Is anyone an OK weight but under orders to become more healthy for other reasons (cholesterol, blood pressure etc. etc.)?

[foxinsocks]

because I have 3 months to turn myself around grrrr

I am a totally fine weight but I come from a family with a high risk of heart problems and cholesterol issues.

My cholesterol has always been in the upper range but always been seen as acceptable given that I'm bound to have some sort of inherited risk. My one saving grace is that I have low bp.

Of course, last week, I had an appointment at the gynae, was running late, had to grab a taxi but it was raining...when I finally got one, the traffic was so bad I had to get out 100m away and run (in heels) to make the appointment. They took my bp when I got there and it was on the high side.

This has now triggered this whole palava and I have 3 months to get it down. Now I KNOW I don't have high bp but it probably is a timely reminder to do something about my health but I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this position and how they've gone about it.

I'm well aware I'm woefully unfit which is probably half the problem ggrrrr.

[abraid]

I have had similar issues. My BP is usually OK but when I went to my Bupa healthcheck I was very stressed at being weighed--so it shot up. In fact my weight and BMI and waist measurements were fine, but when they discovered that my cholesterol was high as well, they took it very seriously.

I now have a BP cuff at home and check regularly. My doc. told me to take magnesium, which helps to reduce BP and stress. It seems to be helping: I do feel a little more chilled.

I take Benecol, eat two squares of very dark chocolate a day and some almonds as a snack. Breakfast is porridge with a handful of frozen berries thrown in before I microwave it. I've cut down on caffeine and my doc. also told me to cut back on wheat, which is also implicated in raised cholesterol.

[Elibean]

I've been known to send dh out for some, late at night, after having asked him not to buy any during the day.

Chocolate, that is, not lentils. I hate lentils, unless disguised heavily or swimming in lamb fat etc. Foxy, I think dh has an inbuilt love of lentils because of Lithuanian ancestry - and its not my fault I don't like them, because I only have French and Sephardic genes to my name. I blame my forefathers....

[Elibean]

I could do the two squares of very dark chocolate....in fact, often have, but they tend to be accompanied by too many squares of not very dark

Aitch, please don't even think about running when you're recovering from a CS, have a newborn, AND a first period......I was still in my blissful I-am-using-far-too-many-calories-surviving-right-now-to-even-contemplate-exercise state at the stage you're at!

[AitchTwoOh]

the cs was nearly 6 mos ago... i have no excuse.

[jalopy]

I had to monitor my bp regularly at home using my own kit. Dr was happy with readings.

[SauerKraut]

Dhal is a really nice way to eat lentils and if you can be arsed to make chapattis, even better.

[AitchTwoOh]

mmy chickpea, chorizo and lemon stew, served with a rocket salad and crusty bread, is pretty delicious.

i should be clear about hte fact that i am currently overweight and my bp is and always has been ATROCIOUS so i'm not sure i belong in this gang of lightweights.

[foxinsocks]

lol at lightweights

thing is, I think my weight is ok and bmi wise it is ok, but when they did that bupa style thing they did on jalopy, they did my waist/hip measurement which was totally woeful and that along with my high cholesterol and bp, put me in the highest risk category . They did ask if I smoked (which I don't) and I think this afforded me not being in the blue light flashing you might as well not even bother category .

And aitch, as elibean said, don't you dare think about exercising. I hope that bairn of yours is feeding a bit better (for your sake!)?

gwan, gissus your recipe aitch

jalopy, it's good they did that. I didn't realise that sort of doctor stress could affect the readings. I'm going to keep an eye on that you know.

I don't know how to do dahl.

Abraid, had heard that about magnesium. Will look for a supplement with iron and that (think floradix may do the trick). Didn't know that about wheat as I eat A LOT of bread thinking about it.

[abraid]

My doc. told me it's important to get a magnesium like magnesium citrate (one that ends in 'ate, rather than an 'ide).

I was partial to biscuits and cake and I think they may have been my downfall. I'm reintroducing small amounts of wheat bread into my diet but sticking to rye bread for most of the time. There has to be some fun in life!

[Elibean]

Dahl? I love dahl...does it count if you get it from the local take-away, though? I don't know if I could make it, am hopeless in that department. dh, OTOH...now there's a thought...

