This is actually a response for the "practice what you preach" thread. I'm in an ADN program in my second year.
This really hit home and on a hurtful note. I am 100 lbs overweight and it bothers me EVERY SINGLE DAY. Especially being in this field. I don't feel I have the right to preach to others about a healthy lifestyle and than I myself can't stay on a regimen. To those of you who've never had a weight problem - good for you. Don't EVER let it become an issue. I've been able to attain every single goal in my life except that of weight loss. I'm 5'8" and was always around 150 lbs until about 6 years ago. Depression and a thyroid problem led to weight gain. Do not mistake that statement for excuses. I do not have any pretenses about my part in my weight gain.
I have struggled soooo much in the past 4 months trying to get on some kind of program and stay with it. I keep telling myself how important it is for myself, my 1 year old son, my career and my health. Even my marriage has suffered.
So for those of you who feel the need to persecute those who are overweight? Guess what? You're too late - I persecute myself everyday for being this way. It doesn't help the situation at all. So thank you to the person who originally started the thread. I already KNOW I'm overweight and everyday I make new goals to try to succeed in my weight loss. I know that when I attain my weight loss goal (and I will - I know that for a fact), I will be able to demonstrate complete empathy for those in my shoes because I have already been there.
Bottom line - obesity is an emotional and physical addiction. I never realized that until now. It is a tremendous obstacle to overcome. I just hope I can eventually do it.
that original thread (practice what you preach) is getting a little long. i always find it amusing how nurses get arrogant about how healthy they are and cannot understand why everyone else is not the same. well you know what, there is not anyone in this world who is 100% healthy. even more amusing are those who write "i am a vegetarian". just because you are a vegetarian and exercise does not make you healthy. everyone and i mean everyone has a vice. everyone has something that is not "healthy" whether it be physically or psychologically. health is a state of mind. i have seen people that are overweight and very happy. they accept themselves for their positives and their negatives. to me we should strive to be happy for who we are and what we are. so nurses (not all of you) need to get off your high horse, get your nose out of the air and get back down to earth.
One other point. The ignore the physical and concetrate on the emotional is only part of the picture. A healthy happy mind to me is the first step to a healthy body. But for me I need to strive for both. The mind-body connection is to great for me.
I agree people need to be happy, and have self-acceptance where they are. But to deny that we need to change, to strive for health is a big mistake in my opinion. (And if that body is overweight by someone's standards, and that person is healthy, is eating and exercising as one who posted in the other thread, that's what's important. Not how someone looks on the outside).
Perfection is not a requirement for being a good nurse. If it was, nobody would be a good nurse!
Personally, as an overweight person, I hate getting advice from skinny people who have never been overweight. The way some of them treat us "fatties" is one of the reasons I stay away from gyms. I am much more comfortable and much more receptive to the health care advice I receive from people who have a few imperfections themselves. I know I am not the only one who feels that way.
llg
That's why I never tell anyone how to loose weight, because I've never done it. It's much more effective coming from somone who knows.
Ask me about nutrition, I'm well read, and walk the walk that I talk.
I do hope you're not living in total denial and not following any good nutritional, weight loss advice at all. :chair:
I do hope you're not living in total denial and not following any good nutritional, weight loss advice at all. :chair:
Having "talked" with you often on other threads, 3rdshiftguy, and know you to be reasonable, I take your comments in the generous spirit you intended them.
My biggest problem is that I have needed a low fiber diet all of my life due to irritable bowel syndrome. So ... I have never been able to tolerate many fruits or vegetables in my diet. That tends to leave the not-so-healthy choices (meats and sweats) left as the only things I can eat. While some of my unhealthy food habits are just that -- habits -- they are habits that are hard to break because there are so few healthy alternatives. All the "healthy diets" and "low-cal recipes" that I see are comprised mostly of things I can't eat.
For me, losing weight will involve eliminating a lot of pleasurable things from my life -- as I am unable to find pleasurable substitutes to replace the high carbs that I know I must give up. It will be a matter of long-term sacrifice -- not a lifestyle that will make me feel good or happy. It will be a lifelong struggle of self-denial and sacrifice.
Finally, the "vegetables are just as good" attitude of most weight loss resources turns me off completely because it just isn't true and I hate to be lied to. No, I can't substitute a tossed salad for a potato because I can't eat lettuce!
But I do have to keep trying. I have just started treatment for hypertension, so I am going to have to try harder.
Having "talked" with you often on other threads, 3rdshiftguy, and know you to be reasonable, I take your comments in the generous spirit you intended them.
My biggest problem is that I have needed a low fiber diet all of my life due to irritable bowel syndrome. So ... I have never been able to tolerate many fruits or vegetables in my diet. That tends to leave the not-so-healthy choices (meats and sweats) left as the only things I can eat. While some of my unhealthy food habits are just that -- habits -- they are habits that are hard to break because there are so few healthy alternatives. All the "healthy diets" and "low-cal recipes" that I see are comprised mostly of things I can't eat.
For me, losing weight will involve eliminating a lot of pleasurable things from my life -- as I am unable to find pleasurable substitutes to replace the high carbs that I know I must give up. It will be a matter of long-term sacrifice -- not a lifestyle that will make me feel good or happy. It will be a lifelong struggle of self-denial and sacrifice.
Finally, the "vegetables are just as good" attitude of most weight loss resources turns me off completely because it just isn't true and I hate to be lied to. No, I can't substitute a tossed salad for a potato because I can't eat lettuce!
