One thing I do for motivation is time-limited "experiments". For example, I had my quarterly doctor's visit today and in 3 months (25 April) I go again and have a complete physical with EKG, pulmonary tests, etc. I noted how much I weighed on their scale and decided I want to lose 5% of my weight (about 1 pound a week) before the next appointment. I am having specific blood tests the week before which we will discuss and so I'm interested to see if I can make the blood tests come out well.

The blood pressure cuff inflation hurts my arm in doctor's offices and is a pain in the butt. Today the medical assistant measured 210/110 or something like that. It is probably accurate but skewed because of the pain and anxiety I feel. So, we calibrated my computerized wrist monitor with their monitor to see if it was accurate (it was) and twice a year I take my own blood pressure for the two or three weeks before I go in for my appointment and give him that list for my file. I did that today as well as taking him the ER paper I got with my bronchitis/asthma mess of 3 weeks ago.

Since then I have been learning more about blood pressure (did you know deep breathing will lower it?) and pulse pressure http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulse-pressure/AN00968 and c-reactive protein (CRP). I took in scientific papers and discussed them with him about the relationship between blood pressure, pulse pressure, and CRP and one of the blood tests I'm having in mid-April is for the CRP. I plan to bring in my blood pressure readings again and then, each year we'll see if they are getting better/worse or what. They are possible harbingers of stroke!

http://www.docguide.com/association-...schemic-stroke

I'm curious about my health and how my body works and enjoy researching so I try various things (like the deep breathing to lower the blood pressure :-) That's where I get my motivation from, just being curious and wondering what will happen if. . . I love a challenge or "test" too, like to "win"/be best