Speaker A [00:00:00]:
Hi everyone. So today I have Paralysis Nutrition program graduate Michael. Welcome Michael to the Paralysis Nutrition podcast.
Speaker B [00:00:08]:
Hi. Thank you for having me.
Speaker A [00:00:10]:
Welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast where changing your eating habits is the key to losing weight, improving bowel health and feeling your best. I’m your host, Fatima Fakouri. I’m a registered dietitian who’s married to a quadriplegic and specializes in nutrition for paralysis. Get ready to be inspired, educated and motivated so you can take control of your health using the power of food. Let’s get started. This is the Paralysis Nutrition podcast. So Michael, I would love for you to share your experience from the program and how you are doing because you have had a lot of success.
Speaker B [00:00:48]:
Yeah, I joined the three month summer thing on behalf my wife found it through wags.
Speaker A [00:00:55]:
Yes, the wags. The wags. We love the WAGS of sti. They’re going to be on a few future podcast love.
Speaker B [00:00:59]:
Yeah. So they. So my wife found it and said hey, you know you should do this, you need to lose weight. Would be good have a meeting with Fatima. And so I said okay. Wasn’t super excited about it but you know, I did it and I found it looked good, sounded interesting and I needed to lose weight, you know, before that. I’ve been in a wheelchair for 11 years. I’m technically a quadriplegic but function like a paraplegic.
Speaker B [00:01:23]:
And I do have the quad gut quite a, you know, quite a bit. And I’ve all. I was a big guy before my injury. I’m a six two. Um, and when I got injured I was about £270 but I was athletic. And then after the injury I went all the way down to 200 and then since we had kids I went back up to about 2:50. So over six years. Um, and the pandemic didn’t help with that.
Speaker A [00:01:47]:
Right, right.
Speaker B [00:01:48]:
So my basic diet was no carbs, it was protein and veggies. Uh, I didn’t eat any. A lot of fruit. I would have an apple or something every once in. But it tended to cause accidents and so I didn’t, I was scared of it so I didn’t, I just kind of did veggies and protein and that was it. Uh, I tried to keep, keep under 1500 calories a day and I would plan out all my meals because I’m a teacher, uh, I have very strict schedule. So like breakfast was at you know, 7:30 and then while when I got to work and then lunch was at 12:30 when the bell rang, had a wolf. It down in between meeting with students, and then was typically around 6.
Speaker B [00:02:33]:
And so, yeah, I didn’t really snack in between that. But with the program, you know, you gave a lot of modules about how SEI works, how our guts work, which I didn’t know about that stuff. So I started introducing yogurt back into my diet and fruit. And so my breakfasts are now always yogurt with strawberries and blueberries, sometimes other fruits. Um, I’ve added a little bit of granola to it to give a crunch, like maybe.
Speaker A [00:03:03]:
And it tastes good.
Speaker B [00:03:04]:
Yeah, yeah. Like a tablespoon of this, like, peanut butter protein granola that I found at Trader Joe’s. Not a lot, but just a little bit. And then my lunches, I’ve included carbs into it, and so I’m now eating whole grains. So, like, lavish flatbread wrap. Or this week I’m doing quinoa with roasted cauliflower and chicken. I love that. Um.
Speaker B [00:03:30]:
Cause I was tired of the wraps, so I just. I prepped all my meals on Sunday.
Speaker A [00:03:35]:
Amazing.
Speaker B [00:03:36]:
And, yeah, I was already a daily pooper, and so. I know.
Speaker A [00:03:40]:
Okay, right.
Speaker B [00:03:41]:
I was already a daily pooper, but I was having a lot of hemorrhoidal bleeding because it wasn’t coming out as quickly as it used to in the past.
Speaker A [00:03:49]:
And we know why. We know why that is. Because there was no fruit and there weren’t enough carbs. So it’s super interesting to me how you went from eating virtually no carbs to increasing the carbs. Right. And then tell us what happened with the bowels.
Speaker B [00:04:08]:
Yeah. So my bowel program, I do it early in the morning. I get up at 4 because I have to be at work by schedule. Yeah, typically. Um. And so it took me about an hour, and now it’s down to like, 45 minutes to 30 minutes. I don’t have to do the initial ditch gym. Like, I still use a magic bullet.
