I know my numbers. Do you know yours? – The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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So much of what we all focus on when trying to lose weight are numbers:

  • Pounds lost and gained
  • Calories/Points eaten
  • Inches lost
  • Minutes (Hours?) of exercise
  • Clothes sizes

But what about another set of numbers?  When’s the last time you had your cholesterol and triglycerides checked?

My dad was overweight for most of his adult life.  It took a doctor to tell him that he needed to shed some pounds.  And he did so with such determination that I am still amazed when I see his “before” pictures.

But even after he lost the weight, he was still having some health problems.  A simple blood test revealed that his cholesterol was high and he had elevated triglycerides.

He tried to get the numbers down by changing the foods he ate (ditching almost all products containing hydrogenated oils – my dad is a champion label reader) and taking fish oil supplements every day, but it still wasn’t enough.  In addition to the fish oil supplements, he now takes daily cholesterol meds.

Sometimes, genetics is a pain in the ass.

I was talking to him recently and he told me that one of my brothers and two of my sisters were having the same issues that he was.  They are now doing their best (usually) to get their numbers under control.

I decided it was time to get myself to the doctor.  The blood test took less than 5 minutes and I got the results in a few days.

Thankfully, my results were all within normal ranges.  The changes that I’ve been making for myself over the past couple years are paying off in places other than the scales and the fitting room.

In this case, knowledge was a powerful thing.  If I hadn’t known about my dad and siblings, I NEVER would have gotten my blood tested.  Don’t take for granted that which you cannot see!

If you want more information on cholesterol and how it affects you, be sure to check out the American Heart Association website.

My Numbers: Total Cholesterol – 175  (Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable) Triglycerides – 114  (Less than 150 mg/dL: Normal) HDL Cholesterol – 85  (Greater than 40mg/dL: Desirable)

LDL Cholesterol – 67  (Less than 100 mg/dL: Optimal)