Is anyone trying to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol with diet?

oops....somehow posted before I was done.

So my last blood tests showed my LDL had spiked. I told my pill-pushing doctor I'd think about his never ending pill solutions. After thinking about it, I realized that all those "just one more free bacan and eggs breakfast at the hotel" rationalizations made a fool out of me. I knew they were bad for cholesterol, yet I rationalized meal after meal after meal.

My blood tests showed it. This even though I religiously take fish oil pills and was eating my own home made recipes for lunch and dinner (which I drove to the hotel with me). DOH! Too many bad breakfasts undid my good diet (i.e. it made it a bad diet).

I fully expect my LDL/HDL to be back in line on the next tests, as I've lowered those before with diet (or so I believe as they did drop when I watched what I ate).

So....yes....diet can help with LDL, in my opinion.

Sorry for the delay in replying. I'm spending my time in the Anti-Snark board.

Yes. A doppler of my left leg indicated a significant reduction in blood flow in the left iliac artery right below where left and right take different paths. Approximately mid-abdominal. So, I paid for a neck to toes CAT scan, as my insurance would only cover problems after they happen, not preventative exploratory procedures. Then I paid for carotid doppler for arteries into the cranium.

The CAT scan showed the problem was not cholesterol, it was inflamation of the artery. Two Docs that reviewed the results didn't know what caused the inflamation. The only theory.....after 40 years of smoking, it might be the beginning of Beuger's disease, which can lead to the loss of toes or even a leg.

I've been smoke free for 5 years since.

My primary care physician, while a real smart guy, is also a pill pusher. Before the CAT showed no cholesterol (blood tests showed: LDL avg, HDL high, triglycerides avg.), he tried talking me into the easy solution: statins. I said I wanted to try the "diet and excercise" thang' first. Then the CAT scan proved cholesterol was not the issue (which blood tests also indicated).

Within 3 months of stopping smoking (thank you doc with a theory that it might be smoking), my symptoms (Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)) began to disappear. Today, I'm free of symptoms and still not spending all that money on pills.

I'm glad statins are available, if that is required, but I see no reason to spend lots of money on pills or take risks with side affects, when spending lots of diet and exercise effort (read effort cheaper than pills) will do.

So my doctor gave me the "popular" easy way out (better living through chemistry), my insurance company wasn't interested unless I did the "popular" easy way out thing (no exploratory stuff covered), and my own research said diet and exercise was cheaper and had far more benefits, than popping pills.

Well...since the PAD was solved....I kept delaying the "diet and exercise" thing. Then, 2 years ago, when my wife mentioned I was getting "heavy", I started a plan. For two years, I've slowly tried to reduce my weight and improve my nutrition. Check out my "story" posts in the Anti-Snark group, "I Feel Better Already" topic.

I'm projecting next week, I will meet my goal weight (GW). And three weeks ago, I actually started getting (not there yet) serious with exercise.

Diet and Exercise....save money......feel and look great
or pills....spend money....feel bad and look the same

An individual's choice.

My ultimate goal, is not saving money today.....it is avoiding high medical expenses in my "twilight years". At 60 years old in Sept., twilight is fast approaching.