Trust the Process Revisted

Whoa! It’s not even noon and I’ve had a full day. I have so many thoughts racing in my head right now. After writing, I’m going to do some meditating….

I had my quarter doctor’s visit this morning. I was really nervous. My workouts have been inconsistent. I haven’t been feeling my best. My food has been okay but I feel I could have done better. I was so nervous about seeing those numbers I almost cancelled my appointment.

Results: I’m two pounds down since my last appointment. I admit I was disappointed. I was also shocked. I was convinced I had gained weight. My blood pressure was the lowest it’s been in years – 102/68! I can’t believe it! Next, my A1c – 6.0. My doctor is pleased. It’s been pretty steady – as far as she is concerned, my diet is on point. Of course, in my dis-eased mind, I want the number to be below 6.0. My cholesterol is good. I can’t remember the numbers and I forgot to ask for a copy of my results. I plan to stop by the office later today or tomorrow to get them.

Finally, my TSH – it has gone up from 2.3 to 3.8. Whoa! So this is what has been going on with my fatigue and inability to drop some pounds. I have no idea what’s going on with my thyroid. My doctor is increasing my Synthroid. Hopefully we can get my thyroid level back where it needs to be. This is going to help my energy level and improve my workout performance and results. My doctor was quick to remind me that when I started on this journey my TSH was over 4. It will be okay. Trust the process.
So, on the way home I really had to take a hard look at myself. How many times am I going to have to relearn the lesson of trusting the process? My doctor has no complaints about my health. She isn’t even worried about my weight. She said I am obviously doing something right because my lab results give her an accurate picture of how I have been eating and exercising. She advised me to just keep doing what I am doing. I am the healthiest I have been in years. Why can’t I just accept this? Sigh....

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After my doctor’s appointment, I headed straight for the Greenway. Since I had to cut my run short on Monday, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to run the entire 3.1 miles. Yesterday I spent time stretching and making sure I drank enough water. I felt pretty good today. In fact, when I did my body checks, I realized I felt better than thought. I really have to do my best to listen to my body instead of my thoughts.

This is my lesson for today: My thoughts can be very deceptive. I cannot always trust what I am thinking. I have an eating plan. I have a training plan. If I can just stay focused on my plans, the results will take care of themselves. Trust the process!

The Good, The Bad, The Encouraging

I just returned from my doctor's appointment. I like my new doctor. I think Dr. G did a great job in choosing her to take over her patients. She has the same approach about prescribing as little medication as possible. Well, according to her scale, I've gained five pounds since my visit three months ago. The encouraging news is that she thinks it may be due to the results of my thyroid test. My TSH is 4.21. I think that's the highest it's been. Anyhow, she wants it to be around 2.0. So, she's going to work on tweaking the dosage on my Synthroid. This gives me encouraging hope that my efforts have not been in vain. I truly believe I've been giving it my all during my workouts. Hopefully, getting my thyroid regulated will help kick my metabolism in gear. The bad news is that my A1c went it. Last visit it was 6.0. The visit it was 6.1. It's not that big of a deal but my goal is to get it under 6.0. My plan of action is to make sure I'm getting enough protein and work on paying more attention to my carb intake. The good news is that she's cutting my cholestoerol meds in half! My total cholesterol is still 100. My HDL is 65 and my LDL is 19. So I have some work to do. I already set a goal to add more green veggies to my food plan. I think this will help lower my A1c. There's not that much I can do about my thyroid besides take my medication. I will continue to monitor my fat intake and eat my oatmeal for breakfast.

Progress and The Big Picture

I received my test results the other day.  My A1c moved from 6.1 to 6.0.  I'm so happy.  My doctor is pleased because the goal is 6.5.  I'm still bound and determined to get is below 6.0 and get off diabetes medication.  She's discouraging me from this goal.  I do trust her judgment and know she supports my goal to be on as little medication as possible (unlike my previous pill-pushing doctor.) Then again, she thought my goal to participate in a 5K was "quite ambitious." 

Speaking of 5Ks, I had a blast at AIDS Walk Atlanta on Sunday.  Unfortunately, I was unable to time myself.  I was walking with others and we had to stop a few times for a friend to catch her breath.  It was a very humbling experience for me to be able to be there encouraging someone else.  I am almost shocked that I'm in such great shape.  I say "almost" because it was nice to get confirmation that all those workouts are paying off.  Sometimes I start losing sight of the big picture -- improved health.

The scale may not be moving as quickly as I like but my lab results look great and I'm in pretty good physical shape.

Back in the Gym

I'm slowly getting back into my sweaty groove.  My knee is still a bit stiff.  I am taking it easy, stretching, and doing a few lunges and squats.

My test results revealed my estrogen level is low.  My doctor wants my number to be around 100.  Right now it's at 35.  No wonder I've been feeling awful!

I'm going to give it another week or two and then I plan to restart the couch to 5K program.  I think I'm going to start from Week One.  I have to admit I am very disappointed that I am not going to meet my September goal. 

I'll cross the finish line sooner or later.

Test Results

I'm pretty pleased with my quarterly test results.  Everything is within the normal ranges.  I'm still working on lowering my A1c.  Right now it's at 6.1.  Even though my doctor's goal for me is 6.5, I'm determined to get it below 6.  I want off this medication!

My total cholesterol went from 123 to 100.  It appears eating oatmeal is paying off. 
Triglycerides: 93
HDL: 51

November Update

I really need to make a commitment to update my blog more regularly.

I'm doing okay. My knee is still giving me trouble. I haven't been doing much exercise. I have been attending OA meetings and working on my eating. This is going tremendously well. I'm done another three pounds. Even though OA is not a weight loss program, it is enforcing to see some physical results from working the program.

