Frustrated and Sad

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irishis98
irishis98 Posts: 10
in Motivation and Support
I exercise 30 minutes a day, I'm a vegetarian and eat right. I can't seem to lose one pound and now I'm told I have to go on meds for High Cholesterol. It seems to me once I gone on those meds I won't get off, since any testing they do after would be with meds in me. I just hate the fact of taking one more med already taking HBP med. Turning 50 next year and this isn't how I want it. Sorry I guess I'm just whiny today.

On a different note anyone read Wheat Belly? I'm finding it fascinating, although I'm skipping quite a bit the prolonged science talk is putting me off a bit but some interesting facts.

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  • gseburn
    gseburn Posts: 456 Member
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    The fact that you exercise and "Eat right" is commendable. But to lose weight, you still have to be in some kind of caloric deficit. Do you track your inputs and outputs? how intense is the exercise, etc. Review your goals and your liftstyle and make changes accordingly. Good luck, you can do it!
  • DiannaDeeley
    DiannaDeeley Posts: 10
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    Cholesterol is mostly genetics. Talk to your doctor, and listen to what she tells you. A low dose of one of the statins will help, and you don't necessarily have to take it for life, though you may. Don't beat yourself up, or give yourself a complex!

    And look at it this way, you're nearing fifty? Congratulations!
  • angelgirl2272
    angelgirl2272 Posts: 9 Member
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    Weight loss can be tricky. For me I have to make sure I'm eating enough or I'll quit losing. Be sure to track EVERYTHING you eat. It's really a balancing act, not too much, not too little. But you can't figure out what's right for you without tracking it. Also, I find that a nice long moderate paced walk really does a lot for losing weight. On the weekends I try to do a 2 hour brisk walk and that usually gets my weight loss going.
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
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    Have you considered a dietician? I too feel as you do. I am on two different meds one for hormonal control the other for triglycerides. I too fought against both but the fear of a heart attack and other things that are tmi have me on them. But i have made a conscious effort to change my life. Beforw i made that effort the triglyceride meds only lowered mine by maybe 30 or 40 points in 3 months. But wheni started doing it for real and actually putting forth the effort to eat righr and exercise right my triglycerides went down 100 points in 3 months. Sadly the other med offset that by jacking up my a1c but that too is fixable. So just cause youre on meds doesnt mean you have to stay on them. I expect to be off one of mine by christmas and the other... well.. hopefilly next year depending on how quickly i can get the estrogen producing fat off of me. But dont give up the minute you do you have let it win and you will end up how yoi dont want to be.

    Good luck
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I exercise 30 minutes a day, I'm a vegetarian and eat right. I can't seem to lose one pound and now I'm told I have to go on meds for High Cholesterol. It seems to me once I gone on those meds I won't get off, since any testing they do after would be with meds in me. I just hate the fact of taking one more med already taking HBP med. Turning 50 next year and this isn't how I want it. Sorry I guess I'm just whiny today.


    When my doc wanted me to take statin meds I refused until I could make an attempt at weight loss first (the potential damage to my liver was a major deterrent to me). I went Atkins for 3 months and my cholesterol went right back to normal! (My total cholesterol was over 500 and mostly LDL, also triglycerides were "off the chart"). My doc could not believe it. I lost 35 pounds in that time too. I cannot say for sure it will work for you, but I would suggest you try it out and see how it goes. Maybe give yourself a 30 days test period or something? I set a 90 day test...and it worked wonders.

    *** Obviously Atkins and vegetarian don't easily go hand in hand... but you can find other sources of protein that are not from animals such as soy. I don't know if it would be possible...but still maybe worth a try.

    Best of luck to you and no matter what, hang in there!
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    I am a vegetarian and "ate right" and was more than 50 lbs heavier than I should be (60 if you go by the "ideal" BMI thing, which I don't.) It wasn't until I started tracking on here that I realized how MUCH "right" I was eating - it's perfectly possible to eat way too much healthy food and then have a nice piece of cake and a beer for dessert to reward yourself for doing so well. Really not a brilliant decision on my part, but I had to make one change at a time and diet was the one that came last, so here I am.

    Anyway, feel free to add me if you'd like me to go over your diary - I might be able to offer some suggestions from the plant-based perspective. And you might want to look into the fairly new research on beet juice - tastes like dirt, lowers BP. (I've only been looking at it from the bodybuilding side, because my BP's always been low, but it's been popping up a bunch lately and it seems worth checking out.)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    If you're a vegetarian, I would probably not suggest making more modifications to your diet in terms of eliminating entire "food groups". For lack of a better term. I just don't think it's a good idea, nor is it necessary to lose weight. Losing weight is about calories.

    If you open your diary we can probably help you
  • Angie_1991
    Angie_1991 Posts: 447 Member
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    Don't be sorry...I am both needy and whiney today also............
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    I'm pretty sure this is right on.
    << Eats 2 eggs daily, lots of meat... Beautiful cholesterol.
    Cholesterol is mostly genetics. Talk to your doctor, and listen to what she tells you. A low dose of one of the statins will help, and you don't necessarily have to take it for life, though you may. Don't beat yourself up, or give yourself a complex!

    And look at it this way, you're nearing fifty? Congratulations!
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    The fact that you exercise and "Eat right" is commendable. But to lose weight, you still have to be in some kind of caloric deficit. Do you track your inputs and outputs? how intense is the exercise, etc. Review your goals and your liftstyle and make changes accordingly. Good luck, you can do it!

    wot 'e sed!

    I know plenty of healthy but very overweight people. We all do. The problem is they eat a lot of healthy food. And they wonder why they are overweight. All this talk of healthy eating to lose weight... I don't know where they get this notion from... oh yes... politicians... just as well we don't let them loose on making more important decisions like the economy or education... oh bugger...

    The lovable Boris Johnson has just declared that no unhealthy food should be sold in London hospitals to counteract the obesity epidemic (http://www.lbc.co.uk/london-hospitals-to-ban-bad-food-60393). A fine figure of a man to be taking dieting advice from.
  • kohlhawke
    kohlhawke Posts: 1
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    Dont be sad, you are doing a great thing! It can take upto 6months or more to "detox" and help the body to change and break down that cholesterol. Getting off the meds is between you and your dr. and he can give you a month to three month grace period to re-check and see where you are at. If the cholesterol is genetic well there isnt buch to do but get help from the medications. I would follow your drs advice, and keep them on close tab with your goals to be off the medication.
  • jenbunboo
    jenbunboo Posts: 90 Member
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    Please please please, pay attention to your cholesterol. My brother was a long term vegan, and after a diagnosis with Celiac's, he started including dairy and eggs again. Talking to his coworkers and fiance, he ate A LOT of cheese. At 45, at one of his checkups, he was warned that his cholesterol was high, and he needed to come back in for another check of it, and possibly to start some meds for it. He ignored the doctor, and while running during a PT with his reserves unit, he was beating all the other guys (he ran regularly and went to the gym all the time) when he collapsed. He had a heart attack. That was about 18 months ago, and he is back to living on his own, able to drive again, and back to work part time. He was without oxygen to his brain for a time and while physically he has recovered, he is still working to get back to the level he was mentally.

    When we asked the head of the cardiac division what we can do for ourselves and our families to help prevent the same sort of problems, he stated that many of the cardiac specialists he knows follow a strict vegetarian diet (one of the medical terms for a vegan diet) and make sure to walk daily. I am not a doctor making these recommendations, they were made to me.

    All I'm trying to say is, please do not ignore a warning of high cholesterol.

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