As of this morning, I’m back on MyFitnessPal. I’m not sure how long it will last or if it’s the absolute best choice, but for the moment I feel alright about it.
I hate tracking and, generally, it produces anxiety for me. I’m in a place where there’s a fair amount for me to juggle on any given day so adding a nearly guaranteed source of anxiety, however small it feels right now, seems counterproductive, right? So why did I log in this morning, create a new account, and dutifully enter my breakfast coffee?
I’m scared. Maybe it’s not even legitimate, but it’s there. Essentially, I’ve always had FABULOUS numbers. Weirdly low resting heart rate, great blood pressure, etc. it’s something I’ve always been proud of. Lately I’ve had a few higher readings. Both were just barely high, and both happened when I was suffering from SEVERE issues, first acute bronchitis and then a serious sinus infection. I brushed aside the minute clinic blood pressure cards because it’s incredibly normal and reasonable for your blood pressure to go up when you’re super sick, particularly if you’ve been taking decongestants. I had been taking them both times.
Last night, on a whim, I sat down at the blood pressure checker in the grocery store. I was exhausted, but otherwise healthy enough. No decongestants. Same borderline reading. This time it was 123/86, and my resting heart rate was 68.
It’s nothing earth shattering, and before I make myself crazy with concern I need to get a regular checkup with a real doctor to confirm my actual numbers. That being said, now I feel a push.
I’ve been letting my food be a stress reliever instead of thinking about it from a place of body love. I’ve been eating too much sugar and not enough produce. I’ve been doing pretty well with yoga, but strength training has been inconsistent at best. I can’t change everything all at once, but I think tracking will help me. I’ll get an idea of my macros, particularly my sugar and sodium averages. Right now I’m looking at it as a tool for understanding better where I’m at right now so that I can figure out what the right next steps are. Meeting the goals set by the MFP site is secondary for me right now; my main goal is jut establishing a baseline.
Again, I WILL be getting a real checkup to determine my numbers accurately. I also allow that a lot is probably feeding into this potential BP raise. I’m under stress right now. I’m really not sleeping enough. I’m getting older. My food choices have been lacking. Now I have the chance to address those things as much as possible because I will not be a thirty-something taking blood pressure medication.
