cholesterol frustration

potluck965

I figured after losing 25 pounds and making an effort to increase my regular exercise it should have a beneficial effect on my cholesterol. I was forced to eat better in order to keep losing weight and I was actually pretty pleased with my progress.

Until I got my cholesterol report. It is basically the same as last year. :mad: Now, it isn't really in any dangerous range and the nurse said my risk was "not bad". Well, my doctor said my BMI was "not bad" 25 pounds ago. I am sick of being "not bad". I want to be "good" :laugh:

Oh well, I guess I just have to work harder :ohwell:

TiniTurtle

add some omega 3's )

kimmerroze

some people cant even change thier cholesterol with diet, sometimes you need something extra.... have you talked with your doctor about a medication or pill or supplement or something you can take?

emmaleigh47

The majority of people cannot change their cholesterol with diet and exercise, especially if they have a strong genetic basis for the abnormalities. It sounds like your cholesterol is not too abnormal, which means that the likelihood of changing it with diet is slim. At most, without massive weight loss or complete diet overhaul the majority of people can expect to decrease their cholesterol no more by 10-15%. Of course we all know people who have had drastic reductions, but this is not the norm.

Be proud of your accomplishments though ... dropping your BMI is awesome and 25 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. Continuing this healthy lifestyle will benefit you in the long run, even if you dont see the numbers change.

lizard9800

I found this site due to high cholesterol. It had been normal, and when checked 2 yrs later it had gone up quite a bit. It was due to my lack of exercise, weight gain and bad eating/drinking habits.
It took me 9 months of very hard work to lose 40 lbs. I exercised daily and definitely changed my diet. Stopped eating eggs. Stopped drinking so much. Started eating oatmeal and flaxseed. Etc, etc.
Next time I had my blood checked it had gone from High (Oct 2007) to just a few digits above Normal (April 2010). So it took 2 yrs to go up and 2+ yrs to come back down. Unfortunately you can't expect quick results. At least I didn't see it.
The doctor I saw was amazed at what I had done in 2 yrs though. Like I said my overall chol was still just a touch above normal, BUT my HDL and Triglycerides were super healthy!! He's just one person of course, but he said my HDL was so good that it overshadowed my LDL.
Keep up the good work. You will see progress. Just give it time.

LazyMogg

It may be that you have a genetic tendency towards high cholesterol and maybe you need some medication to control it. Can you find out what your parents heart health was like and that might give you some indication of a genetic link.

Also, keep an eye on your BP as if that is also high and couple with high LDL you may need medical intervention.

MSDRIZZ

Did you get it broken down so you know what your good cholesterol is? My total cholesterol is 205 (borderline high) but my HDL is 50 which my doctor says is high, and thats the good cholesterol. Also my tryglicerides are low and so is my fasting glucose, and blood pressure. My doctor said even with a mother with early onset heart disease I'm doing good. There are a number of risk factors and to be considered a higher risk for heart disease you have to have at least three. This can explain it better then me:http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--11277-0,00.html

I figured after losing 25 pounds and making an effort to increase my regular exercise it should have a beneficial effect on my cholesterol. I was forced to eat better in order to keep losing weight and I was actually pretty pleased with my progress.

Until I got my cholesterol report. It is basically the same as last year. :mad: Now, it isn't really in any dangerous range and the nurse said my risk was "not bad". Well, my doctor said my BMI was "not bad" 25 pounds ago. I am sick of being "not bad". I want to be "good" :laugh:

Oh well, I guess I just have to work harder :ohwell:

potluck965

Did you get it broken down so you know what your good cholesterol is? My total cholesterol is 205 (borderline high) but my HDL is 50 which my doctor says is high, and thats the good cholesterol. Also my tryglicerides are low and so is my fasting glucose, and blood pressure. My doctor said even with a mother with early onset heart disease I'm doing good. There are a number of risk factors and to be considered a higher risk for heart disease you have to have at least three. This can explain it better then me:http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--11277-0,00.html

yeah, my lipid profile isn't too bad and the whole thing isn't enough to warrant meds. My HDL is 59 LDL 129 and total is 210. Triglycerides are actually higher than last year's at 143, but the other numbers are within 1 point of last year although the total is down from 218.

I used to have better numbers as far as the breakdown even though my total has remained within 10 points. That's the part that bothers me. I thought the ratio might improve with the weight loss, better eating and exercise. I had better HDL a couple of years ago even with the extra weight.

But, I am blessed with low blood pressure and blood sugar has always been low, so I am not really complaining. I just thought I might see a little return to previously better numbers.