2 posts tagged “south beach diet”

A group of us are doing a "Biggest Loser" at work -- comparing our percentages of weight loss. Monday is our first weigh in and then we'll end on June 2. Each of us has put in $20, winner takes all.

I am taking in my scale and a co-worker has volunteered to be our spread-sheet manager, banker and keeper of weight secrets!

I'm thinking I will do South Beach Diet again. I've got to kick my sugar habit. I'm trying to decide where I track my info. I like Spark People a lot, but Calorie King has a better food diary.

For the first time in my life, this is really about my health. Being trimmer would be great, but now my motivation is better cholesterol numbers, a healthy heart and well-functioning body.

And they were what I expected.

Cholesterol ~ 261 (<200)

Triglycerides ~ 173 (<150)

LDL ~ 187 (<100)

According to the American Heart Association, triglycerides are the fats floating around and the LDL is what makes the plaque.

I have six months to lower my LDL or she puts me on a statin drug. If it had been three points higher, she would've put me on them today.

Thankfully my HDL level was only 53 (40-85). My blood pressure was good. My sugar levels are good. Basically everything except for my weight and cholesterol are fine.

My doctor recommended the Sugar Busters plan as her first choice. Then South Beach. I'll probably go back to South Beach. I've done it before and know what to expect. I'll try to pick up a copy of Sugar Busters at the library to read because she said it does a good job of explaining cholesterol.