Pound pressure : painful weight

I sometimes get patients who believe that their painful conditions are brought on, at least partly, by their excessive bodyweight. They are not wrong, but what I sense is that many of these patients are frustrated. They are frustrated because they are aware that their excessive bodyweight is a factor in their pain, yet they have put their overall health on the proverbial back-burner. Life has a way of making us feel overloaded to the point where don’t feel like we have the time or effort to improve our own health. Yet if we don’t, our ability to get through each day diminishes due to pain and fatigue. 

So when patients ask me specific questions on diet, I am happy to give them the best information I have. While I am not a dietician, it seems to me that most people need to focus on eating real food, and less processed foods. Yes, quantity is often part of the problem, but I doubt that any of my patients are overweight because they eat too much raw broccoli. Plus, avoiding processed foods leads to less overall inflammation in your body, which can improve both pain levels and mobility. Studies confirm that when we overeat, it is usually on easily digested highly processed foods. So while caloric restriction, or fat reduction, or carbohydrate elimination may each work for some people, focusing more on the wonderful REAL foods that you can eat, is a much more positive approach. 

Overall, I feel that sometimes too much emphasis is put on the number that pops up when we step on the scale. Healthy people come in many shapes and sizes. Bodyweight is one measurement of health, but is it really the most important? If all your blood tests and biometrics like blood pressure and heart rate are within normal limits, what does it really mean? After all, I myself have been technically clinically obese most of my adult life. At 5’9” and over 205 lbs., I have completed a marathon, a sprint triathlon, and a cyclocross race. Currently I am also doing cross country skiing, and indoor rock climbing. I passed my last medical checkup with flying colors.  Some would say its probably muscle, and not fat, but the clinical guidelines for bodyweight don't take that into consideration.

So what is the secret to my success? Don’t stop moving! And don’t stop trying new activities. That being said, if you have not exercised for years, don’t assume that you can pick up where you left off. If the last time you ran for exercise was in college, you will be in for a rude awakening if you try to match your performance from decades ago.  What is the best type of exercise you ask? It’s the one you will do the most consistently. So what is the exercise that you love the most? (Or maybe hate the least?)

Please consider developing habits based on what is healthy, rather than what will shed pounds. Given long enough, healthy habits will usually lead to weight loss.  And if you don't feel beautiful as you are right now, just remember that healthy people ARE ALWAYS beautiful. Beautiful people, just like healthy people, can come in all shapes and sizes. I have seen many people try some questionable methods to lose weight. sometimes it is obvious that their methods are truly unhealthy. Unhealthy and unsustainable weight loss will always lead to rebound weight gain.

Now, think of all the people that you love. Everyone in your life that you truly love. Do they all have “perfect bodies”? Probably not. Do you love them any less because they don’t? Probably not. If the people in your life can love you as you are, YOU CAN TOO! The first and most important step is to love yourself. Love your body. Love it enough to respect it. Love it enough to accept it the way it is right now, at this moment. That is the ONLY way ANY new healthy habits can start.