Speaker B [00:04:28]:
Um, but it comes out, like, every morning. It just comes. And then I just have to do the digits in the cleanup. And so just by changing my diet in that little way of adding carbs, the yogurt and the fruit, it just goes. And I’ve only had one accident since. Since starting the program. Um, and that one, I’m not sure what happened. Uh, but it.
Speaker B [00:04:50]:
You know, I was coming back from my garden and all of a sudden stuff happened. So. Yeah, but I mean, that’s just quad life, basically.
Speaker A [00:04:59]:
It is. And I think if you Were you having more of them before.
Speaker B [00:05:03]:
Yes, I was. Especially when I was. I Haven’t had any issues with hemorrhoids in the last amazing four months.
Speaker A [00:05:12]:
Because that’s a painful, painful issue to have. And also just, I think, unnecessary. Right. It is one of those things that people think comes with the territory because you have to do kind of this regular, sometimes aggressive digital stim. But when you eat better, right? When you eat a more gut healthy diet, like, you mentioned the yogurt, so you’re getting probiotics, and you mentioned, like the quinoa and more fruits, all of this stuff is very gut healthy. So when you’re able to go easier, you don’t have to do as much of that stuff.
Speaker B [00:05:48]:
No, not at all. Yeah. So I feel like the program, I was. I was only in it for three months, but I just totally changed my eating habits.
Speaker A [00:05:56]:
And what I love, Michael, is that you always told me it was good. Like, the meals are good, everything is good. It is not difficult. Right. And I think that people, especially with this kind of, I don’t know, diet culture out there, and everything has to be a green smoothie and don’t eat carbs. Fruit has too much sugar. It is very confusing. So the advice that you got, which was, like, from.
Speaker A [00:06:22]:
I believe it was from a trainer. Yeah, Right. That was the kind of. I don’t want to say it was.
Speaker B [00:06:30]:
A carb cycling thing. Oh.
Speaker A [00:06:33]:
That.
Speaker B [00:06:33]:
We were.
Speaker A [00:06:34]:
Tell us about that.
Speaker B [00:06:35]:
So my wife’s best friend’s husband was a personal trainer. Um, and he and his wife had done a carb cycling thing and lost a lot of weight. Um, and we were. They were over for dinner one night and they’re telling us about it, and we said, okay, like, let’s give it a try. Um. Um. And basically you go like two day. You go day, high carb, medium carb, no carb, and then keep going.
Speaker B [00:07:00]:
And that was kind of yummy because we were introducing, you know, pastas, rice back into our diet. Um. Cause my wife and I typically didn’t eat any of that. Only on, like, special occasions. Right. Um, and it initially, it worked pretty well. I mean, I was feeling lighter and I seemed like I was losing weight. But then it just kind of plateaued and it was like, so hard.
Speaker B [00:07:21]:
Like, I had to, like, okay, is it Wednesday? Like, okay, we have to have a hard high carb thing. But with your. It was like every day, it’s just you meet your macros. Right. So for me, I just made sure I met my carb macro, my protein macros, and my whatever the other one was. And so, yeah, yeah, that’s Right.
Speaker A [00:07:42]:
So when you did those high carb days, how many carbs are we talking?
Speaker B [00:07:48]:
Oh, man, I think it was like 150 for my body type or something.
Speaker A [00:07:54]:
It was pretty wild. Yeah. I mean, it’s not. That’s not insane. But also, it’s probably too much for a typical day for you, right, As a quad that is working full time and is still pretty active, but not active seven days a week. Right. Like, active in your activities of daily living. But being a teacher, right.
Speaker A [00:08:16]:
It’s like, it’s. It’s a seated lifestyle, and then on top of it, the teacher life is. You’re in one building. You know, you’re. You’re perhaps moving around, but it’s not the same as doing adaptive exercise. Right. So did you feel like those days matched your activity level? So, like, on the high carb. No.
Speaker A [00:08:37]:
Okay.
Speaker B [00:08:37]:
No. I mean, it’s. I mean, I have a pretty regular workout schedule.
Speaker A [00:08:41]:
Yes.
Speaker B [00:08:42]:
But, you know, if stuff gets turned around, depending on what’s happening with the kids, you know, and so, no, it never really matched because, like, one of the high carb days was a Monday, and Monday’s not a workout day for me because I have to, like, get home and pick up the kids and my wife has to go to her job. And so, like. Yeah, it was never that kind of thing. Um, yeah, the high carb days were just, like. It was so much, um. I remember one time being at the end of the day, and I had him at my macro for carbs, and I was, like, looking around, I was like, what can I eat? But I wasn’t hungry. Like, Yeah, I knew I had to meet this carbs, you know, and so I ended up eating whatever. The buttered noodles thing I made for my kids, you know, so.
