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GOOFY72 Posts: 2
3/7/13 11:10 P

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

MISSRUTH, I am 54kg. I used to be lighter before I started doing exercise. I am toner now and have a better shape than I was before. When I took 4 cardio classes a week, 2 core and 1 weight, there was no different in my actual weight but a lot of friends commented that I looked like I have lost a lot of weight. Then I realized that I actually looked gaunt and older. So, I cut it to 2 cardio classes, 1 weight, 1 core and add swimming to it. No change in my walking exercises.

I did have a chat with another doctor. She asked me to cut down certain stuff and take everything in moderation. I guess I just find it frustrating as without blood test I won't know whether my efforts work or not.

NIRERIN Posts: 12,032
3/7/13 7:48 A

erm. if that's really all the doctor said to do, i would call said doctor back and ask for actual guidelines. because my response would have been along the lines of "exercise everyday? i already go to the gym twice a week, swim once a week and walk for 20 minutes twice a week. what should i be bumping that up to?" and i would have had a similar tac with the diet part. in other words, "i already do this, what more should i be doing or changing?" and if you feel really healthy at your weight and have had issues when you exercise a great deal, that's something to mention to your doc to see what they say. and that's a really great time to get a more objective opinion about your weight. it's possible that you might be a little healthier a hair under where you feel comfortable. it's possible that number could be a little higher. i've never seen you or your medical history, but your doctor has and is a great person to help you figure it out.
i think the thing to remember is that doctors do this day in and day out and so they tend to just do a quick summary [just like any of us would do with something that is entirely routine] rather than a full explanation. and if this is new to you, you need to full explanation so you need to ask and be proactive. "you want me to do this? i am already doing half of that. what more would you like me to do?"

3/7/13 7:05 A

You don't have to lose weight to change your diet. Find your maintenance calorie intake and just stay within it. I believe spark people even has a maintenance and not a weight loss tracker.

MISSRUTH Posts: 3,734
3/7/13 6:56 A

Sparkpeople has a special section for high cholesterol, you'll find it here:

You can set up your Nutrtion Tracker to maintain your weight, if you don't need to lose any; or lose a pound or so a week-- losing weight slowly is really the best way-- if you need to lose any weight. And you can track the fat grams etc-- it's a really useful tool, to see right away which types of food are causing you trouble with your diet.

As you know, there are many factors that affect cholesterol levels, and sometimes a person can do everything "right" and the level is high and that's just how it is. But it's certainly worth taking some time to see if there are ways to change the foods we eat.

You can also use the Fitness Tracker to track your exercise. If you get a fairly accurate idea of how many calories you burn through exercise, you can then adjust how many calories you eat, so you don't end up looking "gaunt". So using the 2 trackers together can really help you manage things. It is not necessary to exercise for hours every day, and can actually be counter-productive.

Edited a little bit because I was unsure when you said "54 kg heavy" did you mean you weigh 54 kg, or did you mean you're overweight by 54 kg.

Edited by: MISSRUTH at: 3/7/2013 (07:07)
GOOFY72 Posts: 2
3/7/13 6:44 A

I am 40 years, 5 foot 3 and 54 kg heavy. I always feel healthy and fit. I went through full health check recently and was a bit shock to discover that my cholesterol is borderline (239).

Of course I know that skinny people can also have high cholesterol but I go to gym twice a week, swim once or twice a week, walk for 15 - 20 minutes twice a week, don't smoke, hardly ever drink alcohol, don't take soft drink, hate fast food, etc. The doctor without looking at my weight, asks me to go on a diet for the next 2 months and exercise everyday. When I went to gym 3 times a week, I ended looking gaunt which I absolutely hate.

There are not many articles about reducing cholesterol without losing weight. I have started taking oats for my breakfast, stopped my vice of snacking on cheese related food, snacking on mixed nuts, carrots, tomatoes and grapes instead, taking garlic and fish oil supplements daily, reduce my coffee intake and replace with green tea and stopped taking energy drinks before my gym classes. Unfortunately, I won't know whether my effort work or not until I take another blood test in 2 months time.

Does anybody have any recommendation for me? Thanks.

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