I took an ultrasound this week to try to figure out why I felt that I've been punched in the stomach.
My doctor told me that I had an inflammation of my abdominal wall, and he wanted to make sure I didn't have gall stones or kidney stones. So I was off to get an ultrasound.
While lying on the table, I heard the doctor say, "Wow, look at that." "Ooh, can you imagine."
She asked, "When's the last time you ate?"
I replied, "Don't worry. I know I wasn't supposed to eat for seven hours, and I didn't."
"Yes," she said, "But did you eat before that?"
"Of course, I ate before that," I said. I probably hadn't eaten tons, but I'd eaten good healthy food.
"Well, your ultrasound looks like you haven't eaten in a week."
Maybe I ate such healthy stuff that it was all absorbed into my body. :)
Then she asked, "Have you lost a lot of weight?"
"Yes, I have. Why do you ask?"
She said, "Your organs show everything."
Then the doctor said something that really surprised me. "You know, it is much more complicated to do an ultrasound on an overweight person."
It's harder for the beams to penetrate the tissue when there's a lot of fat in the way, or something like that. (Of course, when I was more overweight they didn't tell me how difficult an ultrasound was on me, and how much harder it would be to see important things inside my body.)
She said, "If people knew how much easier it is to do an ultrasound and diagnose illnesses on a thin person, they'd be motivated to change their eating habits."
"I'll tell them," I said. (This was telling you!!)
"You're organs are picture perfect," she said with a smile.
"Then what's the pain in my stomach?" I asked.
"Well, you've got no kidney stones or gall stones, B"H!" she said.
Hmmm....Maybe someone really did punch me in the stomach, or maybe I got jabbed and I just don't remember. Meanwhile, B"H, I'm feeling well. The pain is gone, and I'm thankful I have picture perfect organs.
Change your eating habits and you can have picture perfect organs too.
Last week at the Efrat Women's Health Center, we discussed "Mindfulness" - being aware of our surroundings, paying attention to anything we do.
There's even a concept of Mindful Eating.
When you're really mindful you appreciate your food more and eat less. Our social worker Alizah Shapiro told us that if we think about the food we put in our mouths - its taste, its texture, the feelings associated with it, the food will become more satisfying.
The mindfulness will allow our body to register the food more. We'll be more aware of everything we eat and even how much of everything we eat.
There's a popular saying out now, "When you drive, just drive." Don't dial on your cellphone or send an SMS. Just drive so that you can be mindful of what is happening inside and outside of your car.
Well, Judy told us, "When you eat, just eat."
Don't read and eat. Don't do puzzles and eat. Don't watch TV and eat. Just eat. Think about what you're eating, how it tastes, how much you're eating and when you feel you've had enough.
Mindfulness is the next step in gaining more control of your food.
Think about it.
Aghhh!
Last week when I got on the scale at the Efrat Women's Health Center my BMI popped up as 32.
I didn't remember if that was good or bad. I've been spending the last ten months of my life learning to: eat better, exercise more, develop healthier habits and live a fuller fitter life.
I remember seeing my BMI when I began, and checking to see what it meant. It was 38 - humongously incredibly pathetically overweight.
Oy vey. Scary!!
I never wanted to see that number again, so I've done what I could under the guidance of the Efrat Women's Health Center to get my physical life in order.
This morning I had a minute to look up the meaning of my BMI: 32.
Well, see the chart below -
BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
With a BMI of 32, I guess I still have a long way to go. I'm not discouraged and I'm not sad. I never aimed at being skinny, just regular and healthy. I wanted to be able to try on a One Size Fits All blouse and have it fit me. I wanted to be an active energy-packed woman/mother/grandmother.
I have B"H achieved all that and more. I feel better, dance better, run better and all-around function better.
So my BMI is 32. Not so good. But, I won't sweat it. I'll just sweat some more on the treadmill and on the dance floor.
BMI goal one day, IY"H - 29.9!!
Photo by Rebecca Flash Kowalsky, www.imagesthroughtime.com
