Well, I went in for my loverly yearly well woman exam yesterday. Everything was well for that, thank goodness. Because of my family's health history, I requested a cholesterol check. My dad passed away in May from either a heart attack or stroke at the age of 53. My paternal grandfather died at the age of 54 from a heart attack. My maternal grandfather has heart disease, diabeties and various other ailments. He's suffered two or three heart attacks in the last several years. Well, that being said, I went in for my fasting blood work at 1015am, not expecting to hear back form my doctor until after the holiday weekend. Imagine my surprise when I got a call back by 1pm.
After my doctor thinking we were just getting a baseline, we find out that my LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) is 151. It should be between 80 and 130 so it's high. My HDL (the "good" cholesterol) is 46. It should be between 40 and 60 with above 60 being ideal. Yep. I'm not even thirty and I have high cholesterol. This blog is an effort to help me keep track of my weight loss and back to health journey. I hope that it can also help some one else. I have 6 months to get my cholesterol back to with in normal ranges with diet and excercise. If this doesn't work, I'm onto meds.
To understand why I need to do this, you have to have atleast the basics of my health history. I am 29 years old and will be thirty in December. I am a working (36 hours per week at a local long term care facility) mother to two children and have been married for 8 years. I weigh (GULP) 219 pounds as of yesterday and stand 5ft 6in tall with a BMI of 35. I have Grave's Disease (a thyroid disorder) and because of treatment, take a daily medication to replace my thyroid hormone. I have acid reflux and am also on a medication for that. I have a history of knee problems that started when I was 70 pounds lighter so I know weight didn't cause those. Because of my knee issues, it is recommended that I not run or do squats for fear of dislocating my knee cap.
Now, that you "know" me healthwise, here are my short term goals.
1) More fruits and veggies
2) Less fried foods, as little as possible
3) Lower the intake of salt, sugar, saturated fats, and transfats
4) Get my doctor's recommended 30-45 minutes of moderate excercise daily
5) Start taking 2grams of fish oil daily
Here are my long term goals
1) Lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good
2) I'd ultimatly like to lose between 70 and 85 pounds. That would put me at a weight of between 134 and 149 pounds
3) Lower my thyroid medication dosage (I MUST have this medication to survive and function normally, I can't stop taking it because it regulates your metabolism)
4) Get off my GERD (acid reflux) medication
5) Drop three to four dress sizes (I am currently a size 16/18)
If anybody can recommend good, tasty recipes that aren't loaded with fat but are loaded with flavor, I'd love them! Just post a link in my comment section!
