Family Wellness Plan

Though we often see on the news that our nation is becoming more and more obese, many of us have made excuses for putting on a few pounds over the years. Women have the most logical excuse - we've had babies. I had all of the best excuses: no time for exercise; I've had three kids; I am over 40; I hate vegetables; I love red meat, potatoes, and all sweets (I am a pretty decent baker); and my husband loves me like I am!

I am very blessed to have decent metabolism. My mother's family has always been concerned with weight (my grandmother was always quick to point out when anyone gained the least amount of weight), and my mother, who is 75, and sister, who is 53 (11 years older than I), both exercise regularly and weigh less than 110. I must point out that though those weights might seem very low, we are also a short family. I am only 5 feet tall, and my mother and sister aren't much taller. When I got pregnant with my first daughter, I weighed 102. I managed to gain 38 pounds with that pregnancy, as well as with my second pregnancy. I did lose the weight, and with my third daughter I only gained 28 pounds. Fast forward a few years...I went through a divorce in 2002 - now there's a diet! I became obsessed with walking because it was good psychologically, and I just didn't feel like eating. I probably got a little too thin during that period.

In 2003, I remarried. With happiness came food and with food came weight gain. My husband and I both put on some weight. I wasn't overweight, but uncomfortable with how I looked and with how my clothes fit, and I got winded going up a flight of stairs. Even that wasn't enough to get me to eat healthy and exercise. I was teaching full time and in grad school, so I just didn't have time. And I didn't look that bad. It was really difficult to make myself work at being healthy because in the past I never had to. I could live on burgers and junk food, and still not gain weight. Turning 40 changed all of that!

So, what finally motivated me? My children. They are not blessed with my metabolism, and all three of my daughters have to watch what they eat. My 20 year old is in the working world, and busy all of the time, so she was living on fast food and gas station junk food; my 16 year old was pretty active, but had (actually, still has) bad eating habits, and my 12 year old was considered overweight for her age and was approaching adolescent obesity. That was the real wake-up call. I accepted responsibility for my kids' bad habits, and I had to do something about it. I had never helped them to develop healthy habits, but it was time to start. We, as a family, needed to get serious. Personally, another motivating factor was that my father died when he was my age of a heart attack. I have had high cholesterol in the past, and I knew that I am at high risk for heart problems. I plan to stick around awhile.

The changes we have made have been phenomenal, but not unbearable. First, we cut out fast food. We still eat Subway about once a week (I love the chicken bacon ranch - probably not the best choice!), and I go to McDonald's, but only for a fruit and yogurt parfait and a Diet Coke. We don't buy junk food for home anymore, and we don't go to buffets. I also cut out school lunches. We have the best school lunches, but many are high in fat. I started taking a sandwich and yogurt every day. The problem with eating healthy - it's expensive!! I spend a lot more on groceries, but my husband and I made the decision that our family's health is worth the extra money, and we aren't spending much eating out, so it probably balances out. The cost of healthy food makes me realize why so many people living in poverty are overweight. How could they possibly afford to buy healthy food?

I know that many 'dieters' are into the low-carb plans. For me, watching the amount of fat works best. Although I am certain that I eat more than 30 grams of fat a day, I use that number to make decisions. If I were to limit my fat to that amount, and I see that a candy bar has 15 grams of fat, I know that it is not worth it to give up half of my daily allowance just for a candy bar. My youngest daughter has also begun reading labels. She will now tell me how much fat something has. I have to recommend a wonderful book that my family has been using: Eat This, Not That. I can't remember the author, but it is available on Amazon.com. It costs about $11, but I can tell you that it is money well-spent. It lists popular restaurants and tells you what to order, and what not to order, as well as the nutrition information. I keep it with me when I know that we might go out to eat. Some of the information is surprising. Did you know that a quarter pounder without cheese is healthier than a premium grilled chicken sandwich from McDonald's?? I was happy to read that there are healthy choices at Cold Stone Creamery! The book also has a section for the grocery store. It is categorized and tells the better choices to make for items such as cereal, breads, juices, breakfast foods, etc. There is also a kids' version of the book available, which my daughter really likes.

That's how we have begun to change our eating habits. Smaller portions and better choices can make a huge difference. I am still not a fan of veggies, but I am trying to add to what I eat, and am adding more fruits. As I come across healthy, good recipes, I will post them on this blog.

Exercise...that wasn't easy. We were all out of shape. My husband actually started first. After the holidays he decided to run. He is 58 years old, and has an artificial knee, so he needed to start slowly. We have a long gravel drive, so he began by running to the end of the drive and back. Even in the cold, he trudged along and began building endurance (I hate cold weather and refuse to exercise out in the cold!). I still wasn't fully into the whole wellness plan, but as I watched him and learned more, I dusted off the treadmill and found out it still ran. I tried to run a bit - just 1/4 mile at a time with walking in between. One Sunday evening after the news there was a dreaded infomercial on. It was for TurboJam, an exercise DVD. As I watched, I began thinking that almost looks fun. Needless to say, I ordered it. At first I just did the 20 minute workout; that was enough for me. As the weeks progressed and I began to feel better, I tried the 40 minute workout that requires weights. I loved it. I started with 3 pound weights, but now use 5 pound. I try to alternate Turbo with running so that I don't get bored. Over the past three months, I have worked my way to being able to run 2 miles. I ran 3 miles one night, but I think that was a fluke! We also bought bikes. My husband and I can't really run together, but we can bike together. It is something that we have thought about for a year, and we finally just did it.

So, now I feel that I need to exercise every day. I somehow find the time - my house might be a mess, and the laundry piled to the ceiling, but I am healthier. Our family (husband, 2 of the girls, and I) has lost a total of 64 pounds! We are working together and supporting one another.

Here's a quick summer dessert:

angel food cake (store-bought, torn up into small pieces)
package of frozen strawberries
fat free vanilla yogurt
fat free Cool Whip

In a casserole dish, layer half of the cake, about 3/4 C. of yogurt, 1/2 container of Cool Whip, and half of the strawberries; repeat layers. Refrigerate.