Building a Winning Body - Brief Article

People with disabilities recovering from an illness or surgery face a number of concerns for their health and basic survival sometimes the least of which is their disability. Mary Verdi-Fletcher, born with spina bifida, found this to be true. After a successful, albeit life threatening, kidney transplant, the doctor's prognosis included "a bucket of pills a day," an average weight gain of 40 pounds and an insatiable appetite -- all attributed to the "typical" results of a kidney transplant and the intake of several anti-rejection medications.

"I'm not going to gain that much weight," exclaimed Mary Verdi-Flecther to herself, "and hopefully I won't gain any weight." But she did -- fifteen pounds. Devastated, Mary was at a crossroads: accept the prognosis or change the outcome. "I wondered how and if I could alter the outcome," says Mary. "I also realized that my former lifestyle was not going to cut it. I started doing research and asking questions."

Determined, Mary clung to the hope of a different outcome and began a life-changing program. From the first glimmer of hope to the present day, Mary continues to defy the odds - her weight remains constant, between 73 and 75 pounds, and her body fat is a mere 8.8%. She's also increased her strength, flexibility and energy. Here's how.

1: Research and questions. "I wanted to keep very close tabs on my blood work," says Mary. "The medications not only added fluids and fat to my body but increased my cholesterol count. At one point I was told I had very high cholesterol for which niacin was prescribed producing an adverse effect on me. Then I asked "What is the divide between my HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol)?' When the doctor checked, my HDL count was very high and niacin proved unnecessary."

Mary examined and charted everything -- blood work, weight, exercise and eating habits. The charts provided a graphic representation of progress and indicated the interconnectedness of her activities. "This recovery was, and is, a series of life changes," explains Mary. "It didn't happen overnight but has gradually become a way of life. Understanding and being knowledgeable about your body, whether or not you have a disability, is a necessity."

2: Exercise. Although active as principal dancer in her company Dancing Wheels, it was not enough to produce changes. "I decided to escalate my activity in order to burn more fat," says Mary. To accomplish this and keep herself on track, Mary interviewed and hired a personal trainer.

"I was very weak at first," remembers Mary. "My trainer knew how to work with my body's capabilities and build up my strength. I felt better within the first month but it wasn't until six months later that I knew I was beginning to make a change."

To escalate cardiovascular activity, Mary wheeled around the track at the gym for a mile. She also used a crank ergometer, a bicycle-like machine with pedals operated by the arms that has various resistance settings.

3: Diet and nutrition. "Initially I was panic stricken about my diet," recalls Mary. "How could I bring everything under control?

"First I altered the times at which I ate and the portions. Instead of eating one large meal, I ate several smaller meals. I attempted to stay within 750 calories (ten times my desired weight of 75 pounds) and 20 grams of fat per day. These amounts made sense for me considering my body size and stature. I constantly read product labels for information on serving sizes, calories, fat percentages and sugar content.

"I stock up on healthy foods that I like and watch what I add to food. I know that if I smother vegetables with butter I've just added 14 grams of fat! I've learned ways of flavoring food to make it appealing - herbs, onions and chicken broth. I use creamy horseradish sauce for dipping and adding zest. It's only two grams of fat and fifty calories.

"Yesterday I had tuna fish with low fat mayonnaise, peas and some crackers. Today I had Kentucky Fried Chicken, but I only had a couple of wings and know that each one is about 100 calories each. Then I had a biscuit without butter.

"In the morning I eat an Ensure bar which is only 3 grams of fat and about 120 calories. I also take a prescribed multi-vitamin supplement with iron."

4: Attitude. "Attitude is everything. I'd like people to know that there is hope. It's one thing to recover from an illness and work with a disability, but it's another thing to come out on top of it. I'm not just a recovering patient of a kidney transplant, I am active, energized and fit. The possibilities that can be achieved by anyone, regardless of disability, are endless."

Some additional suggestions for exercise to accommodate people of varying abilities include the following:

* Yoga

* Resistance training

* Therabands (can be used for general workouts at home or on the road. Various colored latex bands, each color a different resistance level, are easily utilized if one is not allergic to latex).

* Exercise programs at local YMCA, YWCA, or other fitness clubs