Throughout my twenties I was in excellent physical condition. I avidly worked out with free weights and built up an impressive physique. I worked in quite a bit of cardio exercise by biking and jogging. I was always active as a child and teenager so this was more or less an extension of these habits. In my late twenties I took up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which gave me an additional boost to physical health and calorie burning.
During my youth I did not give much thought to what was going on in the inside. At one point in my late twenties a physical examination revealed that my cholesterol was in the 190's. The doctor had given me the standard tips and advice about healthy eating and exercise. I figured that since the exercise part was not a problem I would keep closer track of my diet.
By the time I hit thirty problems started to creep up on me. Since I was so active, I had let the nutritional side of the equation slip and ate a lot of fast food and other unhealthy snacks. By my mid-thirties my physical activity began to trail off as had most of the last vestiges of healthy eating. Between work, schooling and family obligations I had put on forty pounds in five years.
Two years ago I had a battery of tests run at my doctor's behest as I had trouble maintaining enough energy to keep me on my toes throughout the day. Due to my highly stressful job the problems compounded themselves as I did not have enough energy to regularly exercise and therefore missed out on the added energy boost it would provide.
In addition to the weight, I had a LDL-the bad cholesterol number- of 220. From our discussion I knew that I had to take action.
Since that time I have lowered my cholesterol back to around 190. Not great but certainly an improvement. I struggle with getting enough exercise but I still am able to work out at least a few times a week. My biggest issue is that most of my favorite foods are not conducive to good cholesterol; cheese steaks, cheese burgers, French fries, and other fried treats. I make it a point to include as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Usually this includes one to two servings a day.
Also, I try to tie the fried, fatty foods to how many times a week I am able to exercise. Again, I realize that eating perhaps three fried meals a week is not ideal but it has allowed me to take some control over my habits. When I do treat myself I make sure to limit the portions to take into account my age, metabolism, and lifestyle.
Finally, I realize that high cholesterol, fried foods, irregular exercise, and a stressful job are the perfect storm for a heart attack. Fortunately, I do not have the specter of a family history of heart attacks to worry about. Therefore I do not seek out a drug to help with this issue. Never the less I only do exercises that I enjoy such as lifting weights or jogging with my dog because stress-relieving activities need to remain that way.
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