It’s easy to be lazy. You could prepare a soup made of locally grown vegetables in about twenty minutes. But doing so would mean that you have to spend more time shopping as well. On the other hand, takeaway food is just so much more convenient. In some parts of the world, fast food is actually cheaper than any other option. 

It is thus no surprise that you see ridiculously obese people in the United States. When I first travelled there, I was quite shocked how bad the situation was. According to recent statistics, a staggering 75% of Americans are overweight or obese. The European facts may look better on paper, but rates of often 50% or more are hardly less appalling. 

Thus, chances are that if you are reading this, you are overweight or obese. Yet, at the same time, you feel there is something lacking in your life, be it a sense of purpose, joy, or just women. Thus, let me tell you that one of the easiest fixes to feel better about yourself is to be in decent shape. 

Your selfish ego might delight at the prospect of being checked out by hopefully not obese women at the beach, but the rewards are much more tangible. For one, you will improve your health in general. No, I won’t bother to list all the illnesses you are more likely to get if you are overweight. In addition of being healthier you will feel better, simply because you won’t have to haul around another 50 lb. or more. You will probably sleep better, too. 

Getting in shape is not that difficult either. It just takes will power. First, you cut excess calories. Skip chocolate, cheese, whipped cream, and all the other sweet delights. Yes, those things may taste nice, but let’s view it some other way. Some US states have laws that force shopkeepers to display the amount of calories of the food they offer. And now guess how many calories a cupcake at, say, a random Starbucks in New York City is announced to have! 

100?

200?

Maybe even 300? 

No, they sometimes contain 500 or more calories! 

To put things into perspective: common baselines are 1,200 calories per day for women, and 1,800 calories per day for men. However, I have witnessed more than a few women having one or two cupcakes with a drink like a Hot Chocolate (another 370 cal.). I doubt any of them were aware that they were consuming more than enough calories for their entire day in just ten minutes. 

By raising your awareness how many calories those guilty pleasures contain, I hopefully make you skip them the next time you see them displayed in stores. This alone should go a long way.