August 14, 2014

Yearly physical

It was another gorgeous day outside, but Jerry was working this morning, so I didn't get a chance to go outside for a run. Instead, I just opened up all the windows in the house and ran three miles on the treadmill. I was hoping to run sub-9:00 miles, because I haven't seen very many of those lately. I set the treadmill on 6.8 mph for the first couple of miles, and then I bumped it up a bit for the last mile.

I was expecting it to feel really difficult, because I haven't been running even close to that pace lately, but I felt really good the whole run. I'd like to get back to running three miles once a a week at a pace that gets slightly faster each week. Today's three mile run time was 26:32, so next week, I'll try and finish a little faster than that. When I was at my fastest in winter/spring 2013, that's what I used to do.


The morning went by so fast! I didn't really even accomplish much (other than the run), but before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I made some more olive tapenade, because I didn't want the fresh herbs I'd bought to go bad, and I still have leftover olives. I ate that with some crackers and a cup of the leftover broccoli cheddar soup from last night. It was heavenly!

This afternoon, I had a doctor's appointment for my yearly physical. I didn't go last year, because Jerry had switched jobs and it wasn't required for the new insurance, but now that he's back at his previous employer, we have to get a physical once a year. Insurance costs more if you're a smoker, or your BMI is over 30, or you have high cholesterol, or other things like that.

I wasn't worried about anything, because I'm not a smoker and my numbers have all been good since losing the weight. I was surprised, then, to see that my cholesterol was high--227! The doctor said not to worry about it at all, because my HDL ("good" cholesterol) was the reason for it being so high. My HDL was 115, and my doctor said an HDL level that high is pretty much unheard of, but that it was a good thing. My triglyceride and LDL ("bad" cholesterol) were both on the low end of the normal range, so that was good.

On one hand, I'm glad that my HDL is so high (the recommended HDL is 40+); but on the other hand, I hope that my total cholesterol being high doesn't end up costing us extra for our health insurance.

It's kind of interesting... when I lost weight several years ago through diet alone, my total cholesterol dropped significantly in a short amount of time. It was over 200 before losing weight, and then dropped to 170-ish. My HDL at the time was 44. This time around, I lost weight through diet AND exercise, and while my total cholesterol is higher, my HDL jumped up by 71 points! I'm inclined to think that it's due to running. Anyway, other than the cholesterol issue, everything else is good.

I was supposed to go to Renee's for wine tonight, but I had a bad headache all day. I got ready to go to her house, and then I even drove halfway there, but I turned around and went back home. I've had a headache for a couple of days, and I really hope I'm not getting sick. Noah is better now, thank goodness, so we just need to keep everyone healthy until Punta Cana!

11 comments:

  1. Exercising makes your hdl go higher. That's proven. Good for you !

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  2. HDL levels are higher in conditioned athletes; no worries! You are a healthy gal;)))

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  3. i just looked up my results online and as of june 23 i was at 53 HDL. my doc has always commented on how she can tell i work out and to keep it up. makes me feel better when i have a few weeks where i lose nothing, at least my overall health is improving.

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  4. That would really suck if they just looked at the total number and not see that you are high on the good one!

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  5. I have the same issue with sky-high "good" cholesterol over 100 which inflates my overall # into the danger zone. My mom also has this, and she only does low-impact exercise and wouldn't call herself a well-conditioned athlete. So there could be a genetic component too.

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  6. Are u ever weighing in again? U were so inspirational. Not sure why you don't admit to the number and allow as to join u even during those times. A lot of us lose and gain.

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    1. I would like to, and I probably will start doing weekly weigh-ins again this fall. It's always hard to post them when my weight is up, because even though 99% of the comments and emails I get are supportive, there are always one or two that say hurtful things--that I'm a failure, that it's no wonder I've gained weight, because I eat ____ (fill in the blank), etc. I'm very sensitive, and it's hard to read that stuff. But most people are so kind and helpful that I know it would be good for me to post when I've gained. I've been juggling the same 2-3 pounds for several months, so it really hasn't changed much. I'm curious to see how this intuitive eating plays out!

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    2. Anonymity suits you for saying what you said. Katie is not defined by a number and if you feel that she is no longer an inspiration to you because, at this time, she chooses not to share that number than I feel sorry for you. I am quite sure many many people have received inspiration from her on things that have nothing to do with weight loss. Katie has allowed all of us a glimpse into her life, some more personal moments than others and she could at any time say screw it I am done. So in closing I will say, if you can't find inspiration in what she does choose to post and you can't think of anything nice to say than please, don't say anything at all.

      Sorry for butting in Katie.

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    3. "Admit to the number"? There's nothing to admit to. It's your journey and you can share (or not share) whatever details you choose. You're an inspiration either way.

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    4. Dear anonymous...please post a picture with your name and your face and your weight. Then repeat weekly. What??? You don't have time to do this because you are out living your life? Hummm.... Someone else's number on a scale should not be your focus. Katie is inspiring not because she struggles but because she has the courage to put herself out there. Her kindness and generosity are what inspire me everyday.

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  7. Katie- I wanted to let you know I spent my evening at work reading your blog (I started from the beginning a week ago or so) instead of stuffing my face with what I'm sure was the most delicious chocolate cake (cause I've had it before). Thank you for blogging about the highs and lows... makes my journey seem more "normal". P.S.- I totally want to travel from Iowa to Indy for the half marathon!

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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