Atkins=my Healthy Heart!!

[misplaced southerner]

good morning friends. here to report some pretty amazing news! it's a little lenghty but please bear with me! please know that my purpose for witing this is not to get kudos....rather to encourage ANYONE to either START or STICK WITH this lifestyle!!!

over my last 3 doctor's visits, he noticed my BP was slightly elevated. being overly cautious (as my mama died at 64 from a heart attack), my doc referred me to a cardiologist to "just check things out." i finally made the appointment and saw him yesterday.

when i entered the waiting area there was a man sitting there who must have weighed at least 400 pounds. he was connected to oxygen and obviously laboring to breathe. i wanted to cry. was he obese due to his heart or was his heart sick due to being obese? all i could think of was what he was missing out on. he was no older than 35.

i was a wreck inside by the time the doc saw me (remember i saw my mama die of a heart attack and i was SURE this guy was going to do the same!) we discussed my cholesterol numbers from december and he was MOST IMPRESSED (thank you dr. atkins!) my BP in his office was slightly elevated but that is to be expected. i had also taken in 3 months of BP readings taken at home.....again, he was THRILLED with my numbers.

we also discussed my lifestyle. i explained my "diet" and my family history of heart disease. while there is really none, we believe my mother's heart attack was due to smoking....if you are a smoker...STOP!!!! it is the single most important thing you can do for your good health!

i told him about my supplements....a good multi, coQ10, baby aspirin, flaxseed oil and fishoil....religiously. his eyes grew huge! he said " i don't very often get patients in here who are as educated in their own health as you are!" (thanks ADBB!!!)

finally, i told him i get at the minimum, 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 6 days a week. he was IMPRESSED!!!!!!

so now for the biggie.....the EKG. his words, "beautiful!" and then on to the dreaded "stress test".........i am in FANTASTIC SHAPE!

so the long story short........atkins for the last 3 years (more or less...more more than less) has been very very very good to my heart. (thank you naysayers....you can all sit down now!)

i am glad i went to see him. having a parent die of a heart attack leaves worry in the back of the brain i guess. all the research i have read tells e that atkins is GOOD for my heart....but then those nagging thoughts pop up from time to time ya know? now i know...for now, i am in fantastic health. there is NO BIGGER BLESSING!

so friends....if you are trying to decide if this is the path for you, TAKE IT! if you are sitting on the fence and telling yourself it is "not working" and you are just going to go back to your old habits, DON"T! if you can't SEE the results yet, remember that good things are going on INSIDE your body where you can't see them yet! PERSIST! soon it becomes second nature and you aren't really going to think about eating bread...or whatever pushes your button.

i must tell you that i walked out of his office and that same man was struggling to get out of his examination room, with the help of two others....i FLEW down the stairs to my car, got inside, bowed my head and THANKED THE LORD for my life ....my HEALTHY life. there is no piece of pizza, no candy treat, no bread or potato or anything that would taste better than it feels to KNOW that i am healthy and i can live life to the fullest and i will be here with my family and friends for a long time. THAT makes for a HAPPY HEART~

thanks for listening.....now, you wanna do atkins with me?

[APanthesilia]

Wonderful post! And congratulations on being so healthy! You have worked so hard at this and you deserve all the praise you got from the cardiologist and all the praise you will get from us at ADBB! You have been an inspiration to many and this just makes that even more true. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing!!

[spazzyhilo]

Congratulations!! Can I get a woooh Atkins!

[SandyL2002]

Thanks for the encouraging advice Betsy... Especially when we feel guilty eating a nice juicy steak and REAL dressing...lol

I am so happy that you got good results too

[SunnySmile501]

A standing ovation from me! I had similar good news from my doc last week. Makes me want to do a happy dance for us all!

Sunny!

[apple]

MisS...you had me at "naysayers...you can take a seat"!

Everything is beautifully put!! Thank you for sharing your awesome accomplishments and providing proof that this way of eating for life is worth every heart beat.

[SunnyB2]

Great post. Thank you.

You gotta feel for the that poor 400 lb man. Life must be so hard for him.

Sunny

[SunnyB2]

Last year I spent some time in a cardiac ICU with a relative who had surgery. I tell you, seeing people who have just had bypass surgery is a HUGE motivator to get yourself moving. I was walking miles every day, all over that hospital.

[guekjian]

Betsy, that was an amazing post...Thank you...I have been struggling for the past couple of months and I think you just gave me the kick in the pants I needed to embrace Atkins once again...and Congrats on your great results...

[Porcelain]

My family has a lot of heart disease but thinking back, my familly had a good bit of abdominal fat too. They were strong and healthy and slim until they hit late 40's or so but then they started to spread and even though they were fairly long lived, almost all of them had heart disease and/or type II diabetes. I am so glad I am taking care of myself now. Thanks for your post!