S2, Ep24: Choresterol and Diet

S2, E24: Cholesterol and Diet

In this episode of Weight There’s More – Get the Skinny with Sue & Kim, we’re talking about cholesterol, diet, and why keeping tabs on your numbers matters more than you may think.

After a recent health scare Kim experienced last week, we’re diving into what happened, what it taught us, and why paying attention to cholesterol levels can be an important part of protecting your long-term health. We’ll share our personal experiences, the role diet and lifestyle can play, and why routine check-ins with your doctor should not be ignored.

This conversation is a reminder that healthy living is not just about weight loss — it’s about awareness, prevention, and taking care of the body you’re working so hard to maintain.

Tune in to hear what happened, what Kim learned, and why this episode may be the nudge you need to check in on your own heart health.

Disclaimer: We are not doctors. This episode is based on our personal experiences and opinions. Always consult your medical provider for guidance about cholesterol, medications, diet, and your health.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to another episode of Wait There's More Gets a Skinny with Sue and Kent. This podcast is all about real talk, real experiences, and the real journey behind weight loss, health, and learning how to actually keep it off. I'm Sue, and my co-host is Kim. And together we spent years navigating the ups and downs, victories and challenges of weight loss, mindset, and lifestyle change. Around here, we believe weight loss is the only part of the journey. Each week, we're diving into topics like long-term weight loss success, mindset shifts, gastric surgery journeys, fitness, nutrition, motivation, and everyday struggles that women face when trying to live healthier lives. We are not medical professionals. Everything we share on this podcast comes from our personal experiences, opinions, and the lessons we've learned along the way. Think of this podcast like sitting down with two friends who have been through it, figured some things out, and now we're here to share the truth about what it really takes to transform your life and keep the weight off. So go grab your cup of coffee or even your protein shake, and let's get real about health, weight loss, and everything in between. Because remember, wait, there's more. Hey, we're back. Hey. Hey everyone. I um I just want to say, gosh, our last episode was a big hit with Kimberly. Oh, good. Yeah, she did great. Yeah, I can't wait to have her back.

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Yeah, I like the idea of reaching out to someone that's doing it with us and kind of because we know about our own journey, we talk to each other all the time, but like getting to hear a fresh story and kind of like get on fire again and you know, yeah, um, build her up.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Yeah, she's a newbie in the process, so it's really good for for all those that are looking to get the surgery or just had the surgery, and and actually, you know, someone that's being really successful in the early stages of the surgery is really good. And I I I I look forward to having her on again and just you know follow her journey and hopefully she can reach out to those that you know are also struggling and and give them some some positivity.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Yeah, for sure. I mean, our whole goal was to guide someone through it earlier on, so we hit that check mark, but I have a feeling Kimberly was gonna be successful even without us. She's just you know what I mean? Like that's the impression I got from her. So um, I would like to think it, you know, six months from now she's super successful and be like, oh yeah, it was all because of Sue and Kim. Really, it has you know, I think she was just her personality and all of her responses just kind of tell me that she was going to be successful anyway. Oh, yeah, yeah. So she's kind of like very determined, like a yeah, exactly. It's kind of like cheating for us. We we need a real, well, we could use me. I'll be the I'll be the true litmus test of uh oh I don't even know. Um the whole uh since I saw you last, uh I had a little health scare. So we decided to do uh today's topic around that. Um so I had a suspected mini stroke. Um, I don't even know what the paperwork says, but like all of the scans and the MRI didn't really wasn't conclusive, but because of the symptoms and doing the stroke protocol, I still have to follow up and try to see what happened. Um so my closer all.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Well, the good news, I think, is like you will get some answers, hopefully.

SPEAKER_01 4:15

True. Yeah, and I and that's why I'm putting it out there to everybody because at some point someone else has either gone through this or may go through this. Um, I do think the reasons um for me to be a likely candidate are hereditary. The stroke itself is is not, but the reason I did or didn't have a mini one or could potentially have a real one, I think stem from my family history. Um my grandfather on my dad's side and both my dad both had strokes. Um, my dad had more than one. The last one that took him um was pretty dire. Obviously, it was fatal, but um it was just, I guess, kind of what they call a large or a big stroke, or you know, the the one that they, you know, is like unfixable. Um so yeah, it was a little scary and uh eye-opening because I wasn't really aware that my cholesterol being 150 was that big of a deal because I think they aren't really worried until like 190. But I think they want to keep it around, I think a hell, you know, healthier for your LDL is less than 100. So I'm just right stuck in the middle there. Um, and Sue, you just pulled something up about um cause the causes, and you said something about exercise. Read that little section to me.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Um, it says that some of obviously we always think food is the cause of high cholesterol. And here um I was shocked to learn that there are other things that can um be responsible for the high cholesterol genetics, uh menopause and aging, smoking, diabetes, thyroid problems, kidney or liver disease, some medications you're on, high blood pressure, and family history. Um, lack of movement is uh not getting enough physical activity can contribute to waking and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

