Mission: Lower Cholesterol
I’ve finished up week two of Mission: Lower Cholesterol, aka Fuck My Doctor and His Threats of Lipitor. This week was both a bit easier and a bit harder. Healthy choices have already become a habit, but I’m still tempted by bad snacks and desserts. Well of course: I always will be. For instance, yesterday at work, I saw an empty Frito bag in my garbage can, and thought, Fuck, I could really go for some Fritos.
I was sort of lax about my green tea habit, opting instead for another cup of coffee one day and just skipping a second round of caffeine altogether another day. I’m also getting sick of almonds as a snack. Need to get some mixed nuts.
I’m one day short of hitting my workout goal, unless I go to the gym later today. This morning I opted for an at-home workout of weight training and Pilates. My post-yoga recovery this week was much quicker. I wasn’t nearly as sore the next day, and by the following day was all better.
I also finally brought my yoga mat instead of just using the mats the gym provides. While the yoga mat is definitely better in that it’s not slippery and much longer, it doesn’t provide as much cushion and so the base of my hands started to get sore. However, they didn’t hurt afterward so maybe it’s just a matter of getting used to it.
Writing News
I had another piece published in The Frisky last week, I’m Sick of Hearing About Motherhood. I felt like I had written several “nice” pieces and wanted to write something more controversial. The comments range from, “Amen, sister!” to “Oh my God, how can you say such things? We mothers have to put up with SOOO much, and now we have to put up with bitchy attitudes like yours, Miss Angela Tung! We’re MOTHERS! Cut us a break!!!”
I rest my case.
Funny too are comments that say, “Wait till she has a kid!” while in the piece I basically say who knows, I may act the same way when I have kids. Shows that people didn’t take the time to read to the very end.
On the Nervous Breakdown last week, I published I Hate Reading About Music, which has been my most popular piece so far. There has been a lot of music posts lately so I think the subject is on people’s minds. I don’t know if those who don’t read the TNB regularly would be as into it.
This morning I had fun giving a video interview to one of my Nervous Breakdown friends. I’m always self-conscious about how I look on Skype. My hair was all wet so I kind of look like a seal in a pink shirt. Oh well.
At work I’ve been given a big month-long project. It will involve lots of writing, including on days that I’m not in the office. Yay! Getting paid to write!
What I’m Reading Now
I just finished The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly. It was a very interesting book, an interesting style. On the surface it seems to be a book for children or Young Adults because of the fairy tale aspect, but it’s quite gruesome at times and very sad overall. Now I’ve started Corelli’s Mandolin.
I wanted to pick up a copy of Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi, which I’ve never read before, but it was checked out at the library. I’ve always wanted to read it but just never got around to it. Then I started watching a documentary on Mark Twain last week and became interested again.
I didn’t realize Mark Twain could be kind of a jerk to his family, and had a lot of darkness about him, blaming himself for his brother’s and son’s deaths. I think a lot of “comedians” are like that, not a laugh a minute but actually quite depressed.
I also didn’t know that his first lecture was given here in San Francisco at the Maguire’s Academy of Music. I wonder if that theater is still around. I’m curious to go see.
your mission to lower your cholesterol is SUPER impressive. mine is borderline as well, basically right under 200. it has remained pretty much unchanged though for the past 5 years (though my eating habits also have not changed much).
i’ve always just chalked it up to my Asian genes and made the excuse that the arbitrary 200 mark was probably something made by white doctors for white people.
keep me updated on your mission! if cholesterol actually can be lowered and isn’t just genetics, i might have to be a bit more disciplined :)
shan, mine used to be around 180, and that was fine. but now it’s 216, and the bad cholesterol is over 130 when it should be 130 or under.
i think part of it *is* genes. for instance, my good to bad ratio is still good, which i get from my parents. and the fact that my levels suddenly got higher over the course of just a year or two, and i know my diet has gotten much fattier, i’m pretty sure i can chalk it up to diet and not enough exercise.
there was a time my cholesterol was something ridiculous like 140, but that was when i was unhappily married, so all i did was exercise like crazy.