what now?

lisa9805
lisa9805 Posts: 303 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I got the call last week that my cholesterol level is high. The dr wants me to lower it and she will test in 3 months again. What kind of advice would u give me? I am reading books and looking online. I have lost 16lbs since jan so not sure why its still high. My mom does have everything (diabetes, high bp and cholesterol, thyroid issues) so not sure if at 36 everything just starts hitting me now. thanks for any suggestions.

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    What are your stats?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    The diabetes, bp, and cholesterol numbers will likely go lower as you lose weight.
  • lisa9805
    lisa9805 Posts: 303 Member
    I don't get what they mean but she said it was 6.18 and she wants it at 5
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    lisa9805 wrote: »
    I got the call last week that my cholesterol level is high. The dr wants me to lower it and she will test in 3 months again. What kind of advice would u give me? I am reading books and looking online. I have lost 16lbs since jan so not sure why its still high. My mom does have everything (diabetes, high bp and cholesterol, thyroid issues) so not sure if at 36 everything just starts hitting me now. thanks for any suggestions.

    I would call the doctor and get her recommendations as to what to do in addition to your own research.

    Best of luck.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    Watch your carbs and fat, and up your fiber.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    Also be careful about fatty meat, try to stick with the leanest cuts, don't eat chicken skin, not too much butter and other animal fats. More veggies, cook with olive or coconut oil. Plus, definitely ask your doctor.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    What are your stats (height, age, weight). Continued weight loss if you're still overweight should definitely help. My cholesterol numbers all improved as I lost the extra weight, though I did have to get to the lower end of the healthy bmi range for them to really rock (about 10lbs lower than my original goal weight).

  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    for me what helped the first time was lowering my carbs. I was on 150g a day and my cholesterol went down over half on all the numbers. its up again because I didnt follow the 150g a day,even losing weight doesnt help because I developed it before I became overweight.I am back to low carb again and eating about 90g a day now. just started 2 days ago with that. The drs at first put me on a low cholesterol diet and for me it raised my cholesterol even more,when I went back to eating normally it went down some again. Then,they werent pleased with the results and put me on statins. one worked and I took that until the insurance refused to pay for it,so they switched me several times and the last statin I took did a number on my RA and also my vitamin levels,also I had to start taking coq10 as statins will lower that as well. I stopped taking them and did the 150 a day like I stated. they started coming way down,until again like an idiot I stopped. so now its up again and I have to be strict with my carbs.

    my cholesterol is the hereditary kind and no matter what I weigh or weighed made a difference.so for some losing weight may not make a difference,diet for some may or may not. as for fats,healthy fats are fine(nuts,seeds,fatty fish,healthy oils,etc.you can talk to your dr and see what they recommend first though and go from there.
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    icemom011 wrote: »
    Also be careful about fatty meat, try to stick with the leanest cuts, don't eat chicken skin, not too much butter and other animal fats. More veggies, cook with olive or coconut oil. Plus, definitely ask your doctor.

    I thought when we ate at a deficit to lose weight, virtually everything got used up. There's not enough of anything around to build up something.

    OP, are you still (severely) overweight?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited April 2016
    lisa9805 wrote: »
    I don't get what they mean but she said it was 6.18 and she wants it at 5

    Perhaps that is the A1C number which is used to diagnose and monitor diabetes. It is a three month test.
    http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/diagnostic-tests/a1c-test-diabetes/Pages/index.aspx

    Eat protein (meat, dairy, eggs, beans), veggies, and fats and oils (butter, almond oil, avocados, hummus, bacon, sausage)
    Keep fruit and carbs lowish.
    Get a scale to measure and log food in grams.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    I studied nutrition in college. There are foods that help tremendously in lowering cholesterol levels. When I began using imported olive oils in dark glass bottles that protected the nutrients in the oil, my cholesterol dropped 60 points in 6 months. Avoid olive oil in grocery stores that are in clear glass bottles. Light destroys the nutrients. Also if the olive oil is genuine there will be a harvest date on the back of the bottle or you will see a best if used by date. Producers of olive oil who does not pack the oil in dark glass bottles and do not provide the consumer with a harvest date or best if used date on the back of the bottle is proof that the oil is old and could also be mixed with other low grade "filler oils" that drives down the cost to produce creating more profits.
    Most American consumers do not know real olive oil and all of the valuable health benefits. The best olive oils are from Italy and Spain.
  • lisa9805
    lisa9805 Posts: 303 Member
    I am still in obese range but almost down to overweight. I'm 5'2" 168lbs. started at around 185lbs
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
    lisa9805 wrote: »
    I am still in obese range but almost down to overweight. I'm 5'2" 168lbs. started at around 185lbs

    Since you still have extra weight to lose I'd just focus on that for now-it really may make all the difference to lose another 20-30lbs. After you lose more weight, then I'd reevaluate/have new blood work done and see where you're at. There are cases of hereditary cholesterol issues with people who are otherwise healthy/normal weights (my mother-in-law is one of them), but many times someone being overweight is the culprit. The great thing is-if that's the case it's an easy fix (lose the extra weight). In the other cases it's a big mess to regulate things.

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