Single mom needs fitness intervention
DEAR DONOVAN,
I am a 35-year-old single mother. I have been gaining a lot of weight recently due to my job (desk job). I usually have a heavy breakfast, moderate lunch (usually box lunch), and maybe nothing for dinner except a couple beers after work. I just learned that my blood pressure is 130 over 100, and I weigh 194 pounds. I am 5’6”. I need an intervention.
I see where you have been putting on a lot of weight lately. With a height of 5′ 6” and a weight of 194, you are definitely overweight for your height. In addition, your blood pressure is 130 over 100, which is out of the normal range. This is not good; you could be setting yourself up for some health challenges.
You should make some lifestyle changes pronto. There are some people who are eating based on their blood type. Maybe we should also look at eating based on our jobs. If you have a desk job you might not need as many calories as a person who is doing construction work. Let’s assume you were in a more active job before and now you have a desk job. You would possibly need to make some lifestyle changes if you don’t want to put on weight.
For one, you should reduce your calorie intake with the desk job. If you want to eat the same as if you had a more active job, you would have to increase your activities and exercise outside of your desk job. Once the calories increase your weight will also go up as well.
Being overweight is a risk factor for many diseases/disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. Therefore, you will now have to make some changes in your eating habits as well as your exercise regimen. Eating a large breakfast with a moderate lunch is not helping. Also, having beers for dinner is a no-no. In order to achieve weight loss you will have to reduce your calorie intake, burn more calories, or a mixture of both. The idea of weight loss is to force the body to eat some of the reserved fat. So in general, we need to run a calorie deficit in order to accomplish weight loss.
As it is now, you are also having problems with high blood pressure. So this is a perfect opportunity to cut calories and also eat in a healthy way. My suggestion is that you could eat a light breakfast — fruits, yoghurt, a meal replacement shake, green juice should all work. Regarding lunch, in most cases the typical box foods are usually full of rice and grease which is not good for people who want to lose weight. I would suggest for lunch that you have a light soup or some protein with vegetables. You could reduce or eliminate your beer intake at dinner time and also do a light soup, or a salad, or a shake. The main aim is to reduce calories and eat better. Overall, try to put in more fruits, vegetables and vegetable juices in your diet.
You should also try to reduce your salt intake due to the fact that your blood pressure is elevated. Also, try to get in more activities/exercise. If you have stairs at work, you could do some walking at lunch time. In addition you should also try and get in at least half an hour exercise three days per week. Making changes in your diet and exercise should definitely give you some weight loss and improve your health.
We will answer your weight-related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.
