Health is Like Gambling-Trying to Increase My Odds

     

Shape.com

There is so much about our health that we cannot control. I think of  several people my age or many years younger, myself included, that through no actions or bad decision making, have various chronic conditions that need to be managed. When they flare up and  are at their worst, some can be debilitating. Cancer, MS, hereditary heart disease, Type 1 Diabetes, nothing it seems can be done to prevent these life threatening  diagnosis. That absolutely sucks and feels like it's just the luck of the hand a person was given. 

     For me though, the arthritis is made worse by my  50% weight gain over 30 years. The stomach and irritable bowl issues and general cramping I still experience well past menopause are aggravated by fatty and processed foods. The acid reflux that kicks the food allergies into gear, cutting off my ability to swallow is made worse with food on the run and eating too fast. These are things I'm trying to better control. While ultimately I'll have to play the hand I am dealt, some of my cards can be traded in for a new draw. I'm 54 and sometimes when I get up from my desk, I walk down the hall probably looking a good decade older from behind based on my walk. Saturday after shopping, lugging groceries in, and getting the cold food put away, my knee was throbbing so bad I had to get an ice pack out, and lay down for a while.

     Last week two of my colleagues announced their plans to retire. One will retire on April 1, and has been contemplating this for years. She has battled chronic  health conditions for decades. She recently came back to work after a nearly year leave of absence followed by another year of very limited part time hours. She had what one would think was a minor ankle injury after stepping wrong off a curb, but the injury aggravated a chronic nerve  issue she already had. She has been back full time, but needs a mobility scooter, and despite ADA requirements, has been challenged most days getting around. She pretty much always looks in pain, struggling, and finally just made the decision that she just cannot work any longer. 

     In contrast, the other colleague who is retiring on July 1, stops at the gym for an hour work out each morning before coming to work. She plays golf in the nice weather, and is on a curling club during the cold weather. She takes regular vacation days to play and spend time with her young grand children, three under the age of seven. She and her partner, seven years her junior, swim, bike, hike and vacation all over the country. 

     Both these women are 61. I know who's retirement I want. It's not fair to compare them as I know nothing really about what led to them each to where they are now, physically or mentally, but it does give me two distinct pictures of how the next decade can end. I can't control everything in my health, but, I can do whatever is possible to improve my odds of being like colleague 2, spending my early retirement years enjoying my life. 

     I want to stay realistic and make doable and manageable changes and aim for results that will be sustained. below are strategizes for the next few years, progressing towards better habits without pressure to be perfect. 

• Lose 15% of my body weight by my 55th birthday in November. To do this, I'm intermittent fasting, but I can already see that won't be enough. I need to intentionally reduce my overall calorie consumption and cut out sugar.
• Lose an additional 15-18% in the two years following until I reach and am able to sustain the healthy BMI range for my height. You can guess how much weight that is I need to lose.
• While weight loss can be achieved through diet, looking better and feeling strong will require increased activity, both cardio and strength. Walking is my cardio of choice and with the wonderful places to walk and hike, I should find variety. Starting in April, I'll log my walking. I know I won't get to the 1,000 miles other challenge themselves to, not yet, not with this knee, but perhaps  between April 1 and January 1, I can aim for getting in 450, or 50 a month. That would be a huge stretch for me.
• For my birthday target, I'll stick to the therapy exercises, with a target to double my repetitions.
• I already mentioned the need to cut sugar, but the same goes for reducing simple carbs. There is mixed information about a keto diet, so more research is needed before I would cut carbs, but swapping anything simple for a more complex carbs should be an easy step. Increasing my fruit and veg, particular veg portions should help with this. Zoodles anyone? 
• Along with this, eat more raw meals, and fewer ingredient dishes. 

     I'm not trying to lose weight on my own. I see a plethora of doctors and have regular visits with opportunities to review and monitor  factors of my health. This is not advice to anyone so do not take it as such. I'm just sharing of my own strategies and targets based on my individual health. I will share progress via this blog, perhaps monthly, but more to keep myself honest. I really want 2020 to be a year of positive health, but know it is up to me to increase my odds of success.