Dr. Jennifer Closshey follows up on Plant Citians’ health goals.
Remember those New Year’s resolutions you either made or thought about back in January? About 40% of people consider making New Year’s resolutions. These aspirations are usually things we know we should do, and that we know would make us better off if tackled.
Research shows over 90% of all resolutions made for the first day of the year are abandoned and forgotten within the first three months. So, here we are in April, and I thought we should look at how some Plant City residents are doing on their 2017 goals. Here are observations based on the sampling of people who responded to my inquiry.
Number one goal: Lose weight
Plant City folks wanted to lose weight. Across the board, this goal was on everyone’s list.
The results are impressive: everyone who set losing weight as their goal lost some. In fact, one woman has lost 40 pounds since New Year’s Day.
The average weight loss from this sampling was 11.4 pounds. I compare this to carrying around two large sacks of sugar, plus a pound of butter, all day. Think how bulky this would be. Try shoving two sacks of sugar under your clothes and hiding that butter so it does not stick out. So, losing 11.4 pounds is great news for your joints — especially the knees and hips.
How did they do it?
Exercise, combined with a better diet, worked for everyone. No one accomplished their goal with only exercise or dieting.
One woman I know of had increased her exercise the previous year, but did not lose weight. Her doctor recommended staying the course with the exercise, but changing her diet. She minimized carbohydrates while increasing her protein and veggies this year. It’s worked: she lost 15 pounds in about 10 weeks.
Others joined with friends and family in activities they all enjoyed. One father spends more time with his son at the gym. Both have lost weight and are stronger and trimmer. Plus, they have a greater family connection now, which is especially important for them to have before the son graduates and heads off to college. It won’t be long before they will have to buy new clothes to replace the older, larger items. How many of us would enjoy being able to make this claim?
Obstacles be darned
The youngest respondent claimed homework as an obstacle to exercise, but there were plenty of other obstacles, as well. Being tired after long hours at work, business travel, and childcare were mentioned as adding challenges to exercise. One couple joined the YMCA, where their children could stay in the Kid Zone while mom enjoyed her group exercise classes and dad pumped iron. Both added treadmills and elliptical machines into their weight loss programs. These are great plans to work exercise into their day.
Food selection was a bigger problem than cutting back on how much was eaten. One woman wakes at 3:30 a.m. each day for work. If she didn’t prepare her meals the night before work, she got off track and lost focus. Others had to be very selective about restaurant choices when they went out with friends or business associates. It sounds like everyone found a solution to the diet obstacles too.
You can do it
This small survey of Plant City people does not meet scientific validation requirements. But, it does share real life, honest examples of people who took their future into their own hands.
These people worked around their situations to accomplish their goals of losing weight. They all seemed proud of it — and rightfully so. If others here at home can do it, so can the rest of us.
Set your goals today. It’s not January 1, but it’s still the perfect time to set resolutions for your health’s sake.
Jennifer E. Closshey, Ph.D., is a doctor of integrative health and YMCA yoga instructor in Plant City. Contact her at JenniferClosshey@gmail.com.
