Grace, not Perfection

My three-month plan to improve my bloodwork without pretending life is calm, organized, or under control.

My view while I wrote this post from a deck at a cabin in Blue Ridge. (photo by me and enhanced by AI)

Last week I saw my functional nurse practitioner to review my routine bloodwork and it was the spark I needed to refocus on my health. While many markers were optimal, it was the cholesterol markers that gave me pause because of my age and genetics. I am going to focus on my health, the best I can, for the next 3 months before having my blood work retested.

I have worked with functional medicine doctors for 16 years because they look for root causes and understand the importance of diet and lifestyle to overall health. They look for answers, not just fill a prescription for the symptoms.

Over the last 16 years, there have been times where I am dialed in to my diet and lifestyle and other times, I was living like I was 25. Over the last year, I have found myself going back to my comfort coping mechanisms. That involves too much wine, an obscene amount of “cylinder chips” (healthier pringles chips), doom scrolling, and less reading and more bingeing. Which was all fine.

Until last week when my NP started talking to me about potentially having to take a statin.

I would like to avoid a statin. I would also like to avoid a cardiac event but want to put some healthy habits back in place before deciding to take a medication. I have put a plan together using things that have worked in the past and also going to keep it simple and not strive for perfection but consistency.

Goal: Blood work improvements: reduce triglycerides and decrease LDL Small Particle Size.

1. Diet: Follow Weight Watchers GLP-1 program (I have been a member for decades but need to refocus. It is an excellent program, especially for someone like me who needs external accountability)

2. Movement: Continue 2 days a week of strength training at gym; walk 8,000 steps a day, 5 days a week

3. Stress Reduction (This is the HARDEST for me):

a. Meditation and breath work, 3-5 times a week

b. No phone after 8:30pm

c. Morning light for 15 mins, 3-5 times a week

d. Journaling 3 times a week

e. Watch or read something that makes me laugh daily

f. Mindful of consumption of social media, negative people, and news

4. Grace: Give myself grace on the hard days. On the days I drink wine and eat chips while bingeing Off Campus. On the days I say “screw it, I’ll take the statin”

That’s the plan. I’m bringing you along for the journey because accountability has always worked better for me than willpower alone.