My Theory on Why People are FAT

It's 5:45pm as I exit the Freeway, after an hour and a half in Rush Hour traffic (I didn't see anyone rushing). What a long day at work... I'm tired, my mascara's smeared, my neck aches and my night is just beginning.  I pull up at my house and honk the horn twice.  My two boys come running out of the house and tumble into the car talking about the latest video game they have played.  They buckle up and we are OFF. 

We have After School Night at 6:30pm, they are "starving" and need hair cuts.  Plus, I need to go grocery shopping since we are low on groceries, bead some jewelry and take my dog for a walk.  I smile at my boys as I pull out my refrigerated case of sliced vegetables and fruits, diced cheese, sliced turkey and individual waters.  I hand them each their organized dinners and ...

Oh, wait, that's not what happened...

They started arguing over that damn video game, I got a head ache and realized I hadn't eaten since 11am lunch.  One slapped the other as I yelled at them to stop and pulled through a drive through.  I ordered three burgers, fries and drinks.  Here's your bag, your bag and my bag.  I slammed that burger down my throat as one boy ate his fries and the other spilled his on the floor and smeared the grease on the window.  I pulled into the Slap n Shear to get their hair cuts and tell them they have 30 seconds to finish their food.  Bam! Bam! Bam!

We leave the car, they get their hair cut, we see their teachers, ohh and ahh, I go shopping, walk the dog and fall exhausted into my bed.  Did I even eat dinner tonight?

So, that's it ... my theory on why people are fat.

We are BUSY.

Life is hectic, children are hard, and we have too much to do in a 24 hour period to ever do everything we need to do by the time we fall into bed.  Let alone get a massage, have sex and get my hair done!

I wish I was the Mom who had time to dice the fruit, vegetables, cheeses and meats - put them in neat containers and have kids eat them without spilling.  I know those Moms are out there somewhere, but it's not me. Even better, let's do that but at a picnic every night on the beach as we watch the sunset and find cool shells.  It just doesn't happen.

We are all busy rushing to this and that and let's face it, fast food is quick and easy and relatively cheap. The thought of trying to juggle driving, a phone call, the radio and a salad with a fork just isn't realistic.  Ok, I exaggerate, but you get my point.

How do we fix this?

Unfortunately, it's all about planning.  And, that's not easy for any of us busy people, now is it?  Planning our meals, planning our days, carrying healthy snacks in case we need a pick-me-up.  Crock pots are good for this if you can prepare the meal in the morning.  Maybe you can do your shopping on the weekend?  Maybe the hair cuts can wait until a night you don't have to go to the school?

Anyway, that's my theory... I could be wrong, what do you think?

Challenge of the Day:
Evaluate your life... your schedule ... your planning.  Can you make changes to allow yourself to plan your meals or exercise routine?  Also, living this way may allow you to have some "me-time" and de-stress from the hard day at work and commute. You may find if you evaluate your life and planning that your schedule opens up for you to allow for more nutritious meal planning, exercise and de-stressing.  Until next time ...