Before you read any further, I must remind you that I’m not a doctor. All I know is I get a physical every year, complete with a lipid panel to screen for problems that might come about from eating too much pizza. I’m proud to say everything’s looking good on my end! Here’s the quick scoop on where I’m at.
Last year, my total cholesterol was 167 but now it’s 162.
Last year, my HDL (”good” cholesterol) was 57, now it’s 68 (I want it > 50).
Last year, my LDL (”bad” cholesterol) was 101, now it’s 84 (I want it < 130).
Last year, my triglycerides were at 45, now they’re at 52 (I want it < 150).
So everything’s looking ok! But if I’m eating this much pizza, shouldn’t I be a mess? Doctors actually disagree about how much of an impact your diet has on cholesterol, most saying it’s all about heredity. It’s all magic to me, but I do a few things to stay in shape that might help keep these numbers where they are.
1. I eat oatmeal for breakfast at least 5 days a week. Bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches are rare these days, as are bagels. It’s the price I pay for more pizza.
2. I ride my bike everywhere. Subways are rare, cabs are more rare, and my car is just there for moving pizza-related stuff and taking me on pizza road trips. As long as it isn’t raining or icy, I’m on the bike.
3. I try to swim at least twice every week at the local YMCA. I just moved, so trying to figure out a replacement for that. In the meantime, my new YMCA has a gym so I’ll probably hit that up to keep the blood flowing.
4. I limit my pizza intake to 15 slices per week. I know that might sound like a lot, but it’s just 2 per day with a bonus floater slice. I figure there are 16 slices in two pies, so 15 is “less than two pies per week.” It’s a mental thing.
5. I don’t eat sweets on weekdays, just Saturday and Sunday. I definitely go for it on the weekends, but it’s still less than I would have if I let myself go crazy on candy five additional days every week.
I have no idea if any/all of these things really impact my cholesterol but my doc says to just keep doing what I’m doing. I get asked almost every day why I’m not obese and all I can say is I do eat a lot of pizza, but I also do these things. Maybe they help, maybe they don’t. All I know is I’m going to keep doing them!
Again, I’m not a doctor.
