Then the test results came, my doctors exact words "Your cholesterol levels are impressive."
"Thanks doctor, I'll take a compliment where I can," I respond with a fat smile on my face.
"I don't mean in a good way Alicia, I mean badly, your cholesterol is 271, normal should be be between 125 - 200, you could drop dead of a heart attack at 26," she concluded.
My smile turned dumbfounded and my jaw dropped to the floor, along with my stomach and heart. Way to make a young person feel mortally in danger doc.
She of course discussed how I could help this situation without modern medicine, exercise, diet, fish oils and flaxseed. I jumped on this, I did not want to take medicine, I'm young and single, I still want to have kids, what kind of effect can cholesterol meds have on that?
I started going to the grocery store weekly and loaded up on yogurt (which I already love), fresh veggies and fruit. I lessened my fatty carbohydrates and added in more whole grain carbohydrates. Flaxseed lasted through about two weeks of good effort and then I gave up. I bought yoga dvds and took to those and riding the stationary bike every day until it got warm enough to ride my regular bike.
An amazing thing happened when I got my blood work done 3 months later, my cholesterol dropped 41 points, I felt better, looked better and found myself buying smaller jeans. This instilled a lifestyle change in me towards healthier living. Don't let this post fool you though, I still splurge (more often than I should!)
This winter was busy and hard, but I have set more goals for myself and taken to pick my exercise back up.
I volunteered at The Bank of America Chicago Marathon this past October and found it to be an amazing experience. I was in a spotter tower 20 feet off the ground watching the runners as they walked the recovery path to the after party. Our goal was to observe them and if anyone looked like they were about to pass out to notify the medics to the runner and if they laid down to yell at them to keep moving (you have to do that after such a hard work out on your body even though your mind tells you to sleep). As I watched these runners I saw every age and shape imaginable. And kept thinking, "if they can do this then surely I can!"
That brings me to goal number 1. Run a 5k by the end of 2012.
I am well on my way to succeeding with this goal. I went to a running store and purchased my first ever pair of running shoes after being properly fitted and observed by an expert. On Monday, March 19th, I started the Couch to 5K program. This is a challenge for me as I have never been athletic because I never had to be, I was a music geek. I am a tiny girl with a great metabolism but I recognize it is starting to slow down and I can head off a lot of health issues with the lifestyle change of learning to be fit. In order motivate me even further, I signed up for my first 5K, the Color Run in Kansas City. I am running it with my sister-in-law who also recently tried running and is about 4 weeks ahead of me in the Couch to 5K program. It's a huge encouragement to know we are doing this together, even if we are 500 miles away from each other at the moment. There is definitely strength in numbers, even if it's mentally.
And to transition to Goal number 2. Ride a 50 mile bike ride by the end of 2012.
I have always enjoyed biking and have the joy of having two men in my family who are very passionate about cycling. My dad and my brother. Watching them pick up bicycling and riding century rides (100 miles) in the past 8 years has been awesome. I couldn't be left out and started to partake in short rides with my dad. I recognized last year that my bike was a very heavy frame and I rarely went past 7 mile rides. So this spring, I ordered a new bike and boy has it made all the difference. My longest ride so far is 13 miles in one day and I have put 37 miles on my new bike so far this year. I have affectionately named it "The Gonz" after Gonzo from the Muppets. The Gonz and I have a long summer ahead of us that I look forward to taking to the roads and riding all over. It's pretty sad when your old man is more fit than you and 25 years my senior. No more trailing behind him, this year I will keep up and will do at least a 50 mile ride with him.
The icing on the cake...err, no icing, that's bad for my cholesterol...is my blood test is the end of April. I can't wait to see what a year of watching my diet and exercising more than I ever have in my life will do for my numbers.
