Wow, Kocia, that sounds like a hell of a fall. OMG you must be sore and a sight!

Right on Libby, where are Mern and RS today?

So Donna, clearly you do understand why your numbers were still high. I had no idea that sugar was related to high cholesterol. My brother-in-law claims that his doctor told him just to take the pills that there is no sense in dealing with his diet !@!@:eek:

It is raining hard here too, lucky I had a "wee" walk before it got going strong.

Goals:

1. Lots of water: M-Y
2. 2 hours exercise: M-30mins walk
3. 50 veg/week: M-10

Daily calories: 825
8 glasses of water: Y
exercise: N
2 fruit 3 veg: 2-4,
Post daily: Y,
Get back into the 160's
Another good day and getting stronger.

Hello all. I don't know how you all can survive on 8oo to 900 calories a day I know it works for you, but IO would be either sick as a dog or eating everything in site in about 3 days.
I go my exercise in today. it cleared up and tomorrow I will be out cleaning up more of the yard. Nyda

daily goals
water-8 cups min-m=y
exercise 5 days-m=y
log everything I eatm=y
post at least once a day.m=y

Hello all on this "not really Monday even if I think it is."

Since I've been missing goals for the last two weeks I think I'll just have two this week:

1. Measure and record everything.
2. Stay under 1600 calories.

Good week to all.

Cholesterol, the good, the bad, the ugly.
 

Well, I've had some time to think about this. Sounds like your brother-in-law received the same knee-jerk medical treatment that I did a while ago: 'Your cholesterol is high, here's a prescription for statins.' I dislike the 'pill for every problem' approach, so I politely declined the script and told my doctor I'd like to try alternatives first.

I was really put off by the reports of muscle damage, & "cognitive impairment," not to mention diarrhea, constipation, gas, and worse adverse effects. (1), (2) I mean, I wanted to exercise more, and the directive to "tell your doctor if you experience muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness," confused me. Aren't those also the side effects of lifting weights? Oh right, all I need is the pill - Forget that exercise stuff.

Anyway, the first six months of diet and exercise lowered my total cholesterol by about 15%. But not only was that not enough, by year end the value had a rebound. Sounds like a typical diet experience, right?

So I did a little more research. It seems that not only is there "good" and "bad" cholesterol, but there are sub-types. And there's are cholesterol tests that not only estimate the levels of good and bad cholesterol, but directly measure the stuff. So I got one of those. The one that was more accessible to me. On the plus side: no fasting, minus: expensive. The provider has a chart (3) showing nominal values and suggestions for improvement. Some say 'Choose: sterols and stanols, high fiber foods' Others say 'Limit: refined carbs, alcohol, Stop smoking.' Well I don't smoke.

So, it appears that statin drugs are not the suggested remediation for my problem, (from this source anyway). A data point that reinforces my loathing to take them. Along with the fact that nearly all studies involving statins do not include the female gender.

Not to mention the risk of all those uncomfortable side effects. Oh, wait. I already did. I mean, would I really know if I was being "cognitively impaired?"

Anyway that's where I'm at, at the moment. Hope this wasn't too much information.

- Donna

It is easier to prescribe medications, plus - if the troublesome values don't go down and, say, something bad happens to the patient - the doctor can't be blamed - he prescribed the standard treatment.

1) Eat better (cut out the junk)- better, not perfect
2) Drink more (water that is) -yes
3) Gym or walk 3x this week -no (went to gym yesterday, need to go back slowly)
4) remain positive - yes

Park Ave surgeon, eh Kocia? That was funny about turning off the "meter." I agree with you on doctors; they are just covering themselves. My doc told me I couldn't affect my bp by diet but when I lost 10 pounds, I lost 10 points of high bp. Still trying to get the cholestrol lower than 200 tho (the bacon and egg sandwich I had this morning for breakfast prolly didn't help lol but in my defense: local eggs, no nitrite bacon. I know I know.) My sugar was great last time (94) and it tend to be borderline high (106-116.) And there is everything: heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer and more in my family.

Ok off to start my day

Libby, thanks for the shout out which I just now read. I had every intention of being one of the weekend warriors, but didn't make it due to family stuff going on--nothing bad or sad--just busy. I spent a good part of yesterday visiting, too, and didn't even think about logging on.

Donna, I am totally with you on avoiding the statin medication. I know I've posted this to you several times before, but it may be news to the newbies here: it wasn't a pretty site watching my mother die of dementia after taking statin meds for 12 years. Even despite that, I do not understand why anyone would accept the other serious admitted risks of statins. I don't put any meds in my mouth for which I have not first learned the possible side effects and decided whether I was willing to accept those risks. We are the masters of our bodies--doctors aren't. It also was not fun that my mother did not know any of her family, including her children--cognitive disorders can be the epitome of loneliness as well. There are doctors like mine who are willing to help their patients help themselves.

Robin, thanks for starting us off. "no sense in dealing with his diet." Yeah, my Mom took statins for 12 years and in her dementia, she had "no sense." Now two sisters-in-law of mine also have been on statins for many years and even with their severe memory loss, their docs still keep prescribing statins for them and their kids don't protest. Some people think of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia as "memory problems"--yeah, and they are also terminal brain diseases. I'd rather die of a heart attack tomorrow than to die from dementia or spend the rest of my life with any cognitive disorder. Seriously, my mother may not have known she had a cognitive disorder, but for two years she screamed daily in paranoia, afraid the health care providers and other patients at the nursing home were trying to kill her. Sometimes TMI is a necessary evil for letting others know to take their risks more seriously. On a happier note, when my diet, exercise, and fish oil capsules didn't quite take me to normal blood cholesterol, my doc suggested I consider adding over-the-counter red yeast rice, and that did the trick. Caution to readers of this post, though: do not take red yeast rice without your doc's knowledge and blessing. Your doc needs to figure the correct dosage for your condition and blood test results.

Hope, so good to see you here! I so admire your courage--I know you're struggling to keep your head above water. I saw you made another post today. I have to make a school run to pick up my granddaughter, but will catch up with you later.

Kocia! Yikes--so sorry 'bout your fall and your wound all the way to the bone!

Nyda, it's nice to have a new month and a new set of goals. I will do the vid in my living room today, too. Good job on getting in your exercise. My calorie range is 1200-1600 per day. If I eat below 1200 I get ravenously hungry and eat stuff I shouldn't.

Mel-Mc, I was thinking of yesterday as Sunday and today as Monday even though I'm not drunk or demented. Best wishes on your nice simple goals.

My son did another duathlon on Saturday and came home with a silver medal.
He was second in his age category and forth over all. That's my boy. I'm hoping next year to get into a couch to 5k training program.
I have been trying to vary my meals and am a little high in calories for this time of day. Supper will have to be a big salad and tea. I hope that every one is doing well.
Good to hear from you Mern.

Libby! Congratulations to your son! :) And congrats to YOU on encouraging his athletics. :) How old is your son?

That couch to 5K training program sounds awesome. I hope that works out for you.

Smart decision--varying meals is one of the keys to not getting burned out on any eating program. Enjoy your salad and tea. Can you throw some low calorie protein like chicken or tuna in it to help yourself feel full longer?

I'm so glad I don't have to cook today. DH went to a picnic with some of his retiree buddies so I'm just going to have a chef's salad (tossed salad with skinless chicken breast) with low carb ranch dressing. But I may treat myself to a diet cola.

Snack tonight will be a bit more chicken breast and a 5g net carb tortilla spread and rolled up with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter, sprinkled with a packet of artificial sweetener and a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Feels like I'm cheating, but I'm not. :)