We're in the Middle of Week 2 - Yeehaw!

Hello Challengers!
I just love reading your blogs. I’m right there with you ladies and I can feel your pain. Wow, working out with Kara and the other trainers at Lifetime Fitness would be such a special treat. I am jealous! When we started our BetterU journey last week, I thought I had it under control, especially because Lent started last week also and I just knew that I was going to be a new, BetterMe. Well, week 2 is here and I was doing okay until we had a big St. Patrick’s Day pitch-in at work today. Yikes, I’m not feeling in control any more. It’s funny because I truly believe you four challengers can do it and you’re inspiring me, but I don’t have faith in myself. HOWEVER, I am vowing today at this very moment to change my attitude. I am focusing on moving forward and I am not going to give the past one more minute of my time or energy. My friend told me that if you think you can do something…then you absolutely can do it. PERIOD. So, ladies, WE can do this! In week 2, I am choosing to make changes in my lifestyle so I can reduce my risk factors of heart disease. To stay motivated, I am going to reward myself on Sunday the 20th, which is the first day of spring. I’m going to buy myself the book, The Joy Factor. I can’t wait! I am looking forward to seeing you all on April 2nd at the cooking demonstration (if not before). As you know, I am a member of the Indianapolis Hiking Club and there are many hikes every day to choose from (go to indyhike.org for the complete schedule). As a matter of fact, I am leading a hike on Tuesday, April 5th at Northwestway Park at 6:00 p.m. for beginners. I hope you can join me. Here’s to a BetterU and a BetterMe! :) Sandy, BetterU Chair

I could kiss the mailman!

I don't look forward to getting the mail. It's usually full of bills or catalogs with pretty things I'd love to buy if I weren't spending all my money paying those bills. But today's mail brought something wonderful, so wonderful in fact that if the mailman had been here when I opened it, I would have kissed him!

In today's mail were the results from my recent bloodwork from Dr. Branyas' office. My first blood draw, on December 8, 2009 showed the following:

Total Cholesterol: 181 (acceptable)
Triglycerides: 116 (acceptable)
HDL (good cholesterol): 40 (low)
LDL (bad cholesterol): 118 (high-ish, especially with my diagnosis of diabetes)
C-Reactive Protein (measure of inflammation that can lead to clogging of the arteries): 8.6 (very high)

The results I got in the mail today showed the following:

Total Cholesterol: 117 (a 64-point drop)
Triglycerides: 86 (a 30-point drop)
HDL (good cholesterol): 35
LDL (bad cholesterol): 65! (53-point drop)
C-Reactive Protein: 2.75 (a near 6-point drop into the average risk range)

So, I still have some work to do getting my good cholesterol up, but I am more than happy with the other results. Nothing could have motivated me more to drop these 4 bothersome pounds before the luncheon than this piece of news. (Trust me, I know that I have at least 50 more than bothersome pounds to deal with after that, but I'm taking baby steps here.)

I think what makes me the happiest is knowing that I was able to do this without depriving myself of everything tasty and without being a slave to the gym.

Have I been deliberate about watching what I eat? Yes. But I've also had ice cream (low fat) and Girl Scout cookies (3, not a whole sleeve) and chips and salsa from time to time. I just make sure those are the exception and not the rule.

And I've found a comfortable rhythm at the gym. I've surprised myself with what I can do and I've tried not to become discouraged by what I cannot do (yet!).

So thank you -- Better U challengers, American Heart Association, my family and friends, blog readers -- for your support. This is not the end of my journey; it's not even the middle. But as my father-in-law would say, "It's a good start!"