Hi friends!!
Remember my big dramatic “I’m Giving Up!” post? Where I quit the corporate grind, kicked self-doubt to the curb, and said goodbye to excuses? Yeah, that one. It felt epic. Liberating. Like I Marie Kondo’d my entire life and everything left sparked pure joy.
And it still does! But here’s the plot twist nobody (including me) saw coming:
Metrics still matter.
Specifically, health metrics. Lab work. Numbers on a page that don’t care how zen or intentional you feel—they just tell the truth.
I got my bloodwork back, and let’s just say some of those numbers raised an eyebrow (mine, mostly). My LDL cholesterol? Higher than I’d like. Not “emergency room” high, but definitely in the “hey, let’s pay attention” zone. And my B12? Surprisingly elevated—enough that my doctor was like, “Huh, interesting… let’s keep an eye on that.”
I was hoping my lab work would be more of a victory lap as I approach the big five-oh! I ditched the job that hurt my heart (BP literally) and the endless excuses, start feeling amazing, and my labs are like, “Nice try, but we’re not done yet.”
Here’s the fun part though: my choices have delivered some seriously positive wins on other fronts:
• Improved my sleep scores dramatically: hello, consistent 7–8 hours of actual restorative sleep instead of wired-but-tired corporate nights
• Blood pressure drop into a healthy range (less stress + way more natural movement = calmer system)
• Increased daily movement big time—no more glued-to-a-chair lifestyle. I’m walking, stretching, squatting, and just plain moving more.
• Most lab work was great—kidneys, liver, iron folate, etc. It could be my personality that I wanted all 5-stars!
So while the LDL and B12 numbers were a surprise “to-do,” the rest of the picture is showing real progress. Retirement isn’t just freedom from meetings—it’s freedom to take better care of the body that’s carrying me through this next chapter.
That B12 result was actually a great reminder: don’t take supplements your body doesn’t need. I wasn’t mega-dosing anything, but it was a nudge to stop the “just in case” approach and let labs guide the decisions. Sometimes we’re giving ourselves things we don’t actually need, and that can throw numbers off in unexpected ways.
Healthcare doesn’t make healthy: Providers are partners but we are responsible for our own health.
So cheers to the new chapter: I’m getting intentional about lowering that LDL naturally—no meds, no drama, just real food, movement, consistency and monitoring.
What does that look like?
• Loading up on foods that naturally support better cholesterol: oats for breakfast, avocados, salmon a couple times a week, handfuls of almonds and walnuts, olive oil instead of butter, more fiber from veggies and beans. (And cutting out my daily dose of gummy bears, nerd clusters and cutting back on red and processed meat)
• Keeping up with the Monthly Health Challenges (we’re rocking February’s Squat Challenge—legs are burning, but in a good way!).
• More daily walks (sunshine + movement = win).
• And re-testing in six months to see the progress.
But honestly? This post isn’t about me becoming the cholesterol queen. It’s about the bigger invitation:
If you haven’t had total labs done in a while, please consider doing it. Schedule it today!
Partner with a trusted healthcare provider you actually like and trust. Get a solid baseline—not because something’s “wrong,” but because knowing your numbers is one of the most empowering, intentional things you can do for your health. It’s like a personal dashboard for how your body is actually doing, not just how you feel in the moment.
Once you have that baseline, you can make smart, targeted choices. Maybe you need more fiber. Maybe you need less sitting. Maybe you need to stop a supplement that’s no longer serving you. Or maybe everything looks great and you just keep cruising! Either way, you’re deciding from data, not guesswork.
I’m excited to keep sharing my journey here—real food experiments, movement wins, and those follow-up labs when they come in. I thought I was the picture of health: marathon training, optimal BP, sleep, no seed oils…but definitely not perfect. Maybe it’ll nudge you to book that appointment you’ve been putting off… or at least think about your own numbers with curiosity instead of dread.
We’re still in the “giving up what drains us” era… but we need be clear on what that is and sometimes the labs tell the story and help guide choices with real info. So there it is, metrics do matter and I’m here for it.
Drop a comment below: Have you had labs done recently? What’s one thing you learned from your numbers? Or are you ready to book that appointment? I’m reading every one and cheering you on.
Here’s to intentional living, and a whole lot of high-fives along the way.
With love,
Julie!