Speaker A [00:09:25]:
Yeah. Which is so interesting, right. Because so many people ask at the end of the day if I’m short on this or that, but I’m not hungry. Should I just eat? And I always say, no, you shouldn’t eat if you’re not hungry. You know? And I think that when we follow advice, especially from someone that we respect, especially from someone who is in a position of, like, you know, authority or. That’s their kind of. That’s their thing. Right.
Speaker A [00:09:50]:
It’s a personal trainer, so he should know. But for paralysis, it’s different. And I get so many people, I think, who are following diets that are not intended for neurogenic bowel, that are not intended for wheelchair users. Right. And sometimes it works for a little while. Right. But one of the big reasons I think it doesn’t work is because first it’s not designed for you, but also it’s difficult. Right? Like you said, it’s difficult.
Speaker A [00:10:17]:
And I thought you were going to say what was difficult was the really low carb days. I thought those were going to be.
Speaker B [00:10:23]:
Difficult because I, for so long, even before paralysis, I was, it was a low carb lifestyle. I mean, even when I was able bodied, I was going to the gym every day because we didn’t have kids. Um, and I was working out a ton after work and even sometimes at work because we have a gym that we’re allowed to use here, you know, the weight room at the school, um, and you know, the low carb lifestyle fit. But also, I mean, I was young, I was 27 and so it wouldn’t be rare for me to, after working out and coming home, you know, my wife and I to have a beer, you know, as we’re getting dinner ready, you know. So like I was working out a ton, but I was also just eating low carbs, except for like a beer every once in a while, you know. But after. Per hour, you know, like, initially with the injury, I dropped a ton of weight. Being in the hospital for like two months.
Speaker A [00:11:13]:
Of course, yeah, everyone does.
Speaker B [00:11:15]:
When I was recovering at home, I started checking out quad rugby and I was working out with them and I was trying to navigate my life, so I was always going out for pushes and so. And we were eating pretty healthy, you know, like. But then after kids, like, stuff just, I mean, life got busy because I was navigating a whole new life. Like I’m now adult and I work full time and my wife’s working, like, yeah, it was.
Speaker A [00:11:41]:
And you have two young children. They’re not like teenagers, they’re little ones. Yeah, six, four. So we are in the same boat. Mine are three and five. And it’s like not always easy to prioritize, right? Our meals, they always will have meals, right? They will always have their food. But sometimes for us we’re just like, grab something quick or just cook something simple. And it’s not all that enjoyable.
Speaker A [00:12:06]:
So tell us about your meal planning and your prepping. How do you and your wife make that work? Because I think that you really stand out in my mind from that group as really taking that, taking the meal plans and really putting them to work. And it seemed like you enjoyed it. Like the food, meaning. Yeah, the recipes.
Speaker B [00:12:26]:
So you, I mean, you have those plans with every day, week by week. And we didn’t follow it Week by week, because not all of us did it. My wife only eats fish. Um, and at the same time, like, it just seemed like a lot of prepping. But I did take meals and I would try them. And so I was already used to prepping meals because, like I said, like, I had to bring breakfast and lunch with me to work just because I had to leave so early. And I have about a 30 minute commute depending on traffic. And so living in the San Francisco Bay area, the traffic has been great last two years, but you know that prior to that, you know, it could be a hit or miss day.
Speaker B [00:13:01]:
Um, so prepping for meals is never an issue. And we, we always try to stay on a bus budget. So on Sundays, when I started the plan, I got all the stuff and downloaded all of this stuff. And then I just looked at meals that looked yummy first off, looked kind of easiest to prep or do. And then my wife and I would just say, okay, Monday we’re going to have this. Okay, Tuesday we’re going to have this. And then I would just grocery shop accordingly. And I would keep that list on my phone and I would say, okay, it’s Monday, so we’re going to have salmon and salad, you know, maybe added a couple roasted potatoes in there, you know.
Speaker B [00:13:40]:
And then Tuesday, okay, let’s. I’m going to prep lentil chili. I’ll start it before I leave. And then we’ll have that for two nights. I’ll just double, I’ll double the recipe and then we’ll have it for two nights. And then, you know, and then she’ll look and say, okay, I don’t like that. Or I didn’t really like that meal. So we’ll do different.
