Does the Coastal Grandmother Diet and Exercise?

Tricky Subject

Oh boy, dare I broach this subject! Sure, why not? When you are eighty, people just chalk it up to “diminished mental capacity”!

Let me say, first of all, I am not an expert on either diet or exercise. All I can do is relate what I have learned through experience and what has worked for me. I will say I should be an expert since I have fought weight all my adult life. The photos on my website may not reflect that, so let me explain . . .

If you have read the “About” on my website,tonitalksyouthru.com, you are aware that I was in the hospital almost five months back in 2021. I weighed about 150 pounds when I went in. I weighed barely 118 pounds when I came out. I was not able to have food or water for over four months (feeding tube). I had never in my life been on the “too thin” side of the equation . I can tell you honestly, any day,  I would rather have weight to lose than weight to gain. A mature woman who has lost half her hair and is emancipated is not a pretty sight!

RECOVERY

When I got out of the hospital, my son stayed with me three months and nursed me back to health. He is an excellent cook, and made nutritious meals for me  even though I had little appetite. He has followed Paleo for years and still pretty much cooks according to that meal plan. Since he is a contractor, he has had a number of construction injuries and one serious fall from two stories up. He has more steel plates and screws in his body than the bionic man. He is a researcher and has found that diet plays a huge role in controlling inflammation which causes pain.

What is Your Ideal Weight

I would say that my ideal weight is about 135 lbs. since I am 5’8” tall (they tell me I am 5’7” now)! I have been on every diet known to man and have gotten down to 135 lbs. a number of times. The problem being, I did not stay there very long. At one point, I was up to 169 lbs. I always blamed it on my metabolism. My body just seemed to want to weigh at least 150 lbs. I, also, do not have a thyroid gland. They had to completely remove it when I was 21 years old due to thyroid cancer. I am totally dependent on supplemental thyroid, another good excuse.

Does Diet Affect Wellness

My daughter contracted Lyme Disease a number of years ago. It took many months to diagnose exactly what was wrong with her. That long process caused it to take a more serious toll than it would have otherwise. By the time we found a doctor who specialized in Lyme and diagnosed it correctly, she was very sick. He put her on antibiotics for over a year along with a very strict clean eating plan. She followed it to the letter for the better part of two years. Her treat was a Granny Smith apple every other day. The good news is, she is healthy and vivacious today. My point being, diet played a huge part in her recovery.

My daughter making Christmas cookies

Health Scares

Last year, I had a routine chest x-ray for a wellness visit with my doctor. The x-ray came back cloudy. My doctor was not worried at all, but when a follow up three months later showed no improvement, he referred me to a Pulmonologist. The Pulmonologist suspected a micro-bacterial infection. If it is what he suspects, the only cure is three very strong antibiotics given simultaneously for 12 to 18 months! He told me sometimes the body would heal itself with a clean diet (here we go again)! Just when I had started to gain a few pounds, I had to give up wheat, sugar and alcohol! Sure enough, when I went back to the Pulmonologist four months later, my lungs had improved. No medicine, just diet!

I’m not sure why when we are faced with serious health problems, we are able to change our life style on a dime and do whatever it takes to make us better. I had a friend who had smoked since she was 16 years old. She had quit many times, but as soon as stress showed up, she was back to smoking again. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, she quit smoking that very day and never picked up a cigarette again.

Here’s what I know for certain. A clean diet, or even a reasonably clean one will result in better health and in maintaining your weight. You may have to actually diet to lose weight, but once you get to your goal, a healthy eating plan will keep you there. So, what is a clean diet. For the most part, it is organic fruit, vegetables, chicken and fish, in moderate amounts, and no processed foods. Just google it for much more information.  I can highly recommend Paleo. I lost 20 lbs. on “The Paleo Whole 30” a number of years ago, and had I stuck with it (like my son), I’m sure I would have maintained my weight. Kate Moss, the model, said, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. That never worked for me!

I am still not doing wheat, sugar or alcohol, and my weight has stayed stable. Do I miss a nice  meal out with a glass of Chardonnay, focaccia bread with olive oil and crème boule for dessert,  absolutely, but I would rather be healthy. The longer you do something, the more it becomes habit, and the less you miss the things you used to do. I find that by eating a reasonably clean diet, I have more energy, sleep better and am healthier over all.

Exercise

As far as exercise goes, I have been all over the gamut there also. I have tried everything from Jazzercise to TRX and a personal trainer. Here’s what I know about that. Some form of exercise is vital for maintaining good health (not to mention weight). I think the key to exercise is consistency. You need to find something that works for you and stick to it. I have friends who go to the gym faithfully. God bless them! The thing I like best about retirement is not having to dress, do my makeup and hair and be out the door first thing in the morning! If you are thinking you don’t have to do all that to go to the gym, you must not be “Southern” like I am! My mother would not go out to get the mail without her hair and makeup done, and the apple does not fall far from the tree! I have found that a recumbent bike, free weights and walking work for me.

If you have made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier and exercise, good for you! It is a worthwhile goal to set. The good news is, the results show up pretty quickly, and they are so, so rewarding! Good luck, and here’s to a healthy and happy 2024!!