Holy Cholesterol!

Holy Cholesterol!  I certainly know the effect of your diet on cholesterol.  I went and had a yearly check up and had a bunch of  blood work done.  While I was there my doc reminded me that we are shooting for a total cholesterol of under 150.  In fact I have read that they consider you heart attack proof if your cholesterol is under 150.  Just so you know, you are not--mine was 134 the night of my heart attack when they ran it.  I reminded him of this and he asked the nurse what it was when we checked it in May.  It was 111.  All he said was, "Damn."

Well, about May was when I stopped eating plant based and put meat and dairy back in my diet.  Not only am I going the opposite weight direction from skinny bitch, my cholesterol has raised dramatically.  I have gone from 111 to 144 since May just putting meat and dairy back in my diet.  YIKES!  Not as if hating having gained back all of my weight that I lost wasn't significant enough to want to go plant based again, this is a real eye opener.  Now, I do understand that some of you would kill for a cholesterol of 144.  I am someone who would kill to be back at 111.  This just shows that plant based is the right thing for me to do.  Of course it is not the right thing for me to do until after the holidays--once again no reason to set myself up to fail (Really I already bought a spiral sliced ham for Christmas dinner and I just want to eat it--how's that for the truth??).

I find it at little funny that it is my cholesterol number and not the size number of my jeans that makes me come to this realization.  That must be a sign of getting older as well but no matter why, I just feel good that I have been able to come to this decision again.  Really, I never felt better than when I ate plant based.  Food is one of those funny things as it is the center of our social events and it is usually not vegan.  It makes it hard for me to stay vegan but I think after one run at it I can be more successful at it this time--especially since I really, really, really want that 111 cholesterol number back!  I also really never want to have to add any more medication to the cocktail I already take on a daily basis:)

Tomorrow is my cardiologist appointment and I highly doubt she will miss the facts that I have a higher cholesterol number and a higher jeans size--she's a pretty smart lady!

My ex-father in law is having quintuple by-pass (CABG) surgery tomorrow or Monday.  My ever inquisitive youngest child could not understand  what surgery her grandfather is having done (and what surgery I am trying to avoid).  Just so you know, I am obviously a fabulous artist and this, my friends is my back of an envelope, on the level of an 11 year old rendition of CABG.  Notice the blockage and the by-pass is so eloquently represented!  She did understand from this drawing though so yay me!