Hi Everyone,
I've been reading this site for a while, but I am a newbie to posting.
I was waiting to get my most recent cholesterol figures back from my Doc before my first post, and now I have them:
My Total Cholesterol: 272 --- should be less than 200
LDLs (bad cholesterol) 183 --- should be less than 100
HDLs (good cholesterol) 48 --- best if it's more than 60
My LDL:HDL ratio is 3.8 (it should be less than 3.0).

For Pete's Sake, this is not good! I'm not a walking heart attack yet, but I will be soon, if I don't change my wicked ways.

Of course, I don't feel ill....I feel great for a girl who weighs in at 210lb. I've convinced myself that I look pretty good in my size Women's 18 pants with elastic in the sides. But my doctor has told me that if I don't get my cholesterol numbers in line, he's gonna prescribe some sort of cholesterol-lowering medication, which I absolutely do not want to take. He's given me 6 weeks to show some progress.

I've started a food log, I've been walking every day, I quit eating a boiled egg every morning for breakfast. I've set a date to quit smoking (November 26).

This has finally been my wake-up call. I cannot pretend anymore. My Aunt had a stroke when she was 50, and subsequent carotid vessel surgeries. She had a 3-vessel cardiac bypass when she was 60. I'm only 40, but so far I'm going down that same road. I can't continue to eat and drink and be fat and smoke and not exercise if I want to go down a different road.

I'm happy to have found 3FC, and I'm looking forward to sharing some real life changes here.

I welcome and appreciate any support or tips,

Lesley

G,day Lesley and You,ve been given a wake up call and you certainly have found the right place for support and encouragement, have you decided on a plan yet, a food log is great and walking everyday is too with those tools and a sensible eating plan you will succeed. I,m looking forward to getting to know you and following your progress.
Take care.
JULS

Looks like you've planned out some good starts Keep at it! Small changes really add up ^^

Lesley!

You've found a great spot. Good for you for realizing that the numbers you were seeing were NOT the numbers you needed to have to live a long, healthy life...but you're on your way to improving them!

Exercise and a sensible diet are the way to go, and you're already there, so for you! Keep posting here for even more ideas and motivation to keep you on the right path.

Amanda

Juls,
Thanks for the encouraging note!
You asked about my food plan, and I must say I'm confused about what would work best as a cholesterol-lowering diet. I've read up on the Internet, and I'm still not sure what will work best. So, I've been avoiding egg yolks, fried foods, and whole-fat dairy....I don't know what else I should do. Anybody got any tips?

I have walked 20-30 minutes every day (except once!) since I began my plan, and I'm having trouble with the muscle that runs by your shin bone tightening up and hurting about 15 minutes into a walk. Maybe I'm starting out too fast, and not getting enough of a warm-up?
I'm going out today to buy some real walking shoes. A friend told me about a shoe store where they will put you on a treadmill and recomend appropriate shoes based on your walking style. I'm going to check it out.

Thanks!
Lesley