I've had a bit of a wake up call today.

I found the results of my lipid studies that were done a few months ago. I assumed, because the doctor hadn't said anything about them, that they were normal.

Cholesterol: 8.6 mmol/L (normal is 0 - 5.5)
LDL Cholesterol (that's the bad one): 6.65 mmol/L (normal is 2 - 3.4)

This has really shaken me, and I am annoyed that the doctor has not said anything about this! I will definately be asking if there was anything abnormal about the bloods he took a few months ago when I see him next!

I have done a bit of googling and as a result have stocked my cupboards with grains, nuts, oats and all the stuff they say lowers cholesterol absorption! Can anyone tell me if they also lower cholesterol levels (rather than just absorption)?

As a little bit of punishment I pushed myself to cycle 10.5kms this afternoon, and I only allowed myself one stop up that dreaded hill!!


Glad you are home and comfy again Gen! I had no idea John Marsdens book was being made into a movie! I loved that book too! I might have to treat myself to a trip to the cinema! Or hire the DVD later!

Glad things are looking up for you and the boy, Julia. Vonni is right, we eat too much of the wrong stuff when we are stressed (and I had picked up on the stressed/desserts thing a while ago Vonni, but I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it there).

Anyway, time for a nice healthy, filling salad for dinner!

Julia - congrats on the job! That must be such a relief. Hope you can get back into the diet now

Oats and whole grains can lower your levels, the beta glucans are good for that. As long as you eat plain oats and not the crappy sugary ones, dammit . You can get things with "plant sterols" in them, the Flora proactiv light type margarines. Adding some fibre is good - psyllium husk/benefiber type stuff in a glass of juice in the morning.

Exercise can increase good (HDL) cholesterol and lower bad (LDL).

Honestly, the main thing you can to to reduce cholesterol is to lose weight, so all the usual things like unprocessed healthy foods and regular exercise are the cure. With dietary changes alone (and no weight loss) you can lower cholesterol by about 10% max.

The other option I am shocked your dr didn't discuss is medication - statins are very effective at lowering cholesterol reasonably fast. Then again, if doc didn't even tell you the numbers were high, I shouldn't be surprised!

So the 'Uncle Toby's' flavoured oats are a no no? Damn! Should have read this before breakfast! As of tomorrow, plain oats it is!

I was pretty proud of the fact that I have stuck to eating breakfast since first losing weight back in 2006! It has been the one thing that has never changed since taking on that 'lifestyle' change then.

Thanx heaps for your advice there Gen! I appreciate it! My last cholesterol check was in 2005, before I lost any weight, before I even thought of dieting, and those results were on the upper level of normal then! So yeah, seeing those results yesterday after losing a good deal of weight (and gaining it back again) was a huge shock! I remember when being tested in 2005 I was expecting seriously bad results because I was living on CRAP!

Anyway...I know now and I must act!!

1.5kg is nothing to scoff at Gen...well done!

I've stuck to my 'cholesterol conscious' weight-loss plans today...apart from the flavoured porridge this morning!

I have walked 6kms this afternoon and I just enjoyed a simple vegetable pasta meal - one that I slapped together so I know exactly what went into it.

I miss Ani!

And where is Amy?

You're a good girl, Lindor!

I just broke the 100km mark on Dixies odometer!! Pretty sad really, considering I have had her for nearly two months now! But, a milestone none the less I guess!

I did 10.5kms on Dixie this afternoon. I am still on track with my food intake, and keeping a very close eye on the cholesterol content of everything!

Now Gen, I am not sure what area of nursing you do, but maybe you can shed some light on eGFR results for me. When I saw my results earlier this week, I also noticed that my eGFR was in the high 60's to low 70's. My understanding is that suggests stage 2 Chronic Kidney Disease? Creatinine was within normal range though. Again, my doctor has not mentioned these results to me either!

My concern is my father is a Type 2 diabetic and I know I am very likely to be following in his steps in my current physical condition! And I know CKD, among other things, is a common co-morbidity with diabetes.

And, just so you know the pressure is not on you alone, I am seriously considering seeing a random GP to ask them to do all the tests again (although they won't know it is 'again') and then discuss the results with me!

Am I sounding like a typical hypochondriac yet?

You tend not to worry about GFR if other numbers are normal. The "e" part of it is "estimated" - it's worked out from an equation so it's not especially accurate.

http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/full/2/6/1352

I wouldn't hesitate to go to a GP that will communicate with you and explain test results - no point doing tests if they don't explain the results.

Thanx for that Gen

I've walked 6kms this afternoon, and I am now sitting here enjoying a nice tuna salad and potato.

I have a bit to do in the garden this weekend, so that should keep me busy enough to keep me away from the food for a little while!

I weigh in on Sunday and I am hoping I will show a loss. I'll be disappointed if I don't! But, I am still determined to get on top of this weight-loss and healthy eating thing.