SPEAKER_01 6:30

Well, and I think that's what surprised the hospitalist was uh finding out I do exercise two to four days a week because I just increased the two, but I can't really say it's always the extra three or four, third or fourth day. But um the you know, I've had the weight loss from the surgery. Um my functional wellness doctor did tell me to uh stop taking the omega-3 because that that can heighten your cholesterol. Um, I do think it's family history. I don't have a thyroid, so I don't know if that plays into it, but I think it was just like a trifecta for me. So I had just taken taken heated Pilates that morning. I had an appointment on base, and um uh I always drink a lot of coffee, and I think for some reason I felt kind of like heavy in the chest, and I thought it was because I kind of chugged my coffee because I knew I wasn't gonna be able to sip it while I was in occupational therapy for my elbow because that I can't drink my coffee. So I kind of chugged it in the car, and I almost wonder if the class plus that, and probably not having enough water because that was really, I mean, he did Pilates or hot yoga is you really need to replenish. I had a protein bar because I thought it would hit the protein, the sugar, you know, and get me going. So it wasn't like I didn't have any food in me, but and a protein bar usually works. So yeah, I had lost vision in my left eye, which was just super weird, but noticeable. And because my chest already felt kind of heavy. And with gastric sleeve, as you know, Sue, it is it, it is kind of like you you visualize your esophagus, not like holding up it's and even though it's your stomach, something doesn't go right up here. So it's always kind of hard to get. You can't get a large amount of water through or food through. You have to chew like twice as much as you ever did before. Yes. And I felt like, oh, that was me just trying to shove way too much fluid in, and um, you know, it'll go away. But like when I got this like black line, like just I could not see out of my left eye, then I kind of had like shortness of breath. And I'm like, this feels really weird. I think I'm gonna pass out. Yeah. Um, and then I kind of breathed through it and went upstairs to my appointment. I was like, oh, maybe I'll have her check my blood pressure, no big deal. And then I forgot because she's really sweet and we get to talking about stuff. And I thought, oh, before I leave base, maybe I'll just go see my PCM, which you can't get same day appointments. And um told them the symptoms, and that's when they said, uh, these are stroke symptoms. You need to go to the ER immediately.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

So I was like, what exactly what you didn't want to hear. And if it was me, I probably would have been all right and just go right to my car.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Yep. They were gonna call an ambulance, and I said, I really like 95% feel like there's just no possible way that I can't get myself to the ER. I'm fine. Um, and I was, I was good enough to drive. I didn't stop at home like I wanted to. My daughter talked me out of that, and she's like, please just go. And um, of course, you stay overnight, uh all stroke protocol. If this ever happens to any of our audience, if they don't keep you overnight, there's something wrong with their protocol. Um, because I, you know, you just can't um risk it. So, you know, what I'm trying to figure out right now, and I because I haven't seen Neuro yet, which is one of my referrals, and I haven't been able to get him on base because you always have to follow up once you've been to the ER, but also um to just find, you know, try to get to the root of the problem. Um, but yeah, so I got a pretty little um this is like our public service announcement. I got this great little magnet to keep on my fridge, and it basically it has um Dr. Pimple Popper, I don't know her name, but she's promoting this right now because I guess she had a mini stroke on her show. Oh wow. Because they're always recording, they actually got it on film, and she, you know, I guess she's been kind of hitting the talk show circuit. So um, you know, if you lose your balance, if you have blurred or vision loss, even just blurry vision, they say. And I think for most people, it's like the peripheral. Um, obviously the face drooping always uh if you if you're with someone that has like speech slurring, um, make them smile and see if you're uh smile or even like squinting, I think it would look you would notice it in the eyes, arm weakness, which then I felt. Um, and it again it was occupational therapy. I had to do like a strength test, and she told me my left side was weaker, which was the opposite of my first visit. And this was like my sixth kind of checkout visit. And I didn't think anything of it at the time, but if they said if you have these symptoms, it's time to call 911. So I'm gonna keep that on my fridge and put it out there to all of our listening friends that you can never be too careful. I initially was like apologizing to everybody in the ER, like, I feel so bad, I feel like I shouldn't be here. And all the nurses were like, you need to stop saying that because if it, if it is, if it turns into something, you're not gonna regret being here. Yes. Um, so you know, she's like, You're not wasting our time. So I was kind of that person of almost not going because I didn't want to waste somebody's time because I felt fine.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Um, but yeah, I think, I think again, just with our self-awareness and you know, doing right by ourselves by the path we've all taken with the weight loss, we just don't think about anything else. It's like we're going through enough. Like there's yeah, what else is what else could happen? And and I think with um our big diet changes, our supplemental changes, I think we um we can kind of set ourselves up for a little failure along the way while we're on this journey. So for me, I'm gonna try to find out. Um, I know I kind of did dirty keto, and um, that certainly does not help, not for cholesterol, not even thinking. I thought I was great because I was cutting back carbs and almost all my sugar. And what that increases is fat and calories and like meat and cheese.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

