Diet, excercise key to losing weight, feeling healthy

Being a physician for 19 years has not spared me the struggle with my weight. I know the relationship between weight and health and I have never been thin. In fact I have been what my mother called “healthy”, another word for chubby, all of my life. I have had many twists and turns along the path to achieving a healthier weight.

My mother was a terrific cook. Her flour tortillas melted in my mouth and her pumpkin pie was famous. To this day I have never had tamales as delicious as my grandmother’s. I think of these favorite foods of mine during the holidays every year. It never ceases to amaze me how my older sister can eat a plate of tamales and follow them with a generous slice of pumpkin pie without gaining an ounce. I only need to walk into the kitchen and five pounds will jump onto my waist.

The holidays are not the only time I think about weight. During Lent my resolution was always to lose weight. Year after year my sacrifice was food. Sister Stella knew what I was going to give up for Lent every year after the third grade. To this day I cannot think of Lent without thinking about weight loss and starvation, but I don’t believe that’s what Sister Stella wanted me to learn about Lent.

I’ve been on different diets my whole life. I developed gallstones and lost my gallbladder along with many other Americans while on a popular diet 15 years ago. My tongue and shins went numb while on a diet program from Matamoros, and I had hypoglycemic reactions to a very low carbohydrate diet. All the diets I tried had one thing in common: I always gained back whatever weight I lost within a few months.

A year ago my husband and I began bicycling. This activity was my latest effort to get in shape. I discovered that I liked bicycling because I could get away from my stressful day on my bike. As I continued I also noticed that the stress during my days didn’t bother me as much. I began sleeping better, and I had more energy throughout the day. Skipping my bicycling for a few days caused my stress level to rise and my energy level to fall.

A few months ago my 17-year-old son decided to go on a diet. He was going away to college and wanted to improve his appearance. What he did changed my life and improved my health. He chose a well-balanced diet based on fruits, vegetables, “good” carbohydrates, such as whole grains and lean meats, and plenty of water. I was sent to the grocery store to buy ingredients for “healthy” recipes and I began making them for my family. What I discovered was that I could eat every meal and two snacks a day and still lose weight for the first time in my life. I felt better and had less abdominal bloating and heartburn. My energy level rose even more on this non-starvation diet. The most surprising thing was that the food choices and combinations were delicious and not at all like diet food.

Today I have less stress, feel less fatigue, and have lost two dress sizes. The best part about it is that I have done this without starvation, without side effects, and without Lent. My husband is diabetic and healthier food choices have improved his control over the disease. He takes less insulin and he is doing this without going hungry. My children no longer like the old food I used to cook and they are not hungry either.

This holiday season I can enjoy all of my favorite foods and not gain ten pounds because I bicycle regularly and include healthier food choices and food preparation in my diet. I now know that making healthy choices does not mean going hungry. I know that the stress of my schedule as well as the stresses that come with the holidays will not get me down. I have more energy, less fatigue, and today my mother is right when she says that I am healthy.