Advice? Just got test: 306 total, yikes! (long) - High Cholesterol Message Board

ez062718 · 03-23-2004, 03:21 PM

Hi -I just found this board and am hoping to get some advice/experiences to help get my cholesterol down. The test results just came back, and I'm rather freaked: 306 total, HDL 62, LDL 233... the doc didn't list my triglycerides, but said they were fine - "great" was what she said (I'll know more when I get my copy in the mail).
I'm 26 years old, moderate overweight (5'3", 170lb), and I was on a low carb diet since the summer (fell off the wagon in December, but back on now). I've lost a total of 15-20lbs since last summer, and the lo-carb diet was working well for me - I don't eat a lot of red meat/sausage/bacon/butter on it, mostly poultry, eggwhites (personal preference - I don't care for the taste of yolks), and fish, and eat plenty of spinach and veggies.
My doc doesn't want to prescribe medication (and I don't want it), because of my age and I have no other risk factors, and says she wants me to focus on exercise and losing weight. She wants to recheck in about 3months.
My question: Is it possible to make serious gains in lowering cholesterol, especially getting my LDL down to 160 or less, in 3 months? My ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is still at OK levels, so that's good. I have joined a gym and will be exercising there at least 3times a week for 30min or more, so that should help.
What kinds of foods and supplements should I look into? Can I stick with the lo-carb diet if I avoid red meats and other hi-sat-fat foods, or should I add oatmeal and hi-fiber bread each day? Obviously, I need to avoid cheese... and try to reduce stress...
I'll be calling a nutritionist referred by my doc, but I know people on this board have so much real-world experience. Thanks for any and all help, it is much appreciated.

zip2play · 03-24-2004, 05:36 AM

ez,

That's a tough nut to crack. Some people get good cholesterol numbers with low-carb, some stay the same and some get worse. I'm going to guess that this was your first evr lipid profile so I doubt you can look back to see how it affected you.

If we changed places, I'd try 3 months of low fat and minimal saturated fat....NO TRANS FATS (hydrogenates). Try for high fiber foods (easier said than done- I'm trying to sniff them out myself....beans a good start) and be sure to keep calories low enought to continue your weight loss, even a pound a month is the right track. Work out as hard as you can and add two items: fish oils to get 1000 mg Omega-3 oils and lecithin (a personal fave.)

After 3 months, if your numbers don't respond well enough, consider the drugs...your LDL is really awful. If you don't get the response you want at least you'll know you did everything you could.
I'm skeptical that you can drop 73 points with diet and excercise, but if it was the high-fat diet (usually 60% fat) you've been on that was the primary cause, then maybe you have a shot at it!

ez062718 · 03-24-2004, 12:07 PM

Thanks, zip2play. As of today, I'm adding a couple slices of lo-cal, high fiber, no-trans-fat bread with Benecol-type spread, plus 1 cup oatmeal, to my daily diet... along with fish oil (1000mg 3x day) and a B12complex vitamin. I'm also going to get some of the Cholester-off supplement from Nature's Resource. And I'll look for Lecithin - what level do you recommend?

Thanks to the low-carb diet, I'm already way, way down on transfats (no sugary products, very few processed foods), but I'll keep a close eye on that. I think cheese was my major downfall on low-carb, so I'm cutting that out almost completely. Which meats have the lowest saturated fat? Poultry and fish, right? What are some other high-fiber foods I should consider, aside from veggies?

I've only had one prior cholesterol test, before my sophomore year in college, and it was also high, but I don't have the number in front of me. The doc at that time said it was likely due to weight and the fact that I'd been eating the dorm food at school and not being active during the summer at home. I'm really hoping to stay off the drugs, so any progress is better than none... and if I show some progress over 3 months, hopefully it will get better from there. Thanks for the encouragement... I'm really hoping I have a good shot at this!

zip2play · 03-25-2004, 07:48 AM

ez,

A Tbsp. of granular lecithin a day is a good dosage.

See if you can dig out that old sophomore test result. It might show the effect of the low carb diet!