Confessional: I'm Clueless About My Health

Tweet

Do you ever get really motivated to make a change in your health, especially regarding diet?

Then you go out and buy the latest books that will supposedly teach you everything you need to know how to change from a size 20+ down to that perfect size where you can play the xylophone on your ribcage. You watch shows like The Biggest Loser and say things like, "If I only had someone screaming in my face, I could be skinny too". You sit back and read blogs about weight watchers, marathon running, calorie counting, gym busting, or even the trendy fad diets that everyone is raving about (who doesn't love cabbage soup?). You input it all into your head (usually while eating ice cream) only to come out thinking, "But none of that applies to me."

I do.

I do a lot.

And I have a confession. I'm clueless about my health.

That statement actually says a lot, especially since I went to college for massage therapy where I took anatomy, physiology, nutrition, pathology, and other classes that taught me how to keep a body healthy. And I graduated at the top of my class. The only student to leave with a perfect score on the final 20 some odd tests. I was on the Dean's list each semester. I went on to become the Healthy Living editor for an website dedicated to helping women. I've written and had articles published. I've been on a national radio show. So how can I not know how to keep myself healthy?

Because when I've learned and taught about health, it's been to the group and not the individual. And I'm an individual. Other things factor in when it comes to the individual. Thyroid, hormones, diseases, injuries, sickness, and hell yes even (and often especially) money! And when I think about my own health, I have to factor a lot of those things in. And those things aren't what the books prepare you for.

In the past when I've wanted to start getting healthy, something always happens. And not something that is a mental barrier. No, those I've been able to over come in the past. It's the physical barriers that are keeping me blocked and confused. Gallbladder attacks, kidney stones (thought to be fibroids), anemia, hormone imbalances, previous injuries that like to come back to visit and linger, and most recently, massive migraines that cause vertigo and keep me bound tightly in darkness and silence.

How do you go to the gym when you stand even stand up straight without pain stabbing you in the face? How do take a nice walk in the park when you're passing what feels like a piece of gravel with a personal vendetta against you? How do you lift weights when fatigue has you struggling to lift yourself out of bed? It's really hard.

Everyone's weight loss is different. Even if you're following a strict plan. Everyone has a different goal, a different body type, and different circumstances. And frankly, there's just not a book out there to guide me through mine. I wish there were. Cause frankly, I don't want to spend another year being 250 pounds. I'm okay with that number. I've made peace with that number. The number doesn't scare me. But my health does. 

I think there are a lot of people out there like me. People who just don't know where to start. Who don't have the money to buy new equipment or to stuff their cabinets and fridge with all natural, organic, hormone free, locally grown, magic fairy food. Sometimes we live off of canned goods, food storage, and whatever went on sale that week because frankly I'm just not going to spend six bucks for an orange, sell my kidney on the black market so I can pay for the brown eggs instead of regular, and I won't trade in my first born child to have a local farmer butcher a grass fed cow for me.

When it comes to exercise I'm equally perplexed sometimes. All exercise programs say to consult a doctor before starting any fitness regimen. Do you know what 99% of doctors will tell you? That they don't know. Because most doctors can only see you for 5 minutes and in those 5 minutes they cannot access whether or not you have any weaknesses that might endanger you when facing against a treadmill. Did you know that if you have high blood pressure your cardio workouts should be closely monitored? We didn't. And our doctor didn't tell us. When Matt was diagnosed with high blood pressure several years ago, one of the first things our doctor said was, "Lose weight." But he didn't mention once how, or if there were any exercises to avoid. So doctors do what doctors do best, they refer you to someone else. A nutritionist, a weight loss "expert" or whatever new health program your insurance might cover. But co-pays add up, and if I can't afford that six dollar organic orange, how am I supposed to fork out hundreds of dollars to have six people tell me that I can start an exercise program, but to stop if I start having chest pains and or injuries?

Certainly the easiest start up comes to mind:

• Just walk more.
• Drink water.
• Eat healthier.

But that's only a starting point. I've watched as dear friends who are on their way to becoming fitness gurus have hit a plateau and despite calorie counting and running triathlons, the scale doesn't budge. And this isn't even factoring in the hormone alterations that can hinder a body during weight loss. Any woman with PCOS knows this first hand. Anyone with thyroid problems knows this first hand. So there's certainly more to getting healthy.

So I'm trying to gather information, from real people this time. Not authors who claim that they know the "secret" to weight loss. Certainly not trainers who eat, sleep and breathe gym memberships. The people who've done it. Who ARE doing it. And are currently doing it better than me. People who had their own obstacles like money, and sickness, and time constraints but still find a way.

Untypically Jia seeking Health, Weight Loss and Fitness Mentor

Must be able to acknowledge trials and obstacles without using the phrases, "no pain, no gain", "just push through it", or "for only a small investment of $199.99...." Must have proof that they too, know where I'm coming from (ie: used to be a fattie). For your services, you will be paid on a weekly basis in love, admiration, fairy dust, one good Irish joke, and if it's a good week, I will publicly call you a whore.

So here's where you dish out your advice or link me up to whatever blogs are offering you the inspiration and knowledge that you needed in times of Krispy Kreme crisis.