Lets Get Physical...

Ok, finally had my physical. It wasn't all bad. Mostly weight related concerns. Bad cholesterol is elevated, while my good cholesterol is a little low. blood pressure is also too high so she (Dr.K) put me on a blood pressure medication for the next 3 months in which time I need to also accomplish the following...

1. lose 15 lbs.
2. have blood work done again
3. still be on BP meds when I have blood work done and see her again for a follow up. (in November)

I am also just outside of being diabetic, I am only outside of this range because my weight has come done some since last October when blood was last drawn for the same purpose.

I was given food guidelines to follow to help drop the weight, exercise is encouraged of course and I joked about using the Wii Fit with my kids to get there.

The APPROVED list of foods I can eat is as follows:
Lean cuts of meat with fat trimmed, chicken and turkey w/o skin

Skim milk, 1% milk, low fat yogurt, cheeses with no more than 3 grams of fat per ounce

Egg whites or substitutes

Corn oil, olive oil, canola oil, soybean and sunflower oils

Most breads, water bagels, english muffins, rice cakes, low fat crackers, hot and cold cereals, any grain rice, dried peas, plain baked potato

Fresh, frozen or dried fruits, canned fruits (watching sodium content)

Italian ice, low fat frozen yogurt, popsicles, angel food cake, fig bars, gingersnaps, jelly beans,
hard candy, plain popcorn, pretzels, tea, coffee


The list of foods to AVOID reads as follows:
"Prime" grade fatty cuts of meat, goose, duck, liver, kidneys, sausage, bacon, regular lunch meats, hot dogs.

Whole milk, cream, half and half, whipped cream, custard style yogurt, whole milk ricotta, hard cheeses, (like swiss, american, cheddar) cream cheese, sour cream

Saturated fat, butter, lard, bacon fat, coconut, palm oils

Croissants, sweet rolls, danish, doughnuts, granola-type cereals, egg noodles, pasta, and rice prepared with cream, butter or cheese sauces...sadly scalloped potatoes.

Vegetables prepared in butter or cream sauces

Ice cream, candy, chocolate, potato chips, buttered popcorn, milk shakes, eggnog, store bought pies, store bought frosted cakes and pound cakes.

I have to limit alcohol intake to 2 servings a day. Since I usually only drink beer I am limited to 5 oz a day per serving...no big deal since I don't drink it that much.


The plan is once I go back in November and have lost the 15lbs (and kept it off) she will look to see that my BP is at more normal levels and hopefully take me off the meds. Until then however, I am popping this pill once a day, everyday until I see Dr.K again.

She discussed my focusing on the bigger picture regarding my health, the cancer is obviously gone and I need to tune up the rest of me...starting with the weight loss to keep heart disease and diabetes away. Not only that but weight contributes to cancer as well and we don't want to go back down that road ever again.

So...that's it for now. So far so good. Overall check up and outlook is a relatively healthy one. I need to tweak a few things (obviously) but I don't see this as a problem.


Be Well.
-Scott