Speaker B [00:13:58]:
So every Sunday morning, because I go early to. I go like first thing when the grocery store opens. And during the pandemic, they used to have like 8 o’clock was like old people and disabled people.
Speaker A [00:14:09]:
So I would go, right, yeah, we have that too.
Speaker B [00:14:12]:
Now it’s like, whoever, which doesn’t matter. Like, I see the same people there anyways. But before I leave, before I leave at like 7:30, I just say, hey, look, here’s what I have planned. What do you want to change? What do you want to do? And then she’s like, looks good, looks good. And then that’s it. And then we just follow the plan. Like, we don’t ever, like, at the end of the day, go, I’m tired. Let’s just order something.
Speaker B [00:14:31]:
No, like, we have food in the fridge, so we’ll do that if we want to go out. Like Monday we went out to dinner. We didn’t buy a dinner for that thing. We knew. Okay, awesome.
Speaker A [00:14:41]:
So you planned it.
Speaker B [00:14:42]:
Yeah. And we knew. I love that. So, like, we went to the pumpkin patch, you know, so cute. Voice play.
Speaker A [00:14:48]:
Yeah.
Speaker B [00:14:49]:
And then we went out to dinner to a place. And I knew exactly what I was going to get. I knew I was going to get this meat. I’m going to have a salad with it. And then I didn’t eat all the meat. And then I took the rest of it for. So I just, like, it would just cause us just to have a simple, like, fifth, not even a 15 minute conversation. Like, right.
Speaker B [00:15:06]:
We’re both laying in bed. I had made the list earlier during my routine. And then I said, here’s what I have planned. And she goes, no, I don’t want that. Let’s change it to this. And then that’s okay. Okay, fine. Like, I’m not too picky.
Speaker B [00:15:19]:
Like, it’s not like I hate anything. Like.
Speaker A [00:15:21]:
No. Right. And she’s just the, you know, she’s pescatarian, so some of the things are.
Speaker B [00:15:26]:
Yeah. And she gets tired of things. Like, I could eat the same thing every day for it doesn’t bother you? Doesn’t bother me.
Speaker A [00:15:32]:
Like, I love how you take the initiative. I love that because I think that a lot of people, especially quads, are not involved, especially if they are married and have kids. It’s just not something that I see too much. Definitely not in my own home. You know, it’s my kind of territory. I think also being a dietitian, you know, it’s kind of my job. But I. Yeah, but I love that you are.
Speaker A [00:15:58]:
You are taking charge. And also going back to what you said in the very beginning, I very much appreciate the honesty of like, yeah, I didn’t really like this idea of doing this program. I love it because it’s true. You probably were like, hey, I eat healthy. What is this? Like, why do I need help with this? But I appreciate you trusting me because now I feel like. I would love to know, I know that you cut down your bowel program time. Have you noticed anything else? Like, in terms of weight, in terms of energy levels?
Speaker B [00:16:33]:
I lost £10, actually, now it’s £12 because I had a little medical issue, as you knew. I thought I had a tumor or whatever. It’s not, but I was weighed a time and I was weighed before the program and then I was weighed several times in this last couple of weeks or month. Or whatever, but. And I’ve lost now a total of £12, which is great. And I feel lighter. My stomach looks smaller. Um, which is great.
Speaker B [00:17:02]:
Yeah, I just feel lighter. And I feel like if I stick with this program and I’m not doing, like, crazy, you know, I’m not drinking a ton and I’m not doing crazy things, like, I feel like I’ll just slowly keep going, which is the whole thing, you know, like, which is the whole thing.
Speaker A [00:17:16]:
Because I think most people with paralysis, they gain weight really slowly. It is not, you know, I gained 40 pounds in a year. It’s more like over the last 10 years, I have slowly gained however much weight. Right. And so if it took you eight years or so to gain the weight, you’re not going to lose it in three months. Like, it’s not, you know, or you’re not going to lose it sustainably. So I love that you have lost the 12 pounds, that you feel lighter and that you are able to still go out to eat. Right.
Speaker A [00:17:49]:
And continue to lose weight. And you’re able to also have a. Have a nice drink every once in a while too. I remember you shared that you tracked and this was genius because I started teaching this to people. So thank you for that. You started to track the alcohol before you had even had the meal. So it was something like, oh, I came home from work, I logged breakfast, I logged lunch, and I want to have a drink. So I put the drink in into the MyFitnessPal and saw what I had left for dinner and kind of adjusted accordingly.
