Keeping Your Head After Losing Your Job (27 page)

Take control of your eating

There are three components to getting things back on track: balanced diet, heart-healthy diet, and portion control. With the proliferation of fast foods, mindless automatic eating, increased use of saturated fats, sugars and carbohydrates, and increased portion sizes, it is no wonder that a majority of adults are overweight—and many, are significantly obese.

The basic dietary guidelines

Since we know unemployment is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, it is essential that you attend to your diet on a daily basis.

Balanced diet

Every day you should consume foods from the five food groups. These five groups include grains, which are the best source for energy; protein, which are the building blocks for cells; dairy, for strong bones; and fruits and vegetables, for disease prevention because of their antioxidants. There are many other reasons for consuming from each of these food groups, but these are the basics. In addition, everyone needs fat in order to cushion your organs and make hormones; however, it is the type of fat that is important. The best choice is monounsaturated fats. This type of fat is found in nuts, natural peanut butter, avocados, and olive oil. Just remember that fats have 9 calories per gram, so even if they are heart healthy, they are still caloric. In contrast, protein and carbohydrates have only 4 calories per gram.

Heart-healthy diet

The key to a heart-healthy diet is to consume a diet low in saturated fats. Foods high in saturated fats are ice cream, pastries, pies, biscuits, cakes, most cheese, many red meats, salami, ribs, sausages, the skin on chicken and turkey, fast foods that are fried (such as French fries, fried chicken, fried fish) and, of course, hamburgers/cheeseburgers. More healthful choices are roasted/grilled chicken (without the skin), or baked or grilled fish and turkey. When looking at a product label, check the saturated fat category. A low saturated fat product is 1 gram or less. We live in a real world, so it is hard to stick to 1 gram or less. It is acceptable to have up to 2.5 grams per serving if you are not a coronary risk.

Portion control

Portion sizes have grown substantially over the last thirty years. The size of the average serving plate thirty years ago was about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter! Today, plate size is much larger. How many times do we go to restaurants and see on the menu a 10oz (280g) steak? What is the appropriate portion size? It’s a lot smaller than almost any restaurant will serve. The appropriate portion of meat is 3oz (85g)—the size of a deck of cards. When you sit down and eat a piece of meat, ask yourself how much larger than a deck of cards is that piece of meat? If it is larger than a deck of cards, you are overeating the meat portion. One serving size of carbohydrate—such as pasta, rice, or potato—is the size of a fistful. In addition, your plate should be divided up with half your plate covered with vegetables, one-quarter of your plate meat/protein 3oz (85g), and a quarter of your plate carbohydrates.

In addition, try to limit your salt intake. You don’t always need to add salt to your food, and you can choose to avoid foods that are high in sodium. If you eat out in restaurants or fast-food outlets, there is a good chance you are exceeding the recommended amount of salt in your diet. The best rule is not to add salt while cooking or at the table and, if possible, do not eat canned soups, processed foods, ready-meals, and fast foods. All these products are very high in salt and not healthy.

Unemployment and the reduced economic resources available can result in decreased nutrition. This compromised nutrition often results in malnutrition of various degrees, which can lead to lower productivity and effectiveness, reduced ability to concentrate and plan ahead, and prolonged unemployment.
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Eating and emotions

Your eating may be determined by your emotions. For example, you may binge eat if you are feeling anxious, angry, or emotionally empty. The binge gives you a rush of pleasure, temporarily distracts you from your emotions, and leaves you feeling a little spaced-out, as if nothing matters. You may also find yourself eating “mindlessly”—not paying attention to what you are doing. Sitting in front of the television or the computer, you shove junk food into your mouth. All of this leads to an unbalanced diet, weight gain, and eventual risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Pay attention to your eating. One way of doing this is to keep a food diary. Keep track of what you eat, your emotions when you are eating, and what you are doing when you eat. Note the portion size, if possible. Simply monitoring your food and mood can help you to pay more attention and get more control. Also, plan ahead. We often tend to respond to how we feel and what is in front of us. You might be inclined to overeat, or eat the wrong foods if you simply respond to the food that is available—or the food listed on the menu. Therefore, plan ahead when you are not feeling emotional.

Make a commitment to stick with your balanced diet and your portion control. Eat more slowly, paying attention to each bite. Don’t eat and do something else at the same time—this is called multiphasic eating, which results in overeating and eating the worst kind of food. Think beyond the way you feel. For example, you might be feeling anxious and empty, so you want that piece of cake. But the cake will only bring about five minutes of pleasure. You then will have consumed 500 calories you don’t need—and you might regret that for the next day. Tolerating a little frustration while committing to a proper diet can help you gain control over your problematic eating.

Finally, there are some people who feel so depressed that they just don’t eat very much. Malnutrition can result from a loss of appetite. Your malnutrition can then lead to lower energy, lower mood, lower activity—and more depression. I had a client once who just didn’t eat very much at all—she said she didn’t have an appetite. Despite my urging her to eat a regular diet, she refused. She eventually collapsed in a store and had to be taken to a hospital. This changed her mind and she began to eat a more balanced diet. Ask yourself if you are getting enough of the five food groups that I have outlined above. Are you eating enough to give you energy? Are you skipping meals, going for many hours without food? Planning ahead also means planning to eat.

EXERCISE: EAT HEALTHILY

Use the list below to remind yourself of the essentials of eating well:

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Unemployment is associated with poor eating habits, poor nutrition and weight gain.

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The long-term result of poor eating habits is an increased risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

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Follow the guidelines for proper eating: a balanced diet, a heart-healthy diet and portion control.

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Don’t let your emotions dictate your eating.

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Plan ahead.

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Learn that tolerating a few minutes of frustration can keep you from gaining pounds of fat.