I'd be guessing Ani is in, or on her way, to Bali now? I hope she has a great time, and I hope we see her when she gets home again

And Amy?? Where are you?? I want to know how your cycling is going!

Lindor you are an inspiration! You're doing so well, good on you I've got to say, your GP sounds hopeless! I'd be finding a new doc asap. One with better communication skills!

Good to hear that you're recovering well Gen. 1.5kg is definitely nothing to sniff at. Patience grasshopper!

I still can't seem to get into any kind of routine with regards to diet and exercise. My holiday is now only 10 days away and it's kind of a matter of why bother trying now when I know I'm not going to watch what I eat while I'm away. Very silly I know.

I miss Amy and Ani too! Come back ladies!

Julia, you'd feel much better on your holiday if you were "good" for a week beforehand?

Changed my flights home to business class... lots of money but I could hear my mum in my head telling me to just do it. Dad had given me some money for flights and for some work I did for him here, and given that I need to be able to walk around etc so as not to get a clot, I thought bugger it. Looking forward to it - think I have a seat upstairs haha! I'm easily amused.

OK off to an auction next door to sticky beak, talk to you all later. Hoping to drag my arse for a walk today.

Julia, can I recommend just taking small steps if you find it hard to make that commitment to routine?

Start with just a small walk every day, don't worry about anything else yet. And lets face it, is a small walk going to be that difficult while on holiday?

I have set a time every day for my exercise...4pm every afternoon. I have marked it in in my small diary, and I cross it off when I do it! It kinda makes it like an appointment that you have to keep...and why should doing something good for us be any different to keeping an appointment with the doc or tax consultant? Yeah, there are days when I think, I can't be bothered! But for some reason, with it written down, the thought of not crossing it off motivates me to go!

I have walking and cycling as my main (only) forms of exercise. Walking takes longer than the cycling. So if I need to go shopping after work or something, I plan to do that on a cycling day (or I could switch a cycling day with a walking day) because I know it isn't going to get dark before I have done it. And If I was stuck in the dark, I'd rather be on my bike than on foot!

The only reason I have got stuck into the food side of things is because I did get quite a scare with my cholesterol levels! I had no idea my eating habits were that bad! Thinking back now, yeah, I was eating a lot of cheese and fatty foods!

I want to see you succeed, and feel totally happy with yourself to Julia

This constant thinking of our weight and health does weigh heavily on us!

Didn't see your post Gen. Well done on that huge loss!

And how cool for business class! I'd be pretty chuffed with going 'up stairs' too!

I've seen surgery reports for gastroscopies mention hiatus hernias a lot. Mostly the surgeon does nothing for them - only when they are symptomatic or particularly large. Was nice of your surgeon to repair yours opportunistically.

I bought a size 16 top yesterday, thinking it would be good in a few weeks.. fits me now!

Took my gorgeous niece for a big walk today.. she's 3 (but lazy!) so I pushed her in the pram.. she's heavy!

I've just got back from a 10.5km bike ride! And what a ride it was!!

For a little bit of the way (up that dreaded hill!), I had what I believe was someone like a personal trainer! The little fella, who told me his name was Jayden, would have been four or five years old. He was riding his little push bike up the hill with his Mum next to him on foot. When he spotted me coming up behind them he shouted 'beat you up the hill!' and off he pedalled! When I said I was too old for racing he slowed down and pedalled next to me and kept saying 'push, push, push'.

Well, if it wasn't for that little fella, and his Mum chuckling behind us, I don't think I'd have made it up that hill with no stops at all!! And that, my friends, was the first time I have ever made it up that hill without stopping!

I weighed in this morning and have recorded a loss of 3.5kg! Not unusual for a first week of trying, and I am very pleased with that result too!

For the next week, I plan to continue as I have this week:

• eat carefully
• drink no less than 2lt of water a day
• exercise every day - alternating walking (min 6kms) and cycling (min 8.8kms)

I would like to see at least another 1kg drop off by next Sunday.

Oooooh Gen you'll love business class! Who are you flying with? The one and only thing about flying business class is that you know what you're missing when you have to go back to economy

That's so cool that you're seeing such great results so quickly. You must be chuffed

Lindor congrats for beating that hill mate, that's awesome news What a cute wee cheerleader you had! You're doing so well, I'm really proud of you!

I had a horrific weekend food wise - went to McDonalds not once but TWICE and had a Magnum ice cream last night! My work uniform is back to being just as tight as it used to be and I've gained back most (if not all) of the weight I lost recently.

Lindor you're so right and I would recommend the same to someone else - I need to start small, just do somthing. So today I'm going to do something revolutionary ... I'm going to the gym haha! I'm going to set myself the goal of going to the gym for the next 4 nights in a row. Even if I just walk on the treadmill for 20 mins that's better than nothing.