The Annual Physical Exam: All Systems GO!

I have never been a fan of hospitals, clinics or medical examinations. I hated the long lines, the prodding and probing and the needles! God, how I hated needles.

I *RAN* when I went in for a flu shot and the doctor had to chase me down to stick it in my arm. I was 25 years old then. (The shame!)

So I truly dreaded the Annual Physical Exam (APE) because they had to draw blood for the testing and screenings or else, the exam wouldn't be complete. And I know it's for my own good, but I *hate* them needles!

Anyway, since I started this health consciousness, RF's company sponsored APE rolled around and I thought it might be a good idea to have myself checked out to ensure that nothing got in the way of my project.

So I went through the whole rigmarole. Yep, even had the nurse draw a vial of my blood. (I was so brave!)

Urinalysis - check
Stool Exam - skipped this one inadvertently
Blood Exam - one vial!
ECG - took longer than expected because the things they clipped on you kept slipping off. I almost fell asleep though, cos I was lying down and it was so quiet in the exam room :)
X-Ray (Lungs) - clear
OB-Gyne - everything's fine!
EENT - needs glasses, needs new teeth (haha)

The verdict?

My blood pressure is on the high normal side of 130/80. That's my normal, but it's still high so the doctor said I'm really prone to hypertension. Other than that, my good cholesterol is well, good and my bad cholesterol isn't rioting, so my heart checks out fine along with my blood sugar. (Hooray! I'm not diabetic!)

Everything else is on the unremarkable side but the doctor seriously noted that for my height, my weight was unacceptable. I am OBESE. Shocking.

*sigh*

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

BMI Categories:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
• Overweight = 25–29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

My BMI is 32.7 at my height of 5'1 and my present weight of 173lbs.

I should be 120lbs. to be in the normal range at a BMI of 22.7. That was my weight 14 years ago! Gahd!

The doctor said the dieting and the supplements were okay and the fact that I already lost 6lbs. in the last few weeks was good. She said it was now the right time to include exercise and some gym sessions to help tighten my skin, tone my muscles and burn more fat to get me closer to the safe range.

The OB-Gyne said the same thing and that the supplements I was taking were safe. She also said that drinking alkaline water and sports drinks with the vitamins and minerals could help keep me hydrated and prevent fatigue.

Other than the weight issues, everything is fine! :)

If you would like to check your BMI, I have a calculator on the right. Go ahead and check! Being in the right weight for your height helps fight a lot of health complications!

Now as for me, on to planning an interesting exercise routine to fit my days with the kids :) It'll help teach them the importance of being active to be healthy!