Diet Question
I am probably about 80lbs overweight. Currently I weigh 360, and probably should be somewhere in the 240-280 range. I have a familial history of cartilage degeneration in the knees. Pops is 61 and due for a knee replacement this July. After a bad sprain this winter, I saw an ortho and she said that I’ve got “arthritic changes” in my knee that mean I’m losing the same cartilage.
I know there’s an easy way to prevent this: diet & exercise. But I have an immensely chaotic schedule that prevents me from packing my lunch each day, or settling into a routine at a gym.
Can you help me identify a few ways to pick better foods (the fast food lunch has the benefit of being ubiquitous and quick, but is probably like shooting heroin or something) and find some exercise in my day to day life?
The answer seems so simple. Move more, eat less. But we work too many hours, don’t live close enough to our jobs to walk to them, same with our grocery stores and on and on. Much of America is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
Make it easy for yourself, and less overwhelming. Go to the fast food place and get a salad. Or get lunch at a grocery store. They often have prepared salads and sandwiches among other things that are healthier than a burger and fries. Carry fruit or veges with you all the time. For example, apples and carrots are high in fiber and easy to eat on the go. If you eat foods that are higher in fiber, you will not be as hungry.
I have recently talked to several people I know who are healthy, thin, and happy. One of the things they all do is eat some of the same things all the time. Just like fast food is a habit, the apple can be the habit. If you don’t have to think about what to order, like a number 5 at Wendy’s or whatever, you make it easier on yourself. So have a fridge full of pre-made salad and greek yogurt. Carry apples and carrots in your briefcase. That sort of thing will help. At first you might hate it, but my old tastebuds can attest to the fact that your tastes will change. Things you routinely eat now start to taste gross when you get accustomed to eating real food.
As far as activity is concerned, I get the time crunch. So time yourself, and start small so you aren’t overwhelmed and disgusted. We should get an hour a day of activity, but that sounds so hard to fit in, right? Tell yourself five minutes, or two songs on the iPod. I’ll walk/dance/hula hoop for five minutes. If I still feel good, I can always keep going but if I don’t want to I can stop. Every day you can find five minutes for yourself. Go up and down your stairs for five minutes. Do situps and pushups for five minutes. Then after a week of five minutes a day, make it six.
What I’m trying to say is even tiny, incremental steps in the right direction will help you. Thinking about changing your entire crappy diet to all healthy food is great, and totally overwhelming. Going from a chair to an hour a day of jogging is not going to happen in one week. So do one bit at a time. Replace the burger with a salad and the sitting through commercials with pacing in the yard. It will become habit, and you will become healthier.
SparkPeople is a great website when you are ready to look for diet changes or encouragement from others or even just calorie counts. It helps a lot of people because there are all kinds of diet and exercise resources there in one spot, along with lots of encouragement.
A good place to look for how to cook healthier meals without spending hours doing it is Delicious Decisions, by the American Heart Association. The recipes on Delicious Decisions are based on a cardiac diet. This is the diet we should all be eating, whether we have cardiac issues or not. One great thing about this website is you can see what you have in your refrigerator or cabinet, enter it, and a recipe will pop up for you.
There are a lot of tools out there to help you, but basically it comes down to making better choices and giving yourself time. One choice at a time, one minute at a time. You deserve it.
