Living with Cerebral Palsy is NO Excuse!
Pardon me, if I get on my soapbox for a brief moment. But, something has really been on my mind today; and, I want to share it with you.
Seven years ago I sat down in the wheelchair permanently. I was getting too wobbly on my crutches, and I have a dislocated hip that has arthritis. I was in a lot of pain, and not navigating hardly at all.
Unfortunately, when I sat down in the chair, I also started gaining weight-a lot of weight. It seemed all I had to do was look at food and it appeared on my hips the next day.
I am not sure how much I weighed last year, because I cannot step on a scale. But, I would venture to guess that I was around 180 lbs. Maybe that is not so bad, if you are 6 feet tall. But, I am a measly 5′ 2″, if even that. In truth, there is no way to put it nicely, I was OBESE! 
Of course, I made the usual excuses. I was almost 50. I was in the chair. I had no other vises. I was home all day too close to the fridge. Do any of these sound personally familiar?
The Last Straw!
My day of reckoning finally came, when it took me two hours to get myself off the floor after falling. I finally did it, but I seriously thought I might have a heart attack in the process.
I went to the doctor. He patted me on the shoulder and said that it was almost impossible to lose weight for people in wheelchairs, and that was the end of the conversation. I SWITCHED DOCTORS!
Hope!
Today, I have the best doctor I have had. (If you have CP, you know that means plenty.) She did not pat me on the shoulder and make excuses for my age or living with cerebral palsy. She sent me to a dietitian who had helped other patients in chairs lose weight.
I learned about portion control, and basically a different mindset on food. For example, if I am full, it is better to waste food and throw it away than literally throw it away inside my body. Fortunately, I have a dog that is very happy to clean my plate; so, I don’t have to worry too much about feeling wasteful.
I also have the added complication of crohns disease. So, I have days when eating fresh veggies will cause me great pain and an afternoon in the bathroom. So, the dietitian gave me some healthy alternatives that my crohns can handle.
One Day at a Time
Today, I must admit that I am not eating as healthy as last summer. Frankly, fresh fruits and veggies are expensive. But, I am still losing weight slowly. WHY?
I eat when I am hungry. I keep lots of water, diet soda, tea, or whatever by my chair. If I want to put something in my mouth, I take a drink. Today, I made oatmeal for breakfast-with plenty of sugar. I very much enjoy what I wanted. But, I made too much. Here doggie, doggie! He was very happy to assist with the leftovers.
I was not hungry for lunch. Forget it! I am starting to get hungry for Taco Johns. Fortunately, it is also my son’s favorite! Guess what is for supper! A bean burrito-not too bad. Maybe a small helping of super nachos or a side of refried beans. I will be good for the rest of the night.
So, whether you are living with cerebral palsy, over 50, have over 100 lbs. to lose, there really is NO EXCUSE!
I am not perfect. This is not the first time I have tried, and miserably failed to lose weight. Maybe the difference came, because I really scared myself. I am a single parent. I owe it to my kids to do everything I can to be around for them, especially while they are growing up.
So, if you are healthy, I am proud of you! If you are not, what is your excuse? 
An Ongoing Process and Lifestyle Change
I can now speak from experience. If I can lose enough weight to go from a size 16 in May to a size 10 today, you can too. It may be only a half pound a week. You may not lose anything for a month. But, you don’t have to keep going upward, even if you are living with cerebral palsy. You don’t have to have surgery. You don’t have to starve. But, you will have to learn how to listen to your body, forget fried and fatty foods as the major part of a meal. Even if you have to get a dog to get over your aversion to throwing away food, you can do it! I did, and I am still working on it.
