Looking for some diet advice/tips

I recently found out my cholesterol is sitting at 6.5, so I’ve decided I really need to drop about 20 pounds by next summer.
Naturally, that means being disciplined with exercise and my diet, but I have certain habits that are honestly pretty hard to let go of. My plan is to stick to a very strict regimen leading up to Christmas just to see if I can actually move the needle—assuming my stress levels don't throw everything off—so that I can at least enjoy the holidays somewhat normally.

I have a huge weakness for olives, specifically those green salty ones; I suppose I could toss a few into my meals here and there, but I'm not entirely sure if that's a good idea.
Then there's honey. Given that my goal is weight loss, how much of it is actually permissible? I tend to stir it into my tea and I love spreading it over some fresh cottage cheese.
Also, if anyone has suggestions for healthy pizza toppings, I'd appreciate them, because I really don't want to sit there staring at everyone else eating while I pass. I was also wondering if smoked paprika is okay to use.
One more thing—is there any kind of hard cheese, like Gouda, that wouldn't be a total disaster, or am I strictly limited to soft cheeses now?

I think I can manage to give up most things and hopefully hit my weight goal, but I haven't been able to find much specific advice regarding these particular cravings.

Look, you either want to lose weight or you don't. It’s that simple. I might love cheese, but I can't stand low-fat cottage cheese—it just doesn't taste right to me. Still, it's healthy, which is the main thing. It isn't greasy. If you're actually planning on dieting, my best advice for killing two birds with one stone is to combine clean eating with a workout routine. You'll lose the weight and tone up at the same time.
It’s all mental. It's easy to just grab something from McDonald's or order a pizza and stay sedentary, so making the switch will be tough. But believe me, once you get started and see the results, you won't regret it.
Just a heads-up though, eating healthy can get pretty expensive. You're going to need some cash.🙂

Honestly, I think eating healthy is just the way to go. You might not see those numbers on the scale drop super fast, but man, the results actually stick because you're basically changing your whole lifestyle for good. In a nutshell? Load up on tons of veggies, keep the meat relatively light—mostly chicken or beef, I guess—and try to dodge as much processed junk food as possible. Also, maybe cut back on the salt and saturated fats, grab some low-fat dairy, eat plenty of fresh fruit, and swap out white sugar for brown sugar or honey. It makes such a difference!

Nancy Cook4 said:I recently found out my cholesterol is at a 6.5, so I've decided I want to lose about 20 pounds by next summer.
Naturally, I plan on exercising and watching my diet, but I have certain habits that are difficult for me to give up. I want to stick to a strict regimen until Christmas to see if my levels actually drop (assuming it isn't just stress), so that I can eat somewhat normally during the holidays.

I really love olives—specifically green ones, salted. I wonder if I could occasionally include them in my meals or if I should avoid them entirely.
As for honey, how much am I allowed to have if weight loss is the goal? I use it in my tea and like spreading it on low-fat cottage cheese.
Also, does anyone have suggestions for pizza toppings? I don't want to have to watch everyone else eating while I sit there. I am also curious if ground paprika is okay to use.
One more thing: is there any cheese available that would be acceptable, such as something like Gouda or other hard cheeses, rather than just fresh cheese?

I suppose I will manage to give up most things, and I think I can succeed in losing weight, but I haven't been able to find specific information regarding these items.

You should start exercising. In my opinion, dieting without exercise isn't really a solution. If you maintain regular, adequate physical activity, you might be able to eat all of this and still bring your weight back to a normal range. You should look at what people are posting in the fitness and recreation subforum for some advice.😉

You can go for some low-fat cheese—maybe some Lite beer cheese
It might be a good idea to have oatmeal (with yogurt, milk, or whatever works for you) about twice a week
Maybe try adding more soy to your diet (I’m a big fan of tofu myself)
Eating fish three times a week could be helpful
Flaxseeds might help with cholesterol too (just grind them up first and toss them into whatever, like your oatmeal)
Olive oil and generally sticking to a Mediterranean diet seems like a solid plan
A handful of nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts)—I usually just grab some with fruit
Trying to eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day might work

PS—you should probably check out the book *Eat to Live*
According to that book, olives are actually pretty great for balancing out meals that aren't high in fat
If you make pizza at home, maybe try tuna or just loaded veggies with some Lite beer cheese

As far as I can tell, refined carbs are the absolute worst culprits when it comes to wrecking your cholesterol levels.

I mean, you've got the white flour, all that added sugar, white rice, pasta, heavy cheeses, eggs (specifically those yolks), and greasy red meat...

Donna Lewis49 said:you can have low-fat cheese—Lite beer style—it's fine
......

Just make a tuna pizza, or maybe one with veggies plus some Lite beer cheese

That is quite possibly the worst advice I've ever heard—those "light" cheeses are usually packed with hydrogenated fats, which are arguably worse than standard animal fats

As far as cheese goes, stick to fat-free cottage cheese—or perhaps tofu

Donna Lewis49 said:adding soy to my diet (I love tofu)

I don't think she really needs soy in her diet, especially when there are much higher quality protein sources available. To be honest, I suppose buying soy is essentially a tax on the uninformed when it comes to nutrition.

