Cholesterol

[trish1406]

Just joined today. Am a 56 year old, about 5 stone overweight and apart from some minor back issues and a touch of arthritis am fairly fit. Recently had issues with very, very swollen feet and ankles but it seems that was due to the heat. Just been told my cholesterol is a little high and that i should try to reduce it. Advice from GP is to change diet to a cholesterol lowering one and to exercise. I already do at least 2 sessions a week at a local leisure centre. This week i have done 1 hour in the gym, swum over 700 meters (a few weeks ago i struggled to swim 100) and just done a pilates based exercise class specifically for back problems.

[Pineapple27]

Welcome trish1406

That all sounds like lots of progress in the right direction!

We should never take our health for granted, especially as we get older (I'm 55 this year).

What we eat can make a massive difference - not just to weight, but to so many other aspects. Since losing my weight, I have got rid of asthma, reduced my cholesterol, am experiencing less pain, my mobility is improved, I fall less (that's improved my confidence).... the list goes on!

I have found Pilates great to help with my pain....

Pop back to update us!

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello trish1406 and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

Well done on the changes you have already made to your lifestyle, exercise has many beneficial effects.

Here are a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the forum. Please note if you are using the new HU App many of these features are not available so I suggest you use the full website version.

The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you

Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted as long as the calories are accounted for

Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate

The forum also have group weigh-ins every day, as well as a new Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page

You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too. If you have any questions please just ask

Best wishes

Anna

[kalahuchi]

Hi trish1406 ,

You sound very determined and doing all of the right things. If you have a lot of weight to lose I'd suggest checking out the NHS BMI calculator to find your suggested calorie range for your age and activity level. It's quite generous and I've found the weight came off steadily at a decent rate (1-2lb a week for me over the course of the last 12 months) and it's the first time I haven't stuck after the first couple of stone. Also, because you're not cutting the calories down too drastically it's much easier to sustain over the long term.

If you've already found exercise that you enjoy then that's half the battle; personally I'm pretty addicted to my dance classes and also to walking which are hobbies now rather than something I have to do to shed the pounds and, of course, the exercise gets more fun and a lot easier as the pounds melt away.

The support you'll find on this website is wonderful and the lovely people in this community have certainly kept me going at some sticky moments.

I'm 58 now and, like Pineapple27 , I've had some really remarkable health benefits from losing weight too (lower blood pressure, lower blood glucose, better kidney function, lower cholesterol, decreased swelling and pain in my joints etc, etc) so it's well worth all the effort.

I just wanted to wish you good luck x