Lowering Cholesterol thru diet alone

CynthiasChoice
CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm interested in hearing peoples stories of reducing their blood cholesterol through diet alone. Like this:

Beginning Cholesterol numbers:
LDL size pattern (If you had a VAP test)
Beginning weight:
Age:
Factors that affect you personally, i.e. diabetes:

Brief description of diet, including how well you adhered to it:
(If you can, describe types of fat and sugar you ate, and how much)

Cholesterol numbers and weight after 3 months:

How you further altered your diet:

Numbers after 6 months/1 year:

It's my opinion that many doctors, nutritionists, and diet experts don't have the answers about how diet affects cholesterol.
It may be up to us, through trial and error, and on forums like this to fond our own anwers.
I'll post my numbers later.

Replies

  • Jbirch76
    Jbirch76 Posts: 34
    A little over a year ago my cholesterol was at 242 and I weighed 292lbs
    Now my cholesterol is at 125 and I weigh 198lbs, I'm currently 36 years old.
    I used no medication. Just diet and hard work.

    I ate mostly water based protein shakes, almonds, veggies, some fruit and gallons of water.

    I'd start my day with an almond milk based Protein shake blended with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, spinach, PB2, and chia seeds.

    Lunch was a water based protein shake, a red bell pepper and a half cup of almonds.

    1 to 2 snacks a day consisted of a water based protein shake and a 1/4 cup of almonds or raw broccoli

    Dinner was typically grilled Salmon or chicken, with broccoli or grilled peppers.
    Id mix it up occasionally and have 5 egg whites with bell peppers, red onions, tomato's, spinach and cilantro.

    As far as supplements, I took 900 mg's of fish oil 3 times a day and 2000 mg's twice a day and a multi vitamin

    This all combined with plenty of weights and cardio.

    4/25/11
    Resampled_2011-4-25FatJacob.jpg

    7/6/12
    IMG-20120706-00598.jpg
  • Jbirch76
    Jbirch76 Posts: 34


    As far as supplements, I took 900 mg's of fish oil 3 times a day and 2000 mg's twice a day and a multi vitamin
    .

    Wanted to note.. 2000 mg twice a day of CLA.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    bump
  • ERMBSN
    ERMBSN Posts: 32 Member
    I take Omega 3 and Niacin. Won't know if it's working till next month. I'll let you know if it does. Diet dosen't always work. I worked with a patient who had a good diet and worked out. He was a normal weight. Still had to take prescribed meds. His high cholesterol was genetic.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    A little over a year ago my cholesterol was at 242 and I weighed 292lbs
    Now my cholesterol is at 125 and I weigh 198lbs, I'm currently 36 years old.
    I used no medication. Just diet and hard work.

    I ate mostly water based protein shakes, almonds, veggies, some fruit and gallons of water.

    I'd start my day with an almond milk based Protein shake blended with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, spinach, PB2, and chia seeds.

    Lunch was a water based protein shake, a red bell pepper and a half cup of almonds.

    1 to 2 snacks a day consisted of a water based protein shake and a 1/4 cup of almonds or raw broccoli

    Dinner was typically grilled Salmon or chicken, with broccoli or grilled peppers.
    Id mix it up occasionally and have 5 egg whites with bell peppers, red onions, tomato's, spinach and cilantro.

    As far as supplements, I took 900 mg's of fish oil 3 times a day and 2000 mg's twice a day and a multi vitamin

    This all combined with plenty of weights and cardio.


    First. congrats! Awesome job!! Second, I'd say the last line "This all combined with plenty of weights and cardio." Was one of the keys. Intense exercise in addition to dietary deficit with show the most dramatic changes. Especially to LDL/ HDL ratio. Exercise is just a HDL factory!! To the OP, is there some medical reason you are trying to do it with diet alone. That is defintily the hardest way to do it. (deleted photos in the interest of space. Awesome transformation though! Thumbs up!)
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    Intense exercise in addition to dietary deficit with show the most dramatic changes. Especially to LDL/ HDL ratio. Exercise is just a HDL factory!!
    I'm new to the subject but I'm going to read up on this!
    I had a reading done in December - I can't remember the specifics other than the doc said it was a bit high. Not so high that she wanted me to take meds but she said I should watch my diet.
    Truthfully I haven't done nearly enough yet but since I recently started exercising there's hope of improvement!
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    Oh! I thought no one responded to this. Sorry to just up and leave!

    I've heard bad things about cholesterol lowering drugs, and would like to do without if I can. My cholesterol was 286 when I weighed 260 and was eating all the wrong things. I knew better, but just couldn't get a hold of myself. (I've since discovered I have a sugar sensitivity that leads to binge eating.)

    After my husband had a mild cardiac event, I purchased a book for him by Dr. Essylstein "How to prevent or reverse Heart Disease." Hubby wouldn't read it, so I did, and got inspired to try the diet myself: Grains, beans, fruits and veggies. Period. No sugar, no fake meats or tofu, no fats, or oil. I averaged 15 grams of fat a day.

    The result - I lost 30 pounds in three months, my cholesterol dropped 40 points, but the HDL - LDL ratio got WORSE. And my hair thinned.

    So after beating myself up for following a diet I knew was absurd, I added back in the fats, cut back on the carbs and tried harder to get in my vegan protein. And I began walking every day. After another three months and another 20 pounds, my cholesterol was down to 205, but the HDL was still low.

    I had a VAP cholesterol test though that showed that I had a healthy "A pattern" of LDL particles - the ones that don't damage artery walls.

    As of today, I've lost a total of 85 pounds, and I'm in better cardio shape. I know I should get another cholesterol test, but I'm apprehensive. I really don't want to take the meds even if it's still high.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    my total is just under 200, with Total / HDL ratio of 4.0

    I eat lots of meat, >50% of calories from fats and oils, modest amount of exercise. No cholesterol meds.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    my total is just under 200, with Total / HDL ratio of 4.0

    I eat lots of meat, >50% of calories from fats and oils, modest amount of exercise. No cholesterol meds.

    Yarwell - thanks for responding. If you're still following this thread, I'm curious: Did you ever have high cholesterol, or a lot of extra weight? In previous years was your diet the same as it is today? Sorry, but the scientist in me is really interested.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    my total is just under 200, with Total / HDL ratio of 4.0

    I eat lots of meat, >50% of calories from fats and oils, modest amount of exercise. No cholesterol meds.

    This is how I eat also. My cholesterol was really high at one point, over 300.

    I went on Atkins for the first time in 2003 and cholesterol went from over 300 down to 186 eating a ton of fat, moderate amounts of protein and carbs coming from fruits and vegetables.

    I have kept my cholesterol low by eating this way all of these years.

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