I've made some great strides in the past month, and I know no one can take those away from me. I've lost 13 pounds, my total cholesterol dropped 20 points, my LDL and triglycerides are normal, my blood sugar is normal and my BMI dropped by more than 3.

But (and there's always a but) I was devastated to learn that my HDL/"good" cholesterol dropped by 8 points! It was 40 about a year ago; now it's 32. It should be above 50! It's one thing to go to McDonald's all the time and then complain about my health, but for the last month, I've had no fast food, cookies, fried food, pie, ice cream, etc. I've been exercising regularly -- in my first week of workouts alone, I walked 10.75 miles, which is great for someone who went from absolutely zero physical activity to joining the gym. Exercise is what is supposed to help raise HDL, but it seems like it's doing nothing. Yes, I know I am still healthier for the better food and more exercise, but my father had his first heart attack at 38 and I just turned 30. I really don't want to be unhealthy and in the hospital. I'm just discouraged today.

Try to stay positive. You cannot expect everything to fix itself in a month.

You are doing well, keep it up.

My nutritionist told me to start taking fish oil to raise my HDL. Are you eating enough fat?

Yup, I eat plenty of fat each day. I can't stand fish, so I eat walnuts for the omega-3s and I also eat almonds, cheese and lean meats each day. I've started using olive oil more for its benefits as well. I've been tracking my intake with FitDay and it seems like I'm doing well -- Mayo Clinic says no more than 7 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fat, and I've been at 7 percent or below almost every day (a few days I hit 8 percent, but that was on days where I ate at a wedding reception or bridal shower, so it's still not too bad).

I know I can't change everything in a few weeks; it's just that my HDL was 40 and it's dropped to 32. My mom said my dad's is only 22, so it must be hereditary. I am doing everything the doctor said raises it -- exercising, limiting saturated fats, getting omega-3s and avoiding smoking/drinking.

Well that's good news! I just started taking fish oil. Thanks for sharing!

How much Omega 3 are you getting from your portion of walnuts? I'm wondering if maybe it isn't enough, or maybe it's not one of the better sources. I take echium oil, meant to be the best veggie alternative to fish oil, and when I started I was on 4g a day; you'd probably need a similar dose of fish oils for them to be effective, or at the very least 2g. I imagine that you'd need to eat an enormous amount of walnuts to get that effect. Have you thought about trying one of the better non-fish Omega 3 supplements? I think echium oil is only available in the UK, but there are algae as well, and of course algae are where the fish get the Omega 3s from in the first place.

I've know people whose numbers went "wonky" while they were losing, but stabilized (in a good) way once they were maintaining.

It may not be hereditary. Too early to tell.

I second the fish oil. I take fish oil daily, for other reasons. My HDL is at 60.

Cholesterol measurements are inaccurate in general (unless you get the super fancy type - not the regular testing), and way moreso during weight loss.

I wouldn't worry too much about your saturated fat intake - most new research and meta-analysis is showing that it's got nothing to do with heart health, and is a critical nutrient for brain function.

Both my overall cholesterol and my "good" cholesterol are both very low (the last time I was tested it was 120/36). I was concerned, but my doctor had a good analogy: She said HDL are like little trucks that carry away the LDL. She said that they prefer people to have 60 "trucks" but since my LDL was so low, my 36 trucks were plenty.

Since my total cholesterol was so low, I had a ratio of 3.3 well within the "excellent" range (total cholesterol/HDL).

Cholesterol levels measured on instumentation in a medical laboratory are not inaccurate in general. Not sure what you're talking about here

The instruments are not inaccurate - they perform their function just fine. The problem is that their intended function is not full spectrum for the run-of-the-mill testing - i.e. they are measuring total cholesterol and inferring LDL levels via the Freidewald Equation rather than direct quantitative analysis. It can be a good ballpark estimate, but there are conditions that can render the equation pretty useless and when triglycerides are on the low side of normal, it skews the equation. I should have been more specific - the total cholesterol is accurate, the breakdown of the lipid profiles often are not.

Ok, I see what you're saying. Yes, the LDL is from a calculation, but total cholesterol and HDL are directly measured.

HDL is less affected by what you put in your mouth, keep up with the exercise.

Remember that it's only been 1 month. I have learned that in the first 4-6 weeks of diet change everything in the body goes nuts. It's adjusting itself to the changes.
Also don't deprive yourself. I have learned not just through personal experience but also through research that one of the biggest causes for failure is depriving yourself. I allow myself treats. I try to limit my treat days to Saturdays (it was yesterday for this week because it was my birthday). On these days I NORMALLY continue counting my points (I'm using the Weight Watchers Points Plus plan) but I don't freak out over going over. If I want that greasy burger, darn it I WILL have it. One day a week is OK, because I know, every week, that I AM allowed to have the things I love, just not all the time. And that helps me stay on track.