Time To Change – The Check Up

Twice a year it happens.

I trot myself into my PCP (Primary Care Physician) for a checkup.  One is just a Diabetes Check, and the other is the annual physical.  Much to the confusion of the professionals in the office I tend to refer to them both as “physicals”.  The early year one is usually just the diabetic check.

That means getting in and getting stuck for all the various blood tests and taking a whiz into a small plastic vial.  I am always amused by the specific instructions on how to do this last task.  You are supposed to begin the process (into the toilet), stop, then fill the vial to at least halfway, then stop and finish in the toilet.  Am I “flushing the apparatus”?  Do I really want to know?  Probably not.  Even I’m not that curious.

Eating these last six months was OK but hardly impressive.  The wettest May in recorded Richmond history put me WAY behind on exercise.  I was fully expecting to get the stink eye from my doctor.  (For the record, I have a great PCP.  He is relaxed, answers all my dumb questions, and puts up with my natural impulse to deal with serious issues in a less than serious manner.  He’s everything I could hope for in a doctor.)

So I tried to pre-empt him.  I had peeked at the test results so I knew my A1C (THE number for a T2 diabetic) had remained steady.  That’s bad because it’s still a little higher than we want.  I knew my weight was pretty much exactly the same as last time.  Which was bad because it’s still about 15 pounds higher than we want.

But there were pleasant surprises as well.  My blood pressure, which has been an issue for several decades, was astoundingly low.  My LDL cholesterol (I think that’s the one) had dropped a significant amount, as did my fasting glucose number.  Those are both outstanding results!

The only thing I cant think of that helped was eating salad every blessed day that I substitute taught.  Whatever the cause I’ll take it.

The weather has improved, my schedule has changed and I am getting out to exercise some more.  The bike ride numbers are improving too.

So maybe at the next one, I will be able to improve those other numbers too!

Be healthy.

Onward.

My resolution remains:

 

I want to am going to be The Guy again.  The Guy weighed 175 pounds and looked good and felt good.  And his blood pressure was good and his blood tests were good.

 

 

Active Minutes – Goal is 150/week

Steps – Goal is 10,000/day

Watch my activity on my Fitbit page

Biking Mileage – Winter Break

I track my mileage with MapMyRide

The next milestone is getting back below 185.  I will get there and go on.

Official Weigh-In Weight

192 pounds

Weight Change this month -0.0 pounds

Total Weight Loss To Date: 1.0 pounds– Goal is -17  pounds

Goal Weight and Total to Lose – 175/35