Weighing in on diet and exercise
I’m writing today to share with you a victory — a diet and exercise victory. Let me begin with a little background.
I’ve always been in the normal weight range for my height. I am about 5′7″ and prior to each of my two pregnancies, I weighed 142. For me, that translates into size eight clothing, size six for some oddly made-garments. I’ve always been generally happy with my weight, and I’ve never obsessed about the numbers on the scale. Yet there’s been one area that’s bothered me ever since my first baby was born — my tummy. Now I like to use the excuse that my babies were big — 10 pounds, nine ounces and 10 pounds, two ounces — but clinging to this explanation did nothing to remove the loose skin from my middle. And for years, I guess I wasn’t ready to work at whittling it away.
Enter cancer. Research shows many breast cancer patients gain weight during treatment — sometimes up to 30 pounds. And while I never did gain this much, my weight has increased over the past almost three years. Perhaps it was hormones, the chemotherapy drugs, the anti-depressant I just stopped taking. Regardless, I didn’t like the extra weight. So I tried to do something about it — and about that pesky tummy too. And herein lies the victory.
Just two months ago, I weighed 150. Then I cut out soda, sweets, foods high in sugar, and foods high in fat. I began eating healthy meals, healthy snacks, and more fruit than usual. I learned how to eat to fill my stomach, not stuff it. And I continued exercising like I’ve always done, several times per week.
Today, I stood on the scale at my local grocery store and watched this number flash before my eyes: 142. And when I walked the aisles of the store, picking up my fruit, veggies, fish, chicken, and low-fat cheese, I noticed all the items I would have normally thrown in my cart — potato chips, cereals, candy, junk. This stuff is loaded with sugar and fat. It feels good to be rid of it. And it feels good to be slimmer, more fit, and most important, healthier.
It may have been the breast cancer that contributed to my extra pounds. But I suspect it was also my diet. This suspicion leads me to encourage you to make a few healthy changes in your own eating habits. And then witness the victory of positive change.
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Original post by Jacki Donaldson
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Weighing in on diet and exercise
I’m writing today to share with you a victory — a diet and exercise victory. Let me begin with a little background.
I’ve always been in the normal weight range for my height. I am about 5′7″ and prior to each of my two pregnancies, I weighed 142. For me, that translates into size eight clothing, size six for some oddly made-garments. I’ve always been generally happy with my weight, and I’ve never obsessed about the numbers on the scale. Yet there’s been one area that’s bothered me ever since my first baby was born — my tummy. Now I like to use the excuse that my babies were big — 10 pounds, nine ounces and 10 pounds, two ounces — but clinging to this explanation did nothing to remove the loose skin from my middle. And for years, I guess I wasn’t ready to work at whittling it away.
Enter cancer. Research shows many breast cancer patients gain weight during treatment — sometimes up to 30 pounds. And while I never did gain this much, my weight has increased over the past almost three years. Perhaps it was hormones, the chemotherapy drugs, the anti-depressant I just stopped taking. Regardless, I didn’t like the extra weight. So I tried to do something about it — and about that pesky tummy too. And herein lies the victory.
Just two months ago, I weighed 150. Then I cut out soda, sweets, foods high in sugar, and foods high in fat. I began eating healthy meals, healthy snacks, and more fruit than usual. I learned how to eat to fill my stomach, not stuff it. And I continued exercising like I’ve always done, several times per week.
Today, I stood on the scale at my local grocery store and watched this number flash before my eyes: 142. And when I walked the aisles of the store, picking up my fruit, veggies, fish, chicken, and low-fat cheese, I noticed all the items I would have normally thrown in my cart — potato chips, cereals, candy, junk. This stuff is loaded with sugar and fat. It feels good to be rid of it. And it feels good to be slimmer, more fit, and most important, healthier.
It may have been the breast cancer that contributed to my extra pounds. But I suspect it was also my diet. This suspicion leads me to encourage you to make a few healthy changes in your own eating habits. And then witness the victory of positive change.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Original post by Jacki Donaldson
No comments yet. Be the first.
Leave a reply