Got my blood work back.
262 - Cholesterol.
Been nice knowing everyone.
What’s the normal range?
ouch, was that your LDL??? dude, should work on that… do you eat a lot of fish by chance, it’s really high in cholestorol
@bishop - http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/guide/understanding-numbers that’s in the high range…
the hub sprinkles wheat germ on salads, sandwiches n such. Before Chuck hepped us to eggbeaters, I’d separate the whites for his omelettes. he’s on a low dose med, and our goal is to be free of it!
Hang in there Talos! We needs our Bunny-Six!
Heya gang,
Well, another crazy week at work, but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Just wanted to report back that last weekend, on the whole, was a good food weekend. too many raw almonds & raisins on Sunday, but I can live with that.
This week was amazing in the gym, and I really believe that the intense workouts are helping to slay the stress. Kind of like bishop, I’m mixing in heavy weight days with explosive days. Really living by the “confuse the muscles” workout theory a la Chuck and P90X. Lots of new things like box jumps (inspired by the last spartacus workout), explosive lifts, kettle bells, and weird things like bringing my jump rope to the gym.
I take a
Multi vitamin (Progressive Active - Men)
Calcium (brand escapes me right now)
BCAAs (Dymazite BCAA Complex 2200)
CLA (Precision High Performance 80s)
Slow release Vitamin C
5-HTP (before bed)
Thanks everyone. I really need a dietary change. It’s my own fault. I’ve been avoiding it and been quite defiant about it. I lead a sedentary life, working at a desk in front of a screen all day. It doesn’t help that I consume bacon cheeseburgers with fries and onion rings, milkshakes, ice cream, potato chips, shrimp wrapped in bacon, bacon donuts, um…yeah…you get the idea.
I’ve read online about tips to lower cholesterol. Can anyone share cholesterol lowering diet plans? Like real meal ideas. I’ve heard Oatmeal, Fruits, Veggies, Beans, Tofu.
I should also mention I’m very against the whole substitute meal idea. For example, instead of a bacon cheeseburger have a veggie burger with low fat cheese and turkey bacon. BLEH! If I want a bacon cheeseburger, I’m eating a bacon cheeseburger. And I’ll mop the grill with the bun thank you.
ahem
That being said, I’m not resistant to a change just the whole substitute thingy. Yesterday, I started the day off with a black coffee. I had some grapes for a snack. A tuna sandwich for lunch. For dinner, I had a spinich salad with Annie’s Natural Goddess dressing and some mushrooms (no, not those kinds). One day at a time.
I agree with bkitty’s advice about how to deal with pressure from other people to eat differently. It’s not easy to eat healthy most of the time. We have food obstacles and try to make concessions (okay, no more cream sauces or chocolate cake for a while). We have cravings, and get “mentally” hungry (like Chris said), or get hungry when it’s not a great idea to eat (e.g., 1:00 a.m.). Healthy food isn’t always clearly labeled, and you have to research and do trial/error to find what works. It may be more difficult to find, and it often requires changes in how we think about food.
You work through ALL of this as best as you can, and people who aren’t on the same plan don’t realize how tough it is to wave a pizza or doughnut in front of someone who’s trying so hard to be healthy. There is a lot of peer pressure, because it’s easy, cheap, culturally traditional, and delicious. But bkitty is right - if you can just shrug and smile and try to downplay the fact that you’re eating differently, people eventually realize it’s not a big deal (I think, anyway!).
We don’t eat out very often anymore, since you give up some control of your intake when you do that - but I’ve ended up out with people before and just casually talked with the server about healthy choices, or asked them to omit cheese, bacon, salad dressing, etc. as I ordered. You can also order half portions or kids’ portions at a lot of places.
Hey Kirsten, and welcome! Sounds like you’re doing great! I just wanted to say that 3 lbs./week is a LOT to lose, so if you don’t always lose that much, don’t worry! 1 lb./week is also a great goal and will add up before you know it!
Chris/uubergeek - Awesome job on your new workouts! It takes a lot of (inner) strength to grab this by the reins and try to fend off the surgery. Keep up the great work!
