Rude Awakenings

I have known for some time that I had not been as good as should be with my dietary habits and my physical activity.  After suffering a mild heart attack in 2005 I changed the way I ate.  I got my self off the sofa.  My weight dropped to 202 pounds.  Then slowly I reverted back to my old ways of eating and exercise, which was over eating and not exercising. 

For the past several months I have been telling myself that I need to do something.  I saw my weight hit 219 pounds, the highest amount that my eyes have witnessed while I stood on the scales.  In May I saw in Intermountain Stories an article about the 100-Day Heart Challenge.  It sounded like something I needed.  So I applied for the challenge.  I was thrilled when Janet Frank called me to tell me I had been selected.  My thoughts were "I now have something to give me structure and guidance.  It will be great."

THEN ... I walked into Day One - Official Weigh-in.  The weighing in was not my rude awakening, after all I weighed in at 218 pounds, 1 pound less than  the most I have ever weighed.  My rude awakenings came with the blood tests.  My Triglycerides were 560.  I knew they had been high for a few years, but no where near this high.  That reading was rude enough, but the rudest (IMO) was the blood sugar at 288 (over 200 is considered Diabetes).  Ouch!  That one hurt.  My blood sugar has been fine in the past and now I am possibly a diabetic?  Tell me it ain't so!!!  After our introduction meeting I called my wife Lee to tell her about the morning.  I could not tell her about the blood test results with out choking up.  Feelings of disappointment and letting her, my kids, and my granddaughters down ran rampant through my mind.  Rest assured though, no, I repeat, no feelings of despair are here!!!

I will be stopping at my doctor's office this morning for another blood test and I have an appointment with him on Friday.  Here's hoping that yesterday's blood test was just a fluke and that it is not as bad as it seems.  Regardless this episode has put some good old fashioned fear into me!  I need to make some big changes and do it now!!!