This post is closed and viewable by Level 7+ members.
Seeking some advice (sorry for the long post):
I had my lipids done last week and they're starting to increase. I left the forces a few years ago and I'm starting to notice some differences as my life is now less active and I'm getting older. I've decided I'm going to lose a stone for heart health reasons (the aesthetic ones sailed long ago) and looking for some sensible advice for loss and maintenance. My circumstances:
I eat a healthy diet already which is rich in fruit, veg, salad and fish. I always read the traffic light labels and rarely, if ever, eat convenience food or refined sugars. I have never considered portion size and have a fairly healthy, though not excessive, appetite.
I generally eat in workplace canteen type places at lunchtimes which restricts me in choice, although I do tend to avoid fried food and sandwiches and normally have a fish or white meat type dish with veg or rice.
I do enjoy alcohol, especially wine which I only drink at weekends but couldn't really contemplate not having in my life.
Most days I walk to lunch or around the site I work on and get my steps in. I visit the gym 3-4 times a week which I don't particularly enjoy and normally do 30-40 mins of cardio. I try also to do a weekend walk in the Wrekin hills if I manage to get home to Shropshire.
Here's what I'm after:
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I know the fashion now is cut down on or remove carbs where possible from your diet and I have witnessed a few people have impressive results with this. Will this mean however that I will need to consume more fats that will only worsen my LDL? I'm also a bit of a carb lover.
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Should I ditch the passé cardio stuff and learn about HIT or weights instead? Everyone I tend to speak to has an opinion about this and I can't find any clear evidence that this will help me. I'm just a stubborn old git who tends to steer clear of the young beautiful lycra clads in favour of some good old-fashioned running and cycling.
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I'm fairly busy during the week and would think that calorie counting and portion control is impractical and heavily time-consuming. Any busy workers or full-time Moms do this and find it's fairly easy?
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I know that the answer lies somewhere in a Venn diagram of tweaks to exercise, alcohol intake, portion size and choice of food groups; I'm just a little puzzled as to where to start. I'd love to hear any advice, particularly experience based.
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4 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.All eight senior members of my family made it into their eighties: Six smoked and drank, (the two who did not got Alzheimer...), not one of them ever exercised in their lives, and they all ate without any concern for their cholesterol, triglycerides or diabetes etc. They were French.... You would do much better to live your life happily instead of trying to alter the unalterable: Your genes! Churchill, Adenauer and the Queen Mother all smoked, drank, and did not exercise: They lived to be 90. The man who invented Nouvelle Cuisine, and the one who dreamt up jogging both died still in their youth.... Q.E.D. !!! in fact, the more you worry as to how to stay healthy, the more the constant worry and stress will probably shorten whatever span your genes have preordained, unfair as it may be, for you ! You won't be here to philosophise as to the fairness of your allotted time the second after your death, so concentrate on enjoying life whilst you can!
P.S. Have you noticed? After hearing for the last 40 years that eggs and butter = death by cholesterol, now, suddenly, we are told the opposite.....
LoneJungle
Level 5
May 29, 2018
0
You seem to have a sensible diet and realistic approach to exercise. In my own experience, walking, cycling and swimming were my staple for many years, and long after my running days were over. At the age of 74 I still walk, swim when on holiday, and use a rowing machine at home (not often enough!).
Swimming is the exercise that benefitted my breathing the most. Hope that is useful.
Red_Cat
Level 7
May 16, 2018
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@beansontoast Don't be too impressed. I don't do half as much as I would like, due to some health issues 
Get a dog.
GoldenDoll
Level 7
May 12, 2018
0
@beansontoast I believe the Koreans have some good recipes - maybe Mr. Trump took some details down.
Perhaps research these things:
Intermittent fasting. (I have a friend who does this daily and it's transformed his life)
Avoid potatoes.
Sleeping in a cool room and getting enough sleep.
Avoid wheat.
Dealing with stress and anxiety (for cortisol management).
Green tea.
Food intolerances.
Reducing caffeine, flavour enhancers and sugar. (Make your own food.)
Use weights.
Too much exercise can be counter productive. I'll link an article below.
Ellatynemouth
Level 8
May 12, 2018
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@beansontoast - Don't do the fasting thing - my first husband used to do it for "religious reasons" - 3 days dry fast in the 40C heat in India. But on a positive note, he did see some fabulous hallucinations. Cheap way to get high.
That's not what I was endorsing.
The intermittent fasting my friend does lasts hours, not days and there is no abstaining from water.
@Ellatynemouth - Oh great! I've realised I do that every day too! I eat, then I fast right up until the next meal, or snack. So there's intermittent fasting for you.
If you research the '8 Hour Diet' etc you'll see what I mean.
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