My Journey Back
What If Your Blood Sugar, Belly Fat, and Blood Pressure Are All Connected?
I used to think they were separate problems, too.
Then I woke up in a hospital with triglycerides of 1,761, an A1C of 7.2, and blood pressure of 192/114.
Not exactly the wake-up call I was hoping for.
So, working with my doctors, I started connecting the dots. What I learned became the Four Metabolic Loads framework and my book, The Journey Back.
Now I share what I’ve learned in plain English, so you can better understand your own numbers.
Free weekly emails, lessons from my journey, and plain-English lab breakdowns.
The real numbers
Here’s What Happened When I Started Paying Attention
I’m not going to tell you I found some magical cure. I didn’t.
I worked with my doctors, took my prescribed medications, changed how I lived, and started tracking my numbers. Over time, those numbers changed.
The wake-up call
A1C: 7.2%
Triglycerides: 1,761 mg/dL
Blood pressure: 192/114
First follow-up
A1C: 6.5%
Triglycerides: 163 mg/dL
Blood pressure: 119/74
Continuing progress
A1C: 5.7%
Triglycerides: 144 mg/dL
Fasting glucose: 97 mg/dL
These are my documented results, not typical or guaranteed outcomes. They occurred with prescribed medication, medical supervision, and lifestyle changes. Lab results alone do not establish what caused each change.
See My Actual Lab ResultsThe discovery
Here’s Something I Wish I’d Understood Earlier
I thought I had a blood sugar problem. And a cholesterol problem. And a blood pressure problem.
Turns out, several of these things can be connected.
I started organizing what I was learning into four categories. I call them the Four Metabolic Loads. They’re not a medical diagnosis. They’re how I organize information and better questions for my doctors.
It made a lot more sense to me than staring at a bunch of numbers and hoping for the best.
See How the Four Loads WorkFree tools
Curious What Your Own Numbers Mean?
You don’t need to buy anything to get started. Pick whichever number has your attention right now, and explore what it means and what you might want to ask your healthcare team.
A1C & Average Glucose
Explore how A1C relates to estimated average glucose.
Metabolic Syndrome Calculator
Learn about five commonly used metabolic syndrome criteria.
Metabolic Numbers Decoder
Put several common lab markers into everyday language.
Educational tools only. They do not provide a diagnosis or replace medical care.
The book
I Ended Up Writing a Book About All This
Funny thing. I spent more than 25 years helping health companies explain complicated things.
Then I ended up being the guy who needed everything explained to him.
So I wrote The Journey Back. It’s what happened to me, what I learned about my numbers, and how I started making sense of the bigger picture.
If you’re staring at your own lab report wondering where to begin, you might find it useful.
Take a Look at the BookKeep learning
Want to Follow Along?
I’m still learning. Still tracking. Still asking questions.
Every week, I share something useful from the journey. No miracle promises. No complicated medical lectures. Just what I’m learning in plain English.
Follow My JourneyFrom the blog
I Could Still Do the Work →From the blog
Sleep Became Nonnegotiable →From the blog
The First Silence →One last thing
I’m Not a Doctor, and I’m Not Pretending to Be One.
I’m a guy who got a frightening wake-up call at 54 and decided to take his health more seriously.
If sharing what I’ve learned helps you ask better questions about your own health, then this experience might do some good beyond just helping me.
Read My Story →