National Lab Week 2017 - 6 ways I've used lab testing to work for me in weight maintenance

Top 6 ways lab testing helps me in weight maintenance

Happy Lab Week 2017

In real life, I'm a lab professional. I've been one for 29 years. 30 if you count my student rotation back in Indiana.

Shout out to ALL lab professionals. Tough hours, tough conditions, high stress at times. Great payback to the patients and to the docs diagnosing and the nurses in patient care.

An extra awesome shout out to phelbotomists because they are awesome when they draw my blood, both as a patient and as a paid blood donor.

I've worked a lot of weekends, holidays, and fill-ins and call ins during my 29 years. And I've provided a lot of good lab data, too. I know I've made a difference in the Hematology-Oncology, Coagulation, and Quality Professions.

As far as weight loss and weight maintenance go, here's how I use at home and commercial lab testing to monitor my health.

What's working for me now

1.  Home Glucose meter, fasting & 2 hrs post to determine type 2 diabetes risks with meals and foods.

I can eat carrots, Brussels sprouts, onions, green onions, summer squashes, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and 85% chocolate with post 2 hour glucose readings 98 ug/mL and below. My fasting runs anywhere from 68-82 ug/mL or so.

Since I have the genetic predispostion for Type 2 diabetes (not diagnosed) I need to test. It's not my fault, but when I was obese for 40 years, my type 2 risk sky rocketed in 2000, post pregnancy.

2. Home Fecal Occult Blood testing, as provided by my employer near my birthday. Negative colonoscopy in 2016. Staying away from high fiber grains keeps my colon running BETTER!

3. Paleo, Low Carb, sometimes Keto food template for good outcomes with glucose & GI health

4. Occasional urine ketone testing just because it's fun. LOL.

5. Periodic lab testing for screening for insurance discounts and thyroid testing for medication dosing.

6. 23N Me testing with the Promethease HTML report. This is the single most important lab test of my life. I will live longer, in less pain, for much less cost. Owning my own data = super powerful.

What did not work in the past

1. Not monitoring glucose at home post potatoes, winter squash, and moderating Skinny Cow Icecream sandwiches. With M&M's spiked on the side. 5 WW points doesn't keep me from developing Type 2 diabetes. I now know my glucose spikes high and stays high when eat the SAD.

2. Shying away from wanting to know if I had fecal occult blood AND shying away from the idea of a colonoscopy. I've seen too many people not get standard polyps snipped out and who have died in their 50's. Very good treatments, individual for colon cancer now.

I must say that eating high fiber grains really did a number on my GI system. I was afraid I'd have long lasting effects. Thankfully, I stopped pumping my body full of oatmeal, Kashi, Fiber One and magically, my GI system got A LOT Better...

3. Calorie counting and Points counting did not work post mid-30's for me. In my late 20's yes. In my mid 30's and older- all the NOPES. All of that helped me get and stay obese for many years. Nothing fueled my Food Addiction more.

4. Not using low carb as a tool for weight loss and weight maintenance.

5. I avoided going to the doctor and avoided taking action on some really high HA1c's. Sigh. Better late than never.

6. Not owning and taking action on my own data. I just wanted to stick my head in the sand.


Okay, who else uses home and commercial lab testing to optimize weight loss and weight maintenance. I know a lot of our bloggy friends do. :) Kudos.

PS- one of our bloggy friends has requested a topic on GI health, specifically, stool health. Whooot!!  Post up in the next week to 10 days with how I keep my GI system pretty smooth, after years of too much and too little. Don't worry, there will be no actual photos. LOL