Juaaaaaan!!! So glad you’re here!! WOW, 20 pounds down is awesome - good for you! That is nothing to sneeze at.
Stabuccanneer - Glad you’re feeling better. I also agree that it might be adaptation to workouts that slows down your progress. The good news is our bodies are so efficient, they adapt quickly to stuff we make them do. That’s also the bad news. :rolleyes: Keep up the workouts! I know you’ll see more progress soon.
'Talos - hey buddy!! I asked my dr. last year about how to improve cholesterol. It looks like there’s a few things you can try- raising HDL (good) cholesterol, lowering LDL (bad chol.), eating more fiber, especially insoluble fiber like oatmeal, and doing cardio exercise like brisk walking. It might be hard to change it with just one approach, but working from multiple angles might be easier.
Foods like salmon, white fish, and tree nuts can help raise HDL. Avoiding saturated fats can help lower LDL - try to avoid processed meats like sausage, salami, pepperoni, etc., avoid whole fat dairy, fried foods, baked goods like pastries, and fats that are solid at room temperature, like doughnut glaze. For more fiber, Chuck and I like Oroweat double fiber bread, Kashi Go Lean cereal, and meal replacement bars by Luna, Kashi, or Clif. Oatmeal’s a great choice and is pretty nice with skim milk and a few sliced almonds in the morning.
My personal update: I’ve been at the same weight for almost six weeks. I was starting to get depressed. I renewed my efforts to stick to my calorie goal every day, and have been trying not to cut corners in my workouts. I met with the trainer this past week, and he said… I gained muscle. :eek: I was blown away! I did one thing right, and I am happy about it. I’m still having trouble getting at the fat clinging to my stomach, upper arms, and thighs/booty, but I am very slowly replacing fat with muscle.
On the vitamin question, I take One a Day Women’s vitamin every day and a second one after a workout. I looked into One a Day’s “Active Metabolism” vitamin for women, and - get this - it has caffeine in it. Weird! Their Men’s active vitamins do not. So I’m sticking with my standard. I also take B12 supplements, but that’s dr.'s orders for an issue I have processing that vitamin. I would recommend if you start taking a multivitamin, take it with food, because they can upset the tummeh.
Congrats on everyone’s progress!! Can’t wait to hear more!
Audra
Hello everyone and I am glad there are so many great folks that will be here to help me through this experience.
My wake up call actually came about a year and a half ago. I stepped on the scales and was 294 at 31 years old and 5’10" tall. I changed my diet by lowering my intake. That was good for about 10 pounds over four months. Then the holidays hit and I stopped doing regular checks of my size.
So after getting laid off in August of last year i was sure that being home with all the food would be a bad thing. But I somehow was able to hit a plateau of around 270 for the months I have been home with the kids.
But with Cobra so expensive and needing either a job or health insurance, I need to lose quite a bit of weight to qualify. So my wife and I are doing P90X. After the first couple workouts, we were so sore that we had to take a couple days break but are kinda back on schedule. And I am glad that so far I am really liking P90X even though it is a killer.
So I hope to keep making progress and getting help from and helping the others here in the Fitness Club.
Thanx Audra for all the wonderful info. I’m gonna hook myself up with a bunch of them meal replacement bars.
I just got back from a birthday party. I skipped the cake and chose the fruit salad instead. Yay me.
Sorry I have been away for so long, my new hours and the flu have reeked havoc on my routines. My floppy earred friend/s dilemma here has compelled me to post.
Talos, here are my suggestions; I hope they will be of help:
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Baby Steps. Your dietary habits took a long time to develop, a new dietary lifestyle will also take a long time to develop. Do not rush your changes or do anything drastic that will cause digestive distress. Start very small, choose your battles wisely.
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Ween yourself off of Takeout/eating out. You have far more control of what you eat by preparing your own meals.
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Involve your wife. Everything is easier if you have a partner, her encouragement and support will be of infinite help.
