An ex-employee from years ago invited us to lunch today. She's better as an ex-employee than as a current employee, but she's actually interesting to talk to. Anyway, shortly after we sat down at the Mexican restaurant she had chosen, I knocked an entire bowl of bean soup into my lap. It was not a pretty sight. I handled it with as much aplomb as I could muster and, after the majority of the juices and sauce and beans were off the table and out of my lap, we moved to another table. After lunch, I dropped my wife off at the office and drove home to change.
My doctor has given me instructions to lose weight, change my diet, and get exercise. He has good reason; my triglycerides were through the roof during my visit earlier this week...more than three times higher than just a year ago. My weight has increased quite alot during the same period. He gave me a prescription to see a dietitian, who he says can give me guidance on a diet to reduce triglycerides. He diagnosed me as being afflicted with dyslipidemia, a disruption of the amount of lipids in the blood. It's caused entirely by diet, he says. So, I have to examine what I'm eating....apparently, too much fatty food, etc.
So, I resolve to do what I should have been doing all along: get more exercise and eat a healthier diet...and minimize the empty calories of booze. We have the pedometers, now we have to use them. And I need to go ahead with my $300 bicycle and my daily walks at lunch.
3 comments:
Wasn't it Bette Davis who said, "Getting old ain't for sissies"? I used to think that was funny. Good luck to you. You're not alone. My rheumy-tologist got rather uncharacteristically excited about my triglycerides, too, when I saw him last week. His lecture was all about the things I already know that I need to do, same as you. (But it's 93 degrees today, so I'll go to the park tomorrow!) But really, I have cut back on the vino and started walking again with the beloved, and cut back on calories. Lost a pound and a half in a week or so. That'll do for a start. I can do it, and so can you. Those pedometers really rock.
And I'm kinda glad that "Beans and Exercise" didn't turn out the way I feared it would.
Walking is as good an exercise as any. Maybe you should make an evening walk part of your day - it would be a good way to unwind and perhaps your wife would like to go out then too. I go for a couple of walks during the day, but Don and I almost always go for a walk around sunset as it's cooler and such a nice time of day.
As for the diet, I know you like to eat out quite a bit, so why not try to find some good restaurants that offer a particularly healthy menu and try to eat there instead of dining at places that are heavy on the meat, fried foods, etc... . If nothing else, it might give you some ideas for foods that you could prepare at home. Some of my favourite recipes are based on salads, soups and other dishes I've had while eating at restaurants in Arizona and California. Btw, alcohol and sugar are particularly bad for anyone with high triglyceride levels, so cutting back on alcohol is probably a good move.
auntiemurray,isn't it too true...whoever said it, it's true: 'getting old ain't for sissies!'
Bev, you can bet that I'm latching onto your ideas. I'm for getting back into much better physical shape...it's a good thing!
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