Da Numbers (beaming ear to ear over here...)

Saturday, November 07, 2009

"i DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' MEDS!"

That is what I told my wonderful doctor during my annual physical last October. Blood pressure was 130/90 (which was crazy high for me). Weight was 195. At that point, I had been Sparking along for a few months and had dropped 25 lbs. Doc mentioned that I "might need to go on a low dose of BP meds" to get it under control. I was determined to get the blood pressure back to normal on my own (and I did it within the next 4 months). The cholesterol was still up over 200, but the ratios were acceptable.

My journey continued to shed, shed, shed, the extra weight that hung on my body like an anvil. I knew I had no business weighing that much with my 5'2" frame. During a Feb '09 OBGYN visit I checked in around 160 lbs. Much to my dismay, the cholesterol shot up (WTF???).

I wasn't discouraged. I kept chugging along. Watched the sodium and nutrients. Got the exercise in. More determined than ever before to find a balance in my life. To restore my health. To be where I knew in my true heart that I was supposed to be all along.

Today I received results from my Oct. 2009 physical. What a HUGE difference losing those last 30 lbs has made!

Here comes DA NUMBERS (and my love letter to SparkPeople):

OCT' 08
**********************************
Total Cholesterol = 224
HDL = 60
LDL = 134
BP = 130/90
Triglycerides = 150

FEB '09
**********************************
Total Cholesterol = 232
HDL = 60
LDL = 143
BP = 110/70
Triglycerides = 147


OCT '09
**********************************
Total Cholesterol = 196 (first time under 200 in probably 15 years)
HDL = 63
LDL = 114 (Holy Cow!)
BP = 110/80
Triglycerides = 95 (wowee!)


Moral of the story:
Never, ever let anyone (especially yourself) tell you that you cannot do it. You can. Keep moving to where you know you need to be.

It's really not about whether your thighs (or belly, or butt, etc) are fat and jiggly or if you have a double chin. You gotta get those health digits in order. Big might indeed be beautiful for some, but my body simply doesn't work that way in its healthiest state.

For you 20-somethings and 30-somethings out there: believe me, the game changes when you hit 40. Neglect catches up to you much faster -- so get this stuff squared away early. I'm so grateful that I woke up and got the job done at age 45. Only took a year. Best part is that I eat, drink, and I'm pretty doggone merry! My only goal now is to keep my vow to never, ever return to that unhealthy, unhappy state again. I know I can do that now.

"I don't need no stinkin' meds" You got that right :)

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The Random Kindness of Strangers

Friday, November 06, 2009

A total stranger approaches me on a subway platform.

"Have you been waiting long?" she asks in her native New Yawker accent.
[No one EVER talks to anyone on a NYC subway platform unless they are tourists. In the interest of full disclosure, it does happen to me quite a bit.]

Who is this person? She's a fashionably pulled together slim woman "of a certain age" wearing a stylish cap, jeans and a short down jacket. She strikes up a conversation about the weather. I give a couple of uninteresting, 1-2 word answers. She proceeds comfortably from there. She tells me her daughter (38 y/o) finally had a baby after 7 years of trying. She goes on to say other things as we both board the train and continue our talk from our seats.

She inquires: "Do you have kids?"
"No" I reply.
"Oh, that's why you look so calm and rested!" She asks: "Do you plan to have kids?"
"That ship has sailed for me at my age." I reply. "I'm 46 y/o."
"What??? Are you kidding me? I'm 56! Neither of us look it! [she is correct about herself, I must say].

As she head's out the door -- the conversation coming to a close after only 3 short subway stops -- she shouts:

"Whatever you are doing, keep on doing it...it's WORKING!"

Made my whole week.

THIS is why I love living in NYC. Our cast of characters rivals any on this planet.

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Break from Food Tracker...Yes or No?

Saturday, October 31, 2009

For anyone who is maintenance mode:

Have you successfully maintained your weight loss without using the food tracker?

I've been maintaining for about 2 months. I'm considering going without tracking next week to see if my eating instincts are in a good place.

I don't mind entering the data as it does let me know where I am with the various nutrients. Just wondering how others approach this. It's a little scary to "fly solo", but I may be ready to give it a try.

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Sweet Potatoes

Monday, October 26, 2009

Slice 'em up. Put 'em in the oven. Enjoy the sweet, starchy goodness. Nothing better.

Maybe, just maybe, these will get me through the recent wave of hard candy/Tootsie Pops consumption going on around here. Sugar madness always sets in this time of year. It's like my bod wants to pack on the insulation for winter. Thankfully, it will all be gone by Saturday night!

At least we don't buy chocolate to give out for Halloween. Having that stuff around the house for 2 weeks would be a major mistake for me. No candy corn either. I can eat about 100 of those little buggers without blinking. That stuff is like crack. I don't miss the post-sugary intake stomach ache. It used to get me every time.

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Sneezes and Aches and Pizza...oh my!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

"Feed a cold" Yup, thats' what I did today. Too bad that activity doesn't show up in the SP calories burned fitness tracker, LOL.

Being sick and lounging with aches and pains on the couch is just no fun. I've been so hungry today. And not just because I'm bored with the germ-a-polooza going on in my body at the moment. My husband brought it home -- yet again. I love the guy, but he doesn't seem to grasp the importance of hand sanitizer in a world where everybody coughs and nobody covers their mouths. What can i do?

Answer: I had PIZZA. It was pretty tasty. Thin crust. Fresh tomato and basil on top. Not too much cheese or oil oozing all over it. It's been a good long while since my last slice and I've been eating fairly well across the past week. However, I have a mental picture of those 4 slices marching double-time, in formation to affix to my lower body. Ludicrous of course, but it's an uncomfortable visual just the same.

Tomorrow it is back to the more reasonable food for me. Don't know if I'll be up to facing my treadmill (or Jillian) by then, but once I do recover, I'm jumping back in feet first.

With visions of evil pizza slices dancing in my head.

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