high cholesterol, need weight loss advice please

[Cheryl Dawson]

Hi,

im a diet controlled type 2, first diagnosed in may 2006 only had meds when pregnant, my last hba1c and a gtt test were all within normal readings.

My latest set of bloods shows my overall cholesterol levels are high so it was suggested I lower my fat intake and eat porridge by the nurse. I mentioned the low carb diet from here (my dads a member on here and he told me about it) she advised against it completely.

Basically, I know I need to lose weight, need to lower my cholesterol but after eating my yucky porridge this morning I was falling asleep in my chair, my usual sign of a spike but I didnt test myself. I love my carbs, pasta, rice etc so I think trying to follow the lchf diet isnt going to happen for me, but what other advice can people suggest to help lower my cholesterol and my weight other than train like im going to run a marathon and eat like a rabbit? Cos neither of those will happen :-/

Thanks, Cheryl x

 

[mo53]

Im surprised no one has replied yet. welcome

 

[Erling]

Hi,
When it comes to weight, the most important isn’t what you eat but how much (energy, kcal). So try to eat a little less. That is easier said than done I know from own experience, but I have also experienced that it is possible. Try to have smaller portions and eat more often so that you don’t get as hungry at the next meal. Vegetables fill the stomach with fewer calories. One important thing is to drink enough water. It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger.
The alternative way to lose weight is to use more energy. Train for a marathon is one way, but I too find that a very bad idea. The easiest way is to increase exercise in everyday activities. Walk or cycle instead of a short trip by car, if you travel by public transport get of one or more stops earlier, take stairs instead of elevators. I use a pedometer and find that when I take more than 15 000 steps a day I lose weight. I have also found it easier to walk more than to eat less.
Standing instead of sitting for two hours every day burns approximately 30 000 kcal more in a year, the equivalent of nine marathons or 3 kg weight. The health effect is even bigger.
Blood cholesterol is increased by fast carbohydrates. So what is good for your blood sugar is also good for your cholesterol levels. Can you choose slower carbs with lower Glycemic Index (GI)? You should also look on the quality of the fat you eat, less saturated fat.
If your cholesterol levels stay high you should also consider taking statins.

 

[jack412]

your a1c and gtt say you aren't too bad, so I'm surprised you spiked on porridge, but it happens that one carb will and another carb wont. It may be that you didn't have protein and fats as you would with pasta.

You want to lose weight and lower cholesterol without changing your diet or exercise* ..I guess that is smaller portions and a statin, you may be fighting carbs though, that was my problem, 2 hours after I ate I was starving again and pity the person that was between me and the fridge, they'd be trampled in the rush.
I found carbs adictive
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm


*I think exercise is for wellbeing, it's not that good at weight loss IMO

 

[andcol]

Exercise will help a little, but not much at weight loss unless you use it to keep yourself calorie deficient constantly but that is easier as Jack says by just doing portion control. I would suggest that you just drop some of the carbs in your portion control. retain the protein and fat content (ie low carb not the high fat). It is the carbs that give you high cholesterol when eaten in conjunction with the fats. Fats alone or carbs alone are fine.

Try and halve your starch intake for a month and see how that goes. If you find you feel hungry then drink water. It i amazing how it fills you up or as I also found - raw carrot. So fibrous it just gives your body something to work on for hours.

 

[noblehead]

Can't help with the diet advice as I'm a type 1, but if you burn more calories than you consume the weight will eventually begin to shift, that is why these slimming clubs such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World work.

Getting fitter will undoubtedly help with your cholesterol levels, you don't need to run a marathon as you suggest, walking will do the same and you can go at your own pace, I walk on average around an hour everyday and much more on a weekend, my diabetes consultant thinks that is why I have good lipid levels as they say exercise is beneficial in reducing cholesterol.

 

[izzzi]

Hi, @Cheryl Dawson
Maybe to run a marathon or eat like a rabbit or even go on a LCHF diet is what you deserve for being like a spoiled so called controlled type 2.
That was me just being nasty SORRY
With you being a mother gives you enough exercise, therefore it must be down to the food you are punishing yourself with. No need to have what you call yucky porridge, time you come up with pleasant food that suits your requirements.
Are you drinking enough water and at the correct times.
Also your Dad is probably more knowledgeable regarding diabetics than many untrained DN's.

