Thanks, I'll take that compliment

I'm feeling very proud of myself. Very pleased indeed. It's definitely a good way to be feeling on a Friday morning, as you're about to embark on the fabulous trip known as 'the weekend.'


I passed a test yesterday. A very important one. I guess those who may not have received such a high score would be feeling a bit bad, they might even try to diminish the importance of the test, just so that they wouldn't feel so bad.

But let me tell you, that's a bad, bad thing to do. Because this test affects your life.

I passed a health check.

Yes that's right. Think about it. Various parts of you are tested. If the health professional finds that you are making the right health choices in your life, obviously you get a higher score. However if you haven't placed enough emphasis on doing the right things in life to keep you fit and healthy, well then........

You end up like some people around here. With a low score, feeling bad, and not talking much about it.

I didn't really know what to think, going into it. I consider myself a healthy person, but I've never really had my health checked. I never really thought I should. I guess that's a big mistake some people make, one I'm very aware of. Just because you're skinny it doesn't mean you're fit and/or healthy. But I always said to myself that once I'd settled down and the wedding was over, I wanted to get myself checked. And a few weeks back, when I got the email, advising of free health checks in our workplace, I knew it was something I HAD to do.

And I was soooo pleased I did do it. The health check was comprised of a blood pressure test, waist measurement, pin prick to test blood, and a simple questionnaire that asked about your daily health activities and choices.

My blood pressure was a good reading. It was low, and apparently it's good to be low. I can't remember the reading, but the numbers 105/73 are popping up in my head, so it might have been around that number.

It turns out, my cholesterol was like 5.3. I think that was my overall cholesterol reading, and it's supposed to be under 5.5, so that was good. But it was my good cholesterol that stunned the guy, myself included. Usually you're supposed to have like a 1.0 reading, I think that's normal. But mine was 1.6, 60% higher than the general population. It was not just good, but GREAT! I suddenly thought of all those almonds I'd been eating..... and felt extremely proud of myself.

My waist measurement was in check, it was 70cm, and I saw in the health pamphlet that it's supposed to be under 80cm. Well, I knew it was fine because the guy checking me said "perfect," when he measured me. I think he was slightly crushing on me!

I did have a very high blood glucose level, and he thought it may be because I had just eaten. He thought it was weird, because a high level suggests risk of diabetes, whereas all my other tests were suggesting an extremely LOW risk of it. So I ended up coming back at the end of the day, after fasting between that time, to get my blood tested again.

Yuck and Ouch. As soon as he had the blood, I was throwing jelly beans into my mouth so quick. And wonderfully, my level had HALVED, from 7.5 to something like 3-4. AND, in that time my overall cholesterol had dropped. He said my good cholesterol was so good, it was pushing down my bad cholesterol. Oh, come on, keep bringing on the praise!

The ONLY downfall, and I freely admit this (only after pathetically trying to convince the guy that my 5 minutes of walking from the car park to the work building should be added to an exercise total) is that I don't exercise, much.

Ok fine I don't exercise really ever. And I say it like that because I have tried in the last month or so, to lift some weights, do some sit-ups and stuff. But you just get so busy! And then it doesn't become a priority anymore. Which is bad, I know, health should be a priority. Food-wise, I'm a good girl, it's just the physical exertion I need to up.

So he convinced me that taking the train to work would be a better option, because then I could walk to and from the station, and possibly rack up more than 30 mins a day. And all you need is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

It was such a simple solution, yet I felt like it was such a lightbulb moment.

!

Don't hate me yet, he did give me shit for not exercising. Or did he? When he was trying to work out why I didn't exercise, he asked "Do you have too many mirrors in your house?"

"No, only 2, and they're both upstairs."

Oops. Now he was going to think I didn't wanna WALK upstairs.

"I thought maybe your house was full of mirrors, and when you looked at yourself you thought 'I'm gorgeous, I'm perfect, I don't need to exercise!' "

I paused for a sec, unsure of how to answer that. "No."

Yeah, I've received a similar comment before. But the way this guy said it, and the way he was looking at me (he had the same look as this guy I used to work with had when he spoke to me, and I was PRETTY sure he was crushing on me then) I could sort of see where he was heading.

That's not bad. It's nice to know that although you're taken, whether in a relationship or married, that you're still desired. It's human nature. People want to be wanted. And though they may deny it, they want to be with someone, that's wanted.

So all in all, I was feeling pretty bloody brilliant yesterday. I was feeling damn fine, freaking fantastic about my health, and you know what the overall joy came from? I didn't even try.

When I eat I think about what I'm eating, yes. But I don't obsess. I don't weigh my food, or get obsessed by proportions. I don't restrict certain foods from my diet. I just eat. I crave stuff and I eat. I'm so used to eating good, healthy food, that by the time I'm done, I'm not needing to satisfy my sweet or savoury tooth, because I'm so satisfied. And the days that I am bad, with junk food, and where I just gotta keep eating that cake, I don't feel bad about it. I guess I'm a very balanced eater, and it's paid off for me.

So thanks very much. I will be proud of myself. I'll take that compliment. There is no reason to feel bad or wrong about praising yourself. Because usually, you deserve it. Because, isn't it right that you're your own worst enemy? So who would know you deserve praise better than you?

Indulge a little. I know I am :)