I know, I know, this is my third post in a row...but it's also a separate thought, so I feel like it needs its own entry. Then I'll be done for a while. Promise.
I credit a good portion of funk-recovery to my doctor visit this past Monday morning. My last checkup had been in October 2009. (This is not my fault. My doctor is awesome, and thus, extremely busy. I booked this appointment in August and that was the soonest I could get in.) They weighed me, and I made sure to innocently ask how much I had weighed last time I was there - curious about what the official doctor scale said, and I also wanted to make sure the doc noticed.
According to the official doctor scale, I have lost 31 pounds since my last visit.
Here's the deal. It's a little personal, but it takes a lot for me to be embarrassed. I have poly-cystic ovarian syndrome. It really isn't a big deal to me; it's not something I have to think about on a daily basis, but it means my hormones are all kinds of wacky, which has a few implications. One of them is that left to its own devices, my body really likes to gain weight and really hates to lose it. I also tend to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, regardless of diet. And since I hate taking medicine and don't want to do it to regulate those things, not only did I start eating healthier, I stepped up the exercise.
So now, my blood pressure is perfect. My cholesterol is on the high side of normal, but I know from experience that it wouldn't even be in the normal range if I didn't exercise. My doctor was thrilled and decided against doing most of the tests she's put me through before. And....one of the things about PCOS is that it CAN lead to fertility issues. I wouldn't know, as I've never exactly tried to be fertile, but she told me that when that day comes, my keeping everything within a healthy range is going to have a very favorable effect on things. NO....I'm still not attempting to be fertile, but it's darn good motivation to keep things in check. And running has done that better than pretty much anything else I've tried, and provided me with mental health benefits I couldn't have dreamed of.
So there ya go. One of many reasons why I do this to myself. :)
Sounds like everything is moving in the right direction. Yay!
ReplyDeleteIt's really great that you're determined enough to keep your PCOS in check through exercise and diet alone. I know SO many women who have PCOS and so many of them complain and complain about it but don't do anything proactive to fix the problem - really, though, people with ANY health problems! If more people took that kind of personal accountability we'd be a much healthier society.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
(and come visit the Cincinnati baby board sometime, there really are a ton of women over there with a nice PCOS support system)