Last week, the local TOPS organization invited me to speak. If you are not familiar with it, TOPS (which stands for Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) is a nonprofit self-help group for people who want to lose weight. This group meets at Brazosport Regional Health System every Monday night. What a fun, positive and enthusiastic bunch of folks! I had a blast.
Body weight can depend on many factors, such as bone density, muscle mass and water retention, so it is not a reliable indicator of how healthy a person is. Fitness is about how healthy someone is and not about how much he or she weighs. A chick can be skinny as a twig, but that doesn’t mean she’s healthy. A big ol’ linebacker might be lugging around a gut the size of a Volkswagen, but he’s still an athlete and is arguably healthier than the average Joe who watches the games on Monday nights. That said, most people are overweight because they have excess fat stored on their bodies. A person’s goal for weight loss should be to get fitter, not just to lose weight.
As I told the TOPS group, susceptibility to heart disease and diabetes, two of the country’s biggest killers, rises significantly when one is overweight. But there are more benefits to weight loss than just lowering the risk of disease. The group seemed interested in the topic of my last column, which was about weight gain during the holidays. It’s a real problem and it’s hard to combat.
I told the group about my mother’s ongoing struggles with her weight. She has been undergoing radiation treatments on her cheek for a persistent skin cancer. As a result, her sense of taste has been out of whack and she hasn’t been able to eat. She lost 35 pounds in just a few months. And she complained about it!
I said, “Mom, you have high blood pressure and are borderline diabetic. This is a good thing.” She sighed, “I know.” But she missed the undeniable pleasure of meals. One of the joys in life — food — had become really unpleasant. About 20 years ago, she fell and broke her ankle and it never healed properly. She has had pain and swelling for many years. I asked her how her ankle felt and she seemed surprised. “It doesn’t hurt at all,” she said. “Even with the weather change, which usually makes it ache, it’s not hurting.”
On top of that, she said she’s been checking her blood sugar and blood pressure regularly, and both have been very good since her weight loss. She has been able to reduce her medication significantly. (Never do this without a doctor’s permission.) That convinced her she wants to keep the weight off.
This is not uncommon. Improvement in chronic conditions is often enhanced by weight loss.
Some members of the TOPS group wondered how to exercise when one has health problems, such as chronic pain. I always advocate walking for beginners because it’s something almost everyone can do, and it’s cheap. But not everyone can walk comfortably. In those cases, I suggest yoga, water aerobics or swimming. These either have very little impact on joints or can be modified to make them easier. If in doubt, there are many wonderful local professionals who can help you find a program or activity that suits you. And there are friendly, supportive nonprofit groups like TOPS to help you reach your goals.
I see so many people, like my mother, who have given their whole lives for everyone else and have never thought about themselves. They believe it is selfish to spend money on exercise programs or to allocate time for taking care of their own needs. This holiday season, look around at your family and friends. Whether they appreciate you or not, they need you. You must be at your best and healthiest for the people you love.
This year, why not give them — and yourself — the gift of a healthier you?
Body weight can depend on many factors, such as bone density, muscle mass and water retention, so it is not a reliable indicator of how healthy a person is. Fitness is about how healthy someone is and not about how much he or she weighs. A chick can be skinny as a twig, but that doesn’t mean she’s healthy. A big ol’ linebacker might be lugging around a gut the size of a Volkswagen, but he’s still an athlete and is arguably healthier than the average Joe who watches the games on Monday nights. That said, most people are overweight because they have excess fat stored on their bodies. A person’s goal for weight loss should be to get fitter, not just to lose weight.
As I told the TOPS group, susceptibility to heart disease and diabetes, two of the country’s biggest killers, rises significantly when one is overweight. But there are more benefits to weight loss than just lowering the risk of disease. The group seemed interested in the topic of my last column, which was about weight gain during the holidays. It’s a real problem and it’s hard to combat.
I told the group about my mother’s ongoing struggles with her weight. She has been undergoing radiation treatments on her cheek for a persistent skin cancer. As a result, her sense of taste has been out of whack and she hasn’t been able to eat. She lost 35 pounds in just a few months. And she complained about it!
I said, “Mom, you have high blood pressure and are borderline diabetic. This is a good thing.” She sighed, “I know.” But she missed the undeniable pleasure of meals. One of the joys in life — food — had become really unpleasant. About 20 years ago, she fell and broke her ankle and it never healed properly. She has had pain and swelling for many years. I asked her how her ankle felt and she seemed surprised. “It doesn’t hurt at all,” she said. “Even with the weather change, which usually makes it ache, it’s not hurting.”
On top of that, she said she’s been checking her blood sugar and blood pressure regularly, and both have been very good since her weight loss. She has been able to reduce her medication significantly. (Never do this without a doctor’s permission.) That convinced her she wants to keep the weight off.
This is not uncommon. Improvement in chronic conditions is often enhanced by weight loss.
Some members of the TOPS group wondered how to exercise when one has health problems, such as chronic pain. I always advocate walking for beginners because it’s something almost everyone can do, and it’s cheap. But not everyone can walk comfortably. In those cases, I suggest yoga, water aerobics or swimming. These either have very little impact on joints or can be modified to make them easier. If in doubt, there are many wonderful local professionals who can help you find a program or activity that suits you. And there are friendly, supportive nonprofit groups like TOPS to help you reach your goals.
I see so many people, like my mother, who have given their whole lives for everyone else and have never thought about themselves. They believe it is selfish to spend money on exercise programs or to allocate time for taking care of their own needs. This holiday season, look around at your family and friends. Whether they appreciate you or not, they need you. You must be at your best and healthiest for the people you love.
This year, why not give them — and yourself — the gift of a healthier you?
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