But I do have to keep trying. I have just started treatment for hypertension, so I am going to have to try harder.
llg
Thanks for taking what I said well.
After I was slammed for making a statement that the unhealthy can't teach health, I was wondering about the skinny teaching weight loss. But you've illustrated my point exactly. It's not the information, but who is teaching it and who is receiving it.
Good luck. Sounds like you're caught between a rock and a hard place with the food choices. Makes it tough.
I suppose different people read things different ways. As someone said, it was probably a young person who started it. I see her bringing the topic up as a chance to learn why. She didn't understand. Iliket3 you have given a wonderful resonse to as why. Try not to feel hurt, some people just don't understand. It doesn't necessarily mean they are being judgmental. I myslef sometimes wonder why nurses smoke, then I think there is a reason for it and I shouldn't judge, after all very few of us purposly hurt our bodies. When you get down to the reason...it makes more sense to the rest of us. Im a little overweight myself, however I didn't take the original poster as persecuting me, I simply took it as she needed information. I think we all have things about us that people wonder about. Myself? I have a HUGE horrible strawberry hemangioma on my leg. It is pretty big, bleeds and hurts. I can't afford to have it removed and people ALWAYS stare. I live in Texas so i need to wear shorts in the summer. I can read lips well....people say: "poor girl, her husband must hit her...look at that horrible bruise." It makes me self concious YES! but I walk right up to them and laugh it off and say, Yeah thats my birthmark....would you like to make a donation to the stacey birthmark removal fund? Shuts them up and makes them stop and think. MAybe the next different person they see....will make them thing differently. I wish all of the posters on here luck to their ultimate goals...whether it be lose weight, quit smoking or passing their NCLEX and I also urge everyone not to be judgmental even when you think you yourself are being judged.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
No one slammed anyone Tweety. I have the feeling you are referring to me. I am sorry if that is how you took it. I just HATE preachy people, no matter their cause. There are ways to encourage and foster positive changes and lifestyles w/o getting so sanctimonious and pontificating the way the young man did in the other thread. I called him out for it, simply enough. And I stand by what I posted there 100%
((((((((((((((((((Ilikat))))))))))))))) one day at time, wins the battle and eventually the war. My best to you. I feel your pain.
I sympathize with the weight loss struggle, and understand how difficult it can be to try and teach a patient healthy habits when you are overweight yourself!
I have always had a weight problem, but with severe depression, my weight had steadily gotten higher and higher. (between the depression itself and the meds-sheesh!)...over the course the past 2 1/2 years I have lost 105 lbs and it has NOT been easy. I lost quite a bit on weight watchers at first, but then stalled, mainly because my eating habits deteriorated. I didn't gain weight, but I never drank water, I drank a lot of pop (yeah, even though it was diet....), etc.
When I was teaching nutrition to my patients I'd often acknowledge a weakness if I thought it was helpful, and make a "contract" with the patient to work on the goal together....ie, I am in homecare, and one time I was talking about nutrition with a patient, and she walked me to my car, where you could clearly see my pop bottle and fast food wrapper. We laughed and I told her I'd be drinking water next time I came, and told her she should drink water too instead of pop.....and next visit, we checked each other out, and sure enough, we both had our water!
Anyway, I have since gone to a "non-diet"......I eat foods that are "healthy", avoid foods like breads, pastas and potatoes when possible...eat fruits, veggies....and try to get in adequate protein daily.I don't "deprive" myself either-when I want a peice of cake-I have it! I also drink a LOT of water, and rarely drink pop (even diet). I also started exercising, and I was the original couch potato, LOL! I stop after work at a place that is similar to "Curves", circuit training, 30-45 minutes 4-5 times a week. I have increased energy and decreased stress and have lost weight, body fat, and increased muscle mass and definition.
When people who are overweight ask me how I did it, I tell them...but also tell them how long it took, and that it was not easy! It was hard to get motivated! And anyone who has never been overweight who thinks it is as easy as just getting up and exercising one day, or just eating healthy and everything's a-ok...is just kidding themselves. Being overweight is a big burden, and not easy to overcome. It *can* be done, but if you are struggling, don't beat yourself up! It will happen! Being depressed was like a double edged sword as well. I knew that if I could improve my exercise and nutrition and lose weight-that my depression might be decreased. But being so depressed, I could barely get up to shower, let alone excercise! And the meds that can help so often cause the weight gain that is such a problem! And being overweight can damage your self-esteem.......adding to your depression!!!
Oh, so I should stop rambling, but suffice it to say, I Soooooo understand where you are coming from! Hang in there, and don't let *anyone* get you down. You are NOT your weight!!!
SmilingBluEyes, I wasn't talking about you, but several people collectively said "what do you mean you can't teach......." But, let me rephrase because no one slammed me, because that sounds too harsh.
But my point being just as I wouldn't take advice from a doctor or nurse who smoked, and llg doesn't like to take advice about weight loss from a person who has always been thin, perhaps there are some patients that feel that way about nurses. But no need to revisit that. You came in much later after I made my initial statement. I have no issues with anyone, including you.
That's how I've learned, by stating how I feel and being disagreed with. I'm quite open to that, so I should have not have said "slammed". People disagreed with me, and that's o.k. I felt I was a bit misunderstood at times, but no need to revisit that either.
What I'm not open to is stereotypes, either steorotyping obese people as lazy, etc. Or stereotyping vegetarians as one way or another. Or gay people, or nurses, or anyone.
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Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN
2 Articles; 3,563 Posts
Crystal J,
You go, girl!