Again sorry for being cheeky and hope all goes well with your plans to reduce your high cholesterol.

 

[))Denise((]

Depends on how high you are calling high cholesterol. The latest research is that women have and need a higher cholesterol level than men and it is bad for them to have low cholesterol. I'm not with statins for lowering it. Go low carb and you will find that it will get to the correct level for you, it is the carbs that are causing it to go higher.

 

[spendercat]

What I would like to know is how can someone who loves their carbs and cannot consider a low carb diet actually have normal Hb? I would not have thought that was possible for a T2 without medication, and not on a low calorie diet.
Apart from that, your nurse is offering you the NHS recommended diet for high cholesterol. It's out of date and unsuitable for diabetics. The current research is showing that fats are far less dangerous than carbs.
If she did not suggest statins you can assume that it wasn't all that high.
I would take your nurses dietary recommendations with a pinch of salt - you probably know more about your condition than she does. If porridge is sending you to sleep it is a definite no- no.

 

[Cheryl Dawson]

My original diagnosis back in may 2006 my gtt was 7.2, I was told that .2 made me diabetic. Since then my regular hba1c bloods have never gone above 5.8....I ended up on medication while pregnant due to my sugars getting higher the further my pregnancy went. Ive been given the label and up until now with the cholesterol and my weight ive been "the healthiest diabetic" the nurse had ever seen, neither of us understood why I was diabetic but apparently I am.

Ive done weight watchers and lost 3 stones but now its yoyoing up and down, and I cant afford to keep going anymore. I eat wholemeal pasta, rice and bread etc and try to keep the portions down. Im not a fan of cereal, and I find I gag on porridge, sorry I just do, but as I know it helps to lower cholesterol im willing to give it a go, but to fall asleep an hour after I wasnt sure if I should continue, so came here for some advice as my dad has raved about here for a while.

Unfortunately I cant stand the taste of raw carrots, but will eat them cooked, I drink loads of water a day, I wont be running a marathon any time soon as ive loads of arthritis (was an attempt at a bit of humour) I know exercise is key to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, I try to walk when I can like getting to the school early and taking the youngest for a stroll in his pram but my knees and back usually make me worse off afterwards. Just standing at the school gates causes me issues some days and I have a 2 yr old at home so no gym or swimming. Going for a walk is as good as its going to get.

my cholesterol level she said were just over 6, whatever that means, she didnt give me a breakdown of the good and bad levels, that was my 'overall' level she said, and to eat some porridge, dont think im at statins level yet.

As for the lchf diet, ive tried limiting my carbs before and found that I was hungry again an hour or so later, and no drinking water didn't help as I did try that, and looking through the info here on the forums about the lchf its even less than I tried before (cant remember what I lowered it to) plus im thinking I need to stay away from the higher fat so didn't think it was for me.

sorry this is long, just trying to answer everyones posts. Maybe im asking for advice in the wrong place as im not even sure im diabetic, but thats the label I have :-/

 

[Cheryl Dawson]

Thanks jack for the link, I'll give it a read

 

[izzzi]

Might be helpful to get copies of your results from your GP ( they usually charge £1.00p ) then you can somehow make more sense from these copies instead of what nurses come out with.
There is various foods that help arthritis like nuts etc; so your diet change could make things a little better.
You are on the right track and many in the forum will help you.
Sorry as I was not aware that you have to endure the pain etc; from arthritis which makes things a little more difficult for you.
Best of luck and hope things get so much better for you.

