week three and high cholesterol ....

[Debm1969]

Hi guys thought i'd check in as not doing too good .. i'm in week three now and i put a pound on last week so total loss is four and half pounds im keeping off from the first week .. no movement this week ... i'm going on holiday on Saturday to Turkey for a week and i really want to stay on track shouldn't be too hard as its self catering however if anyone has got some motivation for me to pack in the suitcase it would be appreciated. I have some results back from GP and my cholesterol is high at 7.3 ratio 4.3 bad . The GP wants to put me on statins but im really reluctant to start them im only 47 with a bmi of 28.4 . Any advice around this as i got three months to reduce it before my next fasting test . im worried about taking them as the side effects are not good and ive read weight gain is one ? i'm taking the benecol mini drink things vitamin c and b and cod liver oil . Got to admit im a bit worried about it . i've joined the gym and go there to classes about three times a week x

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

Don't forget that women under 50 naturally fluctuate with their weight each month - your gain might be all water, and could vanish next week! Try and enjoy your holiday, and eat a little of what you fancy - it is only for a week, and you will soon get back on track when you get home. Watch out for the alcohol as that can lower your resistance to temptation! Have a good break...

[Debm1969 in reply to DartmoorDumpling]

Thank you Dartmoordumpling... Idon't drink alcohol at all so that's one less problem !! and im hoping a stone might vanish before i get on the plane ha ha ha ..

[MW50]

Enjoy your holiday, stay active and happy and you won't be tempted to overeat. Regular brisk walking is good for lowering cholesterol. Try your best to manage your cholesterol levels through diet and exercise before you go on statins, they made me very ill with liver problems that took nearly a year to recover from, and I only took them for 10 days.

[IndigoBlue61]

Enjoy your holiday but be 'mindful' 😊 just think twice. There should be loads of lovely salads and veggies, and lots of extra exercise to counter balance 😊 Good luck

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Wishing you a lovely holiday. I can't really add anything extra to the things people have already said. But I'd like to wish you success with getting your cholesterol down via diet, in the first instance, if you can, and I hope you really enjoy your holiday.

Lowcal

[jano432]

I have tried all kinds of diets over the years....took ages to loose any weight (and none over the last few years). So fed up of being overweight and out of condition that I decided to try Dr. Moseley's 8 week Blood Sugar diet which promises great things. I am on day 4 and have lost 4lbs and haven;t been hungry. No carbs and 800 cals per day. Thought it would be hard but its not.

[Purple_faced_woman]

Hi Debm1969,

As I understand it, diet doesn't really make that much difference to your cholesterol levels - as we finally start to shake off the falacious "you are what you eat" mentality. As MW50 said brisk walking is a major factor in lowering your cholesterol. Mine's a bit high - 6.5 and the "wrong" mix. I was offered statins by the doctor and explained that the side effects were something I didn't even want to start with. He showed me a couple of completely pointless graphs to prove his case. To me they actually appeared to be totally meaningless statistics, and the number of people they guess might have had heart attacks but were "saved" by statins was very small.

There is new research coming in that says that cholesterol is not anything like the issue it has been built up to be, and that sugar is the major culprit - get control of your blood sugar and everything else falls pretty much into line.

Have a great holiday and enjoy all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet whilst you're in Turkey - plenty of salad, oily fish, pulses, etc and get out your exploring shoes!

[Cazjo in reply to Purple_faced_woman]

I absolutely agree with all you said and agree with Patrick Holford who with the support of research argues that homocysteine levels are a better predictor of cardiovascular health than cholesterol levels ( and the framingham risk score). If you are interested, see eg patrickholford.com/advice/h... . If you read his various articles on this it will definitely put you off statins even more.

[Cazjo]

Well done for joining the gym, that's part one ticked off for weight loss and reducing cholesterol. Next is not just about calories and reducing how much you eat, but looking at what you eat. have a look at healthline.com/health/high-... which essentially saying that changing what you eat can not only help you lose weight but reduce cholesterol by 20-30%. Eat real not processed foods - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and good fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados. Limit/cut out foods high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat and avoid refined carbs such as white rice, white bread, soft drinks, and baked goods. I have done this and stopped my sugar/carb cravings and over a year lost 3 and a half stone and significantly reduced my total cholesterol and also my fasting blood sugar levels.

Hope this helps and good luck

[jjgilb]

Ive lost weight on low carbs and more protein. I find that cutting portion sizes helps as well. Also I keep my cals low on the meals I'm not bothered about, then I can eat a nice meal when I want it.