On Losing Weight: Just Do it!

I had my executive check-up two months ago and my lipid levels are way up. It was expected as my BMI was already in the obese range that time. It was a wake-up call and so I resolved to bring all the health metrics within the normal range. I have lost 20 pounds since but I need to lose two times more to get to my ideal weight for my height.

Sometimes when we subject ourselves to health check, we have the tendency to ‘cheat’ our way to get better results. I am sure some have tried not eating pork or beef one or two days before the blood extraction, hoping to get lower lipid levels. Guess what? We might be fooling ourselves!

A study published this November in the Archive of Internal Medicine showed that fasting time prior to the blood draw had little association with lipid subclass levels.

Data for the study came from the records of Calgary Laboratory Services, which is the sole supplier of laboratory services for Calgary, and a population of about 1.4 million people. During the period of April-September 2011, blood samples for lipid measurements were drawn from 209,180 people regardless of fasting duration. The results of the study suggest that “fasting for routine lipid level determinations is largely unnecessary.”

Basically, the study concluded that fasting has little meaningful impact on lipid levels. The levels will still be the same regardless if we fast or not.

Staying healthy is an effort and I am being reminded of that again. It takes a lot of discipline and a lot of sacrifice. In the end, I think it’s not how much weight we shed or how many inches in the waist we lose; it’s just about proving to one’s self that everything is possible if you commit to it.

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