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Phase One. Once you think you are mentally ready for your first major change I suggest you sit down with your wife and write down all of your favorite dishes that you like to prepare at home. And once you have a comprehensive list, begin thinking of clever ways to make each one a little bit healthier. Emphasis on the word ‘little’, if your changes are too drastic at a time they will not seem the same when you eat them.
Examples: Sloppy Joe’s (easy to make and a snap to reheat for leftovers)- Exchange the hamburger with ground turkey. Exchange Seasoning salt for Mrs Dash. etc.
Why? It is easier to eat healthy if the food you are eating is stuff you like. 
Your palette will need time to adjust to the subtle changes as they come, and believe me it will change over time. Experiment and have fun playing around with your dishes, over time you will be surprised how much your tastes will have changed. And these changes in taste will make it much easier to stay on track, because many of your old favorites will no longer tempt you as badly. Because you will be more more sensitive to salts and sugars and such, (example: I used to love Krispy Kreme donuts, I cant stand them now… tooo sugary.) and because you have dabbled in the kitchen for so long your tastes have become shall we say… more sophisticated. :groucho:
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Kick it up a notch. When making tweaks to your recipes always remember taste. You need to enjoying eating your new meals or you will feel like you are denying yourself. And if your food is bland you will feel like you need to eat more to feel satiated, your new goal is to feel full when eating proper portions.
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Phase Two. (way down the road) Once you feel confident that you can make a more complete overhaul in your dietary lifestyle, one that would make us all proud. I suggest a cheat day.
Many athletes do this who are on strict diets. They eat such a regimented diet that they need to have one really good and decadent meal a week or they will go mad from the feeling of denial. And it gives you something to look forward to, it is your reward for eating healthy.
And just think about it, by the time you reach this point in your life you will have done a complete 180. You will have gone from eating healthy once a week, to eating bad once a week! 
Just because you wear bunny ears does not mean you have to eat like a rabbit. You can eat healthy and still enjoy eating, it just takes time, creativity and a little self discipline. And I believe you have all three of those. Remember it took time for you to develop your bad habits and it will take time for you to develop your good ones as well.
I hope this helps…
Hey Talos,
I just wanted to give a thumbs-up to Omra’s post. Small changes are the key. If you try to change too quickly, you’ll feel deprived, or hungry, or resentful. It does take a long time to slowly ease into a new way of eating, which is good, because it gives you the chance to evaluate as you go and make choices that work for you. Also, your tastes really do change after a while. That was odd for me - I didn’t really expect them to. I thought I’d just constantly be craving and denying myself the same things forever. Now I find myself craving the healthy foods I eat. I still find myself craving sweet or fried things sometimes, but my taste for them is nowhere near what it used to be.
Don’t worry, take it slow, and believe in yourself. We do! Your health is worth it.
Slide show with food recommendations for fighting cholesterol:
http://men.webmd.com/slideshow-foods-to-boost-male-health
Thank you so much. My wife is on board and I’ve been eating well for the past couple of days. I really like the idea of cheat day.
That was really helpful. Thanks again, everyone.
WoW! what a difference a week will make. I’ve exercised and been on a 1500 cal diet since last Sunday (with the exception of NOT exercising yesterday, kinda wanted a day of rest).
I’m officially down to 327, which is a 11 pound loss since last week! (probably more so than i should be, however my dr approved my plan- after the first week, i do NOT expect that drastic of a change at all)
looking back at my weeks data, i’ve averaged a net intake of 1195cal/day (eating a min of 1450/cal per day) after exercise!
