18 posts tagged “diet”
The results of my blood test are disappointing.
Total cholesterol: 5.5 (was 6.3)
LDL cholesterol: 4.1 (4.5)
HDL cholesterol: 1.0 (0.9)
Homocysteine: 11 (29)
After working so hard for four months, I had expected better, especially on the LDL and HDL front. These have hardly moved at all, so I am quite discouraged.
HDL cholesterol is meant to be between 1.03 and 1.52. Outside that range means elevated risk of heart disease. A safe LDL cholesterol level is below 2.6, but up to 3.3 is considered "near optimal". So I still have a long way to go. The only thing in the normal range now is the homocysteine level
After missing the weigh-in on the Easter weekend because of being down in Chintsa East, I weighed again this past Saturday morning, and it seems I am still shedding the kilos! I was supposed to get down to 82kg, so hopefully I stop losing soon.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February: 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February: 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
23 February: 82.1kg (0.4kg loss)
1 March: 81.8kg (0.3kg loss)
8 March: 81.7kg (0.1kg loss)
15 March: 81.1kg (0.6kg loss)
22 March: [no weigh-in]
29 March: 80.7kg (0.4kg since 15 March)
Total loss: 5.0kg
Difference from target (82kg): -1.3kg
I am now close to the point where I'd actually like to stop losing weight now. I was supposed to get down to 82kg, and I am still losing! I thought last week it would stabilise, but I've lost another 0.6kg! I just hope the losses halt soon.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February: 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February: 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
23 February: 82.1kg (0.4kg loss)
1 March: 81.8kg (0.3kg loss)
8 March: 81.7kg (0.1kg loss)
15 March: 81.1kg (0.6kg loss)
Total loss: 4.6kg
Difference from target (82kg): -0.9kg
I lost only 0.1kg last week, which means the losses are slowing down and my body is finding its level.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February: 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February: 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
23 February: 82.1kg (0.4kg loss)
1 March: 81.8kg (0.3kg loss)
8 March: 81.7kg (0.1kg)
Total loss: 4kg
Difference from target (82kg): -0.3kg
It has become a bit of a tradition now to record my changing mass on this blog. It was good news this past Saturday morning - I passed through my target weight!
The target set by my doctor was 82kg (180.78lbs). On Saturday morning I weighed in at 81.8kg (180.34kg). Target achieved. Given my dietary changes, I shall probably lose a bit more, but it will probably even out pretty soon as the weekly losses are quite small now.
I am scheduled for another cholesterol test next week - I'll post the results as soon as I get them.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February: 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February: 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
23 February: 82.1kg (0.4kg loss)
1 March: 81.8kg (0.3kg loss)
Total loss: 3.9kg
This Saturday morning's weigh-in showed that I lost 0.4kg, bringing me to within 100g of my target weight!
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February: 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February: 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
23 February: 82.1kg (0.4kg loss)
Total loss: 3.6kg
Still to lose: 0.1kg
On Saturday the minister of home affairs and I drove to the nearby Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens to do some photography. Rather thank take my own camera, I borrowed one from a friend at work. There are some photos on my Flickr page.
It was a beautiful morning, perfect for taking photos, although most of the flowers were not in bloom - it is heading for the winter season after all. We really should go again in October.
Saturday was also weigh-in day. I had expected to gain a little because of not being able to exercise as a result of the flu. But to my surprise I lost another 0.6kg. This means I now have just 0.5kg to go!
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
16 February 82.5kg (0.6kg loss)
Total loss: 3.2kg
Still to lose: 0.5kg
On Sunday we had the longest blackout we have had since the power utility, Eskom, started its rolling blackout programme. We had no electricity for 10.5 hours!
I lost 0.8kg this past week. Unfortunately, I have the flu and as a result cannot exercise this week, so next weekend's weigh-in may not be a good one. I just hope that my cholesterol reading next month is as encouraging.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
9 February 83.1kg (0.8kg loss)
Total loss: 2.6kg (5.7 pounds)
Still to lose: 1.1kg (2.4 pounds)
Well, Saturday was the weekly weigh-in day, and although I lost only 0.2kg, at least the weight loss has continued.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg (1.2kg loss)
19 January: 84.7kg (0.2kg gain)
26 January: 84.1kg (0.6kg loss)
2 February: 83.9kg (0.2kg loss)
Total loss: 1.8kg (3.97 pounds)
Still to lose: 1.9kg (4.19 pounds)
The weekend was exceptionally busy for the minister of home affairs and me - rushing around getting insurance quotes for the minister's car, taking the cat to the vet for miliary eczema treatment, shopping, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, etc. etc. So there was not much "rest" involved.
Nonetheless, on Saturday morning I did my weekly weigh-in, and, unlike last week, this week was good news.
I lost 0.6kg, bringing me to a total mass of 84.1kg. That translates to a net loss of 1.6kg, with another 2.1kg to lose. I have also lost a total of 4cm around the waist to 93cm.
So the weight issue seems to be going well, but I have to wait until March to find out whether my lifestyle change has had any effect on my cholesterol levels.
Weigh-in history so far:
5 January: 85.7kg
12 January: 84.5kg
19 January: 84.7kg
26 January: 84.1kg
