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I didn't mention it before, but the immediate reason for me to start losing weight was my visit to a doctor in January. A routine blood test came back with very high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. High triglycerides mean a liver problem; later on I did an ultrasound and got a diagnosis of fatty liver. "Fatty liver" involves fat deposits in the liver; unless you are a heavy drinker, the modern medicine doesn't know how/why it happens, and there is no treatment for it.
By then, I was going to start paying attention to my health for quite some time, but that was a wake up call. Especially the incurable liver part.
Well, I just got another blood test results, and it seems that a good diet pays nicely:
In three months, I became a healthy person, at least by the American standards. All values are "normal" (I've labeled them according to Wikipedia).
The only disappointing result is HDL, which didn't go up. Unsaturated fats are supposed to increase it, so eating more nuts and oil should help. I do eat some nuts (and almost no oil), but since they pack so many calories, I am limiting them. When I finally stabilize my weight, I probably should use the extra calories for more nuts.
Anyway, my main takeaway is that good eating habits can dramatically lower you cholesterol (and fix all kinds of other problems, as well).
As to the fatty liver, I am getting a new ultrasound soon, and we'll see if it is still there. If it is, I am thinking about fasting a week or two. Apparently, fasting is very effective in removing fat from where it shouldn't be.
By then, I was going to start paying attention to my health for quite some time, but that was a wake up call. Especially the incurable liver part.
Well, I just got another blood test results, and it seems that a good diet pays nicely:
| January | April | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight, pounds | 200+, obese | 154, normal |
| Total cholesterol | 286, "high" | 143, "desirable" |
| LDL (bad cholesterol) | 194, very high | 86, optimal |
| HDL (good cholesterol) | 44, medium | 41, medium |
| Triglycerides | 209, high | 122, normal |
In three months, I became a healthy person, at least by the American standards. All values are "normal" (I've labeled them according to Wikipedia).
The only disappointing result is HDL, which didn't go up. Unsaturated fats are supposed to increase it, so eating more nuts and oil should help. I do eat some nuts (and almost no oil), but since they pack so many calories, I am limiting them. When I finally stabilize my weight, I probably should use the extra calories for more nuts.
Anyway, my main takeaway is that good eating habits can dramatically lower you cholesterol (and fix all kinds of other problems, as well).
As to the fatty liver, I am getting a new ultrasound soon, and we'll see if it is still there. If it is, I am thinking about fasting a week or two. Apparently, fasting is very effective in removing fat from where it shouldn't be.
