When Crisis Strikes

I just recently experienced the loss of my father. The first few days he was in the ICU, the rug was pulled out from underneath me. But after a day or two, I began to use what Weight Watchers taught me to get through this difficult time.

Crisis can make it easy to quit a weight management and exercise program. But with a few adjustments, you can get through and—on the other side—have maintained all you worked so hard to achieve.

A crisis can come without warning and turn your world upside down. Crises include death, serious illness, divorce, job loss, financial, and legal problems.

Here are some simple steps to manage your weight and exercise during a crisis.

First do no harm
Re-evaluate your goals for weight loss and exercise. You might need to temporarily loosen the demands on yourself. Focus on continuing with the progress you have made and not backsliding.

Care for yourself
Make sure you are getting the proper rest, hydration, and nutrition. Find daily or weekly time to recharge your batteries with baths, walks, naps, prayer, music, reading, writing, or other soulful activities.

Take kitchen shortcuts
Use your crock pot, frozen meals, plastic plates and forks for a while to minimize the burden of cooking and cleaning. Buy pre-seasoned or prepackaged meats. Use your grill. Make simple meals like subs and salads. Use canned soups as appetizers to minimize prep and clean up. Place a bowl of baby carrots as a side dish on the table. Double up recipes to use leftovers for another meal or lunches.

Multitask
When crisis strikes, we spend a lot of time on the phone with family and friends, sometimes having the same conversation with three people to update them on the latest news. Consider what you can get done while talking on the phone. With a cellular phone and an earpiece you may be able to take a walk, drive a child to a practice, or sit outside in the sun. With a cordless landline phone and earpiece you may be able to chop vegetables, sweep, or fold laundry.

Another way to multitask is to get your physical activity with others. At the hospital, walk and talk with your siblings instead of sitting in a hospital reception room. At home take a walk or bike ride with your spouse or children so your time together is active time for you.

Ask for help
Don’t try to be a superhero. Consider what someone else might be able to do to help you. Reach out to others for help with household or work responsibilities. See if your children, friends, or neighbors can pitch in with lawn work, cleaning, cooking, transporting kids, or grocery shopping.

Ask your spouse, children, family and friends to help you with your eating. Develop a “safe word” like “wagon wheel” that they can say when they see that you may be falling off the wagon.

Watch your triggers
Whatever your triggers--sweets, salt, or alcohol—they will be calling out to you. Consider setting some ground rules for yourself to manage these “hot” foods. For example, making sure you are with someone else when you are eating or drinking these foods or drinks can help you from overdoing it. Also commit yourself to enjoying only one of them portion at the dinner table (not in front of the TV). This framework makes it harder for you to overindulge.

Get the support you need
Keep coming to Weight Watchers meetings for support. It’s also a way to get a break from the crisis. Reach out for help coping with the difficulties you are having. Talk with family and friends. Ask for assistance in your house of worship from a priest, pastor, or rabbi. Visit your family doctor if you are having difficulty keeping up with daily routines. He or she may be able to recommend community resources for counseling and assistance.

Prepare an emergency kit
When crisis strikes it is easy to get caught unprepared when you are urgently called to the hospital. Have a box or bag of snacks and foods that are ready to go. Consider even keeping it in the car. Have it include healthy nonperishable foods you could enjoy just about anywhere, like tea bags, granola bars, can of three bean salad, can of soup, tuna/crackers combos, popcorn packets, protein drinks, or foil packaged heatable meals. This way you won’t be forced to visit a drive through or a hospital vending machine if the cafeteria is closed. Most hospital units can point you to a microwave oven you can use to reheat something and provide you with plastic spoons, etc. You’ll also find family and friend will benefit from your emergency kit.

Know this too shall pass
Remember that time heals all wounds. Take it a day at a time. It may seem like it will never end. But it will. Use your anchors to get you through difficult time. Breathe and take breaks when emotional eating urges set it.