1st quarter review

This past Monday marked the 4 week mark of this 16 week journey. I had an appointment with Dr. Melina to go over my lab results. I was the last on added to this documentary which made all of my "initial" meetings to get my beginning stats later than the rest of the group. While they had everything taken care of before they moved in, I had my first BMI reading and body percentages taken 6 days after moving in. I only say that to help paint the mindset I had for myself as compared to the rest of the roommates. I was giving myself disclaimers, "Now Milt, expect lower numbers because you haven't been tracked as long" I'm glad I did. MJ and Shawn had amazing weight loss #'s, so much so, the Dr. said they are losing at an unhealthy rate. I know their is more to it but of course my thought was, "They look Awesome" I can really see their bodies shrinking. I'd been waiting for the day I can notice my own. Don't get me wrong, I can feel the difference in my clothes and my belt, my energy is much higher. However, when I look in the mirror I see the same body I've always know...Sometimes I wonder if that will always be the case to some degree?

We started the results day with our Saturday group activity. This week...Tennis.

Not gonna lie, I was as excited as I was nervous. My main request of an activity is that it has a big enough element of fun to it that you forget it's a workout. Tennis really delivered. I had a blast, I didn't even care that we we're being filmed. I can't wait to do it again and immediately tried to think of where I could play once I was home. My in-laws have courts in their neighborhood. I'm looking forward to taking my sweet Laura on a tennis date.

Then home for a quick shower and lunch, tuna salad.

My labs came back with 3 things that needed to be addressed:

1. I need vitamin D, pretty common in the house, simple supplement fix.
2. My Cholesterol level looks normal but she requested a test that breaks the reading down even further and it turns out I do have high Cholesterol. This however, can (and is) being corrected through diet.
3. C-RP or Reactive Protein test results. First, here is a breakdown:

          C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein that can be measured in your blood. It appears in higher amounts when there's swelling (inflammation) somewhere in your body. Your doctor may check your C-reactive protein level after surgery or treatment for infections or other medical conditions. A C-reactive protein test can also be used to evaluate your risk of developing coronary artery disease, a condition in which the arteries of your heart are narrowed. Coronary artery disease can eventually lead to a heart attack.

         Results are read like this; less than 1 = low, 2-3 = average, greater than 3 = high. One other roommate   had a "high" result, he had a 4. I on the other hand had an 11.36! 4x the "high" end of the spectrum. My heart sank as the Dr. emphasized her point,"Do you realize how much at risk you are for heart issues?" and returning to her normal tone, "The good news is that this number along with your cholesterol level, are highly influenced by your diet." No doubt these numbers are, and will continue to, improve as you implement the habits you are learning.

Now for the good news. Here are my 1 month accomplishments:

• I have lost 15 lbs in 4 weeks here! (totaling a 37.5 lb loss since Laura and I began change 6/13/12)
• I have lost 15 inches from my body including 5 inches from my belly!
• I have gone from 60.2% body fat to 53.3% boy fat! A huge 7% drop!!!

Moving forward so grateful and determined to push hard. Glory to God!