apparently the Shred works!!! I did not exercise at all yesterday and will not do the shred today, but i did get 20min of cardio in at the gym today, so i’ll pick back up tomorrow, and still plan to work out while at a convention this weekend (nice gym in my hotel, can do cardio/weight training/abs if even without the Shred vid going)
I’m REALLY pumped up over this right now! and to top if all off, my pants almost fell down today walking into work as i didn’t wear a belt (they DID not do this last week lol)
doing the happy dance… heck, i’m so happy and want to dance, i might even try the zumba workout this week… lol
forgot to mention, that my calorie expendature for the week equaled out to 56% carb, 24% protein, 20% fat. Would have liked to adjust the carb/protein numbers a tad bit, but overall, i think it worked out well… apparently planning your diet works out fairly well! so glad this app keeps up with nutritional stuff, i need to check out the others that i have been told about though! (guess i gotta stay lazy somehow though lol)
Heya Talos,
It looks like you’re totally on track. Omra’s advice about eating out and fast food was a biggie for me when I started to make a serious life change. I had been on both high cholesterol and high blood pressure meds for about 8 or 9 years. The doc had said that once you’re on them, you’re on them for life… but last year he had to take that back. I dropped a lot of weight, started eating right, and after two great blood tests – no meds for yours truly.
Big changes like this are never easy, but you’ve got an entire community of GWCers that have got your back!
Chris - way to go! Keep up the momentum, and good for you for taking a day off. A day off now and then, plus adequate sleep, multivitamins to make up for diet changes, and lots of water are all really important elements of getting healthy. Can’t wait to hear your next update!!
This last week I kicked into high gear with cardio and free weights for my arms and back. The ankle feels much better now and I have been wrapping it before working out so I don’t re-injure it. The food side of things this week has been great. I have been using Caloriecounter.com to track my foods and activities, the site has also given me great workout and meal ideas. I did my weekly weigh in this morning and I lost 9lbs for at total of 19lbs so far.
awesome Baconface!
We’re here for ya Talos! eating healthy isn’t all that bad, you just have to find what you like thats healthy and stick with it. I’m on board with the cheat day, go for it, I’ve found that if I allow myself one day a week where I try not to go entirely overboard but eat some stuff I’d normally feel guilty about it helps take the edge off. I once tried to be a purist and all that ended up doing was me literally flipping out one night and eating every single non healthy thing I had in the house in one sitting…def not the way to go
Chris - holy crap! 11 pounds in one week is EPIC!!! keep up the progress, and like Audra said don’t feel bad about taking a day off here and there, no point in hurting yourself and really putting you out of action for a while when all you needed was a break!
as for me I had my first good eating weekend in a long time, I actually lost a pound and a half from Thursday morning to this morning so I’m pumped to keep it going!
Okay I have to vent for a minute. I am sitting at my desk minding my own business eating an orange when someone in faculty ( I work at a university) walks up to my desk to chat and opens a jumbo package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and eats it in front of me. I could smell the choco-peanut heaven emanating from her mouth. But thats not all. Because my boss decided St. Patty’s day needed to be celebrated with peppermint patties I now have a giant bowl of York Peppermint Patties in front of my desk that students and faculty have been unwrapping and eating right in front of my face. AAAARGH!
I am feeling better and more upbeat today. Even if weight loss itself is slow, I’m doing things that are really good for my body and that is reward in itself.
Starbuccaneer
I’m glad you’re feeling more upbeat. I go through periods where I feel down sometimes, too. I tell myself that I can’t be afraid to be better. I remind myself that the most important thing is to be healthy, first for me, and then for my friends and family. I tell myself that exercise, whether I lose weight or not, is important to maintain the quality of life that I want. I remind myself that I’m extremely lucky person and since I work in a hospital I get to see just how hard some people have it. And I tell myself that I want to live as well as I can for as long as I can. Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.
I made it to the gym for weight lifting and cardio today—even though I almost talked myself out of going. But since I try to check in on Mondays I didn’t want to have to come here and tell you all that I skipped a day. And since I’m not sure I’ll be able to workout during the meetup (Woo! Meetup!) I told myself that I’d better go.
I did my weekly weigh in this morning and I lost 9lbs for at total of 19lbs so far.
Baconface
Go Bacon! Go Bacon! Go! And repeat after me: “I am the master of my fate, the captain of my soul, and peanut butter cups have no power over me.”
have you read my posts on here about my coworkers blatantly taunting me by offering donuts and going ‘ymmmmmm these donuts are awesome’ in front of me? 