I went in for my four-month check up last week. I haven't received my labs yet.

Once I'm moved into my bachelorette pad, I will be able to get back into a regular routine. I'm really torn about getting rid of some of my equipment. I'm moving from a four bedroom house into a two bedroom apartment. I just won't have room for everything. There's a fitness center in the complex so I think it's going to work out okay. I just have a lot of sentimental attachment to the items. They are symbolic of a new chapter in my life.

Hopefully, I can make it back later on this week and catch up with my followers. I've missed following everyone's journey and pray you've been doing well.

Test Results

Well today I received the results of my CA 125 test - 72. The nurse told me it should be under 35. I will be discussing all this with the doctor on Monday.

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I also received my test results from my Endocrinologist:

A1c - 6.0
Total Cholesterol - 123 - I'm very pleased about this!
Triglycerides - 116
HDL - 56
Vitamin D - 46.4

Test Results Are In

I'm not happy. I obviously have not been eating right for the past four months. My numbers are up a bit. The proof is in the test results.



A1c - 6.4. It was 6.0. Even though my doctor's goal for me is 6.5, I wanted it to be lower. I really want to get off this medication. I hope she doesn't want to increase my meds again. I thought I was doing great on this lower dosage? What happened to my goal of being in the 5% club????

Cholesterol - 156. It was 130. This is what you get when you get buttered popcorn two or three nights a week. Even though I have this habit under control NOW, the test results show what it was doing to my health. Wise up, Sheila!

Triglycerides - 141. It was 129. You still want butter on that popcorn?

HDL - 50. This remained the same.

Vitamin D level - 34.9. It was 37.6.

Okay, I've been procastinating for the past hour about going out for a walk. This should be incentive enough. See ya!

Four Month Follow Up

I had my doctor's appointment today. For the most part, it was pretty positive. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do.

I don't even know where to begin with my thoughts right now. I just know I need to start writing and get it out. As much as I like my doctor, she really pissed me off today. She was giving me strategies about my weight loss...adding protein, focusing on my weekend eating, etc. Then she said something that pissed me off! She said I shouldn't waste my time trying to lose like 100 pounds, it isn't realistic, and I wouldn't be able to keep it off. WTF!?! She goes on to tell me I've done a lot to benefit my health by losing what I have and to focus on maintaining my previous weight loss. I do agree. However, I did not appreciate her for discouraging me from my ultimate goal. Truthfully, it's not like she knows because I have never expressed it to her. It's her believe that dramatic weight loss doesn't last. I don't agree.

Okay, I feel better. I'm not going to let what she said discourage me.

I look forward to receiving my test results in a few days.

Today's Workout Routine

Today I did step ups on the BOSU with some strength training. I worked up quite a sweat on my own. My trainer would be proud.

I have a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. It will be very interesting to see how I have been doing test wise. My goal is to get off all these meds. I know these things take time but it's very frustrating to me to see people on the Biggest Loser and what not share how they no longer have to take meds. I'll get there someday. We'll see.

My Real Age

I will be 47 years old in September. Before I started this journey, I took that real age test. Based on this test, I was 52.7 years old. I was so devastated. I remember crying. I felt so hopeless. I knew I was in bad shape but this was a little hard to swallow.

I took the test again sometime in March and I was 46.7 years old....not bad. I was happy to at least reflect my current age.

I decided to take the test today. Today's results say I am 44.9 years old. It's cool. I'm not one of those individual's that is afraid of growing old. However, there are times I allow others to make me feel self-conscious. I really don't care about my hair graying or wrinkles or any of that stuff. However, I do want to be healthy. I'm cool with aging. I understand it's simply the cycle of life. I just want to make sure I am doing everything I can to enjoy my time here on earth in a healthy, fit body.

Test Results

I am very pleased with my results.

A1c 6.0 I want to belong to the 5% club.

Cholesterol total - 130
Triglycerides - 129
HDL - 50

Vitamin D - 37.6


My 5K walk is tonight. This is good news I'll think about while I'm walking. I've been stretching and hydrating this morning. I'm a bit nervous but I'll be okay.

I Feel Good!

I'm doing so much better with my healthy eating plan. I was talking to my Yoga/Water Aerobic Instructor/Friend about my eating and she told me I should follow the 80/20 plan. I wasn't familiar with it. Later that day I ran into an article about 80/20. I guess she knew what she was talking about...as usual. The whole concept is to make sure you're eating good food 80% of the time. I am confident I'm doing well in this area. Breakfast is going great for me for the last two weeks. This morning I actually looked forward to eating. I couldn't believe it. My work day starts about 7:30. I've been eating a banana or apple first thing in the morning, then have a bowl of Cheerios or toast and eggs about two or three hours later. This is about as good as it going to get. When I absolutely don't feel like eating, I drink a protein shake. My next challenge is hydration. I've been waking up about 3 or 4 because I'm thirsty and my mouth is really dry.


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Switching gears, I received my remaining lab results in the mail the other day. I'm very pleased. My doctor is pleased. I decided to do a comparison between January 2009 and my January 2008 results. Wow! What a difference a year makes!

My A1c is 6.4; it was 7.3. My doctor's goal for me is 6.5. Ultimately, I'd like to get this number below 6. My next appointment is in May. We'll see.

My total Cholesterol is 144; it was 163.
My Triglycerides is 106; it was 215. This is awesome!
My HDL is 49; it was 42.

My Vitamin D level is 50.6; it was 7.2. This is awesome!

In the words of James Brown....I feel good!