So, we have a health program at work that allows us to get discounts on health insurance and money at the end of the year. I joined in June at 196 lbs and was given a weight loss goal of 187 by the end of the year. I went to the screening last week and I'm 184, yay! But my cholesterol went from 252 (high) to 293 (higher) I will definitely be changing my diet habits to get my cholesterol below 200. Any tips or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Congratulations on all your hard work! You kicked some serious BOOTY!

I'm sorry to hear about your cholesterol numbers, did you doctor have any recommendations for changing your current eating style?

Everybody's body seems to be a bit different in this regard. I am vegan and have good cholesterol numbers, but my mom does Atkins and that's how she lowered her cholesterol.

It depends what type of diet you are doing. Low carb can elevate cholesterol by increasing LDL levels.

It does depend on the diet, and you should do a food diary for a week and take it to your doctor to see if there are any gaping problems.

But.

Well, to be honest around half of people *can't* lower their cholesterol sufficiently by weight loss and diet to get to optimal levels, and I think the substantial increase in your cholesterol when you should have seen a 10% drop given your weight loss is an indicator that you might be in that group.

At least in the UK, baring other medical reasons for your cholesterol increase, you would be on statins by now.

That's kind of what I was going to say. I'm also vegan and while I do NOT believe in pushing a vegan lifestyle on anybody, it does help with health issues.

I've been vegan off and on since 2007 and while I was at my heaviest, my cholesterol was actually OK (not great, to be sure, but still in the normal range). My doctor was actually surprised because high cholesterol runs in my family and because of my weight. I owe the cholesterol level mainly to maintaining a vegan diet (more or less).

Please don't think I am saying that you have to cut out all meat and dairy - that's certainly not for everyone. But maybe take a look at how much meat and dairy you're eating and try to cut down and replace those proteins with vegetable-based proteins (like beans, nuts/seeds, and tofu) and see if that helps?

Tam

I've lost over 100 lbs and my cholesterol hasn't budged from "borderline high".

Some people just have higher cholesterol than average. I have been told by my doctor that aerobic exercise helps increase "good cholesterol" so we'll see.

One thing I would recommend, if you didn't have your cholesterol checked at your doctor, and instead had it done by something else (ie my company brings in people with little machines to check cholesterol), have it done by your doctor. Sometimes readings can be off.

I should also mention that some medications have been known to increase cholesterol, such as some antidepressants. If you're on any medication, research the side effects.

It depends on your diet and heredity, but high cholesterol, in and of itself, doesn't mean anything. At best the ratios matter more, and triglycerides are a good indicator of how much sugar (in any form) you consume.

My cholesterol is quite high. My ratios are excellent and ideal. My triglycerides are extremely low, HDL is inordinately high, and all other markers of health (waist circumference, inflammation, blood pressure, hair and nails, dental health, etc) are excellent. My A1C is in the 4.6-4.7 range. I achieved and maintain these values on a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet comprised of whole foods (think salads, eggs, cold water fish, nuts, some heavy cream and cheese, the occasional berries, and a vice for coffee and a diet coke occasionally. Oh, and chocolate and blueberries in small quantities ).

Cholesterol is highly misunderstood, at best, and criminally misrepresented by the pharmaceutical industry and associated professional boards, at worst. Dr. Eades had two really good blogs on this topic just the other day, which may help give you some perspective.

My advice is to observe the details of your cholesterol and diet, not the overall number, and go from there. If your ratios stink, trigs are sky high, LDL is wonky, or you have other health complaints, those may need to be managed. But cholesterol in isolation means approximately nothing

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/l...pothesis/5257/
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/s...-maybe-anyone/