So I went to the doctor for an annual physical, the first since I've been in college and uninsured (6 years) and my LDL is 256. I'm only 25. I'm 5'1" and I weigh 143.5 lbs and I'm DONE not taking care of myself.

I was vegetarian from 13-19 and vegan for the last six months of that, and then I met my now husband and while we were dating I started eating meat again. Apparently, with my genes, that was a VERY bad idea.

When I was talking to my doctor about wanting to lose weight, my doctor recommended I start eating protein bars instead of carb-based snacks and trying to stick more to the South Beach / Atkins type diet with low carbs. Then he saw my cholesterol.

If I don't lower it by the end of June I have to start taking daily medication. I could have cried. But instead I vowed then and there to be vegetarian again and for good. That cuts out about 90% of the cholesterol, right?

I added a raw food daily vitamin, flaxseed omega 3 supplements, a cinnamon supplement because I read some research that it helps control sugar and fat metabolism, and added mixed nuts, fruits, veggies and whole grain and oats to my diet as well as a TON of FIBER. I cut out soda, sweets, caffeine, meat eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, milk, (still eating small amounts of whey protein but other than that, NO dairy) basically everything remotely bad or containing any cholesterol at all.

It's not hard since I had been vegan before and vegetarian for a long time, but I'm still grieving the fact that I have inherited such horrible luck, and that I've been treating my body badly on top of it.

Is anyone else struggling with high cholesterol? How do you control it, what is your diet like?

Thanks,

Alisa

Yeah, I've had high cholesterol since I was 15!!! However, more than one doctor has resisted putting me on medication because my HDL was quite high (as it usually is in women in their 20s, from what I gather), saying it has a protective effect, and it's ultimately the ratio that matters?

I had the same LDL, years ago. You're going about it in the wrong way, in my opinion. Please watch this video. It's a bit long, but well worth watching. A real eye opener. I wish more people would watch it. If you cut out the sugar/high fructose corn syrup, all processed foods, and starchy/flour your LDL will improve. Watch the whole video. Also, I've been a vegetarian for 26 years...I eat a lot of eggs and tuna, salmon, veggies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Also, take a fish oil/Omega 3 daily.

I do not eat or drink anything containing ANY HFCS and, like I said, I am taking an omega 3 supplement.

The only processed foods I eat are protein bars manufactured by Luna which are made with organic soy and naturally sweetened with evaporated cane juice and brown rice syrup. And the only "sweets" I eat are 5 prunes a day for the fiber and antioxidants.

Also, I am taking a raw food vitamin. Last time I ate vegan I lost 25 lbs in 4 months, although then I wasn't eating so healthy. Today, day 3 of no meat/eggs/dairy/soda and all this good fiber and already I am down to 139.5! I lost a pound since my last post and I feel SO much better than even 3 days ago when I was eating VERY badly.