I Love my Doctor (Subtitle: The Numbers Game)

I had my annual physical last week.  The only thing I really dread about the appointment is standing on the scale.  It seems we, as a female culture, are often obsessed with our weight.  This year the doctor's scale told me I had gained, again, and weighed almost as much as I did at the end of my pregnancies --- only, I'm not pregnant.

It appears I am, however, carrying a food baby.

I love to eat; for me, it is one of the pleasures in life.  I was all prepared to get an earful from my doctor when she took an unexpected tact.  She asked about my exercise habits:
- tennis for an hour once a week
- spin class for an hour twice a week
- walk the dogs for at least two miles five times a week.

She reviewed my test results:
Blood pressure: 102/64
Resting heart rate: under 60
Cholesterol/HDL ratio: less than 2.8

"Eh", my doctor said about my weight.  "Your blood work shows you eat mindfully. Your heart sounds good and it appears healthy with all the activity you do.  Look, don't worry about getting thicker in the middle; that can happen as a woman ages.  I think your weight is only a partial indicator of your overall health. Remember, skinny doesn't always equate to healthy.  Yes, you could eat less and lose weight, but the most important thing is that you're healthy.  That's what I care most about.  I'll see you in a year."

I love my doctor.  I think I'll send her a box of cookies.

And, I'm going to try not to obsess too much about my weight but instead, continue to focus on being healthy and maintaining healthy habits.