Weight Loss

[Khonkaen]

I read about people who put weight on after stents, anyone lost weight. I was 86kg for a number of years and at 6 foot about right. Now I have dropped to 68kg and look not a pretty sight, but walk and exercise better, would like to get back to 75kg with a bit of muscle but it is hard work. Was pretty skinny as a youth, anyone lese lost weight like this, I know stents take fat out of the blood and I eat a lot of oats which does the same?

[jamin100]

Yup - I’m 36, had a stent at 34 and started taking the usual cocktail of drugs. I was around 95kg, I’m now 76kg and that all dropped off without trying and within about a year..

It’s steady now though

[Khonkaen in reply to jamin100]

What is your height and gender Jamin, why was the stent fitted, have you now dropped some of the drugs?

I am not altogether unhappy about my weight loss as I am fitter, which is important to me, I worry that it may continue. Any time I have been ill in the past I have lost weight, then put it back on again quite quickly, we are talking 4-5kg in a week after food poisoning, so I guess I am built that way.

[jamin100]

Male / 5”10

Stent due to a 100% blockage in LAD

I’ve only dropped clopidogrel after 1 year

I’m still on ramipril, bisoporhol, altorvastatin and aspirin daily (all will be for life I think)

My weight has not gonna back on and is stable at present

[Khonkaen in reply to jamin100]

5'10" and 76kg that is pretty good, so you must be pleased and being young not saggy like me. Have you changed you diet and how about checks, is everything okay now?

[jamin100 in reply to Khonkaen]

Diet has changed slightly (less fizzy pop and crisps/chocolate) but that’s about all.

And all the checks I’ve had since we’re fine. However, I was pretty fit before the stent, my cholesterol was 3.6 (before statins) I never smoked and rarely drank, so the doctors said I was a bit of an strange case...

Since taking the statins, my cholesterol is down to around 1.8which I’m going to ask to be checked again at my next appointment and I’m also going to ask about the amount of beta blockers I’m on as it’s impacting my exercise. Ideally I’d like to half my dosage as my max HR is now around 170bpm whereas it was 195 ish before

[Khonkaen in reply to jamin100]

I changed my diet big time, gave up fizzy drinks 10 years ago. Have an appointment with a cardiologist and am getting a full blood test before take along the results. Last test showed very low cholesterol, prior to my HA levels were okay.

Heart disease is slow growing so would advise a diet change before you get to my age (67). Keep up the fitness too, I was very fit at your age, but stopped in my 50s, swapped push-bike for scooter/motorcycle.

[Henry20]

Hi Khonkaen

Hmm, yes, I have the same issue with weight.

Height 5ft 10 Age early 70s

Had 2 stents fitted just over a year ago, no HA.

Weight then ~67g kgs

Stopped drinking totally and went on low fat diet, cut out red meat, only eat fresh food.

Pills clopidogrel, atorvostatin, ramipril, felodipene, aspirin. But the statin was giving me side effects so have stopped that now for a trial - side effects gone; yet to decide what to do.

Weight now ~54kg and still going down, but it does vary a bit.

If I get hungry, a migraine very often follows, and I always, always get very bad tempered.

Bit concerned about it all really, so seeing your post is actually a bit of a relief. - Thanks.

From the reading I have done, CAD means I need to cut down on the fats; but I am also told to watch the carbs/sugars; cut out the red meats as far as possible. Refined sugar is the culprit for internal inflammation and insulin resistance which leads to plaques forming on my arteries.

Well I have to eat to stay alive, and frankly things seem to be going the wrong way.

I eat a large amount of veg, but that doesn't seem to get me to put on the pounds!

So I need to rebalance things a bit/a lot. But I cannot see how and follow the 'rules'. I now have no fat to spare.

Any ideas - anyone?

Henry

[Khonkaen in reply to Henry20]

I started the same way as you following Dr Esselsyn's whole plant based diet, (vegan minus all oil). I still eat plenty of veg, but eat oily fish and an odd bit of red meat, like once a month. I think I am a bit bored with food now. My wife is a great cook, which is why I am still alive, it is hard work to make this work, exercsiing for the sake of health doesn't come easy as I am inherently lazy, but needs must. I find certain foods give me gastric reflux which hits me in the heart big time, so have cut out (down) tomatoes and onions.

I think this has to be a balance with some careful monitoring, here in Portugal I can get a full blood test in a local lab for Eur13 and see my cardo in a couple of weeks and again in Thailand (where I had my HA) when I get back there next month.

Interesting you have dropped your statins, I would like to at least cut mine down, get my cholesterol up a little. Will speak to cardipo about that.

The more I exercise the better I feel generally and being lightweight is great for that.

Veg is not going to get your weight up, cows graize all day long to stay alive. Processed food is the killer, especially fast food.

What does your doctor say about your weight and mood?

Do you enjoy eating?

[Henry20 in reply to Khonkaen]

Yes, I enjoy eating. Dr hasn't been consulted yet - seeing him soon. But I do need to be heavier. I also exercise - cardio exercise classes when I can.

I've been taking statins for a year and been reading about them. My doubts are about the long term effects on me. They might save me from CAD problems, but it seems likely to me that they will allow other things to go wrong in the future.

Basically, I take pills to stay alive, not to cure a supposed symptom. Cholesterol (HDL&LDL) is essential for us all to live. So what is the 'correct' level? Hmm not a question I have got a justified answer to yet. Didn't like the pains of the side effects either. So I stopped taking them for a trial period. Not sure how this will play out in the end...

Henry

[Inamoment]

I've just checked mine. I used to be 6 ft but now 5ft 10, and 9 1/2 stone. Rather old weighing machine. I'm still not underweight! I can go down to 9st! I suppose my rate of shrinkage is compensating for the weight loss.

[Khonkaen]

70kg =10stone and that is where I would like to be, a couple of kg short right now, so not too serious, the look of my upper body is not that good and arthritis has deformed my legs a little. But I am still alive and kicking and there have been slight improvements in the way I feel (better not speak too soon), must keep up the exercise and not slip back into slobbery.

Some of this is managing my heart pain, a combination of knowledge, chewing gum, where saliva neuralises the acid reflux, exercise to release wind and ginger tea to calm the stomach, also cutting out food like tomatoes and onions seems to have helped. I try (often in vain) to not get stressed, but a legacy from mum is hard to change, my wife is a Buddhist so that helps. The big test is driving on Thai roads...lol!

Cholesterol is a bit like CO2, essential for life and missunderstood, the both of them, the latter deliberate IMO. I am starting to believe Cholesterol is not the evil here, it is more to do with insulin levels and tollerance. Food is less about what you eat and more the way you eat and how you prepare the food. Processed food is the evil, no doubt in my mind..." if man made it don't eat it".

All this said I am holding off making too many plans, was going to buy a new Royal Enfield Interceptor but that is for next year is the old body behaves.

I wish you chaps luck and please report any findings.

[jimmyq]

My weight has started to creep back up since I came off all the meds apart from Clopidogrel. I have only put on 2kg but I need to keep my eye on it.

[Khonkaen in reply to jimmyq]

What is your medical history, HA/stents, to be down to one med, that of Clopidogrel?

[jimmyq in reply to Khonkaen]

I was on a diuretic and a beta blocker for high BP until December 2017. I had an occlusion in my eye then and the heart specialist added a statin and Clopidogrel to the mix. I started a WFPB diet in March 2018. That brought my BP, cholesterol and heart rate down enough to come off the other meds, particularly because I was getting a lot of side effects.