Cholesterol...

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jesseronning
jesseronning Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
I am 6'2" and weigh 242 pounds with 29% body fat with a goal to get down to between 215 and 205. I have been on the Advocare 24 day challenge program for the 9th day now and have seen some good strides. My biggest problem as I track my food and try to take in 200 grams of protein is cholesterol. I have routinely going over (some cases WAY over) the recommended 300 mg level. I eat plenty of chicken, fish, almonds, protein shakes, and some beef (the least of the meats I take in). I had been eating one whole egg and three egg whites each morning for breakfast but I have cut this out to reduce cholesterol intake. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    High cholesterol in the diet is only a problem for people with medical issues. For everyone else, more dietary cholesterol simply reduces the amount that your body naturally produces.

    If you're still worried about it, go get your numbers checked.
  • angeleyez77
    angeleyez77 Posts: 45 Member
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    Well do you eat a lot of cheese and drink a lot of milk? They have choelsterol in them also well some of them. And processed meats do also. And eggs do also. When you track your food on here you can see how much cholesterol you had for a day so then go back and find out what foods are high in cholesterol and then cut them out ok? Let us know what happens ok?
  • jesseronning
    jesseronning Posts: 12
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    @ UponThisRock... I did have a my cholesterol levels checked a part of a life insurance policy and the results were slightly elevated but the triglestoral levels (I am sure misspelled) were about 2 times normal level. Hence why I have been monitoring my cholesterol levels fairly closely since. However, when I talked to my doctor he did not believe there was anything to be concerned. He advised me to do more cardio (instead of just weight lifting... which I am doing as part of this program anyway) and monitor my diet and check back at my annual physical. Your comment did make me feel a little better and thanks for the input!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    @ UponThisRock... I did have a my cholesterol levels checked a part of a life insurance policy and the results were slightly elevated but the triglestoral levels (I am sure misspelled) were about 2 times normal level. Hence why I have been monitoring my cholesterol levels fairly closely since. However, when I talked to my doctor he did not believe there was anything to be concerned. He advised me to do more cardio (instead of just weight lifting... which I am doing as part of this program anyway) and monitor my diet and check back at my annual physical. Your comment did make me feel a little better and thanks for the input!

    No problem. Also, keep in mind that exercise and weight loss is going to do far more to improve these number than any dietary modifications could.
  • jesseronning
    jesseronning Posts: 12
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    @angeleyez... No cheese, 2 cups of skim milk each day, but like I said plenty of chicken, fish, nuts and other meats. Those for sure are what is resulting in the above 300 mg of cholesterol. Bottom line is that even my whey protein shakes have 30 mg of cholesterol for every scoop and I take about 4 of those a day so I can get above 200 grams of protein per day. I am kind of in a catch 22 here.
  • jesseronning
    jesseronning Posts: 12
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    @ UponThisRock... I did have a my cholesterol levels checked a part of a life insurance policy and the results were slightly elevated but the triglestoral levels (I am sure misspelled) were about 2 times normal level. Hence why I have been monitoring my cholesterol levels fairly closely since. However, when I talked to my doctor he did not believe there was anything to be concerned. He advised me to do more cardio (instead of just weight lifting... which I am doing as part of this program anyway) and monitor my diet and check back at my annual physical. Your comment did make me feel a little better and thanks for the input!

    No problem. Also, keep in mind that exercise and weight loss is going to do far more to improve these number than any dietary modifications could.

    Fair enough. Thanks again!
  • BackwoodsMom
    BackwoodsMom Posts: 227 Member
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    Your numbers should go down with the changes you are making. Sugar, in all forms, can be the real culprit to high cholesterol levels. Choloesterol is really not the bad guy - just how our body deals with it with what we're putting into it.

    If you continue to be concerned about it, look into food grade diatomaceous earth. People that I know that have used it (I do on a daily basis for other health things) to lower cholesterol have seen a huge improvement.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    Your not the only one that's confused over cholesterol, especially dietary cholesterol.

    The cholesterol we eat is in it's purest form, which are not contained within lipoproteins, the 2 most popular lipoproteins being HDL and LDL......That formation takes place after dietary cholesterol hits (absorbed) the liver, and it's the liver that then delivers cholesterol in those capsules called HDL/LDL lipoproteins.

    What effects the ratio and type of HDL and LDL is mostly genetic, our physical well being which includes our overall weight, cardio condition and of course a diet that can work against our cholesterol health. As far as diet is concerned eating cholesterol has pretty much no impact on our cholesterol health. Basic explaination.
  • jesseronning
    jesseronning Posts: 12
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    Thanks for the explainations BackwoodsMom and Neaderthin! This has really helped. I will continue to monitor my cholesterol intake to ensure that I am not going over board. I have already eliminated all alcohol, sugar and deep fat fried (or fried anything for that matter) foods. I will also continue to limit my red meat intake, exercise regularly (increase my cardio) and continue to my weight loss (and body fat percentage loss) goals and then assess this again at my physicals. To all thanks again for the very helpful input!

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