 

[Cheryl Dawson]

Its ok hun, my attempt at humour with the marathon and rabbit food may not have gone down well.... but im also aware my posts (on other forums) can be quite lengthy so I thought keeping to the weight and cholesterol was best, but yeah having a 2yr old constantly limits my chances of exercise and walking too much can make my knees swell and my back is curved too high, too far in along with a crumbling section.... I know losing more weight should help but I actually found the opposite effect, the more I lost the more pain I was in.... bit weird right?

im back at the nurse on tuesday so I'll bring it up about getting more info on my levels etc, and when I say I love carbs... yes I do, but im not eating masses and masses hence my bloods are ok, but again im not sure if I should even be classified as diabetic ? :-/

you mentioned nuts for the arthritis (something my gp does nothing for).... another thing I dont eat..... I may have to start looking at eating more things that I dont like and less of what I do.... do nuts mot have a high fat content though? Will that not increase my cholesterol levels? Im just so confused lol

 

[Cheryl Dawson]

Oh, also, I was looking at the web link jack posted and I'm going to sit down with my husband and see what kind of eating plan we can come up with for us and that the kids may actually eat

Thanks all x

 

[spendercat]

I suspect that you have been picked up at a borderline stage, and you should take it as a warning that you will become seriously ill with diabetes unless you start eating the kind of food your body needs. Going out on a limb here but if you can't do LCHF try looking at the Paleo diet sites. They advocate eating a very natural diet with only natural unrefined carbs, that may suit your family very well. I believe that kind of diet could prevent someone from developing diabetes. I held it off for 25 years by eating whole foods, despite going diabetic during my first pregnancy. My kids learned to love roast dinners.
Losing weight can cause pain due to loss of muscle tissue, if you lose it too fast. Also it changes your centre of gravity so you stand and move differently, this causes pain if you have already painful joints. A lot of people get bad backs when they lose weight fast, me included.
Seriously, I have been there, you have to learn to retrain yourself and your eating habits. Think of your little ones. They need a healthy mum!

 

[jack412]

Thanks jack for the link, I'll give it a read

Just be aware that carb craving is in our genes, and the more carbs we eat, the more carbs we want, it's natures way of laying down fat for winter.
you aren't a weak person, it's not that you are a freak. A lot of us are carb sensitive.
I can honestly tell you it takes a week on low carb to break the cycle, mind you it's not a pleasant week, carbs don't give up easily
as well as the side bar on the craving link I gave for info
this site helped me too
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf a long page to read and a video to watch

but it's very important to replace the lost cabs with healthy fats and oils
http://diabeticmediterraneandiet.com/low-carb-mediterranean-diet/
http://www.lowcarbdietitian.com/blog/carbohydrate-restriction-an-option-for-diabetes-management

your kids are going to eat a higher carb diet than you, but that's sorted when dishing up.
simple example.. it's the old meat and 4 veg with a dollop of real butter/olive oil, they have starch carbs, you aren't having any starch, it's meat and 3 veg with 1 dollop of butter and a couple of teaspoons of olive oil for you

 

[izzzi]

You would not like the diet I am on.Yet it works for me. Just goes to prove that there are many types of diets out there, So please don't give yourself to much of a headache with all these fresh ideas.
2 years ago I went on a vegan type diet ( and I am not even a vegan) everything is ok except I keep harping on that I miss lamb chops.

Good luck with the nurse on Tuesday

 

[alliebee]

Hi there Cheryl. Welcome to the forum

 

[Daibell]

First, your nurse was giving you bad advice ref carbs. The best way of reducing weight and blood sugar is to reduce the carbs, but if your diabetes isn't too advanced then you may be able to have more than another person who has more BS control problems. As long as your BS is within the good range then have the diet that works for you. With regard to porridge how about muesli which is also based on oats but they haven't been 'stewed' resulting in a higher GI. My wife makes our own. You may be lucky and your BS may remain under control for years, but if it doesn't don't forget that lower carbs is the only way forward other than higher meds which may or may not help

 

[BJR]

The lower the carbs the better. Mine is controlled by diet alone, I take don't use insulin or tablets. I keep an eye on my levels and they only go up with carbs; so no pastas as such but mung bean and black bean turned into pasta from health food shops are good. Doctors say bread is ok but for me grains send the BSL way up; I have proven the so called dieticians wrong. Can't have the exact same for everyone. And protein is needed at every meal to help reverse diabetes.