It's Not Just About Being Skinny!

I was not fat as a child. Not as a teen. Definitely not as an adult. Being on active duty demands that you stay fit. No...it wasn't until I was well into my 50's that I really began to pack on the pounds.


It's no surprise that as noticed my weight begin to creep up, I noticed the beginnings of some weight-related problems. Joint pain from the strain of excess weight on my knees and hips. High blood pressure. Difficulty sleeping. Fatigue. It's also no surprise that I had absolutely NO idea what to do about it. I had never been fat. In fact, as a child, my parents were told to feed me fattening foods to help me GAIN weight. I knew nothing about nutrition or diet or even exercise. In the military, I just ate what they gave me in the chow hall and did the required PT.


When a doctor finally told me I was beginning to become dangerously overweight, I knew I had to do something. At 200 lbs, I knew he was right. And so I embarked on my journey to get SKINNY! By any means possible. And I tried them all. Every fad diet. Every weight loss product. Every fitness program. And they all worked...for a while. But as soon as I stopped using whatever the current fad was at the time, the weight came back...with some extra just for good measure. Finally at 270 lbs and in total despair, I decided to stop listening to all the stuff and nonsense being promoted and do my own research.


And the first thing I discovered was that I was focusing on the wrong thing. I was so intent on being skinny again, I forgot about my health. As a child, I was told to gain weight because I was TOO SKINNY and unhealthy. In high school and college, you could see my hip bones and collar bones sticking out under my clothes. I was skinny. But I also suffered from headaches and "stomach bugs" and if there was a cold or flu going around, you could be sure I would get it. It took a while but I finally learned that SKINNY does not always equate to HEALTHY.


Yes, there are health risks associated with being overweight. Diabetes, high blood pressure, breast cancer, and heart disease to name a few. So I am not saying it's okay to give up trying to lose weight. What I am saying is stop trying for some idealized number on a scale and focus instead on getting healthy.


First, being skinny does not necessarily mean healthy. I remember one particular employee I had who was absolutely perfectly built. Thin and lovely. And always calling in sick. And I mean legitimately sick. If there was any kind of illness going around, she would get it. And my scrawny, string-bean husband is a Type 2 diabetic. You know...diabetes. The fat people's disease. He also has high cholesterol and heart disease. Both my hubs and my ex-employee are absolutely skinny. And both are terribly unhealthy.


Many skinny people assume that just because they are thin, they can eat whatever they want. They don't think about exercise. They are blessed with a high metabolism and so they don't worry about what they put in their bodies. My husband would eat a pound of bacon at one sitting and drink soda all day. My employee would often skip lunch to keep from gaining weight and then eat a candy bar and soda later in the day to keep her energy up. Healthy habits indeed!


So where am I now in my weight loss journey? Not focusing on weight loss. I am focused on health. I started meditating to help relieve stress and lower my blood pressure. I walk to help relieve the stiffness in my joints. I exercise which helps me sleep better. I discovered the unhealthy foods that were causing my headaches and stomach issues and have replaced them with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and less processed junk. I have given up soda in favor of unsweetened herbal teas and water.


Is it working? At my last checkup, I had lost a total of 60 pounds. My blood pressure is down 29 points. My blood sugar is normal. My cholesterol is normal. And because I have replaced fad dieting and ridiculously intense crash weight loss programs with healthy lifestyle changes, I know I can keep doing this for the rest of my life. I feel great. I look good. I am stronger and healthier than ever. And while I may not ever be skinny again, I am confident that I will reach a more ideal weight for me. But no matter what my final weight is, I know that I will always choose to focus on my health and not some arbitrary number on the scale. It's not about being skinny. It's about being healthy.

Do I Really Need to Take a Multivitamin?

The ads all say you should be taking a daily multivitamin.

But, can you trust the ads? After all, they are companies trying to sell a product. So, should you believe what the ads say? Why should you take multivitamins? Is it really that important?

Getting your vitamins and minerals from food rather than supplements is the best method to ensure you are receiving all the nutrients your body needs. However, there are several reasons this isn't always going to work. Many of us just don't eat right, and even when we do eat right, the nutritional levels in the foods we buy may not be as dense as they could be, or used to be. Multivitamins provide an easy way to get the nutrients you may be missing.

But, just grabbing a multivitamin off the shelf may not be the best advice. Before you buy, check the label to ensure you will be getting what you need. The vitamins and minerals you want to be sure are included are:

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Vitamin D

Vitamin K

Copper

Folic Acid

Iron

Zinc

These are the basic 'building blocks' for good health and proper nutrition. Be sure to check the FDA’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for each vitamin and mineral's individual amount required, then read the label and make sure you are getting what you need.

When you have the right balance of vitamins and minerals in a multivitamin, you will help give your body the ability to function properly. Here are just a few areas where the correct nutrients can help fend off illness and promote good health:

Preventing Deficiencies

When your body is deficient in vitamins and minerals, you can experience an array of health problems. Taking a daily multivitamin can help reduce the risk of health issues due to these deficiencies.

For example, vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects the body's cells from damage; both externally and internally caused damage. For instance, in patients with cataracts, this vitamin has shown the ability to help stop the progression of cataracts, and in some cases even reduce the formation of cataracts.

Reducing Stress

Daily stress is something everyone lives with. Life is filled with stressors, both bad and good. When you feel the adrenalin pumping, you know your body is using up your resources of vitamins and minerals just to handle the anxiety and stress. If you don’t have the proper nutrients your body needs to replenish and handle the drain on your body, you will suffer a deficiency. That’s when you get sick.

For example, our bodies quickly use up vitamin C during stressful situations. If not regularly replaced, this leads to a deficiency. And, in this instance, a deficiency can cause more than an illness. A deficiency of vitamin C can actually perpetuate the stress cycle as it causes irritability and anxiety, causing more stress, causing a drain of more vitamin C, and so on and so forth. And stress can lead to weight gain! Taking a supplement with vitamin C can help end this cycle.

Boosting Energy and Brain Power

Lack of proper nutrition can make you feel sluggish and tired. By taking a multivitamin every day, you know you're providing your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs. We all skip breakfast sometime, and we know how we feel if we do. Having that bit of nutrition 'insurance' helps your body stay healthy and awake, and doing what you ask it to do.

In much the same way, having the proper balance of vitamins and minerals provides your brain with the nutrition it needs to stay focused and alert. If achieving mental clarity is a priority in your life, then by all means add a multivitamin to your daily regimen.

Most of us want to eat right. After all, we need to keep our bodies fed with the proper amount of vitamins and minerals to operate at maximum capacity. Getting the nutrition we need from our food is ideal. But, the fact is, life keeps us busy. We don’t always take time to eat properly. Including a multivitamin in your day can help fill the gaps in nutrition. That one little step may just give you peace of mind as you strive to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Remember, taking the right supplements can make a huge difference in their effectiveness. Learn more about the brand that I use here!