The 'Big, Bad' Wolf
One of the unwelcome side effects of having lupus is that you either tend to be either dramatically underweight or considerably overweight. This article is going to deal with the latter (and more common) aspect of fitness.
Let's face it: Most of us have weight issues. With the average Western woman a size 14 and the average Western model a size 4, there's a teeny-weeny bit of discrepancy between what we are and what we are "supposed to look like." (Insert belly laugh here.)
However, even though having the body of a supermodel is an unrealistic and frivolous goal, an important objective that we should all have is to be as healthy and fit as we can be. If a healthy person with no medical problems has weight issues, what about those of us on corticosteroids that cause us to gain weight, and those of us with joint damage that prevents us from "Steppin' To The Oldies"? What's a big, "bad" lupie to do? (Aside from dismissing the "bad" notion!)
One thing we have total control over is what we put into our bodies. We all need the proper amount of nutrients, vitamins and liquids every day. However, increasing our intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and healthy foods while decreasing the fatty or sugary foods is the best way to get what we need. It's pretty easy to have a salad (dressing on the side) instead of a roll with our dinners, or to make the veggies the biggest portion on our plates, instead of the french fries.
Cutting yourself off from all "goodies" isn't realistic nor desirable. However, limiting yourself to only one treat per day is a reasonable goal. (I like to save mine until I'm in bed at the end of the day, and have my Swiss Cake Roll with a big glass of 1% low fat milk to fill my tummy and make me feel like I'm indulging myself.) Making a production out of your daily treat makes it more of a luxury. If a big bowl of pasta salad is your indulgence, light candles, turn on some nice music and really enjoy it! (Watching TV or reading while eating is a bad idea, since it's distracting and takes away from the experience, leaving you less full and less fulfilled.)
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