Worked out Monday night, and my legs are quite sore today. Today, Tues., I visited Dr. Fuhrman for the last time during this vegan quest. Here is a photo of Dr. Fuhrman and myself and I am trying out my new European cut fitted shirt...perhaps I should still stick with the full cut for now. But a quick reminder below of how I looked last year.
According to his scale I have lost 55 lbs (I think it is a couple pounds more). But the real news, the great news, is the health of my body. Looking at blood work results going back to over a year ago when I had a check-up before a knee operation, there is amazing progress!Below are charts for cholesterol and liver enzymes.
1.) TOTAL CHOLESTEROL
Less than 200: Desirable
200–239: Borderline-High Risk
240: High Risk
2.) LDL or “Bad Cholesterol”
Less than 100: Optimal
100 to 129: Near Optimal/ Above Optimal
130 to 159: Borderline High
160 to 189: High
190 and above: Very High
3.) LIVER ENZYMES
AST (SGOT) Between 10-40 is Optimal
ALT (SGPT) Between 10-42 is Optimal
January 7, 2009
Total Cholesterol: 268 (dangerously high)
LDL Cholesterol: 197 (dangerously high)
AST: 93 (more than twice the optimal high)
ALT: 94 (Larry Hagman pre-transplant levels)
October 30, 2009
Total Cholesterol: 300 (baseball batting average? Good. cholesterol level? Deadly)
LDL Cholesterol: 227 (walking heart attack. Says Dr. Fuhrman, “we got you just in time”)
AST: 36 (inexplicably normal)
ALT: 73 (still almost twice the amount it should be)
December 7, 2009 (five weeks into my veganism, and being booze free)
Total Cholesterol: 208 (down 92 points, and just a whisker borderline high)
LDL Cholesterol: 150 (border line high, but major potential blockage removed)
AST: 25 (safely optimal)
ALT: 30 (the liver is amazing at healing itself when given the chance)
April 14, 2010
Total Cholesterol: 170 (living healthy in the perfect zone! 130 points down in less than six months – and without ANY drugs!)
LDL Cholesterol: 105 (like new pipes installed in the heart pump!)
AST: 15 (a liver so clean, Bogey would kick me out of Rick’s Cafe)
ALT: 16 (the best advertisement for being a teetotaler!)
Needless to say, the Doctor was thrilled with the results, and I am ecstatic! I have just elongated my natural life, God willing, by years, if not decades!
My blood pressure went from Hypertension last year to a terrifically healthy 95/65, and my resting heart rate was checked twice by Dr. Fuhrman who said “Wow,” it was an “exceptionally low, athlete-level low,” 39 beats per minute.
My weight goal of 225 lbs by April 30th is a bit out of my grasp (but will be conquered soon), however, my overall health from changing my lifestyle has undergone a revolutionary change for the better.
I’m smiling broadly.
10 comments:
What a wonderful advertisement for a healthy vegan lifestyle. Congratulations! Keep it up. You are definitely an inspiration!
Alicia
What great news! Your results are just amazing. I know my total cholesterol dropped from 258 to 192 the first few weeks I did ETL (and I'm a rather thin woman, so that goes to show you). CONGRATS, Terry! It must feel so good to know you have years of healthy living ahead of you.
Alicia, Amanda - thank you so much!
Terry you look great!
Congratulations, and thank you for sharing your experience with all of us internet strangers.
Thanks Marisa!
Jill - I decided to be brutually honest because my short-comings are and were fixable, so there is no shame and laying it all out there.
Congratulations, Terry! We're all so happy for you!
You, my friend, are a RockStar! Nice job on those bloodwork numbers! - Chris
Awesome job! You look healthy!:)
That is what I want, healthy.
Thanks so much Chalon, Chris and Naina...there has been less drama, and tears than the TV program Biggest Loser, but I think it has been a more realistic journey that applies to most people. So I am stoked to share these numbers with everyone.
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