by yarnpetter » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:24 am
Hi all,
I've been lurking for a while (a couple of years actually) always planning on starting the program "tomorrow". I have fully believed in this program for a while and have been talking it up among my family. Then almost a month ago I had a conversation with my mom. She has fibromyalgia, stage 3 kidney disease and migraines. Because of her kidney disease they had taken her off many of her meds for her fibro and her migraines and she was miserable (heck, she was miserable ON the meds- off was worse). I suggested that since the doctors couldn't help her with her pain anymore that maybe she should try this program- what did she have to lose? Well, suffice it to say, after almost a month she is almost a new person. She still gets the occasional headache and some fibro discomfort but she is participating in life again and it is visible in looking at her she feels better. She states she was 50% better in 3 days and it just gets better every day.
So, what does that have to do with me? Well, I'm kinda embarrassed that I have known and believed in this program for years and still haven't started it. Part of my problem is that though I have a significant amount (almost 200 pounds) of excess weight all of my other health markers are very good. My cholesterol is 134 at last check with a good ratio of HDL to LDL. My triglicerydes were good (I can't find the report right now and don't remember the number but they were well in the normal range), my fasting blood sugar was 92, Heart rate-72 and blood pressure 117/72. I have been telling myself I was one of the "healthy obese" you hear about.
So, a couple of days ago I went for a fitness assessment to join a new health club. It was good for me and an eye opener. I scored in the 90+ percentile for my age in strength activities but in at 1% for cardiovascular fitness. 1%- there is pretty high mortality risks associated with that. Heck, I'm in the "at risk" level for increased mortality based on cardiovascular fitness alone for a 70 year old (I'm significantly younger than that). That is, hopefully, the wake up call that I need. It is very hard for me to work on increasing my endurance at the weight I am- exercising is just very strenuous.
So, my plan- I am beginning the McDougall regular plan and beginning a daily exercise plan. I can get another fitness assessment in 3-4 months to see how I am progressing. I know I derail my progress often by getting on the scale and having my mood dictated by what it says. So, I plan on staying off of the scale until my next fitness assessment. This plan, for me, is about getting healthy. If I follow it, it is not possible for me to not lose weight, so I am simply going to trust that.
I plan on journalling what I eat and what exercise I do daily here.
So, that is me- wish me luck.