Two months to get it together - advice, tips, questions.

LittleBrick

I got my bloods done this week for the first time and got results yesterday. Everything was ok, except for cholesterol, which was high. I am average weight, but don't exercise and have a relatively unbalanced diet (at least 75%-80% carbs). Started a high carb starch based diet (potatoes and weetabix) initially to lose weight, but never reintroduced anything after losing weight. Because of a family history of heart disease, my GP wanted to put me on cholesterol tablets. I asked if I could try to lower it naturally by diet and exercise, so she has given me two months to do this. I'm not anti medication, just want to see can I do it naturally first. I'm not 30 yet so going on cholesterol medication this young isn't something I want to do.

Diet wise I know I need to introduce veg and lean proteins. My issue is the gym. I've always been intimidated by it, but bit the bullet and got a 3 month membership. I then priced personal trainers, but even the online ones are c. 150 per month, which I can't afford at the minute. The gym I am going to have a lot of spinning classes, so was going to do two of those per week. I was also going to do a tabata class they offter to try it out.

My issue is weight training/splits etc. I don't know how often/where to fit them in with classes. If I was to do spinning on a Tuesday evening, could I do weight training beforehand? And after spinning Saturday morning. Or would it be better to do alternate days, i.e. weight train Monday, spinning Tuesday, tabata Wednesday, weights Thursday, weights Friday, spinning Saturday?

Xidu

Same as me. Look slim but high cholesterol.

I bought some tea n capsules to help.

red yeast rice capsules

and rooibos tea

i used to go to gym a lot b4 covid, and stoped for 2 years and ate a lot of unhealthy food.

I only put on 2kgs during last 2 years but cholesterol level shoot up.

Black Sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058242901/two-months-to-get-it-together-advice-tips-questions

Although you may not want to pay a PT on an ongoing basis, for cost reasons, in your situation I think it would be worth making the investment in the short term.

Ideally someone with previous experience of working with someone in your position, not just a newly qualified PT establishing themselves.

Your diet is likely to be a bigger factor in what you need to do than your physical training, but it would be helpful to have someone confident enough to help you put it all together.

With regard to the specific question about weight training before or after spinning: It’s not optimal if your goal was to build lean muscle mass. You might want to either do one in the morning, the other in the evening, or (more likely) you do alternate days.

If you’ve been completely sedentary before this then at this stage anything is good if you find it sustainable. If you love spinning bias towards that for now. For building lean muscle mass though, no substitute for 2-3 days of weight training per week, a simple beginner program based on whole body training and progressively adding weight.

Patsy167

Surprised your GP has set a hard limit of 2 months, that's awful advice. It would be far more useful to put in place structures that are easily sustainable in the long run rather trying a quick fix.

Esse85

Your issue is your diet, not the gym.

Who told you go on a high carb diet?

LittleBrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118965875#Comment_118965875

I did. Didn't look into it, just figured it was high volume, low calorie. It worked very well to drop and maintain the weight, and I am probably genetically predisposed to high cholesterol. Would working out not help with lowering cholesterol in any way?

LittleBrick

Esse85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118966697#Comment_118966697

I suppose doing anything unresearched, "not looking into it" particularly around your health is wreckless and asking for trouble.

Working out would help, but addressing your high carb diet would get you a better return on investment, I suggest you look into that this time around.

mojesius

If you need to lose weight fast, cut out/limit bread and sugary shite. Invest in some kettlebells or dumbbells. Loads of good workouts on YouTube that don't require going to a gym. Check out team duwe fitness channel* for example. But incorporate a warm up beforehand and 5 min stretch afterwards. Best of luck

* Not affiliated at all, some random dudes gym I came across on YT but he has good workouts

Cill94

What are these foods you’re categorising as carbs? Eating a diet of 75-80% carbs is hard to do. If you’re categorising things like chocolate, pizza, ice cream etc. as ‘carbs’, they’re also just as rich in fat , particularly saturated, which has a much stronger link to unhealthy cholesterol levels.

At any rate, healthier diet and some kind of exercise you enjoy probably gives you the best chance. Good luck!

Captain Red Beard

Eat green veg, some fruit, eat meat and fish, cut out bread and pasta and sugary crap.

LittleBrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118968293#Comment_118968293

Intermittent fasting. Eating from 6p.m-10p.m. only. Had 3/4 Weetabix or 80g of oats at 6, and dinner of 1kg of spuds cooked in frylight in the oven at 7. 4-5 cups of tea with soy milk in this window as well.

Cill94

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118968734#Comment_118968734

Bizarre. A far cry from the kind of diet that would produce high cholesterol at your age.

You could just have a genetic proclivity to it. A friend of mine is very healthy and still had to go on blood pressure medication. Worked wonders for him. I know not the same condition, but similar.

Take your doctor’s advice above anyone on here anyway.

rondog

HOw high is your cholesterol?

Its estimated dietary cholesterol only accounts for 20% of your total cholesterol.

Did your Doc break down your total cholesterol into LDL/HDL?

I had high cholesterol but managed to get it down to normal range through exercise and diet but it took 4 months.

timmyntc

Instead of blowing all the money and effort on PTs and every exercise class under the sun, try and make some sustainable, long-term changes to your routine.

It's not a situation where you do 2 months of exercise and lo behold your cholesterol is sorted and you never have to worry about it ever again - these are long term lifestyle changes you need to make. So don't go too hard and risk burning out and giving up entirely, and obviously don't do nothing.

Try and find some kind of exercise/sport you actually enjoy doing, so it wont be a chore but rather something you look forward to, and same thing goes for diet. It is possible and very feasible to have a healthy, balanced diet that you also enjoy. Its not all boiled chicken breasts and broccoli