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- What/How?
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Good morning, 66.1ers.
Medicine/healthcare is very good at “what”. Got a problem? Medicine can explain it and can offer a solution. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the “how”s behind the “what”s.
Want to weigh less than you do? There’s your “what”. “How”? Eat 1,800 calories per day, eat 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, do 30 minutes of cardio every day, lift weights 3 times per week, eat less than 50 grams of carbs every day, get your 8 hours of sleep. OK!
Did I mention already that I’m not a doctor and none of that is medical advice?
But what happens when the “How” doesn’t happen? Maybe vacation means a couple of cocktails on the beach, maybe even a trip to the buffet, your 1,800 calorie goal is blown up before noon. Work is stressful, you spend every waking minute at your desk, 30 minutes of cardio is impossible. Kid gets sick. Or you have a baby, like my friends just did (congrats!). 8 hours of sleep turns into 3.
What do we do when this happens? Self-flagellate? Give up?
A patient was told 2 weeks ago that she should try chair yoga. Tried it. Hated it. She’s a busy mom, nurse, family is remodeling their house. Why in the world would she just sit there when she has 942 things to do today? So she stopped after 3 days. Switched instead to LazyFit. It’s a better fit. More fun. She gets the same mobility benefits she was supposed to get from Chair Yoga. Same “What”, entirely different “How”.
If you’re a patient, do you experiment until you find a “how” that’s easy, simple, sustainable, maybe even…
FUN?
If you’re a doctor, do you encourage your patients to find a “how” that works for them once you’ve told them everything there is to know about their “what”? If not, what will you do as more things like CJR-X come along? Will you rely on a more detailed plan? Go out of business?
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