It sounded as if you were having Bella for lunch, and we came to see if you would share. - Alice Cullen

As is typical, I've started out well and the scale is showing it.  I'm down to 203.8 this morning.  However, I am trying not to look at the scale as the definitive marker of how well I am doing.  Scales fluctuate so greatly from day to day that it just can't be seen as the only harbinger of success.

Today I received the results of some bloodwork my doctor had requested.

Cholesterol = 211 (should be under 200)

Triglycerides = 171 (should be under 150)
HDL (good cholestrol) = 37 (should be over 50)

LDL (bad cholesterol) = 140 (should be under 100)


All in all, not the worst results possible, but not the best either.  Considering my obesity level, I'm not surprised.  (Considering my BMI is 33.9-35 (depending on my height - I'm not sure if I am 5'4" or 5'5")).

I have good blood pressure, good blood glucose levels, am deficient in Vitamin D, but other than that, all the rest of the tests came back negative.  No celiac disease, no thyroid problems, etc.

One thing I am looking into is that I am on the cusp of developing "metabolic syndrome" or "syndrome x".  Sounds hokey, right?  Syndrome X?  That can't be a real thing, right?

Actually, it is.  And I know this because my mother fell victim to it about 10 years ago. 

My mom had been in good health - so good she was a personal trainer & manager at Bally Total Fitness.  She was in her late 40's and was prepping to enter a weight lifting competition.  Within a few years, she had gained a HUGE amount of weight; couldn't climb a flight of stairs without becoming very winded & needing to sit & rest; ended up on blood pressure meds and carried nitroglycerin in her purse for those days when her heart raced so fast that she thought she was having a heart attack.  How did this happen?  No idea.  One theory is that she contracted some sort of virus in her blood stream that weakened her heart.  Either way, she ended up so bad that her doctors arranged for her to have gastric bypass surgery, to get the excess weight off of her body & give her the chance to rebuild herself again.

She is now 60, and while she has gained a few pounds, she is in MUCH better shape.  She is off all the medications and got remarried a few years ago.  Not bad for someone who was convinced at one point that she was going to die.

So what are the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome?



The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm  (NHANES III), and the National Institutes of Health http://www.nih.gov (NIH) defined an individual with Metabolic Syndrome X (MSX) as a person with three or more of the following conditions:

• Waist circumference greater that 40 inches (102 cm) in men, greater that 35 inches (88 cm) in women
• A serum triglyceride level above 150mg/L (1,7 mmol/L)
• HDL cholesterol below 40 mg/dL (1.04 mmol/L) in men, below 50 mg/dL (1.29) in women
• Blood pressure raised; above 135mg/85mm Hg, or taking a hypertensive medication
• Fasting blood glucose above 110mg/dL (6.1 mmol/L) or taking antidiabetic medication

NHANES III indicated that 24% of the US population has MSX, and the percentage increased dramatically with age, affecting 43% of the population in 60-69 year olds. 

And how do I compare? 

Waist circumference?  about 45 (10 inches more than it should be)
High Triglyceride?  Yes (21 over)
Low HDL?  Yes (13 below)

Blood Pressure?  No, mine's fine (118/80)
Blood Glucose?  No, I'm okay at 88


So I hit three out of five. And I had a relative come down with the same disorder.  Food for thought.

So what's the diagnosis?  I need to partake in a 'heart healthy' diet & I need to exercise.  A lot.

Anyone have any idea how I can cram about 3 extra hours per day into my life?