Dieting with a Disability

Let’s just get it out there: dieting sucks. Right ladies? I mean, what is better than a hot donut first thing in the morning, a big, juicy  hamburger with a buttery bun and a soda for lunch, or fresh pecan pie with ice cream after dinner (maybe with a glass of port or sherry)? I’m drooling just thinking about it! Why is it that all the good foods make us gain weight?!

Because I rely on everyone else to move me around, it’s important that I watch my weight (as annoying as it is) for the sake of their backs and knees. Also, as much as I hate to admit it, I feel better overall when I am a pound or two lighter. One pound makes a huge difference to someone who only weighs (or should weigh) 50 pounds. That’s proportionally two to four pounds to a normal-sized person. 

The problem is, it’s really hard for someone with limited mobility to lose weight quickly. I also have some stomach issues that act up if I don’t eat at least one or two carbs a day, so cutting carbs completely is not an option for me. I can’t eat raw leafy greens, more than a handful of nuts at one time, or anything super creamy. That means no salads with lettuce or spinach (which I hate because I actually love raw spinach), and most protein bars are also out. I’ve found that my stomach does not do well with any type of protein powder either, so those diet plans with shakes and pre-made meals are out as well. I actually did the Ideal Protein plan a couple years ago, and although it worked to help me lose weight, my stomach eventually just couldn’t handle it any longer and I had to quit. 

So what do I do? Well, I’ve found that calorie counting and careful moderation of carbs works the best for me. I have an app in my phone that I record all of my food in, and I can set goals that help me figure out what my calorie intake should be per day. Right now, I want to lose about another pound, and my calorie intake per day is about 486 calories. Yeah, it’s not a lot and it’s hard to stick to, but most days I can do it within about 20 calories. I still let myself have all the carbs I feel like I need to keep my stomach happy, but in moderation. Instead of having half a cup of pasta, I have an eighth of a cup. Instead of ten crackers, I have three or four. Instead of a whole brownie, I have a half or a quarter. My only real addiction (besides going to concerts of course) is Coke, and I’ve recently limited myself to four ounces a day. I plan to cut that down more in the next few months. I’ve found that if I just have a little bit of what my body really wants, I can satisfy it without going totally overboard. 

The other thing that really helps me lose weight is swimming. Everyone knows it: exercise is essential to losing weight in an effective and healthy way. We just don’t want to do it. Because I am limited in movement and I have very weak joints, swimming is the ideal form of exercise for me. I can actually walk around in the pool by myself and move almost like a normal person. I do things like squats, kicks, punches, and swim laps at least three times a week. For me, just standing up and using those muscles that I don’t normally use sitting in my chair or lying down is a huge amount of exercise. I do still have to be careful not to overdo, because if I do too much, I tend to break something or pull tendons (which sometimes hurt more than actually breaking something). I tend to injure my knees and ankles the most in the pool when I’m not paying attention. But as long as I’m careful, swimming makes a huge difference in the rate at which I lose weight and how my body feels overall. 

I don’t believe that you need to be skinny to be pretty or feel good about yourself. I am one of those people that thinks your self-image tends to come from the inside. I do, however, think that everyone’s body has an ideal weight at which they are considered healthy, and that people should strive to stay near that weight, no matter what it is. Healthy is good, and everyone is going to have a different “healthy” weight. Healthy makes you happy, it makes you feel good, and want to do more on a day to day basis. It’s definitely hard, but it’s worth taking care of your body. After all, you only have one.