The 8-year lesson

Guest Post: Rob
A lot of things can happen in eight years time. Brett Favre could retire, health care could be reformed or Lady Gaga could wear something normal–the point is, that’s kind of a long time!
Still, it had been that long since my last check up or even a visit to a doctor for any reason since being discharged from the Navy in 2001. I was sent on my way with a clean bill of health and no reason to suspect any problems and life was good. That is, until about a month ago when a fluke instance of dehydration had convinced me to maybe just go in and get some basic labs done, you know, just to see if everything is still OK.
I’m 39 years old now, 31 when I was discharged from the Navy. I am 5’8” tall and weigh 184lbs with a medium build. I feel great and I have been healthy for the past eight years as far as I can tell.
I don‘t work out. But I also don’t eat a lot of sweets or drink a lot of soda. My diet is not  based on fast, greasy foods and I drink a lot of water. So what in the world should  I be concerned about, right? I’m just an ordinary, average guy. This, I discovered, could be precisely the problem.
When the results of my labs came back, I was scared to death. Not only was my cholesterol at 294 (LDL 180) but my glucose was 107.
In real terms the message was, you have high cholesterol and are pre-diabetic. How could this be?! I didn’t think my lifestyle was such that these kind of numbers would be the outcome and as it turns out, my doctor suggested that no matter my diet (to some degree), I may be genetically predisposed to perhaps one or both of these conditions. It was upon receipt of this knowledge when I heard a distinct snapping sound in my head telling me that life changes today.
I am only two weeks into my new diet (which is based on the DASH diet) and I’m exercising regularly now. I can already see changes, not only in my appearance through lost weight but also in the quality of the foods I’m eating now. And in my general mood and well-being.
I never imagined I could be faced with these kinds of health-related problems. But I have since learned that complacency and inattention are two very serious symptoms that often go overlooked and/or ignored.
Hopefully my experience will inspire you to make a short appointment with your doctor especially if you haven’t in awhile. Get some basic labs done and take inventory for yourself. The truth has allowed me an opportunity to improve the quality of my life in ways that I couldn’t have realized had I not gone in for just a simple check up and I hope it will do the same for you.
Good luck and treat yourself better.
****
Thanks so much Rob for sharing this with us. If anyone is interested in writing a guest post for Go Fit Girl! let me know via comments or send me an e-mail to: ann@gofitgirl.com.