About Fat, Broke and Stupid

Feeling fat, broke and stupid is more common than you might think.

Feeling Fat?

According to the World Health Organization:

  • Being overweight or obese causes at least 2.8 million deaths per year.
  • More than 1.9 billion adults were overweight in 2016.
  • More than 650 million adults were obese in 2016.
  • Shockingly, 41 million preschool children were overweight in 2016.

Feeling Broke?

According to Forbes, of the people in the USA:

  • 44% cannot cover a $400 emergency.
  • 43% don’t make their student loan payments.
  • 38% of households have credit card debt.
  • 33% of adults have $0 saved for retirement.

Feeling Stupid?

According to Patch, of the people in the USA:

  • 25% think the sun orbits the Earth.
  • 33% can’t name one branch of government.
  • 50% of young adults surveyed were unable to find New York State on a map! OMG!!! Seriously?!?

Perhaps you have felt this way, too?

  • Scale on the rise?
  • Is this you?
  • ???

Why Does Fat, Broke and Stupid Exist?

Fat, Broke and Stupid exists to inspire permanent, personal change in myself and in others, so that together we can become the people we wish to be.

I happen to write articles, document personal experiments, create book reviews, conduct interviews, and recommend products and services on this blog and through YouTube because it is a great way to share my ideas with a large community of like-minded and curious people.

Q: Why did I start this website?

I was tired of talking about personal change and not doing it. I wanted to focus on my values moving forward and to live my life accordingly.

One of my core values is to contribute, so while this website is for me, it is really for all of us. The goal is to contribute to a community of people who also want to make personal change in their lives.

Q: Who is this website for?

Everyone is welcome. Enjoy the articles, interviews, recommendations, videos, experiments, and everything else. The goal is to inspire personal change.

I happen to focus on health and fitness, personal finance and general knowledge acquisition, but that is simply because these are the three areas where I want to make personal change. That’s pretty broad, so there should be something here for everyone.

Q: Do you have to pay?

Nope! Everything is 100% free. Literally everything!

Q: So, what’s in it for me?

Among other things:

  • I now have a home base to explore and publish my creative ideas.
  • I will get immediate feedback on these ideas.
  • I will have a community of like-minded people who I can discuss personal change with.
  • I will broaden my professional network.
  • I will learn new skills in the worlds of blogging, content creation, graphic design, video editing, SEO, internet marketing, etc.
  • I will gain meaning and purpose through contribution.
  • And that’s just to start…

Q: Where else can you find Fat, Broke and Stupid?

For now, www.fatbrokestupid.com is the home base.

Additionally, you can check out the Fat, Broke and Stupid YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to get regular video content and my personal science updates!!!

My first YouTube video!

Q: How can you support Fat, Broke and Stupid?

  • Engage!
  • Read the posts and leave a comment.
  • Watch the YouTube videos. Leave a comment and subscribe to the channel.
  • Get a conversation going.
  • Share the ideas from this blog with your family and friends.
  • Help other people make personal change.
  • Live your life according to your values and goals.
  • Stopping by with an iced-coffee every now-and-then would also be appreciated.

To inspire personal change, so that together we can become the people we wish to be.

-Jack Clancy

Most Important Message

“The way you achieve your goals is key. You cannot forget the way!”

-Fat, Broke and Stupid

For those interested in making personal change, I suggest a paradigm shift in how you think about the journey and the results.

Many of us focus on the goals:

  • If we fail, we get discouraged.
  • If we succeed, great, but then what?

Don’t get me wrong, I love goals! They can be motivating and useful. Still, making personal change permanent requires more than a well constructed goals list. It requires changing your attitute and mindset. View the journey, the way, as your source of purpose, meaning, pleasure and drive.

Along the way, you may encounter some stumbling blocks. I sure did. Here are a few to look out for:

  • Still looks delicious?
  • Ever feel like this?
  • Don’t know what to do?

Goal Setting

I have set countless goals for myself: lose a specific amount of weight, save some amount of money, read however-many number of books by whenever. Some were successful. Some failed. Some are still with me while some have faded into memory. Having goals is great, but they can be tricky:

  • First, achieving your goal is not always the life-changing experience you hoped it might be. For some, like Kristi and Dan Cross, reaching their goals did not magically transform their lives. The journey, its challenges and lessons, is more powerful than the results.
  • Second, goals tend to expand towards infinity. Once you lose 10 lbs. you suddenly want to lose more. Once you save $1,000 then you need to have $2,000. After learning about Adlerian psychology you realize how ignorant you are about Carl Jung.

I am not saying to avoid goals. Use them, but think of them as tools. Don’t let goals dominate your life. Enjoy the ride.

Comparing Yourself to Others

There will always be someone fitter, wealthier and smarter than you. Sorry! Comparing yourself to others is an exercise in perpetual disappointment. The trick is to flip your mindset from Me Today vs. Everyone Else in the History of the World to:

Me Today vs. Me Yesterday

Focusing on small, incremental change in specific areas of your life. Do this over long periods of time. If you do, I gaurantee that you will experience permanent personal change.

Patience

There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting something now. It can provoke action towards your goals, but it can also be frustrating and demotivating. The fact is, we as individuals will never be finished. We constantly evolve.

This is exciting and necessary, as remaining stagnant is a road to becoming obsolete or extinct. It’s also boring. We are playing the long game. It is a lifetime journey, not a daily sprint. Know what your values and goals are, and live your life according to them. Do this every day.

You may want something now, but what if it were suddenly given to you without effort? Would you be satisfied? Would you be happy? What would you do with it then? How long would it last before you wanted something else?

Stay patient, think long term and view the ups-and-downs of daily life as your source of purpose, meaning, pleasure and drive.

Good Luck!

I wish you all the best on your journey. I would love to hear about it. Let me know how I can support you by leaving a comment somewhere on this website or by reaching out directly through the Contact Page.