Speaker A [00:18:22]:
That is genius. And now I tell people, if you know you’re going to have a drink at the end of the day, put it in at 9am like, put it in so that you can kind of adjust your day. So whereas before you were doing the carb cycling thing and now you’re kind of just steady every day. I think that is really probably helped the most with, like, bowels and feeling satisfied. And also, I think it’s. You said it’s easier, right? It’s.
Speaker B [00:18:49]:
It is. It’s totally easier. I mean, I haven’t been tracking on the app, even though I said I think last week I would, but it’s been busy. And so of course, you know that the app really helps. And even if you do it at the end of the day, then you can see what you’re doing, what you’re missing. But it does help to do it every. Every meal. Um, even doing pre.
Speaker B [00:19:07]:
If you know what you’re going to eat, if you know yeah, Right. And so I’ve even continued to meal plan calorie and macro wise. So because we have set meals now that we like, you know, we’ll try something new. But because we have set meals that we like, like, I know the macros, like the lunches I prepped for this week, you know, it’s quinoa chicken and roasted cauliflower. I’m hitting every Mac need there for that meal. I know exactly how many calories is it, even though I’m not tracking it. I know it’s calories. I know, right, Exactly.
Speaker A [00:19:37]:
And I think that that’s, that’s what I want for everyone who graduates the program. Right. I want you for the three months to track so that you can share it with me. I can take a look at it. And it’s great for support and accountability. It’s also probably the best teaching tool to see what your individual meals and your eating habits look like in terms of nutrition. Right. So I’m sure if you had tracked six months ago and shared it, it would have been like, oh, well, you’re pretty high in protein and fat because you’re eating so much meat.
Speaker A [00:20:11]:
But then you’re probably really low on fiber because you’re not eating carbs. Even if you eat veggies twice a day, that’s not enough fiber. Right. Fiber only comes from carbs, only comes from plants. So if you were cutting out food groups like fruit, for example, or grains, you’re not going to get enough fiber. And I appreciate the. I don’t really need to track anymore. That’s what I want for everybody.
Speaker A [00:20:38]:
I mean, not that you won’t, because I think that you’re actually a person who likes it in a way.
Speaker B [00:20:44]:
I do enjoy.
Speaker A [00:20:45]:
Yeah. I think a lot of people. It gives you a sense of. I don’t know. What does it give you a sense of? Kind of sometimes I think accomplishments.
Speaker B [00:20:53]:
Yeah, I think it’s a. It’s accomplishment and control. Like, I know exactly what I’m doing. I mean, so much stuff with SEI is like, you don’t have control over stuff. Like, you know, especially, you know, with, I mean, I. With incontinence and stuff like that. Like, you just feel frustrated sometimes. You’re just like, oh, geez, like, okay, I just peed myself.
Speaker B [00:21:12]:
Even though, you know, like. Or I just had a unexpected bowel movement. Cool. You know, like, now I have to go home and figure that out.
Speaker A [00:21:20]:
Or I have a uti. Boom. Didn’t see that coming.
Speaker B [00:21:23]:
Or, you know, now I have to get back into my chair, and I have to, like, that’s always fun. Or like, even. Even at the grocery store, little things, like, with the control, like, oh, man, the cheese is so high. Great. Like, now I have to. And see somebody who can help me because I can’t reach it. Because, you know, but I think because.
Speaker A [00:21:43]:
We live in a inaccessible world, you know, 99% of the time, you know.
Speaker B [00:21:48]:
I think tracking does give you a sense of control, but it’s also a sense of accomplishment. When you get at the end of the day and you’re under your calor goals, and you’re like, I have 200 calories left. I can have a drink. You know, like, love it.
Speaker A [00:22:00]:
The sweet taste of success.
Speaker B [00:22:03]:
And so, you know, like, oh, great, I can have a whiskey. Perfect. You know, like, I did so great today. So that’s. That’s the thing that I like about tracking. And I was tracking before.
Speaker A [00:22:13]:
Yes, but with different numbers. With different numbers. Right.
Speaker B [00:22:17]:
Because we set those totally different calorie goals. And now I’m under, you know, I hit about 14.
Speaker A [00:22:22]:
Eight.
Speaker B [00:22:23]:
14, you know, 14, eight.
