So, after eight months of watching what I eat and avoiding many foods that I enjoy I had my review with my doctor today. I managed to drop a tenth of a point. Big fat hairy deal! So, I get to start taking pills and I promised I’d get more exercise. But today I’m going to pig out on the greasiest crap I can find. I just got back from Rocky’s Burger Bus and I’m slurping up a kick ass burger and fries.
I did manage to lose eight pounds without doing any exercise though. Maybe getting back to the gym will be enough to fight off the evil cholesterol demon. I’m really not looking forward to being a gym rat again though. I did that when I was in University and I don’t feel like going back to a sweaty stinky gym.
For the record I’m not way off the charts, just a little over so it’s best to nip it in the bud.
Anyway, regale me with tales of fattening foods and low cholesterol levels! In short, lie to me!
Just FYI - Regular exercise can really do alot for your cholesterol numbers. If you’re just a little bit on the high side a nice long brisk walk 3-4 times a week could really help you.
Me, I’m having some friends over for baby back ribs on Saturday. Damn the cholesterol, bring on the pork!
Finally, a topic where I have a good degree of experience. First of all, a change in diet can make a difference with some people, but not all. I went from fast food at least 5 times a week to eating rabbit food and oatmeal, with an occasional piece of chicken, plus walking daily, and only dropped 10 points in a 6 month span. Added Lipitor, stuck with the diet, dropped 5 more points in another 6 months.
Switched meds to Zocor, and dropped 70 points to a fairly healthy 168, and that seems to be pretty stable from the past few times I have had it checked. This is going back to adding french fries to the diet, etc… so, I guess the point of this little tale is that getting the right meds can make a huge difference, so if one does not work, try some others.The diet and excercise can definitely help you feel and look better if nothing else.
Thanks for the input so far guys, I really appreciate it. I’ll definitely give the exercise thing a try. I’ll start off with the clothing rack, I mean exercise bike, I have and maybe some push ups. I just know damn well if I pay for a gym membership I’ll never use it.
We seem to have a different number system for measuring this stuff than you folks in the U.S. Imagine that! The normal range is 3.80 - 5.20 mmol/L. Apparently that stands for milimoles per liter. My number is 5.84 mmol/L so I’m not that high, but high enough to start fixing it.
I’m really hoping the exercise and diet change with knock it back. I don’t want to be depending on pills the rest of my life.
Well, I can empathize with that! I’m sad to hear that you didn’t have a bigger drop in your numbers with your change in diet - however, I would see that as an excuse to go to Peter’s and hogg out on a triple burger, onion rings and a banana milkshake.
I’ve heard that their onion rings are as good as flax seed for lowering cholesterol -really.
As an aside, apparently if you add ground flax seed to your cereal, or yogurt, or whatever, it can help with cholesterol numbers.
It’s been a few years ago, but I dropped from 220 lbs. and 210 total cholesterol to ~175 lbs. and < 170 cholesterol – by exercise. The only things I gave up from my diet were: (1) doughnuts at work, (2) fast food more than once per week, (3) no more than 2-3 sodas per week.
And, I allow myself to cheat on those if I’ve been keeping up the exercise. So I still get to taste when I eat.
Plus, I swim, so: no sweating. although I smell of chlorine when wet
I found out this morning that my cholesterol is slightly high. I talked to my sister and both parents, as my diet and exercise regime are pretty darned healthy. Turns out that Dad’s (and also his mom, and his recently deceased twin brother) cholesterol is very low. Sister’s is borderline, and Mom’s is high - even though sister takes care of herself as well as I take care of myself, and Mom is on some sort of cholesterol-lowering medication.
I’m working on the cholesterol absorbing donut. I figure that if I can master that technology and the licensing (and avoid getting assassinated by the Krispy Kreme and Dunkin hit squads), I’ll be the next Bill Gates.
Yeah, I’ve got high cholesterol as well. It sucks. I’m using Zocor, and it keeps my levels nice… well, level. I hate that taking a drug for it is the only way I can keep the level down, but at least I can eat pretty much any way I want as long as I take the pill for it.
The thing I hate about it, though, is that I can’t have grapefruit. I LOVE grapefruit. Before Zocor, I used to eat a huge Rio Red as a snack every so often. My favorite drink is still Vodka and Grapefruit juice- shame I can’t have it anymore.
Cholesterol absorbing donut? Oh hell yes sign me up for a case a week of those babies!
Why can’t you have grapefruit Lightnin’? Interference with the drug or the drug makes it taste funny or somthing? And can you really eat whatever the hell you want now as long as you keep taking the pills? I’m looking for an upside here so if I have to keep popping pills and I can eat cheese burgers all I want then I won’t feel as pissed off about it.
Grapefruit interacts with the way the body processes some drugs, and cholesterol drugs are right there at the top of the list. It’s bad- as in “kill ya” bad. There’s actually a thread about it here on the 'dope somewhere, but here’s an outside link.
And no, I wouldn’t say you can eat whatever you want… but in my experience, changing my diet had zero effect on my levels. Zocor had much more effect, so much so that my numbers don’t vary depending on my diet. My still doctor probably wouldn’t have wanted me to have that hamburger I ate yesterday, I imagine.
Thanks for the link Lightnin’. I guess it’s a good thing I don’t eat grapefruit. Not that I have anything against grapefruit. It tastes good and all, just that I never seem to pick one up and put it in my grocery basket.
