A friend of mine recently asked an intriguing series of questions, and I’m going to include them, here, because I think they apply both to life in general and to the things I continue experience on my health journey. I am only addressing these questions in light of that; generally speaking, my answers are (mostly) different than what you see below.

How comfortable are you with change?

As long as I initiate change, I’m fairly comfortable with it. While I’ve had doctors inform me of my obesity in the past (of course!), I am thankful that I’ve never had a do-it-or-die circumstance. I’ve never been told that if I don’t drop the weight, I will likely face dire consequences. (And you would think I would have, but no.) While I’ve had a number of conditions blamed on my weight, making sure I was the one to actually choose change has also meant I’ve chosen the methods for change.

Had I been ordered to do this, I know I would have resisted. I’m just as stubborn as anyone else. But by choosing change myself, first, I’ve remained in control of change.

Do you think a lot of change is healthy or unhealthy for a person?

In regards to weight loss, health, and the head games I inevitably play, I think a lot of change at once can be far too challenging for a person — me, included.

Even though I’ve been the one to choose to lose weight every time I’ve done it, I have failed nearly as many times. One of the many reasons for failure has been trying to change too much at once instead of making adjustments as I was ready. I suspect that’s a very common problem. It’s one thing to wake up one Monday morning or on the 1st of the month (because that’s when we always start diets, right?), and remember what to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner, when to record it, take measurements, weigh, put in so much time on exercise — you get the picture.

If that just made your anxiety level go up, well… me, too. That said, once something becomes a habit, making adjustments becomes that much easier. Sticking it out when it’s not an overwhelming undertaking tends to be more successful.

New Year’s Resolutions often go by the wayside for the same reason. We are creatures of habit, and trying to change too much at once absolutely challenges us.

What do you think about the speed of change happening in the world today?

From a health standpoint, generally speaking, most of us have had to access our COVID-19 risk as we are, right now. Certainly, my risk at 371 pounds was much higher than it is, now, nearly 200 pounds down. I’m glad that if I do contract it, I’ll be better armed to meet the challenges, even though I’m still in a higher risk category.

The health challenge, from a mental and emotional standpoint, is a battle: there are so many things that put us at risk, including stress-relieving behaviors. Think of it: we’ve been told that drinking alcohol can increase risk; so can smoking. Obesity, diabetes, and the foods and behaviors that contribute to those, especially stress eating, just adds to the list. These are behaviors within our abilities to control, but stress can trigger an overwhelming desire to ramp up those behaviors.

I drink, although not to excess. I used to be a smoker. I’ve been obese for a very long time, and I know the foods that got me there. I managed to reverse pre-diabetes, thank goodness. But that potential for a stress-induced return to any of those behaviors remains. Battling the stress, and suppressing the need to find comfort in behaviors that make things worse, is a double-edged sword. There is not a single doubt in my mind that the typical stats for such things have likely risen.

In my case, I’ve had to find stress outlets that are positive, and recognize the unusual ones springing up so I can nip them in the bud before they grow out of control. It means nurturing my mental health as much as my physical health.

What do you think has been the biggest change that has happened in the last 50 years?

Without a doubt, speaking from a dietary standpoint — convenience foods; not only fast foods, convenience foods, and rewards-based foods (candy, chips, etc.), but the range of foods labeled as “healthy” that aren’t much better than junk food, in my opinion. I want to know what I’m eating, and I don’t care much for “magic” foods that somehow have a way to keep your body from digesting sugar or starch, for instance. How many of those products have resulted in law suits over the past few years?

I’ve accepted that the best way for me to achieve health is to do so without packaged foods, whether they are manufactured as tailored for my particular eating choices or not. I know what’s in something I make from scratch; I don’t know what’s really in that package, so I try my best to avoid them. Unfortunately, the blatant marketing behind such health products is fierce. Always remember this: if “diets” were fully successful, the diet industry wouldn’t make the obscene amount of money it does.

Personally, since I’m 58, well… let me hone that down to the last decade or two. The biggest change that’s happened for my health, personally, is the willingness to learn and adapt, paired with the understanding that for me, this is a mental process that results in physical changes.

What still needs to be changed?

At the time of this writing, I am just a couple of pounds above my goal of 200 pounds down. I let my weight drift up or I would have been there by now. After that, I will assess again at 210, or that was the goal; I have some research to do, it seems. I originally picked 210 because it takes me out of the “obese” category and seems a likely point to assess my health markers. I have an annual physical scheduled in September, and while reaching 210 down likely won’t happen by that point, I’ll have to discuss with my doctor exactly what charts are the right charts.

The one I saw yesterday suggests that the BMI calculations I have been using are incorrect and I would actually need to be lower in weight to no longer be classified as obese. (Aside: I think BMI is crap, but my insurance company seems to love it.) I’ll figure it out, though.

~~~
Change is never easy. Meaningful change is worth the effort.