Opinion: Birthday brings renewed quest for health

As an adult, I find that the annual anniversary of my birth is more a time of reflection – a time to step back and take stock of where I’ve been, where I’m going, and where I’d like to be.

SBJ subscribers might remember that last year, as I anticipated turning 30, I wrote of specific goals about improving my health by losing weight. I haven’t really written much about it since, but that’s because I failed – miserably.

And I know through my work, and through other media, that obesity continues to be a major threat to health care, costing companies way too much money every year. In some shape or form, I suppose everyone’s a statistic, but one thing I don’t want to be is an obesity statistic.

Where I am is at about the same place I’ve been for the last several years in terms of my overall health – and what better time to think about health than in an SBJ Report dedicated to that very issue?

I’m still spending more money than I would like on prescription medications, and I’m still heavier than I’ve ever been in my life, pregnancies included.

So, where do I go from here? One thing’s for sure – I’m not getting any younger, and everything I’ve read says that the older you are, the harder it can be to lose weight.

The “where I’m going” part of the reflection equation is a little easier. I have tried literally everything short of having my jaw wired shut to lose weight. Some things worked – for a while. But when those pounds came back, they always seemed to bring friends along.

A couple of months ago, I began to toy with the idea of gastric bypass surgery. I’ve seen the results in famous folks who’ve had the procedure, and I know that it can be a lifesaver.

The thing is, I really enjoy food (a little too much, apparently!), and when it came down to it, I just couldn’t imagine sitting down at Thanksgiving with my grandkids, watching them eat while I picked at my food. I just think that would be depressing.

A good friend of mine works in marketing at St. John’s, and she sent me a link to information about the bariatric surgeries performed there. While I ultimately decided that surgery’s not for me, I found something else. I found New Images, a three-level weight management program that focuses on changing behaviors.

I’ve met with an exercise physiologist and a nutritionist, and I will start weekly classes in the next week or two. And if that doesn’t help me, it turns out that included in the program are behavioral health services.

New Images requires a doctor’s referral, which wasn’t hard to come by, considering that my doctor has suggested several times that weight loss would go a long way to improving my health. Another great thing is that my insurance plan will cover a portion of the expense, as long as I commit to the program, follow it and get results. It’s built-in accountability with economic consequences.

I get to work out in climate-controlled comfort at Hammons Heart Institute, which also has a very handy locker room equipped with showers, dressing rooms and hair dryers. I don’t even have to bring my own towels. (It’s kind of a throwback to the days of middle-school gym class, only I’ve discovered that sometimes older ladies throw modesty to the wind!)

Climate control is important; in the past, I’ve dropped out of other programs, thinking that I’d get the same benefit just walking around the neighborhood. But I’m a big baby in that if it even looks like rain, I’ll talk myself out of getting any exercise.

I’ve only been to the gym at HHI a few times as of this writing, but I’ve found that I really enjoy walking on the track and can log a mile without keeling over. I’m also working on making friends with the elliptical machine, and I think that with time, I’ll be able to master it for a decent amount of time.

As it turns out, New Images already has helped me to get a clearer, more realistic picture of where I’d like to be. My whole life, I thought that because I’m partly Polynesian – and short – I should be a teeny, tiny little person. Some charts even list my suggested weight at about 110 pounds. That would be nice, sure, but now I realize that that’s not going to happen, and from a safety standpoint, it shouldn’t. My grandparents have always told me I was special, and it looks like they’re right: Based on my build, my ideal weight is about 145 pounds.

I still have a long road ahead of me – and no, I won’t say how long; that’s proprietary information – but this time, I want to make it work.

I’ll always be “short and a little stocky,” according to my exercise physiologist, but that’s OK. I can still be healthier.

This time around, I’ll keep you posted, good or bad. Just a little self-imposed accountability, from a journalist who will always be short and stocky, but with some perseverance, will soon be a whole lot healthier!

Maria Hoover is SBJ Inside Business Editor.

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