The Brutal Facts

OK, so the whole point of this blog is that I can come here to jot down my thoughts, hopes, dreams, etc. But, my lack of posting either means that I have no thoughts, hopes, or dreams, or it means that I'm lazy and undisciplined. I'll go with the latter. More on that...

I've never considered myself to be a very disciplined person. I'm not particularly good at time managament, my desk is pretty disorganized, and the size of my body is a good indicator that I'm not very disciplined in the area of diet and exercise, either. This has always been very frustrating to me, but it's a hard thing to get a hold of and make changes. But, at least in one area, I received some news today that is I hope will shock me into discipline, whether I like it or not.

I went to the doctor to get some blood work done regarding my overall health. Namely, a blood glucose check and a lipid panel (cholesterol, triglycerides, etc). Given my family history of diabetes and heart disease, I've been dreading these tests. But, I figured that I should know the "brutal facts" before I start attempting to make some permanent changes in my lifestyle. The results were, indeed, brutal.

Total cholesterol: 265 *normal: under 200*
HDL ('good' cholesterol): 40 *normal: at least 60*
LDL ('bad' cholesterol): 171 *normal: under 100*
Triglyerides: 244 *normal: under 100*
Blood glucose: 108 *normal: under 126*

Pretty grim. The blood glucose level is OK, but everything else screams "future heart attack patient". I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor next Tuesday. So, it's time to make some serious, SERIOUS changes in the way I live. I'm a little tired of going around this hamster wheel of weight loss and weight gain. I'm ready to be a healthy, physically fit man. My little boy is always running around the house, asking to play football, basketball, ride bikes, etc. I just don't want to end up like my dad did, spending the last 15 years of his too short life in and out of hospitals. It's just not an option.

So, stay tuned for more of The Science's transformation. I don't anticipate an easy journey, but I can think of no better way to chronicle my path than on this blog. More to come...