s current promotion of a healthier lifestyle. Chain restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King offer healthier alternatives to burgers and fries. However, people still buy burgers and fries. It is interesting to see the rising obesity rate in the US. Since at one point in time, I was obese myself. 

My struggle with obesity

When I was a child, I loved to eat whatever was placed before me. Considering that I am Russian, a lot of food is in front of me. Food brought me comfort. It made me feel secure; nothing else could get me the same feeling. Over time, I gained a massive amount of weight; from 13 to 15, I gained approximately 36 pounds. My doctor placed me on various diets throughout my pre-teen years, but nothing worked. Day after day, there was a toll on my physical and mental health. The days of me being the bubbly child at the dinner table turned into the sad large teenager who would avoid interacting with his family and friends. During the 2020 pandemic, I decided to end my misery. I told myself that I could not keep going like this; my weight loss journey began. 

Weight Loss

Many people ask me the most challenging part of my journey; it was the beginning. I had the constant urge to eat junk food and not exercise- I overcame that urge. I slowly developed the idea that aiming for the result was better than having satisfaction in the present. To practice my tolerance, I would place junk food in front of me, Doritos, burgers, chicken nuggets, etc. Every day I repeated this process; of course, there were times when I cheated and ate the junk food, most of the time, I did not. I believe that weight loss is a mental challenge rather than a physical challenge. Humans are capable of monumental physical achievement; mentally, we set ourselves to think that we will fail. This is why many individuals either give up on weight loss or do not try it at all. My biggest tip for a person who wants to lose weight is first to create a realistic and manageable mental threshold to avoid certain foods and follow a specific weight loss regimen. 

Science

In order to lose weight, you must eat in a calorie deficit. That means you have to eat fewer calories than what your body tends to consume. For example, a person weighs 235 pounds and eats 3,400 calories every day. They want to lose weight, but they do not want to exercise. If they eat less scientifically, they will lose weight consistently over a while. When you eat less than what your body is used to, it uses up the food you consume throughout the day. Then, it breaks down your fat shortage to compensate for lessened calories. This process is eating in a calorie deficit and then losing weight. I ate in a calorie deficit for approximately a year and a half and lost over 70 pounds. Eating less is the best way to lose weight, even if you eat junk food. If you eat less, you can lose weight. Of course, each body is unique, and some methods may not work for everyone. So, I encourage you to find the best way to lose weight that is fit for you- realistic, manageable, and does not make you feel unmotivated or depleted.