Aitch, it was my excuse for at least a year, you're ok for a while longer y'know

I also have a home bp thingy, had to use it during both pgs due to post-partum hypertension and Advanced Maternal Age.

As for lightweights, lol, if you count age I probably outweigh the lot of you.

[paddingtonbore]

oh dear, this is me too.

My BMI is normal (24.5), whatever that means, so i don't set off the triggers at the GP. But I'm fairly small-framed for my height, so am actually too porky. At 1.5st lighter I looked and felt better, and still had a nice normal BMI.

I had to go to the docs at Christmas due to breathlessness and palpitations, and was found to be anaemic. Not surprising really, given that I'm addicted to prepackaged junk. And my BP, whilst still ok, has been slowly creeping up with each check. I think I need to act now before I do become ill in some way.

My big problem is exercise. I hate any physical activity with a passion. worse, I've just changed jobs, from one where I dashed around London on foot all day, to one where I am forced to drive a car by evil bosses. Hopefully this thread will inspire me on the exercise front, and prove that there's time in the day (I overuse the "busy working mum excuse).

Will start tomorrow though, as I have rhubarb crumble and custard in the oven.

[abraid]

Rhubarb is very healthy!

[AitchTwoOh]

well i mean... recipe... y'know.

a lot depends on the quality of the sausage. i chop and fry mine first and set aside, then blot up some of the oil and fry onions and garlic in that. add some smoked paprika, a good couple of cans of chickpeas, some chicken stock, two bayleaves and leave to simmer.

after everything is soft, squish about half of the beans with a masher, add the rind of a lemon and some juice to taste, add back the snags and you're good to go.

i've also put in scorched peppers in my day, or some last-minute spinach. it's one of them ones, very versatile.

and if i've put in too much paprika by mistake, it's nice with a blob of yog on top.

[jalopy]

My bmi is 19.2 so sticking to a low cholestral diet is tricky.

If I cut out all the lovely crap food to ensure a healthy heart, bp and cholestral level, I run the risk of looking underweight and gaunt very quickly.

Anyone else have that problem?

[jalopy]

cholesterol

[AitchTwoOh]

i think you've killed the thread.

are you all about the cream in porridge, then?

[foxinsocks]

hmm creamy porridge

my bmi is larger than that jalopy but I suspect if I follow this plan, I will lose a bit of weight. I did this when I was overweight after ds (as ds and dd just under 15 months apart so I never lost the weight in between) and I had rather a lot to lose and did lose a lot (but actually, I do find, the more overweight I am, the easier it is to get into losing some weight. It's when I get within a stone of my ideal weight that it starts getting hard!).

Can you add lots of nuts in jalopy? That might help keep your weight up?

that sounds lovely aitch (the recipe)

I want to avoid the medication which is being dangled in front of me after 3 months grr and also being taken off the pill which I don't want (desperately) as I know
a) I will be pregnant in about oooh 2 weeks
b) the pill (I take it constantly) stops my migraines

which is my motivation (along with, of course, having a nice healthy heart ).

Oooh paddington, driivng to work is hard isn't it. I do sometimes and god, it's wonderful. Step out of house, step into car, get out of car, walk 10 steps to work. Is far far too tempting isn't it lol!

[jalopy]

It wont be the first time

[foxinsocks]

I meant yumm creamy porridge

jalopy, I refuse to let you kill it! That's an honour normally reserved for me!

[Elibean]

I can't remember what my BMI is, I think 21 or something like that...but I sort of relate in that weighing the right amount for my frame means my face looks gaunt. When my face looks plumped out and nice, my body looks plumped out and out of breaht

Rhubarb crumble....sausage recipes...I'm hungry now. Off to kitchen to look for sensible snack ie not chocolate. Comes of having eaten early with the dds.

[Elibean]

breath

[foxinsocks]

oh and aitch, I've always loved a good quality sausage don'tchaknow

[AitchTwoOh]

[Elibean]

Isn't chorizo and other interesting sausage...um...cholesterol-y?

(Before I go and scan the fridge for some)

[jalopy]

Perhaps you could opt for chipolata size.