Speaker A [00:22:26]:
And you are. You are tall, but you are quad. And you do exercise. But, you know, I hate to say it, because I don’t want to sound negative, but the exercise for wheelchair users, it’s not burning as many calories as we would hope. It’s amazing for you mind, body and soul, for bone density and flexibility and range of motion. It’s fantastic for mental health. But is it burning a ton of calories? Not really. So I have had, recently, I have two clients that they exercise so much, but they’re eating way too many calories.
Speaker A [00:23:02]:
And it’s like, okay, if you are doing this intensive exercise six days a week, and you’re gaining weight 100%, you eat too many calories. So I think the benefits of exercise are immense. But I think for weight loss, you know, you were doing that exercise for a long time. You’re on the same kind of consistent schedule for years, but the carb cycling wasn’t meant for paralysis. And I think your bowels are better now, and you have lost 12 pounds. So that’s amazing.
Speaker B [00:23:33]:
Yeah. I think the benefit of your program and what I. Why I agree to it is because, a, you’re married to a quad, and B, you did the. You did the research about how our bodies work differently than able bodies. And that’s why I was like. When I had the initial meeting with you, you told me all of this, and I was like, okay, I think I can trust this person. She I seem to know what she’s talking about.
Speaker A [00:23:57]:
She’s doing her best, Michael. She is out there doing her best.
Speaker B [00:24:01]:
She has experience. She’s not just, you know, a grad student, you know, trying to get a niche into this world, but rather she has experience. She’s married to a quad. And she knows I appreciate that. And I was attractive thing about it.
Speaker A [00:24:16]:
Yeah, I appreciate that so much. And I really do care about this community because these are big issues. Having so much weight on you that you can’t transfer. That’s like. That is one of our. My biggest kind of concerns, right, Is when I think about, you know, my husband is also tall. He’s like 6:1 or something like that. And 18 years injured.
Speaker A [00:24:40]:
If he were to gain like 20 pounds, I think it would be very hard to transfer. And right now he is probably like 99% independent. And I would like to keep it that way. It is not about. For me, it is not about the quad belly for him. And you, yes, you care about that stuff. Us wives, we don’t care so much about that. We want you to be in good health.
Speaker A [00:25:02]:
We want your kidneys to function well. We want you to be in as good shape as possible for as long as possible. So to me, it is like giving back to this community is like, well, I’m a dietitian and I’ve told you, like, there is no training for paralysis. Like, I went through a master’s program. And the one thing that they taught us, I can distinctly remember because at that time, I was dating my husband. We weren’t married yet. And I remember there was this one equation that they gave us that was like, how to calculate ideal body weight for somebody who’s a wheelchair user. And it’s like, now I laugh because I’m like, nobody knows how much they weigh.
Speaker A [00:25:44]:
I mean, very few people. You had access to the scale from doctor’s offices, right? Or some people go to physical therapy. There might be like a roll on scale. My husband has not been weighed in so long accurately. I don’t care what that number is. And yet at school, what they taught me was completely useless. So. So I appreciate, Michael, that you were willing to.
Speaker A [00:26:08]:
Willing to work with me because I think a lot of people do. A lot of wives do. Follow me from wags. You know, I am a wife of quadriplegic and I’m kind of in that community. And I think if so many women, I think, want this for their husbands or their boyfriends or their partners. But it’s like, if you don’t want to do it yourself. It’s like, no one’s going to convince you.
Speaker B [00:26:32]:
You feel I’m super independent. And so we have a very busy schedule, and so we’re not around each other a ton because of kids and work. And so, yeah, if I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t have done it. But I trusted the program. It seemed cool. I paid the money. I was like, okay, now I’m accountable.
Speaker A [00:26:56]:
Got some skin in the game, right?
Speaker B [00:26:59]:
Um, so I’m accountable. So I’m going to do this, and I’m going to trust the process. And it worked. You know, I’ve lost weight. I’ve learned a whole new style of eating, and it seems to be working. You know, I had a shoulder issue before that, but, like, now, like, I’ve been transferring better and good. Yeah, I mean, the bowels is a great thing, not having to spend so much time, no bleeding, and feeling satisfied. Like, I don’t.
Speaker B [00:27:21]:
I don’t. I’m not hungry between meals. Like, I’m hungry now because I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, but that’s because I got early. And so I’m not going to eat while I’m recording this.
