A couple of years ago I remember writing here about a woman I know who needed to have hip replacement surgery or knee surgery, I can't remember which surgery she needed. The woman was quite heavy and because she had so much trouble with her hip\knee, she spent most of her time in a special chair and used a walker to get around. She was upset because the doctor told her the surgery couldn't be done until she lost some weight. She felt like she was caught in a catch-22 situation because she couldn't exercise to lose weight.
I remember thinking at the time that losing weight, especially when one is as heavy as she is, that intake is way more important that activity. In other words, if she was making better food choices and watching portion sizes, she could eventually lose the weight that was required in order to be able to have the surgery.
I know for certain that my thoughts at that time are true because I was unable to exercise during my rehabilitation from knee surgery and I was very careful about what I ate and how much I ate, especially the first month after the surgery. I did lose weight during that time.
In the Weight Watchers meeting on Saturday, the topic was about getting more activity into your life. Some people like to exercise; some people hate to go to the gym. For some people, a day without exercise is unimaginable. For others, getting in activity isn't important to them right now. It seems that as one loses more weight, activity becomes more important to maintaining the weight loss, but at the start of a weight loss journey, what you eat and how much you eat is key.
One of the ladies in the WW group shared that she had gone to the doctor to seek treatment for depression. The doctor asked her if she could pinpoint the cause of her depression. One of the things she mentioned was her weight. She told the doctor that she had tried exercise, but it was uncomfortable and she didn't like how she felt at the gym. She said the doctor looked her right in the eye and said, "You can't outrun your fork." Kinda brutal, but true.
That fork statement has been in my head all week. I do try to get in some activity every day mostly because it feels so good to do anything and not have pain afterwards. I like the way I feel after a nice walk or go to a spin class. Endorphins are real! However, I know that if I don't have time to get in a little activity, I better make extra sure to put my fork down and pay attention to what I eat.
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