Success.

Sometimes I think I'm afraid of succeeding. I essentially gave up on this blog after I got my results last August. My cholesterol dropped from 362 to 251 ... over 100 points in just over three months. My doctor said I no longer qualify for statins because I have no other risk factors. My doctor had previously discouraged me from continuing to try but I wanted to give it one last shot and cut dairy and red meat and really restrict myself. I'm glad I did. My doctor warned that for some people, typically those who possess a hereditary component, diet may not have much of an impact. He was wrong ... he now says I am a model patient. I haven't been tested since but I am more or less on the same diet and feeling good. No diary, no red meat, limited amounts of lean chicken and turkey, lots of beans and legumes and greens, daily fish oil, some non fat yogurt almost daily, small piece of dark chocolate almost daily, 1000 mg of vit. D daily (sometimes 200) ... I also took some slow release niacin for around 6 weeks before my test and I gave blood 3 weeks prior. I try to give blood 3 or 4 times a year. I've also been exercising almost daily. I usually take Fridays and Sundays off with Judo on Saturdays and Mondays. I run and do 1 punch man (100 push ups and 100 sit ups -- I don't usually do the 100 squats because it interferes with my running) ... I run 1 to 3 miles on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Sundays.

It's a lot I know, but I haven't felt like this since ... I can't really remember when I felt like this. Probably in my late 20's early 30's. I think I got started on statins in my mid 30's, there's that to consider. I ran a mile in 8:17 last week, I am 52 now, I'm steady at about 165 lbs.