Why are Good Test Results Demotivating?

Posted on

Two weeks have flown by since I got the great news that my lo-co lifestyle changes are working to drive my cholesterol down.  But instead of motivating me to stay on track, I’ve gone haywire.

Here’s what’s happened since I got the results:

  • I have only cooked ONE lo-co dinner.
  • We’ve eaten take-out Pizza, Chinese Food and Indian Food nearly every night.
  • I have not made (or even ordered out) a single salad for lunch or dinner.
  • Consuming Phish Food ice cream while prone on the sofa watching The Biggest Loser or some other TV show is still a nightly treat (though in truth,

READ MORE

The Siren Call of Girl Scout Cookies and Easter Candy

Posted on

In a cruel twist, the day after I received my directionally-positive cholesterol news, the 9 boxes of girls scout cookies we ordered arrived.

Yes, nine. Yes, that’s embarrassing (though in my defense, we like to support the neighborhood girls. And yes, I realize we could have given them the money and donated the cookies. Somehow, though, that’s not what happened.)

Sadly for my lo-co goal, only 1 was a box of “Tagalongs” – the peanut butter cookies I despise. All the rest were Thin Mints and Samoas – which to me are the very definition of irresistible.

READ MORE

Cholesterol Test Results!

Posted on

The results are in!  The results are in!  Three months of lo-co lifestyle changes and the results are…..(wait for it!)…. Mixed.

Mixed.  Can you see my eyes rolling?

OK, so here’s the great news:

  • My total cholesterol dropped from 267 to 227.  Still not at/below the 200 target, but a significant improvement.  And a return to my ‘normal’ cholesterol level.
  • LDL (bad) cholesterol also dropped from 167 to 139.  This is close to the <130 goal, and again, a more ‘normal’ result for me.

And the bad news:

  • My HDL (good) cholesterol dropped from 81 to 50. 

READ MORE

The Triple Threat Oatmeal Breakfast

Posted on

Breakfast offers a surprising opportunity to easily add several cholesterol-lowering foods to your daily diet. Simply changing to oatmeal with a few key mix-ins is a lo-co triple threat.

After a lot of trial and error, here’s the breakfast I now have nearly every morning:  A cup of whole-grain oatmeal (read, steel cut oats, not instant – recipe attached), with a bit of sugar, a lot of cinnamon, and the following mixed in:

  • A handful of almonds – dry roasted and unsalted.  I cut mine in half.  As I do not like almonds, I thought I would hate this,

READ MORE

Downward Dog Bit Me

Posted on

I bit the yoga bullet this week, fully expecting to quickly feel the benefits of all that balancing and stretching on my over-tight achilles, calves and hamstrings.

Instead, downward dog bit me.

Let me start by saying how embarrassing it is to get hurt doing yoga.  Especially since I’m a good athlete…and I’ve done yoga before.  I mean, I’m no pro or anything and it’s been years since I’ve ‘graced’ any yoga studio with my presence, but I do know the basics.  And it’s not inherently dangerous like tennis (last week a friend got hit in the face with the ball.)  So while my legs felt great after the yoga class,

READ MORE