I mean, if she wants to deal with her cholesterol, she should probably just stick to soy. From what I can tell, fixing that seems way more important for her than actually dropping any pounds 🙂

restlessmarlin6 said:Soy is a better bet for her cholesterol levels—from what I can tell, managing that is more critical than just dropping pounds.🙂

Soy works fine for weight loss, too... tofu has significantly fewer calories than hard cheeses—not to mention soy spreads compared to things like pâté.

restlessmarlin6 said:Eating soy might be better for her cholesterol. From what I can see, managing that seems more important for her than just losing weight.🙂

Exercise isn't just about dropping pounds; it’s about helping the whole body function properly, which includes regulating cholesterol levels. I don't think any amount of soy can substitute for that, period. Even if someone doesn't exercise and only focuses on diet, eating fish or egg whites would probably be a better choice than soy, as they provide higher quality protein with negligible cholesterol. Furthermore, I suppose calling soy a necessity for health is a bit of a fallacy. If someone wants it because of religious reasons or because they avoid animal proteins, that’s fine, but suggesting that people must eat soy to be healthy seems misguided to me.😉

I’ve been trying to get back into a routine lately, though I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather, so I haven't been as consistent as I'd like. I am going to try my best to hit the elliptical at least four times a week for about 30 to 45 minutes, aiming to keep my heart rate somewhere between 125 and 150. I actually enjoy this kind of exercise, but honestly, it feels a bit ridiculous that I'm restricted to just fresh cheese; I never intended to go overboard on the processed stuff anyway.
It isn't that I've become overweight—people actually tell me I look fine—but I do have some stubborn belly fat that seems to be purely genetic, and I suppose that bothers me more than it should.
I’ve had a Peloton sitting in my house for two years now without ever really committing to it, but I’m thinking about finally getting serious. That said, I notice there is a lot of meat and other items being recommended that I really shouldn't be touching, things like heavy cheeses, light mayo, almonds, or deli meats...
I find it hard to believe that cholesterol levels are supposed to drop when all of those foods are considered acceptable, though I guess I might give it a shot regardless.
My apologies, I tend to ramble on like this...

Betty Cox30 said:That's honestly the worst advice I've ever heard... those so-called light cheeses use hydrogenated fats, which are way worse than regular animal fats!

I guess I'd just stick to fat-free fresh cheese or maybe tofu if we're talking cheese.

Lite beer, let me type out the ingredients here
milk, dairy cultures, rennet, salt, coloring

min 50% dry matter, min 25% fat in dry matter

so I don't see any mention of hydrogenated fats in the ingredients. As far as I know, that's what you find in margarine (plant-based fats)
hydrogenated fats
See, the only thing that would bother me here is the coloring. Plus, the nutrition guide suggests light cheeses. I think maybe you might be mixing up plant and animal fats—hydrogenated ones actually come from plant oils.

Nancy Cook4 said:I exercise occasionally, though I haven't been able to lately because I've been feeling a bit under the weather. I am going to try to stick to at least four sessions a week on the elliptical, lasting about 30 to 45 minutes each, while maintaining a heart rate between 125 and 150.

It might be helpful to track your calorie intake versus your expenditure. If the goal is to lose body fat, I suppose your caloric burn needs to exceed what you consume.

dustydrifter5 said:She doesn't really need soy in her diet at all, especially since there are way better protein sources out there. Honestly, buying soy is kind of like a fool's tax when it comes to nutrition, if you don't mind me saying.

About the soy thing, I'm not totally sure if it's good for guys, but for women it definitely is..soy, and
it helps lower cholesterol

Just wanted to add, I wasn't suggesting we swap meat for soy, just that it wouldn't be a bad idea to include it as an option... maybe just as an occasional part of a meal...

Nancy Cook4, if you're dealing with any health issues, I guess you should probably check in with your doctor about what you're eating.
Otherwise, maybe try some Pilates to tone up? It's a good start, and later on, you could maybe mix in some cardio adventures while still keeping up with the Pilates.
I think restlessmarlin6 gave you some solid advice—cutting out refined foods is definitely the way to go.

Donna Lewis49 said:just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting we swap meat for soy entirely, but rather that including it as an occasional part of a meal wouldn't be a mistake...

I disagree. It would be a mistake. Soy is a plant-based protein, which is lower in quality compared to animal proteins. Fish and egg whites are just as easy to prepare, better for cholesterol levels, and higher quality protein—and if I recall correctly, they are actually cheaper too. That’s just a fact. It isn't a matter of opinion.

Well, instead of soy, beans, or lentils,
even though soy seems pretty good for women. I guess the only real downside is how much GMO stuff is out there today.

Personally, I think tofu tastes great..

GoldenLocks said:Looking at the ingredients for this light milk from a brand like Horizon Organic—just transcribing here
milk, dairy cultures, rennet, salt, coloring

minimum 50% solids, minimum 25% milk fat in total solids

So, I don't see any hydrogenated fats listed in the composition. As far as I know, those are usually found in margarine (vegetable oils)

As you can tell, there’s no mention of the actual saturated fat content... which should probably be a red flag for you. Plus, having 25 percent milk fat in any diet is pretty much a non-starter.

Good grief... please don't start an argument over soy on my account. I'm not particularly fond of it, though I suppose smoked tofu is actually quite tasty—even if it is ridiculously overpriced. I remember calculating once that they were charging about $33 per pound, which feels like a waste when you could be buying much higher quality food for that kind of money.
I did attempt to make some at home once, and it turned out alright; I managed to get 40 ounces for roughly $2.75, which was quite a bargain, but I really have no intention of making soy a staple. I prefer sticking to fish and lean meats.
When it comes to what I should be avoiding, I tend to just follow the nutritional guidelines provided by this site:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/?sectio...=plan_prehrane

My doctor basically told me to move around a bit more and watch what I eat, acting as if it isn't a major concern, but in my opinion, if my levels are sitting at 6.5 right now, things could spiral pretty quickly. Plus, I don't exactly come from a line of healthy people—there’s a history of heart disease and diabetes in my family—and I have young kids depending on me, so I really don't want to end up sick.