Comments on: Cholesterol Woes

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:38:39 +0000

One of the things I’ve learned recently about cholesterol is that many times the underlying cause is inflamation…and over time, inflamation causes lesions to form inside our blood vessels. Our liver then kicks in and does exaclty what it is designed to do….create cholesterol to act as a salve on those lesion, protecting them so they can heal. Problem is, the cholesterol ends up causing other issues when inflammation is chronic. Just lowering cholesterol, particularly through the use of meds is like putting on a band-aid. Must find a way to deal with the inflammation I think. I found something that is working for me….contact me at cherylwrites at gmail dot com and I’ll send some info.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:25:11 +0000

Hey there, I’m new to your site, and wow, you are encouraging me today! You see, I’ve got about asmuch to lose as you did when you started out, and like you also, sticking to any plan has been a losing battle for me. I really like your adjustment in your diet, and how you didn’t totally eliminate the foods that you like…just moderated a little. You are doing great!

Seems we have more than just the weight-to-lose in common, tho. My cholesterol was high this past May at my physical, like 349 high. And, even tho I have not lost any weight to speak of, the cholesterol did come down. I used a product called Vemma, a liquid vitamin with some other stuff in it, and my doctor was literally amazed. In four weeks, my number went from 349 down to 271, an 80 point drop. Two months later it was down another 40 points, and in November my doc said it was right where it needed to be! Take a look, it might work for you too. http://bit.ly/5wFsHq

Keep on movin’ forward, tho…you are doing amazing!

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:36:44 +0000

Babbalou, I did get a more complete picture than just the total cholesterol count from the lab, and it definitely shows lots of room for improvement (i.e., the total count wasn’t high because my HDL was super-high or anything more benign like that). I did get the give-ups briefly this weekend, because I felt like I didn’t deserve to be successful or to even be thought of as successful since I hadn’t brought my cholesterol down yet. I’m proud that I didn’t act on those frustrated/disappointed feelings, though—I stuck to my plan and had a loss of 1.5 lbs this week :). That puts me at 25 lbs down . . . oh yeah! I am going to make some small changes to my eating, mainly the types suggested by you and my other commenters, focusing on adding a serving or two of veggies in and gradually trying out healthy recipes of foods that I genuinely like. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and for your support—it means a lot to me!

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:32:23 +0000

Jen: I think that’s a really good idea! M and I were actually talking about the same thing, and I found myself wondering aloud why I decided to make something I didn’t know if I’d like rather than trying a healthy variation on something I definitely do like (such as tomato soup, or pizza, or a chicken dish). I am concerned about the veggie issue, but I might as well start with eating some or more of the veggies I know I like (such as spinach) rather than forcing myself to eat things I really don’t like.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:28:57 +0000

Thank you for the kind words, Ernise. I really was getting dangerously close to frustration burnout this weekend. Now that a few days have passed, I am a little less emotional about the cholesterol issue and more open to the small changes people are suggesting. This is good practice for me in not being an all-or-nothing person! I appreciate your perspective on this.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:26:45 +0000

Tina, thank you for the veggie suggestions! I will have to check out some of the frozen options. M and I purchased some single-serving veggie portions at Wal-Mart, so I may start adding one of those to dinner or lunch.

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:25:33 +0000

I would love to hear some of your easy healthy recipes, Heather. Especially ones that don’t have tons of ingredients and don’t require special cooking skills ;). My current favorite veggies are tomato and spinach, so maybe Italian-style is the direction I should try? Hmm…

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:23:29 +0000

Thanks for the encouragement/commiseration, Quix. It’s good to remember that Rome (or major weight loss/health improvements) wasn’t built in a day. I appreciate your veggie suggestions. I currently pretty much only eat veggies in my omelet (spinach) or if they happen to be in my TV dinner. Your side-salad idea sounds really easy. I think I’ll start with dinner!

By: Hilary

Hilary — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:21:35 +0000

Don’t feel stupid at all, Josie! Stuff like prep time plays into lots of people’s food decisions. Kudos to you on realizing a few of your pitfalls and making a conscious effort to take good care of yourself for the long haul :).

By: Babbalou

Babbalou — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:09:04 +0000

Hilary, please don’t be discouraged! Cholesterol is a tricky one because your body makes it, it’s not all from diet. Mine has remained stubbornly elevated despite weight loss, exercise and elimination of white carbs from my diet (and I eat entirely whole foods, not a single bite of processed food touches my lips). Hopefully the lab sent you more detail than just the total cholesterol level – you may find that as you exercise more and lose weight your HDL (the good cholesterol) level increases. And triglyceride levels are usually reduced if you eliminate refined carbs (mine are now half the level they used to be). For now I would concentrate on your great successes and ignore the blood test results. There are lots of health issues tied to excess weight so believe you ARE improving your health as you continue to lose weight. Dr. J had a good column recently on BMI, if you haven’t seen it you should. Regarding your diet, since it’s going so well for you I wouldn’t rock the boat at this point, but I would try to add in a few servings of vegetables. I don’t know what you like, but you could add a little spinach or tomato to your omelette, bring a bag of raw carrots or other veges to snack on at work, add the frozen vege as others have suggested to your dinner. I found I like small leaf lettuce just plain from a little baggie. You’ll figure it out, you’re a smart cookie. Congratulations on your excellent progress!