Are YOU stronger than a bread roll?

This all started back in 2006 when I was 41 and thought I should have some blood work done because I hadn’t ever done it (well except when they test your iron before donating which up until then had always been fine). I was a quite shocked to find out that my cholesterol readings were high. Like, 40 points high! However, both the good AND bad kind were high so the doctor suggested changes in diet & exercise to correct it. At the time I was going to Curves at least 3 times a week and they did BMI readings once a month and mine was always quite low. (yeah, yeah, I know, I am blessed with hummingbird metabolism which keeps my weight down even if I don’t try too hard, but still, low weight does not mean for a minute that you are “in shape”).

Of course I never followed up with the doctor. Life intervened. I didn’t really change my diet either. I *did* pick up the workouts. I declared Curves just not intense enough and as I’ve mentioned here, I started with a different, harder workout routine and I’ve really liked it.

Then they had a health fair as part of open enrollment month at work and a gal from Scripps was there with a BMI testing machine. I stepped up confidently.The workouts for the past year had surprisingly caused me to lose a few pounds so that I am almost down to where I was in my 20s. So I was pretty smug to say the least. Then – WTF? The reading came back like 5 points higher than it should have been given my age, height & weight! Aaack! The nurse offers to do it again in case she messed up any settings (doubtful since she can even log in the 1/2 inch that I am above 5’4 and I gave her the high end of my weight range). I let her and it comes back 4 points too high! Bleargh!!!

So I made an appointment with the doctor from 2006. I don’t mention the BMI debacle, but I go ahead and give blood at the lab again. That was Friday so I wont know for another week perhaps what the results will be. Meanwhile I realize this now ALL has to be due to diet. And I have to face my weakness for fast food burgers. And fries. And my overall lack of fresh produce. I’ve made a concerted effort in the last two weeks to only have fruit on hand as an afternoon snack, and to have salad with (or often for) dinner each night. Given that I already gave up the daily sodas or coffee over almost two years ago and I really don’t have a sweet tooth, I know it’s salt that getting me. And those burgers. Those juicy, yummy burgers!

Today after my two hour 5 mile run/hike I head up to Solana Beach because I need some more work out supplies/clothes. Finish up at Big 5 and go next door to order a nice oriental chicken salad to go. Salad, carrots, peanuts, chicken breast & ginger dressing. A 1/2 order. Yeah, I am going to treat myself to a soy Frappucino from Starbucks, but hey, I just worked out! Plus I’m only having a salad for lunch! Lemme alone.

Waiting for the salad I run into a friend and she’s eating there and the waitress drops off a plate of garlic rolls at her table. They are literally dripping oil from them. We both eye them with suspicion and discuss how we are NOT touching those. I’m relieved that I am not eating there so I can avoid the rolls.

Get home 20 minutes later and break into my salad container to find……garlic rolls….4 of them:

Yeah, I said 4. Yeah, there are only two up there. No, I was NOT stronger than the garlic rolls.

Yeah – guess I better work out some more.