4: Get regular exercise

Research on depression shows that regular aerobic exercise is as effective as antidepressant medication for mild depression. Many people who are unemployed find themselves living a passive life of isolation, inactivity, and lethargy. The less you do, the less you want to do. But exercise may be one of the most important things you can do to take care of yourself. If you take regular exercise, you will lose weight, have more energy, improve your mood, help with your concentration and memory, and improve your cardiovascular system. Exercise activates your endorphins, which serve as an antidepressant chemical in your brain. It’s like getting the benefit of Prozac without the downside.

You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy the benefits of exercise. Unless you are a regular and vigorous devotee of exercise, you can now start doing more than you did before.

What’s your exercise level today?

Let’s do an honest evaluation of your current exercise program:

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What is your typical exercise at the present time?

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Do you exercise daily?

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For how long?

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What exercise do you do?

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Do you have any health problems that might interfere with exercise?

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Have you had a physical examination recently?

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Does your doctor think that there are certain exercises that are not appropriate for you?

Before you try any new exercise program, you should consult with your doctor. If your doctor agrees that you can exercise, then you need to have a plan. But before you have a plan, we need to look at your motivation. I am sure that if you are not exercising on a regular basis, you have lots of reasons for not doing anything. I like to think of these as excuses, even if you call them “reasons.”

First, what are the advantages and disadvantages of exercising? I’d like you to think carefully and clearly about this, since you are telling yourself a lot of things that might keep you from doing anything that is helpful. I have already described some advantages—weight loss, strength, energy, mood, cardiovascular health, endorphins. You might also feel better knowing that you are actually doing something. We know that doing something to help yourself usually helps you feel more effective. Doing nothing seldom helps.

Why you don’t exercise sufficiently

You are sure to have lots of reasons not to exercise. Let’s look at them:

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I’m so out of shape that nothing will help.

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I don’t have the energy.

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It will be too painful and unpleasant.

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I feel embarrassed working out. People will laugh at me.

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I can’t afford to join a gym.

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I don’t want to exercise.

All of these are terrific reasons not to exercise. In fact, they have been “working” because you haven’t been exercising. But all of them are false. All of them keep you from making progress.

Let’s start with the first one:

“I am so out of shape”:
Well, isn’t that exactly why you should be exercising more? Isn’t that why it is useful? Exercise is “cumulative”—it builds up, accumulates its effects over time.

If you are very much out of shape, isn’t it possible that if you exercised for a year, you might be in better shape? Is it possible that you could make progress—even if you are not perfect? Isn’t it possible that you can keep things from getting worse?

You don’t have to expect a miracle to make progress. If you are very overweight, even obese, some exercise on a regular basis can help you lose weight, feel more energized, have more strength, get more stamina and improve your mood. Yes, it’s hard, but it’s also hard to be out of shape.

“I don’t have the energy”:
That sounds like a great excuse. That will certainly work well in keeping you from doing anything. But exercise generally will improve your energy level. Even if you are tired after you exercise, it’s a “good tired”—you feel tired from doing something useful. In fact, it may even happen that you feel more energy after you exercise. Perhaps the energy comes after the behavior. Set up an experiment for the next two weeks. Rate your energy before and after exercise. What do you find?

You might say, “What if I have less energy after I exercise?” Why is that so important, so bad? Imagine that your energy level before exercise is 4 on a 10-point scale. After exercise, you find that your energy level is 2. OK, I imagine that is possible. Then what will happen? Will you have to be hospitalized because your energy level is lower? Or will you simply have to rest? Once you realize that energy comes and goes, that exercise can often increase your energy, and that even a decrease in energy—temporarily—may be a sign that you have achieved a lot of exercise, then you can set aside the “Energy Excuse” and get on with it.

“It will be too painful and unpleasant”:
That sounds like a very good reason to do nothing. But is it true? First, of course, I am assuming that you have checked with your doctor and that you have permission to exercise. Second, I am assuming you are starting slowly, if you haven’t been exercising, and that you will build up gradually. There is no urgency to accelerate your exercise program. But assuming that you start slowly, why would a little more exercise result in pain? You certainly don’t want to start exercising by pushing yourself too hard, lifting weights that might strain you, or raising your pulse rate too high for too long. But mild and/or moderate exercise need not do that. How about your thought that it is too unpleasant?

Set up an experiment. Start by doing a moderately paced walk for twenty minutes. Before you start, predict on a scale from 0 to 100 how unpleasant it will be (100 is equivalent to the most unpleasant experience you can imagine. For example, being burned over half your body would be 100). Then go out and do your brisk walk. How bad was it?

I doubt that it was as unpleasant as you thought it might be, but let’s say it was moderately unpleasant. For how long was it unpleasant? Was there anything positive in doing a walk for twenty minutes? Why is it so bad to have to experience a little unpleasantness in doing your exercise? What will happen if you have to tolerate a little frustration? One way of thinking of unpleasantness is to use the concept of “constructive discomfort,” which we discussed in Chapter Six. This means that some of your discomfort is used as a means to an end. It is useful. It helps you accomplish a goal. It’s like thinking of discomfort as an investment.

“I feel embarrassed working out”:
Perhaps you think that you don’t look as attractive as other people, or that you don’t look as young and fit as the people who “usually” work out. Working out has become a fashion statement for some people. First, you can work out at home—in the privacy of your own living room. Some people find that turning on a television channel with an exercise routine—or a yoga class—is the easiest and most convenient thing to do. It’s right there. Second, if you are concerned with what other people are thinking, which people are you talking about? Are you concerned that people might think less of you if they see you jogging along the street, or that you don’t look so great in your exercise clothing? Well, what if they actually did think that? Are they thinking and talking about it all day long? Is word going to spread? Is your life really going to be affected?