Weight 201
LDL 202


I am a doctor and I am overweight and have bad cholesterol. 
There.  I said it. 

I have a million excuses.  I’m too busy to eat right.  I get up at 5:30 a.m. to be at the hospital by 7:00-7:30 a.m.  I eat lean protein (usually) before I go to work.  I rush to the office and grab a muffin on the way out of the hospital.  Then, I scarf it in the car.  At work, I’m sitting in front of a computer even more than ever now that we are on an electronic medical record.  My butt actually hurts from sitting so much.  I have been bringing lunch often, but every Monday we get a “drug lunch” from the drug reps who come to tell us about why we should use their drugs for our patients.  It’s usually “not so good for you” food, and worse, it’s not portioned, like the lean cuisines, or the food you bring from home.

I eat quickly, then work through lunch to catch up on phone calls and labs and charting, then start seeing patients again.  I finish at 3 and do more phone calls, and charting and I put out fires all afternoon.  At 5, I rush out the door to relieve my kids caregiver.  Then on Mondays, we rush to Boy Scouts.  Tuesdays, I rush to pick my daughter  up from volleyball, Girl Scouts, whatever.  Wednesdays vary.  Thursday is my late night.  I leave home later, using the morning to catch up on work I can’t do at  the office because everyone sees me and feels the need to tell me all kinds of stuff that has to be taken care of the minute I walk in the door.  So I stay home awhile and get things done.  I don’t get home until 10 p.m. or so at night because of all the paper work, although I’m done seeing patients at 7 p.m.
Fridays, I rush home and the kids and I have “FNO” or Friday night out.  Usually this involves food and movies. 

So, SEE!  I have NO TIME!   I’m also studying for the board exams.  Every 10 years we re-certify.  This is it.  I’m using every free moment to study. 

I saw my doctor.  He was super nice.  “You’ve gained 10 lbs in 2 years.  It’s not SO bad.  You’re overweight, not obese. Yet. “
The next day came the panicked phone call.  “Michele.  DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CHOLESTEROL IS?  What the heck have you been eating? “

I was too embarrassed to tell him about the two bags of pistachios that I demolished in the car over a three day period. 

So, here I am.  A doctor who for the first time in her life has to take her own advice.
That’s what this blog is about.  Hopefully, it’ll spur my patients to do follow suit. 
I am a life long member of on-line Weight Watchers.  I really believe in it.  I just chose not to follow the plan for a while.  Then, menopause started creeping, in, and ice cream, and comfort foods, and no exercise, and too busy....  I want to be accountable.  I hope this helps me to succeed, but I also hope it helps my patients to see what it takes to succeed.