Speaker A [00:27:30]:
But, like, although I would allow it. I mean, I would allow it because skipping meals, you know, is a. I’m.
Speaker B [00:27:35]:
Not going to skip meal. I will eat before I go to my next meeting. But so, like, awesome.
Speaker A [00:27:41]:
So, Michael, before I let you go, if there was one piece of advice that you could give to somebody out there who is either quadriplegic, paraplegic, and is like, I want to improve my health. Health, what would you tell them? Because health is the real basis here. The weight loss, the bowels, all that.
Speaker B [00:27:59]:
Is good health overall. That’s a big question, I think, honestly, seek out and ask for help. It may not be your program. I mean, your program has been great, and I’m sad that I don’t get to go to the meetings anymore, but I would say ask for help, because a lot of times, I mean, for me personally, like, oh, I got this. Like, I understand. Like, I can eat healthy. I got this. You know.
Speaker B [00:28:26]:
You know, nobody really knows my particular sei thing, but I think it’s, if you want to get healthy, you need to be part of a community that also wants to be healthy. And I think that was, like, the unexpected thing about this program is, like, being a part of the zoom calls weekly. Like, that was great. You know, like, you know, we are all different places of sci. You know, we had people with Cerebral palsy on there. We had people who are paraplegics. We had people who had been injured forever. And there’s been people who are injured a couple months in who are all.
Speaker A [00:28:55]:
Spina transmyelitis.
Speaker B [00:28:58]:
Yeah, like, all different. Different things. But yet at the same time, we were all there for one reason, is because we wanted to be healthier and we were all able to encourage each other. I mean, I, you know, just hearing people’s, like, stories and what they’re doing and what they’re eating, like, I don’t feel like. I feel like I gave a lot to that group, which is great. I didn’t. I didn’t feel like I. It was just cool to, like, hear other people’s experiences about it.
Speaker A [00:29:24]:
Yes. And I appreciate you so much because I know exactly what you are talking about. In that particular group, we had someone who was very newly injured. And sometimes the conversation really veers off from nutrition, which is, I think, natural. Right. Because a lot of people are not friends with or socializing with other wheelchair users. And so many of the people that join the program, I think in the beginning they’re sort of like, do you do one on one? Because, like, I’m not really into groups. I get a lot of those people.
Speaker A [00:29:55]:
And so I say, no, believe me, trust me, this is what you need. And then people end up making friends, People end up making connections. Because almost everybody in my group, like, works, has a full life. And so they’re not kind of hanging out in these sci groups or, you know, and those are great for certain purposes, but my clients tend to not be those types of people. And so to be in a community where you can talk about, like, I had a bowel accident, I think it’s because I drank too many beers or I ate chicken wings or whatever it is. I think very freeing.
Speaker B [00:30:30]:
Yeah, no, it was. It was great because, you know, especially like, oh, yeah, I had some fried food and then I asked and I was like, oh, yeah, like, that makes sense. Like that. That happens to me. You know, it’s validating.
Speaker A [00:30:44]:
It’s validating. You’re not the only one. And, you know, I feel like we talked so much about, like, I tell people you have to drink enough water, and it’s like, well, but how am I going to pee, you know, at my office? Or what if I have to pee? And it’s like, okay, this is something that everyone is dealing with. Like, well, I can’t cat 10 times a day. It’s like, this is working on a drinking schedule, you know, this is, even if that was not your question at the time, learning, I think, from other people and participating. And in your case, you know, you are correct. You gave a lot to that group and I appreciate you so much. The peer experience, you know, being in a community where everyone has the same goals, that’s, That’s, I think, the key to success in so many.
Speaker B [00:31:29]:
I mean, that’s a key to be healthy and healthy not only with your body, but healthy with your mind. I mean, yeah, as a wheelchair user, you can feel like an alien sometimes because you don’t typically see a lot. I mean, I live in a pretty. Like, I see people in wheelchairs quite a bit because I, I live in a really populated area. So, you know, I’m gonna, I’m gonna see him around, but I don’t, I don’t have friends, you know, like, the people I do know who are in wheelchairs are kind of spread out and we don’t really see each other. But, you know, the chances are the same way.
Speaker A [00:32:01]:
Like, doesn’t have any. He has friends. He was injured when he was 23 or 24. He has friends because they’re just normal, like, friends. He didn’t go and make special wheelchair, Wheelchair friends. I don’t have wheelchair friends, no. And my husband doesn’t either. And it’s interesting because I think that’s how most of the people in my program are where they’re just like, yes, I happen to be injured or I happen to have, you know, I happen to have paralysis, but I don’t hang out.
