so i reached my goal weight but...

[chinadoll]

What kind of exercise do you do, and how much? I really think exercise is the biggest factor in my cholesterol numbers but it means 4 days a week of moderate to hard workouts.

[vitaminc]

i do strength training everyday and martial arts for an hour 3x a week.
i exercise everyday so thats not the issue. im just trying to lower my cholesterol. even with the addition of whole grains again im doing fine, my weights the same.

[Elsie150]

You are right. The concern is not your exercise. We are questioning the amount of food you are eating and what you are eating. Only because this is an Atkins list. So you are not eating enough veggies or protein. Not an Atkins maintenance way of eating.

[vitaminc]

im eating only when im hungry and til im satisfied.
im guessing my problem might be not enough protein and veggies.
also, i've been experiencing head aches and tiredness lately, is it because i added a lot more carbs back into my diet?
oddly enough, my weight fluctuates up and down by 1 pound but always stays at 170 by the end of the day.

[Elsie150]

Yes...I would say that with the exercising you are doing you need to add those things back in. It should help with the tiredness and the headaches. You are not eating enough either. Protein should be about 30% of your calories no matter which stage of Atkins you are at. I know it is scary but adding in the right kinds of foods will make you healthier. Adding some good fat in is not going to hurt you. Take a look at the maintenance part of Atkins and try eating closer to that. The banana you are eating is a higher carb fruit. So if you need to adjust the amount of carbs you are eating you can switch that out for a lower carb one. You may want to read up in the maintenance forum also. Learning how to maintain your weight lose is as important as losing the weight. Good Luck!

[eclectikat]

Hey congrats on the success. I agree with Joe... stay on atkins... at whatever rung you are on... But I also think you need more protien. I personally don't think you are eating enough food. Your body needs fuel... and that may be the cause of your headaches along with the oatmeal... I would drop the raisins for now.
And the high cholesterol could be a genetic thing. There are lots of slim people who have high cholesterol. Is there a history of it in your family? And honestly until your DR starts worrying about it, I wouldn't worry about it. BUT do check it often... I would suggest having it checked again in three months.

Congrats on your efforts... that is a great feeling isn't it?????

[vitaminc]

yeah its a great feeling that i actually succeeded on something.
im not aware of any other family members with high cholesterol.
but i will check it again in 3 months to make sure im making progress with it

[brandywine1241]

Do you know details of your cholesterol reading? The total number is not nearly as important as the ratio of hdl to ldl.

[jimmie 48]

Originally Posted by brandywine1241

Do you know details of your cholesterol reading? The total number is not nearly as important as the ratio of hdl to ldl.

this is exactly what i was going to ask. my cholesterol is higher than the suggested number but my HDL is fantastic and the ratio is excellent.

perhaps this is the same for you.

[mitzimarie]

Originally Posted by jimmie 48

this is exactly what i was going to ask. my cholesterol is higher than the suggested number but my HDL is fantastic and the ratio is excellent.

Yes, ditto what Brandy and Jimmie said. The total number doesn't give a complete/accurate picture. And my doc says that cholesterol isn't affected nearly as much by what you eat, as it is affected by heredity.

Also, I agree with Megs... it looks like you are eating a low fat, high carb diet now. Although just a general guideline, in Maintenance you should be getting 30% of your calories from Protein, and your Fat percentage decreases from 65% as your Carb percentage increases from 5%. You are not supposed to ever eat low fat, however. I think that's why you are having tiredness and headaches.