Cholesterol

kimberlygo

One of the reasons I decided to lose weight was because I have high cholesterol. The doctor said it was likely because I was overweight. I have really been working hard to eat well and exercise daily. I am now a healthy weight (according to the BMI chart). Assuming my high cholesterol was due to an unhealthy lifestyle, how much time should I expect it to take for my cholesterol to begin lowering? I have been working on this since Late March. I would like to avoid medication if possible.

Buckeyt

I think everyone is different. I have a co-worker who just spent 9 months watching his saturated fat intake, 20g or less and he added some light running to his workout program which was primarily weight lifting. His overall Cholesterol, which is essentially meaningless anyway, went from the 220s to 180s. His HDL, the one that really matters, went up 15%.

If your doctor thinks you need to go on meds, do a bunch of research. Statins are among the most prescribed cholesterol drugs and have not been proven to help women live any longer. The research shows that they are really only helpful in Men which prior history of heart disease. Don't get me wrong, the drugs will lower your cholesterol, but if there is no evidence tht takin gthe drug and simply lower a number doesn't make you live any longer I don't see why one would take the medication given the side effects. Please do your reasearch and ask lots of questions before going on Meds.

Tim

ajostraat

You're a work in progress. First, congrats on your achievement!. From my own experience, I saw the beginnings of change in my cholesterol levels when I went in for my first follow-up.

If you have a cholesterol plateau, and you need a little extra help to get under that 200 mark, make sure you're eating enough wholel grains, add cinnamon to <insert tasty combination here> (a quarter teaspoon/ day is all you need), and, if you like green tea, try having a cup a day. My high cholesterol is due to genetics, so in addition to exercise and weight loss, I also have to do these few things too.

auntiebabs

I hear you about avoiding medication.

When I was in my early 30s I managed to bring my cholesterol down 50 pts with diet and exercise.

I did karate 1x week, yoga 1x week and walked about 3 miles a day to and from work.

Of course watch your saturated fats and incorporating foods that actually reduce your cholesterol So this will help even it's not ALL lifestyle and your body just makes too much. Include Salmon, Mango, Oatmeal, Red Grapes, Olive oil, garlic, to help bring it down. (I know there's more I'm forgetting)

Also while DECAF coffee has no cholesterol in it, it increases your cholesterol. So you might switch to high-octane. (my sis is a biochemist who did research to develop cholesterol meds for about 10 years at a major pharma co.)

For the most part I've kept it down. I do get lazy and find that getting tested, gives me a reality check and keeps me motivated to keep on top of this.

It seems like everyone who is on medication has to take medication for the side effects of their medication. That's a slippery slope I don't want to go down.

auntiebabs

Statins are among the most prescribed cholesterol drugs and have not been proven to help women live any longer.
Tim

Statins are also linked to osteoporosis. Which didn't mean anything to me until these past few years when I see how drastically it's affected my Mom

Hollycat

If you have cholesterol issues, check out the Niacin Solution: http://www.amazon.com/Cholesterol-Control-Without-Diet-Solution/dp/0966256867

Diet only has about a 20% effect on overall cholesterol control.

My cholesterol is normal with 2000 mg a day of regular Niacin. Sometimes I take 3000 mg...if I've eaten particularly 'fatty' for a day or two.

DO NOT TAKE WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S APPROVAL and MONITORING. There are risks, but they are not as bad as the risks with Statins. You should always be taking calcium when taking niacin and performing weight-bearing exercise.

Hollycat
:flowerforyou:

Elizabeth_C34

The only way to know if it's gone down is to get your bloodwork done by a doctor. Some people are genetically more prone to high cholesterol than others. Good to keep your doctor involved.

Buckeyt

Statins are among the most prescribed cholesterol drugs and have not been proven to help women live any longer.
Tim

Statins are also linked to osteoporosis. Which didn't mean anything to me until these past few years when I see how drastically it's affected my Mom

I've tried to point this out ot my mother-in-law as another reason to get off the statins. Considering she's asian and asian women seem to be more predisposed to Osteoporosis anyway.