Wealthy Healthy

Today while discussing some different proven diet methods in a food allergy forum (so far I have none but I like to contribute) I started thinking about something.

Wealthy people and healthy people- and the link between the two.

Now, I’m not talking about how rich people are in their health, because we all know that health is worth more than money can buy,  but the fact that it feels like ONLY well-off people can buy a healthy lifestyle is down-right depressing.

This was my number one reason for putting my diet on hold.
I could no longer afford to feed the bill for health. Healthy foods were not only more expensive but were also smaller in portions and lacking ingredients that higher-calorie foods had. Whoever said ‘Less is More’ was right on the target.

Society wonders why the lower class have obesity issues- well let’s start at food prices.
If  ’healthy’ food was affordable, would the income restricted choose them? What if there was a gym that only catered to people with limited income guidelines. It would be attached to a health food grocery store that did the same. How would it change the lives of people so desperately wanting to make a change in their lives, and how quickly would those people not only better themselves through health knowledge, feeling better physically and the examples they set before the people around them- but also in their own financial lives?

• Maybe they would feel less depressed and more likely to try for that college degree to get a better job, or start a business?
• Maybe they would gain confidence to dump the abusive boyfriend and find real husband material who would cherish them and encourage them?
• Maybe they would find the strength to dump the smoking habit or the alcohol and invest that money elsewhere?

Not to say that all income restricted are that way out of choice, but there is a tie between those who have an opportunity  to change but somehow feel strapped or unable to change their lives due to the pressures of income restrictions and an unhealthy lifestyle. In her introduction to her article, Reaching for a Healthier Life, Nancy Adler from the MacArthur Foundation says,

 ”Societies are structured like ladders. The rungs of the ladder represent the resources that determine whether people can live a good life – prosperous, healthy, and secure – or a life plagued by difficulties – insufficient income, poor health, and vulnerability. People standing on the top rungs are the best educated, have the most respected jobs, ample savings, and comfortable housing. On the bottom rungs are people who are poorly educated, experience long bouts of unemployment or low wage jobs, have nothing to fall back on in the way of savings, and live in substandard homes. The people in the middle have more resources to rely on than do people at the bottom, but far less than people on the top. In reaching for health, every step up makes a difference. “

So, what can we do to help change this? I certainly do not use our limited resources as an excuse to live an unhealthy lifestyle but I have to say- it is VERY difficult for us to purchase grass fed beef at $6.44 lb.

What do you think about this?

Phoey Fluey

That’s what I call it.

I have some sort of intestinal flu. I made some healthy lemongrass soup today to try and combat whatever is draining my insides. This really isn’t how I want to lose weight, guys.

So I took it slow today. Without counting what I lost over the past 24 hours, I am still at 140. I figure everything else SHOULD get back to normal within the next few days, hopefully sooner.

Either way Im being good! For breakfast I had rolled oats, a few raisins, and sliced apples with sugarfree maple syrup. For dinner, lean ground turkey on whole wheat with lettuce.
I’m really looking forward to nicer weather so I can go outside for walks. This rainy COLD weather is so hard on me.

Postpartum Workout

Check out this Postpartum Workout Ahmad made for me!

-Jyn

Starting?

So I’m sure some of you are wondering, “When is Jyn going to start this epic diet of hers?” Okay so it’s not THAT epic. I really feel humbled against a bunch of you who have already lost 50+ lbs and are still on the road to losing unhealthy weight. I also feel blessed I never have had to go through that.

I think the heaviest I ever weighed was 172 not pregnant. I was 3 months postpartum with my third and had decided to go on the Depo Provera shot which caused me to not only retain my weight but put on more. I was 176 at the peak of that pregnancy. I had tried losing the weight but no matter what I did nothing happened. And then I lost 15 lbs all at once.

Wait a minute…. *takes a pregnancy test* oh, okay THAT’S WHY. Hello Jacob, baby number 4! After Jacob I was introduced to the South Beach Diet and that was my first diet ever.

STARTING THE LOW CARB/LOW FAT DIET

So back to when to start. I have been spending the past week thinking a lot about this. I have also been sick and I’m still a little rumbly in my vocal cords from whatever Im fighting off. I thought it was best NOT to beat myself up while I was down yet. I am also waiting on food.

“RULE of HEALTHY DIETING #1): Do not start a diet if you are not prepared to make a diet change.”

We are running tight right now on a healthy food budget fund. So every dollar counts. Unfortunately in this world of fast food, feeding a family of 9 can be done for $25 at Taco Bell. Sometimes that is cheaper than having a well balanced home cooked dinner (and more convenient). But getting all the low fat, fat free, sugar free and high protein foods I need cost extra $$$ that dont tend to be on our shopping list. Hopefully this will change next week.

 QUITTING COFFEE

Another thing I was thinking about was my caffeine issue. I am honestly shocked at just how many people are not necessarily supportive of my quitting coffee! I get a lot of, “Why are you quitting coffee? I drink coffee because it has *insert some beneficial property here* and it’s good for you!” Okay, so I will not dispute the benefits coffee has. However when your sole purpose in life in the morning is to guzzle a cup o’ Joe because your head is screwed on backwards from your addiction, I think it’s time to take a break, don’t you? This is not to say that I will NEVER EVER EVER have a cup of coffee or a soda with caffeine or black tea again, I just need to find out why I have to substitute my own energy with that of a cup of heavenly dark liquid instead, and fix that first. I have heard some great personal stories of caffeine quitting with positive outcomes.
I did want to give credit to my friend Catherine who (as I was writing this very post) asked me how it was going and how proud she was of me. What a great friend! She gets some kudos for that one!

WORKING OUT

The past few times I went to the gym, I felt like a strawberry in a bowl of peas. I literally walked up to the gigantic towers of tread at the gym, stared at the screens and pushed a whole bunch of buttons until it was rather obvious nothing was happening. I then proceeded to go to the next one over and do the same thing- with the same result. The whole time there were a dozen huffing pounding workees behind me probably snickering at my incompetence.

Yeah, I think I’m going to schedule that trainer free walk through they have. The big question is when they have time. They are pretty booked! I also need to get a combination lock since the parking lot outside has been getting a series of breakins, apparently. Maybe my Mommy-Missile 92′ Landcruiser with the 7 kiddos sticker on back will deter them?

I did do a little mini workout with my girls the other day while we were trying to figure out Capoeira from some online examples. It was fun (and I am broken) but none of us warmed up since it was all off the cuff and extremely awkward to albeit fun. I am getting old, though. I need to warm up my muscles on this stuff. Never again will I do an impromptu cartwheel and flop into 3 days of future back knotted hell.

PRE-DIET WEIGH IN 

So, yes I weighed myself. I have not posted it yet because I really want to include it into my videos first (can’t give away ALL the goodies you know!) I am going to have to get a new home scale because I am finding it tedious to get any good shots of my weight in the gym bathroom. Especially since the scale is directly under the “ABSOLUTELY NO PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED” sign. I will probably break this rule but.. I do respect why it is in place and I promise not to take pictures of other people or their weight or make fun of anyone else who is trying to lose weight. That’s not nice.
The only people I will make fun of are those who think they are bigger and better than me and treat other people badly (so be sure and know, if you are rude and it’s by me- I WILL blog it).

I promise I will get another vlog up soon. Until then, cheers friends and thank you for your support!

-Jyn (Postpartum Loser)