It's a good idea to get an annual physical, right? Admittedly, tomorrow's physical has me feeling more optimistic over previous years. When I turned 50, it occurred to me that it was time to start monitoring my health more closely, so while I knew the news wouldn't be great, it was time for me to "face the music".
And the first physical wasn't so great. Dr. Wang informed me that I needed to lose some weight and that it was time to get a colonoscopy. Fortunately, the blood work and urinalysis didn't show any serious concerns, which was good news. The colonoscopy showed three polyps that weren't serious, but instead of another one scheduled in five years, my next one was scheduled for three years. (And I think that will be next year...damn.) I did get to talk to the doctor about my knee problems, and I started a medication geared toward relieving the pain in my knee caused by arthritis.
And last year's news really wasn't so great either. My weight had not decreased, and while my "numbers" weren't awful, they weren't great either. I was still taking the Meloxocam for my aching knee, and the "spare tire" around my mid-section was increasing. Dr. Wang once again courteously told me that I really could benefit from losing some weight.
Now it's 2019, and I'm enthusiastic about tomorrow's visit. I know I have more weight to lose and more health benefits to pursue, but my weight is down a little, I haven't taken Meloxocam since June, and I'm feeling better. I already received a call on this year's blood and urine results, and the report I received was "normal". I'm hoping, then, that the rest of the numbers tomorrow also show a more positive trend then past physicals. While I don't expect Dr. Wang to dance a jig of joy and excitement, I hope to avoid "the look" and reminder about dropping weight.
UPDATE
So I attribute the "new me" to intermittent fasting, getting some work done on my knee at Frontline Spine and Sport, and a morning stretch/yoga routine. I've since added a couple of other "healthy aspects" that have seemed to help.
First, I'm getting down to Turning Point and completing a couple of multi-joint strength training exercises I use to do regularly "back in the day". I'm getting three sets of bench press and three sets of squats completed 2-3 times a week. While I think I should be doing more, this recent addition is a good step toward doing more strength training work.
Also, I've added an "ab routine" to the morning yoga/stretch routine. It's a little 10-minute ab workout which is very tiring. In fact, the first few times, I really had to adapt the routine to my very weak core. I'm getting stronger, and I'm noticing that the increased core strength seems to be helping me on the basketball court to officiate better. I feel stronger, and my knee seems to hurt less.
Of course, it's not surprising that increased core strength would assist me feeling better. I know from experience and all the research that fitness starts with the core, but core work is HARD! I'm trying to stick with it, though. I think I'm getting 5-7 routines completed each week, and I think I've been at it now for about a month.
These two items have not really had an impact on weight loss. I seem to be hovering around 219-222, and I have been there for awhile. That's okay because I haven't been doing a lot of exercising and expect the exercise amount to increase now that basketball officiating season is here. I'll keep you updated!
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