If there are any children in the house, send them out of the room.  That means you, Josh (my son).  I am sure it will hit high on your “oh gag me mom, ewww get a room that’s just wrong” meter, so stop reading!  I’m going to hit on a topic that is of the utmost, greatest importance on this journey toward getting back into our little black dresses:

One of the reasons I want this excess weight off is my sex life.  I’m married.  I can talk about this.  If you can’t handle this, quit reading right now.  HEY, why are you still reading? 

OK – serious note – it is no surprise that excess weight affects a person’s sex life.  For women especially, we have the “Oh, turn out the lights, don’t look at me” syndrome.  When we are not happy with the way our body’s look, we don’t want to expose our bodies.  Of course, I remember reading somewhere that men like naked no matter what form, but I don’t think that helps out a person who is self-conscious about their body.  I don’t think it’s true, either.

Research shows that overweight individuals are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem (like we didn’t know that already).  This does not encourage a good sex life.  It isn’t just being body-conscious; the poorer your health the worse your sex life.  And, if you have settled into a rut of no sex or sex once a month, you need to climb right back out of that rut immediately.  Part of getting back into your little black dress and finding your inner “hubba hubba” (previous entry) is loving yourself again and enjoying your sexuality once more.  In other words, BEING AND FEELING SEXY.

Some of the issues overweight people face are pretty obvious like not being able to move as easily.  Because fat cells promote inflammation in the body, generalized aches and pains, stiffness and inflammation is more pronounced in the overweight person.  Those moans heard during sex are not ones of enjoyment but rather of pain and soreness (ho ho)! 

If you are obese* your circulatory system is most likely already compromised.  And there is nothing is sexier than hearing, “Wait honey, my arm has fallen asleep!” or “Oooh, baby, I just gotta tell you… ow! ow! ow! Leg cramp leg cramp!!”  Unh huh, sure. 

Low energy levels, shortness of breath, muscle cramps, and fatigue are all signs of a lack of fitness that will affect your sex life.  Research shows that a waist measurement of more than 39 inches in men and more than 34 inches in women will increase the risk of these problems by a 500 percent – that’s a very HIGH percentage. 

So right there is a very compelling reason why we should all make the commitment to lose those excess pounds and get back into our LBDs: wall-banging sex.  Being overweight affects the passion and spontaneity of our sex life.  Where you used to chase one another around the house, now you have to take breaks, “Wait, wait, let me catch my breath” (if you are even chasing one another at all).  And for sure there is no hopping up on kitchen counters, dining room tables, back seat of cars, and the back bed of a pick up truck. 

When was the last time you created a romantic seduction over a candle lit dinner?  Yep, it’s time to start feeling sexy again. 

*Obesity – when weight is 20% or more above normal weight

Morbid Obesity – means either 50%-100% over normal weight, more than 100 pounds over normal weight, has a BMI of 40 or higher, or is sufficiently overweight to severely interfere with health or normal function.