Microsoft has tens of thousands of people (with dependents it's easily six figures) to buy medical insurance for, and considering the zero-cost nature of it for full-time employees, you can bet that they do some things to help lower the cost. I believe they even subsidize some kind of program for extreme weight loss for the morbidly obese. But for regular lazy schmucks like me, they do cholesterol and basic number screenings. I did that today.
The last time I did this, nearly four years ago, the results were really not good. That wasn't entirely surprising. While I had done a great job of taking off a ton of weight (divorce will do that) the year before, I got kind of comfortable during 2006, perhaps because I was in a serious and somewhat comfortable relationship. Or I was lazy. Regardless, the results were not unexpected.
This time around, I expected much of the same, but they weren't quite as bad. My total cholesterol is now at the high end of normal, but at 190, under the threshold. My triglycerides still stuck, but less so, around 300. My weight and body fat percentage are too high too. The health educator who counseled me told me exactly what I already know: I need to get off my fucking ass and get more exercise. She said my dietary habits were actually good in that they're helping to minimize the ugly, but I need to add more veggies. It couldn't hurt to reduce soda either (ironically, provided by the employer that wants me to be healthier).
And again, the other numbers suggest that my body is perfectly willing to be at its best. My glucose levels are damn near perfect, my blood pressure is perfect, my resting heart rate is exceptionally low... it all keeps coming back to how healthy I could easily be if ate right and exercised right.
I've been watching WW points again, and the first six pounds came off easily. Beyond that, I haven't been sticking to the plan at all. I catch myself doing it and I don't respond. It's hard. And yet, there are a few obvious things I can cut out and get there, like limiting soda to 12 ounces or less per day, not doing side dishes (especially tater-tots, which are my weakness since starting at MSFT), and more water. Eating real breakfast would help too. Mini-Wheats helped a great deal in my big 2005 weight loss.
Overall, there isn't any real news here other than the bad numbers weren't as high as I expected, so hooray for that. I still have a lot of work to do. Coaching will help a great deal. After lunch walks around campus will help, as will walks to and from the bus if I can get back on the Connector plan after we move. I have to remember that there's a family that relies on me now... I can't fuck around with this anymore.
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