Going Lo-Co

Cholesterol Test Results!

Posted on March 19, 2011

The results are in!  The results are in!  Three months of lo-co lifestyle changes and the results are…..(wait for it!)…. Mixed.

Mixed.  Can you see my eyes rolling?

OK, so here’s the great news:

• My total cholesterol dropped from 267 to 227.  Still not at/below the 200 target, but a significant improvement.  And a return to my ‘normal’ cholesterol level.
• LDL (bad) cholesterol also dropped from 167 to 139.  This is close to the <130 goal, and again, a more ‘normal’ result for me.

And the bad news:

• My HDL (good) cholesterol dropped from 81 to 50.  It’s above the >46 goal, but going in the wrong direction.
• Triglycerides nearly DOUBLED to 192.  Now I am no longer in the desired <150 range.

In all, the best news is that my doctor said with these stats, she would no longer recommend treating with a statin.  I need to continue what I’m doing (with some adjustments) and have a fasting blood test again in 6 months.

The lo-co lifestyle changes are WORKING and I don’t need a statin…yet.   WOOT!

So what adjustments do I need to make to my lo-co ‘program?’  To deal with the triglyceride issue, here’s my new Rx – keep going with my lo-co diet but with these adjustments:

• Take fish oil daily
• Exercise more (like, um, daily)
• Watch how much alcohol I’m drinking (she may have said ‘reduce’ but I do not recall)

The fish oil I’ve already purchased (there’s a whole mercury issue – I’ll post about what I learned). I took one big, gigantic fish oil horse pill on day 1 – then promptly ‘forgot’ to take any more.  I have to figure out where to store the bottle so I see it and remember to take with food – apparently leaving it ON THE KITCHEN TABLE is not enough of a visual cue for me.  Sigh.

The daily exercise thing?  That is going to continue to be a challenge.

As for drinking less…well, that is a distressing thought.

Net, I have a decision to make.  Which is worse: eliminate my daily glass of wine or exercise every single day.

Cue the drumroll because THIS might finally be my daily exercise motivation.

P.S. – If you would like more info about the ‘target’ cholesterol numbers, they are from The Mayo Clinic’s “High Cholesterol Tests and Diagnosis” website.  You can see that page here, and there’s also a permanent link on my ‘Resources’ page.