Please Pass the Butter....

So today we did a health screening at work and everything checked out (my blood pressure wasn't permanently scarred by that PRACS study and the one pill I took a month ago) and I don't have any indicators for diabetes... however.... my cholesterol level was 247. That number is after fasting for 8 hours. I realize this is just a screening and just a total number without the breakdown of the good versus the bad cholesterol... but STILL.... 247? Sheesh.

I called both my parents immediately to give them the good news. They were overjoyed to realize their genes had passed on this terrific trait.... my mom thought it might have more to do with my diet. Hmmmm.... well, regardless they seemed much less concerned than I was. Of course they are both in questionable health and I've discovered in recent years one's health is not something to joke about. I told my mom I was going to go to the doctor and get it checked properly and she asked, "Why? Do you plan to DO something with the results?" (note the disbelief in that question) She has a reason to doubt me. I know I need to take calcium and to lose weight, but I seem to be unmotivated on both counts... Here's one more thing to add to the list, I guess. However, I am a firm believer in the idea of at least KNOWING what I should do even if I don't do it.

During the screening, the nurse asked me what I typically ate and I responded, "Most days I eat a couple of flour tortillas with melted monterrey jack cheese and Cholula sauce mixed in... rolled up and dipped in sour cream. Surely that is healthy, right? She just threw her head back and laughed. Sigh. I guess I need to revisit the "learn to eat healthy foods" goal I had and maybe invent a new goal.... learn to make my meals BEFORE I am so hungry I can't wait for the five minutes it takes to cook a Lean Cuisine meal and therefore settle for the cheese tortilla because that one is ready within 45 seconds.

***UPDATE***
I actually DID get my cholesterol checked at the doctor's office and got the breakdown...
Total Cholesterol: 272 (optimal is under 200)
Triglycerides: 143 (normal is under 150)
HDL (good) cholesterol: 59 (normal, apparently... over 59 is high... under 40 is low)
LDL (bad) cholesterol: 184 (optimal is under 100... the category for VERY high starts at 189)

Ugh. So now it's real. I actually DO need to change my diet and exercise and repeat this whole process in 6 months.