Did you know that "Healthy Weight Week" is January 15-22, 2017? Why did they come up with a Healthy Weight Week? Many people diet at the beginning of a new year, setting unattainable, unrealistic goals for weight loss. Usually, they start off well, and quickly (usually by March), fall off and do not achieve the goal. What Healthy Weight Week is all about is to maintain a healthy weight, but incorporating a healthy lifestyle.
Why is a healthy weight important?
We are nurses, we know why, to maintain optimal health. According to a recent Harvard Nurses' Health Study, 60 percent of nurses surveyed reported being overweight or obese. There are risks to being unhealthy, as well as obstacles we have as nurses to maintain a healthy weight. We preach health, but many nurses are overweight and unhealthy. Think for a minute of your hospital unit. Can you say that fifty percent or more of the nurses are overweight? I can.
Determining your healthy weight
The good ole Body Mass Index (BMI) chart is the most accurate overall scale to know what your body type should weigh. A normal range for a BMI is 18.5 - 24.9. These numbers are based on your height and weight, as well as your body type. There is a significant range of weight that is considered a healthy weight, the problem is getting to that range, with a busy nurse lifestyle.
What can you do?
Stay active
We have to practice what we preach. It is not always easy, especially working twelve hours a day. A few nurses I work with do fitness competitions. I have asked their advice and received different answers about establishing workout routine when you work.
FYI: I am NOT participating in any fitness competition, I just want to maintain a healthy weight.
Some of those answers were
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"Workout before you come to work." This nurse worked day shift, would get up at 4:30am and workout before work.
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"I'm a freak about my diet at work, but I don't workout on the days I work."
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Now, again, these are women who did fitness competitions. The average Joe, like me, likes to sleep before and after work. Therefore, I like the second answer, eat well at work and workout on my days off. Though, a little yoga after work, before bed, really helps you stretch and distress, which we know is good for us. The Harvard Nurse Study also showed that more than half of the nurses who responded to the survey admitted to exercising less than 2 hours a week. Let's see work three days a week, three days off work, and a day for rest. This means I should be at the gym at least an hour a day to beat those stats.
Maintaining physical activity, whenever you can fit it in, will help you practice what you preach, as well as decrease your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, mental health issues, and diabetes...but you already knew that you smart nurse, you.
Get enough sleep
I get it. Between on call hours, rotating shifts, oh, and our so-called lives, sleep often gets missed. You need to sleep, it's critical to your overall health. Being over a healthy weight can increase your risk for sleep disorders like sleep apnea, which can lead to symptoms of poor concentration and inattentiveness, which is something no nurse or patient needs.
Find how to make sleep important in your life. It is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, as well as a healthy life.
Eat Right
Eating right is not what we do. Why? Well, it is easy to snack in the break room at work, or binge eat at the end of a long day. It is recommended to eat 5-6 small meals a day. Though, many nurses do not drink enough water during their long shifts.
How can you do better?
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Invest in a large water bottle so you do not have to refill constantly and aim to drink the appropriate amount, 8-10 glasses of water throughout your shift.
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Another tip, drink two glasses of water before you leave for work, and do a chaser glass if you have a cup of coffee to stay hydrated.
For your diet, try to pack foods that I like to call toddler foods. These are small snacks.
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Cut your sandwich into 4 squares
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Yogurt
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Almonds
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Cheese sticks and other protein snacks to keep you full and your energy sustained.
Overall, it comes down to a healthy weight helps your body stay healthy.
Trying these tips can lead you to that goal...maybe for 2017!
Resources to help nurses get started on a healthy path
Do you have any tips to maintaining a healthy weight as a busy RN?
