LDL cholesterol: now down from 154 to 131 mg/dl !!

[landmobile]

Hello everyone,

At my last post in mid January, my LDL cholesterol had dropped from 214 to 154 in 6 weeks of McDougalling. My doctor was mildly impressed, but was looking for LDL numbers between 100 and 130. He had wanted me to take medication, but agreed to wait another 6 weeks since my progress with diet change had been good.

The results of my most recent blood test convinced my doctor that medication was not indicated, as my LDL had continued to drop, now within 1 mg/dl of the 130 target. I will stay the course and see where I am in another six weeks. Incidentally, I have lost about five pounds and feel great.

Stay tuned,

Chris

[SactoBob]

and I think you can get even lower from my experience.
I am looking at my most recent cholesterol numbers.
These were taken only 16 days of following the Esselstyn vegan diet, which is basically the same as Dr. McDougall's recommendations for patients with risk factors for coronary artery disease.

My LDL dropped from 176 to 64, which shocked my doctor.
The 176 reading was actually taken 3 months earlier, but was typical of what I always ran. The 64 was after only 16 days on the program.

I was religious about detail, labels, and eliminating every speck of any kind of oil, including "heart healthy oils", as if my life depended on it, because I thought it might after hearing that I had a blocked artery in my heart. I did not want to do angiography/stent and put my mind to going all out. But at least in my case, this dramatic drop was possible in such a short time.

[landmobile]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for sharing your story. I expect my numbers to continue to fall as well, although perhaps more slowly, as I have not been absolutely meticulous about eliminating all added oils to my diet. I have eliminated all animal products and as much saturated fat as possible, though, and am very happy with the results of my first 12 weeks.

Glad to hear you avoided surgery. It seems as though most doctors want to write prescriptions and operate rather than suggest lifestyle changes.

Chris

[Steve]

I bet the cholesterol goes down even further. This is the best way to lower cholesterol. I originally had a choleserol of 277, three months of McDougalling was at 177 and at six months it was under 150. Your progress is much faster. Maybe your Doc will be impressed enough to come over to the "good side of the force" (loosely referencing Star Wars movies). Congratulations.

[SactoBob]

My doctor did ask me to email him the links about the program I was following. On my next visit, I will ask if you viewed them. But he was definitely interested, and a bit confused perhaps. He has never seen numbers drop so much and so rapidly.