Perhaps the biggest favor you can do for yourself this week is pay your doctor a visit. Get a routine physical exam and have blood drawn so that you know your blood pressure, blood glucose level, total cholesterol, etc. It is equally important to measure your body.
BONUS: Go the extra mile and get your hands on a scale that accurately measures your body weight, body fat, muscle mass, and metabolic age among other things. Body fat in relation to body weight is an important number to track during weight loss.
Collectively, these statistics are more than just numbers; they tell you a lot about yourself (i.e., what diseases you are at risk for, what foods you should be eating more/less of, etc.). To help you gauge your current standing, I have listed normal (low health risk) statistics for adults.
- Blood Pressure: Less than 120/80, ideally 115/75
- Blood Glucose: Less than 120
- Total Cholesterol: Less than 200
- HDL (healthy cholesterol): More than 40 (the higher, the better)
- LDL (lousy cholesterol): Less than 100, although a range of 100 to 129 is acceptable
- Triglycerides: Less than 150
- Body Fat: 21% to 32% in women ages 18 to 39 / 8% to 19% in men ages 18 to 39
- Body Mass Index (BMI): 18.5 to 24.9
- Waist Size: Less than 1/2 your height in inches
Knowing your numbers can help you take better care of yourself and even prevent diseases, as demonstrated in this article. So make that appointment today and take the first step towards improving your life!
Sasha
Good idea. Haven’t done that in a while. Should schedule one soon.
can’t agree with you more! thanks for helping us keep our health priorities in check…i need to look at my physical exam results lol