So, the other day I met with my Registered Dietitian (a medical professional with specialized training in nutrition and diet planning). I was shocked and chagrined to learn that I had put on weight since our last visit--despite all my efforts and lifestyle changes. In fact, my weight has steadily been going up, rather than down, since about mid-November of last year. "What is going on with my body?" I thought. I had a bit of a meltdown in the car on the way to her office after weighing myself that morning. I couldn't believe the number on the scale! How was my weight steadily going up, when I was working so hard to bring it down? What was I doing wrong?
At our appointment, my R.D. calmed me down and talked to me about the positive changes I was making in my life. I had finished the pre-final draft of my D.Min thesis, which had reduced my stress level significantly. I am eating a healthier diet--eating more vegetables, packing healthy lunches instead of eating out, making better snack choices, and eating more sensible portions. I am exercising regularly, doing both strength training and cardiovascular training. I am exercising most days of the week for at least 45 minutes per session. I am also feeling better physically. We discussed these positive changes and their effect on my health. She affirmed these changes, and encouraged me to view these as positive steps that would yield positive outcomes in time.
But, I was still distressed about my weight. She weighed me on her office scale, and compared the numbers with our last visit. Sure enough, she showed me that I had been steadily gaining weight since last November--ten pounds, in fact! How could this be? What was I doing wrong? She then asked me about medical treatment I had had on my lower back last fall (I had developed a herniated disc). She asked if I had had a cortisone shot as part of the treatment. I did, in fact, have a cortisone shot at the beginning of November. She said that this was likely the culprit of my rapid weight gain. Cortisone is a steroid, and steroids can cause significant short-term weight gain. She said she had seen many similar cases of weight gain in other clients who also had cortisone shots. The timeframe of my weight gain, which began shortly after receiving the shot, also points to the cortisone as the culprit.
I was partially relieved, as at least there was a logical explanation for my weight gain. I was frustrated as well, however, because a treatment I had received to ameliorate one medical condition had worsened another. I was also frustrated that I had been working so hard to lose weight, while all along there were forces within my body that were working against my goals. The good news is that my back is feeling much better, and the cortisone won't last forever (though it may last for 6 months or more). Eventually, the cortisone will be out of my system, and my body will go back to normal, making it easier for me to lose weight. But, in the meantime, there is little I can do about it, other than continue my healthier habits without outward confirmation that they are working.
This incident made me realize that the road to wellness is often not a flat highway of smooth travel, but more like a rocky path, winding up and down hills, through thick brush, over many obstacles. Sometimes there are detours on the route that we did not anticipate. Sometimes the going is much slower and more arduous than we would like. As with many things in life, wellness is a journey rather than a destination. Life and circumstances often interfere with the best-laid plans, causing us to regroup, reevaluate, and re-route. And sometimes, we simply have to stay on the present course and plod our way through to easier passage.
I am determined not to get discouraged on my wellness journey. I will continue striving for better wellness, even if the stubborn scale refuses to validate my efforts. Getting and staying well is about a lifestyle, not a single number. Wellness is a long-term investment in myself and in those whom God has brought across my path. The long-term benefits are worth the short-term struggles. And so, I persist in the journey. Even if it takes me a bit longer than I had planned to fit into my red jeans.
May good health be yours along your wellness journey.
Sincerely,
Miss Red Jeans
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