The Beginning of a Healthier Oklahoma

This blog is designed to better inform the residents of the great State of Oklahoma on how to be healthier, as if there aren’t enough sources out there already. In 2008, Trust for America’s Health stated that the obesity rate in Oklahoma was 28.1. We tied our neighbor to the east for eighth place. Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky all had worse scores. At least we beat a few states. We also had the sixth-highest rate of type 2 diabetes, the eighth-highest rate of hypertension, and the fifth-worst rate in physical inactivity. So what does this mean? Well, we need to get off our butts and do a little exercise and eat healthier meals, myself included. Not only do I want to help my state, but I also want to be a healthier person.

I have struggled with my weight all of my life. Since June 2009 I have lost approximately 30 pounds. One year ago I, loosely, started counting my daily calories. I was amazed of how many calories I was consuming on a daily basis. It wasn’t until I had my gallbladder removed in June that I decided to get serious about my health. Gallbladder disease isn’t always tied to being overweight, but it was a wake-up call for me. I started counting my calories religiously. I was annoying everyone with, “What did you put in that dish?” It was amazing that I didn’t feel deprived. After I lost a few pounds I noticed a change in how I felt about myself.

The implications of being overweight are countless: emotional, personal and professional just to name a few. Most importantly, the physical implications of being overweight or obese. Obesity is linked to the five chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) says that these chronic diseases are the leading causes of death in the United States, two-thirds to be exact. What if we as Oklahomans could cut that number to one-third? We wouldn’t be number eight anymore, that is for sure! With a history of diabetes in my family I need to do all I can to keep my weight under control and in a healthy range.

Here are a few things that we need to remember on a daily basis:

Add a little exercise into our daily routine

Monitor the number of calories we consume

Drink more water

Portion control

There are plenty of FREE websites to help you attain your health goals. One, for instance, is sparkpeople.com. This website is full of helpful tips ranging from nutrition to fitness, and everything else in between. You can easily count your daily calories with just a few clicks. You can also calculate your favorite recipes and search the recipe database. I have found this website to be most helpful in calorie counting. They even have a FREE iPhone application. Very handy! In closing my first blog, I hope to help everyone to attain their nutrition and fitness goals. You can expect to hear about my accomplishments, goals, and hopefully not too many failures. I am going to share what has and hasn’t worked for me. I will also share what I am learning from other people and how it has helped me. Here is my disclaimer: I am not a professional or an expert in health or fitness. I am just an Oklahoma girl that wants to be healthy. Before starting any diet or fitness program you should consult with your physician. (I am not a physician either!) So will you join me? Will you try to defeat the battle of the bulge in Oklahoma? Please share your thoughts with me. Follow me on Twitter. If you would like to read about a specific topic, let me know. Tell me what you would like to learn. I hope you will enjoy this blog!

Here’s to happy and HEALTHY 2010!