In the last couple of years or so of my marriage, the weight had crept on. I knew that I would eventually need to address it, but other things took priority after the divorce. As a part of the routine doctor's visit, she had me go for bloodwork. She and I were both quite shocked to find out that my cholesterol level had risen significantly. Granted, I shouldn't have been that surprised, given the fact that high cholesterol does run in my family. At any rate, we agreed that I should start cleaning up my diet and incorporating more exercise into my lifestyle. After four months, I would go back for more bloodwork to see if that helped any.
For the next four months, I did just that. I cleaned up my diet by eliminating most junk food and eating out less (especially fast food). I took up running and I made more visits to the gym. I really invested myself in this new lifestyle. As a bonus, the weight started coming off--not super fast, but steadily. I was really pleased with myself.
I went back for my cholesterol retest and was shocked to find out that my overall cholesterol level had risen despite my efforts. This simply confirmed that it wasn't so much a matter of lifestyle that contributed to it, but genetics. I went on medication and will be retested in a couple of months or so to see how well I'm responding to it
Despite the fact that my efforts didn't make much of a difference addressing the initial cholesterol issue, I continue to strive to keep up the lifestyle changes that I've made. Since my diagnosis, I've lost in the neighborhood of 20 pounds. I love the fact that I'm starting to get into smaller clothes. Ultimately, it's the good feeling I get from taking better care of my body that keeps me going, though.
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