Just stopping by to provide a bit of an update about my health journey

As some of you know, I've been on a journey to get healthy and back to living how I used to. Hence, my self-imposed time out from Too Hot

In 2020, I was diagnosed with two autoimmune disorders (Graves Hyperthyroidism & Thyroid Eye Disease) and in March 2022, I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. I was also morbidly obese @ 323lbs, down from my highest weight of 340lbs at the beginning of the pandemic, but this was after having gained over 100lbs since 2008ish.

It was the diabetes diagnosis that got me off my fat butt. A switch went off in my head when I heard the diagnosis and saw the results. Thing is, I had worked in the fitness industry for a decade when I was in my 20s until I went to grad school and was an athlete, but this history didn't motivate me as I continued to gain weight and suffer from anxiety--mainly work-related stress post-grad school that I never handled well.

Anyway, I'm now at the 6-month mark of my journey, which includes healthy eating and intermittent fasting, and 5-6 days of walking, trail hiking, or running, and 3-4 days of resistance training. I also don't allow myself to sit longer than one-hour, not without getting up and walking around or doing chores of some kind.

And my my have things changed. So much so that despite my years in fitness, I was surprised at just how well and quickly my body has responded.

Thus far since April 1st:

I've lost 75lbs (down to 248lbs).

Goal weight: ~175lbs, thus I still have nearly another 75lbs to go, maybe a little more; we'll see when I get near there.

Hemoglobin A1C (blood glucose over the prior 3-4 month period): Down to 6.0 from 8.8 (normal range is 4.0 - 5.7). I'm almost there!

Thyroid: Two of three thyroid biomarkers associated w/my autoimmune disorders have normalized (T4 & TSH) while the third, TSI, is still high but improving rapidly.

No apparent fatty liver (thankfully but none was ever detected, surprisingly)

Cholesterol: Total, triglycerides, and LDL all normal (my triglycerides were high back in March); still have low HDL but that might be a genetic predisposition. Dug out some old records, it's been this way for over 2 decades.

Blood Pressure: Regularly normal readings (I was at Stage 1 Hypertension for at least 5 years)

Resting Heart Rate: ~58bpm; down from 105bpm

Also going through a second major treatment for my thyroid eye disease. The first time, I didn't help myself by changing my lifestyle; this time, I did and the effects of TED have diminished nearly completely. Although there's no cure for this autoimmune disorder.

Still have a long way to go to reach my goals, but hitting the shorter term ones well ahead of the timeline I set out.

I have to say that I feel like a different person. Feel much more like "myself" again. Even if still obese by current metrics, I don't feel like I am. I get good sleep and have much more energy and mental clarity, and just feel so much better that it's hard to fully explain.

And the truth is, it hasn't been all that hard to accomplish once I got going. It's not as if I starve myself (despite regularly fasting) or deprive myself of all good tasting (junky) food, or kill myself with ridiculously exhaustive exercise. I don't but I have been consistent and committed. I'm determined to never going back to where I was at in March.