Health and Wellness at Every Size: On Exercising and Eating Well

We have talked about the psychology of overeating and now we’ll talk about healthy eating without the emphasis on dieting. Most women who are heavy are so due to overeating and lack of exercise.

When a women has a lot of excessive weight it can play havoc with her cardiac health, her bones and muscles and her cancer risks, as well as being detrimental to her mental health. Therefore cutting excess calories, eating healthy foods and ensuring portion control is a must for healthy weight loss.

A new mindset about food is really important when it comes to eating well. There are some obvious things like not allowing chips and soda into the home. This includes diet soda. Try club soda with fresh lime instead, it’s refreshing and delicious!

Limit sweets to a few healthy-option cookies (oatmeal raisin is a great choice). Greek yogurt with fresh fruit serves as a great dessert option. Just be sure to check the sugar levels in the yogurt.

Love french fries? Slice your own potatoes and put them in the oven. Garnish with olive oil, sea salt and some basil and you have a mouth-watering plate of fries.

Change the way you prepare your food. Trim the fat and add less sugar and salt.

Starchy foods like rice and potatoes are okay in moderation. Nobody wants to live with the pressure of perfect eating. But a diet rich in “live” healthy foods (vegetables, either raw or al dente, fresh fruit, vegetables and mixed salads for fiber), and lean proteins like chicken need to be staples in your fridge.

Stock low-sugar high-fiber cereals for breakfast. Eat fresh fish -- or lots of walnuts and almonds for vegetarians and people who don’t like fish will allow for plenty of omega-3 acids.

The point of all this is to eat for nutrition and healing. Good, healthy foods can help to heal the body and prevent certain illnesses.

Enjoying food is important too, and once we realize how delicious unprocessed food is, we’ll indulge in the processed types only occasionally. Everyone can and should splurge now and again, and a generally healthy diet allows for that without guilt or negative thoughts afterwards .

Most women who are very heavy would like to lose some weight. Changing to a new lifestyle will help make this happen, without unrealistic goals that can cause failure and so much disappointment.

Food cravings are normal, especially in the beginning of a new lifestyle and routine. Some women crave salty snacks and carbs, others crave sweets. As I mentioned above, there are plenty of healthy carbs out there to curb cravings with healthy, sweet options.

Jenny Housh of EmpowHER has written about some excellent ways to deal with cravings, like eating healthy food often, avoiding triggers and drinking lots of water. To see all her tips, click here for her article "Tip to Stop Food Cravings in Their Tracks".

And remember -- just because your plate is full does not mean you have to clear it. Those days are gone! Refrigerate uneaten food and have it the next day! You don't have to eat until you are full. Eat until you aren't hungry anymore and drink lots of water with meals.

Heavy women that feel exercise isn't for them need to introduce themselves to one of the best fitness tools around for heavy people. That tool is water.

Most park and rec centers have swimming pools with zero entry facilities that aren't difficult to get into. Take it easy and gently submerge into the water.

Swimming, water-walking and water-aerobics are excellent for heavier women who can’t take much pressure on their joints. Water weights (that only weigh several ounces!) are good for toning because they use they resistance of water to work the muscles, rather than the weight of the weight itself.

Look for classes that incorporate water aerobics. Take the plunge (excuse the pun) and join. Water aerobics are great fun and classes have with people of all sizes. Many large women join because they know it’s a low-impact sport that’s filled with supportive people.

A 300-pound woman can do water aerobics. This activity is made to measure for all sizes, and participants don’t need to know how to swim. Seeing other women of size is encouraging, and there won’t be too many aches and pains the next day. Water aerobics work the whole body, and the emotional rush afterward is great for mental health.

In my own experience with water aerobics, the camaraderie was wonderful and incorporated lunches out, and coffee mornings with healthy snacks and great chat.

Community centers offer great prices for these classes and scholarships are often available. Check at any community center near you.

If you belong to a gym with a pool, check there too. And even if structured classes aren't available, do your own water-walking on your own. You’ll be so glad you did.

There are ways for even the heaviest woman to exercise at home. Hand weights come to mind. Even when sitting, hand weights can be used to strengthen arm muscles and can create a little sweat when done consistently.

If you can’t walk far maybe you can march to music. Start with 10 minutes of marching every day, holding hand weights while marching, and increase over the weeks to one hour. This will work up a sweat and increase your heart rate.

Listen to audio books or great music while marching in place at home or walking outdoors.

It won’t be easy at first. You’ll feel out of breath, sweaty and you may feel angry that you can’t just rest. But the fact is that you can’t just rest if you want good heart health and strong bones and muscles.

Before you know it, you’ll be walking your neighborhood for an hour a day and that weight that makes you feel unhealthy will really start to come off.

It’s never easy in the beginning. Nothing is. But getting through the tough parts will make the rest of the journey a really great one.

If you prefer company, join an exercise group that’s tailored to heavier people and you can talk and walk your way to better health. Even if you never end up a size 8 (and that’s okay!) your body will thank you for strengthening your heart, lungs, joints and muscles, and those excess pounds that cause such discomfort will be exercised away.

You just need to move, every day, and make that commitment.

Joining a gym is intimidating for many women, especially those of us who are out of shape. EmpowHER’s Lynette Summerill has great tips about what to do if the gym isn't for you. She suggests forming exercise teams, using technology and apps to track your progress and making every day chores into exercise routines.

You can check out her article “7 Ways to Get Fit Without Joining a Gym” here.

You absolutely can do this and you can enjoy a good level of fitness even if you are heavier than average. Be realistic, be kind to yourself and stop the damaging mental chatter that tells you it’s all pointless -- that you were born to be fat or unhealthy.

You weren't. You were born to live your best life at a healthy size for you. You deserve to feel good, look good and love your body!

Sources:

EmpowHER.com. Diets and Nutrition. Diets. "Tip to Stop Food Cravings in Their Tracks." Web. Retrieved June 3rd, 2014.
https://www.empowher.com/community/share/tips-stop-food-cravings-their-t...

EmpowHER.com. Wellness. Fitness. "7 Ways to Get Fir Without Joining a Gym". Web. Retrieved June 3rd, 2014.
https://www.empowher.com/fitness/content/7-ways-get-fit-without-joining-gym

Focus on Foods You Need. ChooseMyPlate. Gov. Retrieved June 3rd, 2014.
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/weight-managemen...

Reviewed June 4, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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Tags:

• Obesity
• Active Adult
• Fitness
• Healthy Eating
• Weight Loss