So I finally went back to the Dr. to have another round of blood work done.
2 years ago I received some pretty disturbing news - my cholesterol was over 260. Not good when you're only 28, and have the wonderful family history that I do. Over those 2 years, Taryn & I made some moderate changes to our diet. We started cooking more at home, watching Top Chef and destroying our kitchen about once per day, 4 or 5 nights a week. I've cut down on the chips and switched from something like the Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles to the Whole Grain Pepperidge Farm crackers. It's a start - I'm weening. Having a Toddler has made sure that I'm getting additional exercise - not just the 10 hours on my feet at work, but another couple each night rough-housing with the Biddles. We've been going to the park on days off (weather permitting) and spending time walking around our neighborhood.
All very slight changes - but I guess they add up. I went to see my Dr. on Wednesday, following up on a visit I had a month ago, where the new blood work was ordered. I found out that the results for the testing they did for Diabetes and blood-sugar levels, thyroid, kidney & liver function, etc., were well within normal range. I could lower my blood sugar a bit further, but it's not bad.
Then the big news. I lowered my cholesterol by 60 points!
2 years ago my LDL (bad cholesterol) was 196 - it's now 134.
My Triglicerides (another bad cholesterol) were 120 - it's now 75.
My HDL (the good cholesterol) was just 42 - it's now 53.
Overall, I went from a total of 265 down to 202. Not too shabby for a half-assed effort. With a little more progress on the food and exercise, I should be looking pretty good for a while. I'll be going back each year to check my levels and keep up on my progress. But what makes me really happy is knowing that I don't have to rely on a prescription medication to keep myself healthy.
Onward.
