"Make sure you go to one food pantry at the beginning of the month so you can come to this one in the middle of the month. It helps."
That was the advice I got at one point in my life when I needed help getting enough food. Obesity is not necessarily "just a choice." I am very lucky that now I tend to have (barely) enough income to get groceries, and food security enough that I don't feel the need to just eat while there is food, because it might run out tomorrow.
Not everyone is so lucky. Nor do I have any health conditions or take any medications that make it near-impossible to lose unhealthy weight. What advice or help would we have, as a group, for someone in those situations?
Daily Kos Weight Loss is a community at Daily Kos dedicated to weight loss, maintenance, and support. As with all communities, trolls are calorie-free and will be munched should they engage with us. Please feel free to jump, jog, skip, dive, or walk in.
As a mega-exerciser myself, I'm well aware that one cannot simply exercise without food, especially protein, to help support one's efforts. I learned that the hard way after a fast for a blood glucose test, after which I had a snack and walked for an hour until I started feeling dizzy. Note to self: a banana is not sufficient.
As someone with past temporary disabilities, as well, I am aware that not everyone has the ability to do all kinds of exercises. I maintained my weightlifting when I developed hip bursitis, but was unable to continue walking as I wanted to, as it aggravated my condition.
So what can we do?
Encouraging healthy eating is one way to help, I suppose. Working to make sure SNAP benefits cover more healthful foods would also help. I'm sure our other general efforts to raise the minimum wage, improve working conditions, communicate ACA benefits in health care and preventive care, raise taxes on the rich, etc. would help when they are enacted.
What are your thoughts?
144 on the scale today. I proved I was all too human this past week and let my schedule get me so off-track I got into starving mode, which led to some overeating. :) But I'm working on getting back to basics. How are you?
Oh, and if you have a chance, participate in the National Association of Letter Carriers' annual food drive, detailed here.
The Lady in Red 8 by Windthin on deviantART