To think these cholesterol values are very bad?

That is very much better than normal.

Dont let perfection be the enemy of good.

Mine is as high as you and I'm below 25BMI, walk, train and eat super healthy. Mine is genetically driven and I've been tested from a young age, most of my family are small petite with medicated high cholesterol and heart issues.

You've had some lovely advice and super supportive posts and well done for posting.

I just wanted to let you know that it can be a mixture of genetics and lifestyle so don't beat yourself up. But I think you will find your way.

Wean yourself off the fizzies, darling. Not good for your tum.

Great. Add two or three glasses of water tomorrow x

Well done on making a first step to improve things that's amazing

Baby steps xx

I’ll share a little story @AtDeathsDoor I have issues with food (much improved now). Once I visited my adult daughter. She was trying to be supportive and kind and made me lots of nutritious food.

This bothered me so much and triggered a craving. When she went out, I nipped up the road to the chippy and hid round the corner, stuffing chips in my face. I felt so ashamed, but it brought me to my senses a bit as I thought ‘I don’t want this for myself.’

I share this just to reassure you that you’re not alone, you’re not some kind of weirdo and you can love yourself.

Make the most of the freezer aisle
Steam veg, steam fish, chicken etc etc, all microwave stuff
Porridge for breakfast or Greek yoghurt and berries
Fresh soups
Roasted veg trays in the oven (ready made) and add some rotisserie chicken and ready made mash or whatever you like
Packs of ready made grains

Honestly @AtDeathsDoor if you put shit in your body, you will feel shit. It’s that definite.

Are you able to access some counselling to explore why you don’t feel worth caring for? I can tell you that you are worth caring for. It’s a horrible vicious cycle, I know.

Yes there may well be a link to what you eat and how you feel, OP.

You said no dependents but you have pets. Who would look after them if you were incapacitated?

Sadly a relative of mine died pretty young due to poor diet. Liver cirrhosis. Everyone assumed it was booze but it was actually sugar and fat - they barely drank. Wasn't morbidly obese either.

I understand that lack of control about food. I've been there. It's a tough one to break out of. It's not about food really, but about a void you're trying to fill with food. Have you had counselling?

I wonder if weight loss injections could help you as they suppress appetite so could help you break the binge cycle but you need solid medical advice if course.

I'll only give one piece of advice about what to eat and that is, having no protein at breakfast causes me problems the rest of the day. If I eat cereal or jam on toast i'll crave carbs all day long and be ravenous.

Now I have eggs or a big bowl of proper, really thick greek yoghurt, berries (get them out the freezer the night before), and nuts or nut butter. Takes v little time and prep, fills me up, tastes great, and helps to prevent cravings.

Good luck xx

I’m not sure. In my family it was obvious as all the slim, healthy eating and exercising members had high cholesterol, over three generations. Our DNA was taken for a research project.

It kinda doesn’t matter anyway as nutritious food and healthy lifestyle matters for all the other reasons. Statins will bring it down my darling.

This sounds bonkers, but every time you clean your teeth or something look in the mirror and say out loud a simple positive affirmation like “I am worth nurturing and I am loved.” If you like reading or listening to audible try out Louise Hay’s books.

Baby steps. You reached out on here. That’s good.

Also, I’m on statins for high cholesterol and 30mg citalopram which no one has suggested I should stop. So I don’t think you need worry about that.

Are your blood sugar levels also high? It’s a really good idea to get on the medication you need now, but also to start to make lifestyle changes: the dreaded diet and exercise. It’s amazing how even small changes really make a difference.

Because the problem is, while you may drop down dead, those sort of conditions make it more likely that you will have long, unpleasant years of increasingly bad health and incapacity first. Best to do what you can to avoid that.

Ime, when I can do the good things for my physical health, it also massively improves my mental health too.

Yes my family has the genetic version and my GP said we could live on lettuce leaves and it will still be high. Statins sorts us all out and none of us has a single side effect.

@AtDeathsDoor your cholesterol is high, but I’ve known much higher. Statins took mine from about the same to 4 in three months.

A wise nutritionist once told me that a person is only ever as healthy as their gut. It has been proven that gut health contributes to good mental health. All that sugar will be wreaking havoc.

Tomorrow, lovely, perhaps have eggs for breakfast and have some fibre. And a big drink of water. Start small and like pp have said, ask for some help.

Please tell us one good thing about yourself. They’ll be something, for sure. I’m kind and have nice feet. Your turn x

And another oh fuck off from me.