Thank you to all who have been asking me about my blood pressure issue! Thankfully, I have made some changes in my diet that have made some substantial differences. I hit a peak of 212 pounds back in July 2020, but then slowly got to ~207 lbs. in November. Pre-Christmas and post-Christmas goodies were around in abundance this year. But then, as I needed to be tested for COVID-19, the physician noted that what I was reporting as potential COVID-19 symptoms sounded more like symptoms of high blood pressure. Sure enough, it registered as 155/100 there in the exam room!
So, in addition to the soberness of needing a one-a-day pill for blood pressure, seeing the high blood pressure reading gave me better motivation for weight loss. A parishioner suggested an approach to eating that has been effective for their household. I have given that a try and it has proven effective for me as well. My scale is getting happier, too, not having to strain under so much weight as in the past. It told me on Friday, February 26th, that I have slimmed to 197½ pounds, losing ~9 pounds in just over three weeks of this new approach to eating. It has been encouraging to have a little more space around the collar and waist!
I am also glad that this was well underway a couple of weeks before Lent. In the past I had sometimes approached Lent as an annual weight loss opportunity. With this approach to eating already established as its own habit, Lent can now have some other focuses and motivations. Anyway, again thank you for concern.
Regarding some other focuses, it seems that the Lord might be asking me to grow a bit in humility this Lent. This was experienced in a funny way this past week as I visited the Kindergarten class at St. Benedict School. I usually try to visit each of the classrooms on Tuesday mornings. Because of the snowy and icy weather over the first part of February, I had not visited the Kindergarteners for about 3 weeks. So, I said to them that it was great to see them and that it looked like some of them had grown quite a bit over those past 3 weeks. One of them replied that he liked my new hairstyle (I hadn’t realized that I have a new hairstyle). He said when I comb my hair to the back now it looks kind of like a mohawk. “And, it’s all nice and shiny in the front”!
Ah, humility!
May the Lord continue to bless us with joy and peace as disciples of Jesus and to help us to be always ready for the gift of eternal life in Heaven!