Friday, November 13, 2009

Lookin’ good, Feelin’ good!

Health and wellness This morning I drove up to Ken's office building for a health and wellness assessment (and a seasonal flu shot). It's a great incentive plan for employees and spouses, encouraging them to eat healthier and exercise more. What are the incentives? Cold, hard cash, baby! If we complete our goals, we get a nice little gift, and this year they've added credit on insurance. I think companies should really start going that route, because it ends up being a win-win situation. The company possibly pays out less for insurance benefits, and the employee gets healthier!

The morning didn't start out well, since I had to get up at 8-friggin'-o'clock! [ducking a shoe] Hey, who threw that? No, it was fine, and I even got up before my alarm went off. Spent a little time on teh Webs, got cleaned up, and headed out. Always great to crank up the tunes (Dandy Warhols today) and hit the highway. The speed limit goes up to 70 mph in Michigan, so that was even better! (And yes, there were a couple of times that I shouted at people to get out of my way...although it was a little stronger than that. The speed limit is 70 and you're going 60? You're toast.)

I was curious to see what my results would be compared to last year. I had a checkup this summer at my regular doctor's, and didn't hear any bad news about those results, so I figured things must be okay. However, I hopped off of the workout wagon this summer, and I know that is a problem, one that I need to rectify.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my results were better than last year! I don't have that information handy, but it appears that I'm not getting older...I'm getting better! Yeah baby! I still have some things I need to work on, though.

Woman lifting weights They classified my blood pressure as "pre-hypertension," but I think that's misleading. I was at 126/80, and that's really pretty good, especially for me. (Quitting smoking worked wonders.) Surprisingly, I didn't grow any taller...they measured me at five feet. ::sigh:: I keep wondering when I'll hit my growth spurt, but it hasn't happened yet. I was very pleased with my weight. I know I've been naturally eating less lately, and it showed me as dropping 6 pounds from this summer. Hot diggity damn! My Body Mass Index is about 21.75, which is considered desirable, but my Body Composition, i.e. body fat, is at 33.3%, which is...POOR. Damn! Time to hit the weights. Yeah, that’ll be me, power lifting. Heehee.

My cholesterol is weird...total is a little high, but my HDL, the good stuff, is really high, on the level of someone who works out for several hours a day. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for the good genes! My ratio is really good, but I want to improve on these numbers. My bone density is also low, which I knew. I will be checking the wellness website this weekend, and formulating a plan for a workout regimen.

I found it really encouraging to have dropped a few pounds, and feel motivated to get back to work, especially as winter sets in. Who is with me? We can encourage each other, cheer our successes, and help each other with our (temporary) failures. I don't know about you guys, but I want to tighten up, and I am ready to pump some iron! C'mon, who's with me?! Yeahhhh! [running out of the room]

Hello? Anyone?

9 comments:

  1. I'm with you baby, but my results indicate I need a bit more aerobic vs. weights. I'll pump iron with you :o)

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  2. Good on you Beth...you are as daft as a brush ! but then you know that already LOL.. I can just see you and Ken pumping the iron ! What about weight lifting ,while you are into the fitness kick what about a few Marathons ?? London is great and the Olympics are in 2012 and I live not all that far fron there !!
    Love Sybil

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  3. Good news for you! Another healthy thing you could do is NOT worry about your speed when driving. Take the back roads. They're much more interesting. Interstates are dangerous to your health. Friends don't let friends drive the interstate,as they say. :-) As you know, this is my customary rant. Sorry. Now, back to the fact that your checkup was wonderful, and I'm happy for you.

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  4. Hi Beth,
    What a great program ... too many employers these days are cutting that kind of stuff out.
    Best,
    Marty

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  5. You are doing great! Stop smoking alone is a big plus! Kudos!

    I gained weight after I stopped almost three years ago and I'm upset that I'm still struggling to drop the pounds but I'm thrilled I kicked the nasty habit.

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  6. Congrats on the good health report!

    XOXOXOXO

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  7. Once you figure out how to encourage that growth spurt, let me know. Two or three more inches taller....that's not so much to ask for, right?

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  8. Beth, glad to hear your checkup results were good. You are better off than most, as far as working out goes. You have a plan, you have motivation and you have time. It doesn't hurt that you have a supportive husband either. I know you can reach your goals with that mix.

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  9. Good for you! Love to see people get great results from their checkups.

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