"He'll be back in 5 minutes, he said. That was a month ago."
As my title suggests, it's been little more than a month since my last post. My apologies. Originally, I planned to return to blogging after the Easter holiday. The next week came and I failed to post. Then two weeks and so on. Here I am, however, with a brand new post.
This week's entry will feature three different subjects: my first doctor's visit since starting this adventure, exercise and current weight. Let's get to it shall we?
Doctor's visit
I've been to the doctor three times since my family returned to our hometown. Once, because I was sick. The second time, for blood tests. The third, for the results.
The most recent visit started off, as most do, with the scale. I was expecting to see a number on the doctor's scale similar to the one on my scale at home. No such luck. The doctor's scale was ten pounds off and not in my favor. I was perplexed and felt like the little boy who just watched someone pop his balloon. (That said, I've since learned the doctor's scale is always off. That said, I'm going to stick with the number on my home scale. It makes me feel better anyway.) Then, it was on to blood pressure and pulse measurement. Both turned out to be normal.
Next, the wait for the doctor.
When he appeared, we went through the particulars... family history and what not. Then, we talked about my diet. He asked all the important questions, and I answered them. Then, he asked if I was feeling okay. For the most part, my answer was yes. I explained I was dealing with some dizziness. He seemed mildly concerned. He took my blood pressure a few more times, both sitting and standing. In each instance, it was fine. In the end, he said that my body was still getting used to my new lifestyle, basically, "a dieting shock and awe." He said if the dizziness continued, I should schedule another appointment.
Next, the blood test results. Take a look for yourself.
You'll want to take a look at the line titled "2013" and compare those numbers with the line titled "Desirable." As you can see, the numbers are off quite a bit. My "bad" cholesterol is very low. It's under 130, where it should be, but it's almost too low. My "good" cholesterol is supposed to be above 60 and it's a 36. The doctor says the numbers reflect a couple of things.
1. My diet and exercise are working as they should. When a person engages in those activities on a regular basis, it lowers your cholesterol numbers. That's a good thing.
2. My current prescriptions may be too powerful. He didn't change them. Rather, he chose to give me another six months. If I continue to succeed with my diet and exercise and my next blood test reveals similar results, he may lower my dosage or even take me off the medications. THAT IS A BIG DEAL AND A VERY GOOD THING!
All in all, I would consider the doctor's appoint went well. Avoiding sickness, my next doctor's appointment is set for October.
Exercise
I feel pretty good with my exercise routine. I've moved from walking to jogging... for the most part. I still walk a little bit, but I try to jog most of the time. On average, I can jog a mile in between 14 and 15 minutes. Pretty cool for a dude my size.
I'm also finding new forms of exercise. I include playing outside with my daughter as well as yard work. If I sweat and am out of breath, I include it as an activity.
My wife and I, who is also dieting and exercising, are discussing the purchase of some workout videos or workout video games. We've not settled on anything as of yet. If you have any suggestions, please list them in the comments section of this blog post.
Current Weight
I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about where my weight is at the moment. Let me explain. I've not met my final goal, but I've crossed a pretty significant hurdle.
I'VE LOST MORE THAN 50 POUNDS!!!!
My current weight, as of Tuesday (4/30) morning is 341.8. I don't recall the last time I was under 350 pounds. Regardless, I still have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
In the words of The Doctor (Doctor Who that is), "Allons y!"
This week's entry will feature three different subjects: my first doctor's visit since starting this adventure, exercise and current weight. Let's get to it shall we?
Doctor's visit
I've been to the doctor three times since my family returned to our hometown. Once, because I was sick. The second time, for blood tests. The third, for the results.
The most recent visit started off, as most do, with the scale. I was expecting to see a number on the doctor's scale similar to the one on my scale at home. No such luck. The doctor's scale was ten pounds off and not in my favor. I was perplexed and felt like the little boy who just watched someone pop his balloon. (That said, I've since learned the doctor's scale is always off. That said, I'm going to stick with the number on my home scale. It makes me feel better anyway.) Then, it was on to blood pressure and pulse measurement. Both turned out to be normal.
Next, the wait for the doctor.
When he appeared, we went through the particulars... family history and what not. Then, we talked about my diet. He asked all the important questions, and I answered them. Then, he asked if I was feeling okay. For the most part, my answer was yes. I explained I was dealing with some dizziness. He seemed mildly concerned. He took my blood pressure a few more times, both sitting and standing. In each instance, it was fine. In the end, he said that my body was still getting used to my new lifestyle, basically, "a dieting shock and awe." He said if the dizziness continued, I should schedule another appointment.
Next, the blood test results. Take a look for yourself.
You'll want to take a look at the line titled "2013" and compare those numbers with the line titled "Desirable." As you can see, the numbers are off quite a bit. My "bad" cholesterol is very low. It's under 130, where it should be, but it's almost too low. My "good" cholesterol is supposed to be above 60 and it's a 36. The doctor says the numbers reflect a couple of things.
1. My diet and exercise are working as they should. When a person engages in those activities on a regular basis, it lowers your cholesterol numbers. That's a good thing.
2. My current prescriptions may be too powerful. He didn't change them. Rather, he chose to give me another six months. If I continue to succeed with my diet and exercise and my next blood test reveals similar results, he may lower my dosage or even take me off the medications. THAT IS A BIG DEAL AND A VERY GOOD THING!
All in all, I would consider the doctor's appoint went well. Avoiding sickness, my next doctor's appointment is set for October.
Exercise
I feel pretty good with my exercise routine. I've moved from walking to jogging... for the most part. I still walk a little bit, but I try to jog most of the time. On average, I can jog a mile in between 14 and 15 minutes. Pretty cool for a dude my size.
I'm also finding new forms of exercise. I include playing outside with my daughter as well as yard work. If I sweat and am out of breath, I include it as an activity.
My wife and I, who is also dieting and exercising, are discussing the purchase of some workout videos or workout video games. We've not settled on anything as of yet. If you have any suggestions, please list them in the comments section of this blog post.
Current Weight
I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about where my weight is at the moment. Let me explain. I've not met my final goal, but I've crossed a pretty significant hurdle.
I'VE LOST MORE THAN 50 POUNDS!!!!
My current weight, as of Tuesday (4/30) morning is 341.8. I don't recall the last time I was under 350 pounds. Regardless, I still have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.
In the words of The Doctor (Doctor Who that is), "Allons y!"
Haha, "Allons Y!" indeed. Congratulations! That's awesome! My only suggestion for jogging is pretend that a possessed Ood is behind you.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if you have Netflix. If you do, I think there is one or two work out videos there.
Congrats, man! You are doing great! That's a major milestone to cross. I'm very proud of you.
ReplyDelete