The Three Little Pigs and Weight Loss

garystrickland357

So there were three little pigs that all wanted to build a house. They had different requirements about the size house that each needed and how much money they had to spend on the house.

One little pig was not careful about the materials used to build his house. He used straw - it was cheap and easy. Little care or thought was put into construction.

One little pig used sticks to build his house. They are a little more substantial than straw and yet still easier to accumulate and use than other more robust materials.

One little pig made his house out of concrete, bricks, and steel. He was meticulous to use the finest materials available to build a structure that would last.

And we all know how the story ended…

So what does any of this have to do with weight loss?

Calories = dollar budget in this analogy.
Each little pig had a monetary budget for building the house. Did it matter what materials they used? Not in terms of dollars - how they spent their money determined if they went into debt, broke even, or saved money. Although materials choices influence spending all that really matters is dollars in vs dollars out. (CICO)

Macros = building materials.
Did the material choices used by each pig make a difference in the quality (and longevity) of each structure? Sure, because the structure is composed of the materials chosen. Does it matter what choices we make in terms of the things we eat? Absolutely. Like the little pigs homes, our bodies are assembled from the raw materials we shove through that big hole under our nose. We are what we eat. Our health and longevity are also related in part to the food choices we make.

Do we see how the two are related yet different? One pig might have a large budget and spend it on a straw house. Another choice might be for bricks and steel, but on a limited budget.

If a pig’s interest is to save money, then their concern is ALL ABOUT spending less than they earn. If we want to lose weight, our concern is ALL ABOUT burning more calories than we consume. The pig needs a budget surplus. We need a calorie deficit. Period.

Do we all want to live in a nice house? Well then use good materials. Do we want to use some cool straw and sticks occasionally? Well, ok - have at it. You can use a mixture of materials.
Food is the same way. Eat what you want. Food choices and calorie totals are as similar and dissimilar as budget and building materials.

This analogy works in my mind. Maybe it resonates with some of you.

By the way, who is the big bad wolf? Cancer, diabetes, obesity, etc...??????

AnnPT77

Love it!

rsclause

I just came for the pork. Good post!