There is nothing interesting about being a cliche.
I am now 49 years old and proudly presented myself to my physician for my annual physical.
My pride was not entirely appropriate.
My total cholesterol is 258 and my LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is 184. Ignominy.
Doc says in order to avoid meds, I have 4 to 6 weeks to “get religion”. So, while my little weasle mind tried to figure out ways to avoid tending to myself holistically or tried to convince myself that “hey 49 and cholesterol meds isn’t a big deal” . . . I realized I was completely full of donkey dust.
Here are my options as I see them:
(1) take the meds and acquiesce to the middle-age cliches and schlepping myself to the Upper East Side for montly blood tests (that is simply not interesting),
(2) do nothing (could be uninteresting, could be kamikaze – don’t like the odds),
(3) take this thing in hand, make it interesting and fun, and blog about it to help others (and keep myself motivated).
I refuse to eat tree bark or to get on a gerbil wheel at the gym. Hey, that’s just my take on things. What I am interested in doing is eating a variety of delicious foods and doing a variety of exercise I enjoy.
I have a blog called VintageAWESOME for pity’s sake and a neighborhood farmers’ market and an Urban Rebounder and a magnificent park with HILLS across the street!
I’m very interested in your feedback, questions, comments, suggestions (all except for the website that recommended Metamucil 3 times a day).
January 14, 2010 is 6 weeks from tomorrow.
OK, here we go . . .
After hovering around borderline total (225) for a # of years my total went up to about your level at my last physical. Doc put me on 40mg of Lipitor. I went down to 120 total. I found out only 20% of cholesterol is from actual food intake. The rest is manufactured by your body ( talk about insubordination). Gap
G. Mirabile
December 2, 2009
Add olive oil to everything you cook and eliminate as many other “bad fats” as you can and add red rice yeast to your daily regimen you can find it at a health food store- it works and you’ll be back to normal before you know it!
Stacy
December 20, 2009
Brilliant! Thank you, Stacy!! I’ve been on board with EVOO and eliminating “bad fats” . . . will grab some red rice yeast and bathe in it if I must! Stay tuned.
LaConsuelo
December 20, 2009
Stacy – thank you. That’s what I’m doing and thanks so much for the red rice yeast recco – I went to a place in NYC called Westerly Health Foods, asked for the red rice yeast and got a personal lesson from a woman who lowered her cholest w/o meds!
LaConsuelo
January 13, 2010
You can do it! Especially if you like fruits and veggies anyway, just cut out eggs and dairy and eat very little meat. Add a little more walking. Worked for me.
Marilyn Terrell
January 8, 2010
Hi, Marilyn! It’s so reassuring to learn about people who’ve won the JUST SAY NO TO LIPITOR battle. Thanks for the encouragement – as always.
LaConsuelo
January 13, 2010
My risk factors were such they didn’t give me an option. My numbers were about the same as yours. After several years of meds and diet and exercise my numbers are 135/70 or something close to that.
The Lipitor still makes me drowsy. My recommendation – get moving and change your diet.
I’m a biz coach. The last several years I’ve helped a non-profit client build a health and wellness outreach program for underserved adults over 50. Essentially we taught over 4000 adults how to do what you’re being asked to do.
I like to cook and even designed a heart healthy cooking class here in Houston. I eat well, but watch fat and caloric intake. You can still have fun.
I’d be glad to play along, give advice, offer suggestions whatever I could do to help.
I’m part of Sarah’s 30 Day Challenge
bill browning
January 11, 2010
Bill – thanks for your comment and feedback. I’ve really done well with my diet – even through the holidays forgoing my fave (egg nog!). Moving my “tuckus” has been stalled as it were. I have my check-up/check-in January 20, so be sure I’ll be updating here. Thanks for your support and it’ll be fun being in Sarah’s 30 Day with you!
LaConsuelo
January 11, 2010
Congrats on getting through the holidays unscathed. I didn’t do as well, but I also know that I can get right back on track.
I’m a concept guy not a detail guy, but I find tracking calories and fat grams help. I do it online.
I also use a step counter and average 10k steps a day with short bouts of intensity. Any movement counts so find something you like. I golf, dance, and walk.
bill browning
January 11, 2010
[...] Then, as you know, my doc told me I had a total cholesterol count of 258 and gave me 6 weeks to R…. During the course of my research and planning my JUST SAY NO TO LIPITOR program, I read that dehydration can contribute to high cholesterol (or at least doesn’t help). Besides, excess weight is a contributor to high cholesterol and drinking water reportedly aids in weight loss. That meant I had to give up my refusal to drink water or wonder if I did everything possible to avoid cholesterol medication. [...]
water. who knew? « Vintage Awesome!
January 13, 2010