Speaker A [00:32:31]:
Right. In like groups of. Yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s.
Speaker B [00:32:34]:
No, I don’t. I’m not a part of any community like that because I don’t have the time. You know, there are ones.
Speaker A [00:32:38]:
Exactly.
Speaker B [00:32:39]:
I don’t have the time. I have little kids, I have a full time job. I’m a part owner of a. With my wife and a small business. Like, we, we just don’t have the time, you know, and the friends we do have are friends from my childhood who I’m still friends with now and then. Our friends and our immediate community, you know, which we barely get to a chance to get to hang out with anyway, so.
Speaker A [00:33:00]:
Exactly.
Speaker B [00:33:01]:
So I think that’s part of being healthy is you have to find a community that’s like you. And this really did. Like, I didn’t think I needed it, but it was great to be a part of those meetings and just listen, you know, I was listening more than, you know, doing anything else. And it was it was great. But that would be my advice. If you want to get healthy, you need to find a community that you can be healthy with. And it, you know, if it’s just checking in, that’s fine, but if you want to be healthy, I think that’s a key to it. The accountability part was huge too, because I knew that I had to post every day on Facebook and you would be critical about it and not like.
Speaker B [00:33:39]:
And not hold back, which I appreciate because my wife’s very much like you, who’s just like straight to it and not going to baby me because we.
Speaker A [00:33:46]:
Have work to do. We got work to do. I come from a place of compassion, but also we need to take this seriously. So I appreciate that. I think I’m not for everyone. I think some people do want to be babied and that’s a whole other issue when it comes to healthy lifestyle with paralysis. You know, the family factor. I just told my sister in law the other day, I was like, you have to come on the podcast and talk to people about the experience of being a loved one of someone, you know, in this case her brother, my husband, and going through that experience and what food means to you guys.
Speaker A [00:34:25]:
Because I think I shared this before that the trauma, right, of this injury makes people around you act a certain way. Right. And so some of it’s cultural, some of it is just human nature, right, that we want to feed people and comfort them and, you know, it has consequences. So no, I do not baby people, but I hope that I am kind in the.
Speaker B [00:34:48]:
You are kind. I mean, I always felt that like, you know, maybe other people didn’t, but I have my, you know, my wife’s very blunt and so like. But blunt in a loving way, not like rude.
Speaker A [00:34:58]:
It always comes from place of love. And I think that that is, is the key, right, is that we have to come from a place of love and empathy, but we also have to take it seriously, right? So it is, it is a delicate balance. And I’m so glad to.
Speaker B [00:35:12]:
I did pay for the service.
Speaker A [00:35:15]:
You pay for me to tell you.
Speaker B [00:35:16]:
You’Re wondering you were providing it. I didn’t need you to hold my hand. I wanted, I mean, I came into it, I wanted to know what to do. And you provided a ton of materials, which I still have. And so like, which is great. Even I reference the meal plans all the time. Okay, maybe I’m going to try this. I’m going to tweak it to our particular situation, you know, your preferences.
Speaker B [00:35:36]:
Great. And so, I mean, you provided a lot. Yeah, I feel like you provided a ton for what I paid in which it was worth it to me.
Speaker A [00:35:45]:
So amazing. That’s what I love to hear. So Michael, thank you so much for taking the time. I know you are busy. Michael was in his office at 7am.
Speaker B [00:35:53]:
I have a meeting in 20 minutes that I have to go to.
Speaker A [00:35:57]:
You have to eat breakfast so we’re gonna let you go. Michael, thank. Thank you so much. I appreciate you and I’m always here supporting for you, supporting you, rooting for you. And thank you so much for being on the podcast today.
Speaker B [00:36:10]:
You are welcome.
Speaker A [00:36:11]:
That’s our episode for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it and that you learned something new. Remember, if you want to lose weight with paralysis, improve your bowel health and feel your best you can. It’s possible, you just have to change your eating habits. If you need inspiration on how to get started, check out the paralysis Nutrition Cookbook. 101 recipes to help you lose weight and improve bowel health. The cookbook comes with a bonus 30 day meal plan and is the perfect way to start eating healthier.
Speaker A [00:36:40]:
You can find it online at paralysisnutrition.com cookbook I’ll talk to you again soon.