And um, of course, their big recomm diet recommendation is no processed food. Um, what the heck does that mean? You know, and then what are cholesterol-friendly foods? You know, my husband's ready to get chickens because supposedly chicken fresh chicken eggs out of your backyard have less cholesterol than the ones we get at Walmart.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Really?

SPEAKER_01 13:37

I don't want chickens, Sue.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

No, uh-uh.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

I have a friend with chickens. I'll go get her eggs.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Like I can't find local.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Yeah. Rather than Jim say, Oh, honey, I was so worried about you. I'm glad everything's okay. His response is we're getting chickens.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

That's something in an owl would say, yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. I I think um, I mean, it's great. This is a great reminder for me, even, because back in the day, I would simply ignore, ignore, ignore for the longest time. But you know, now since embracing all this, you know, healthy lifestyle and exercise and making healthier eating choices, now it's like if I get the slightest little pain, I'm checking it out now because you know, I'm 61 and I want to be sure everything's still, you know, I feel great, but am I, you know, feeling great on the inside? And this is your huge opportunity for you to make sure that you got that healthy heart and your arteries are flowing and and all that. And I, you know, I commend you, I I'd be adamant about getting every test possible once you get a referral. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Yeah. And I think too, like my blood pressure was all over the place that day. Uh, and I've always run kind of low, like I'm always textbook 120 over 80 or lower. And I think my highest was like 170. Um, but they never got like a real consistent reading on me. So I mean, something went on that day for sure. Um, you know, I was a little embarrassed about being, you know, overly cautious, but I think most people would say that's not the case at all. I just have to, you know, get over that feeling. But um, but yeah, definitely eye-opening of after the sleeve, here I am three years out, as of May, something. Um, I didn't do it perfectly, you know, and and where you and I have said all along, we feel that the aftercare is a little weak, and we want to improve that somehow. And I mean, it's also human error. I can't blame that on the industry or the surgeon or the medical office. It it is me. I had the misconception that I was going to be fine with the choices I was making because I just wasn't eating as much and I added exercise. And, you know, so I I was taking these wins, but then I was also canceling out what the losses I needed to pay attention to. And I do think that's where I set myself up with the um, there's I'm sure there's keto that works out there and it has worked for me in the past, but not sustainable.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

And um my brain just went back to what I knew, and I would I kept telling myself, as long as you don't take in the carbs and the sugar, everything's gonna be great. And maybe it's not. So we're just trying to help you guys um figure that out with us and make sure that you don't go down the wrong um road and not be able to get back um to where you need to be.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

So it's just navigating that journey together.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Yeah. And you know, any anytime you just feel like don't go asking medical questions in the Facebook groups. Call your doctor, call your doctor and get those questions answered because everybody has an answer. True.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

And I think more now more than in the past, I think it's more um common practice that there's a 24-hour nurse hotline. Yeah. Um, so I feel like um, if anything, we do have a better resource now than we did 20 years ago. Like, oh yeah, you don't have to, you don't get stock paying a copay. You don't have to worry about your insurance. Your doctor's office should have a nurse, it's not emergency, but it's just like a question, hey, I need your help. Should I come in? Is this is this worth talking about?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, people and you know, it's great. The Facebook groups are could be very, very supportive and you know, a great resource. But sometimes like for medical issues, that's that's something don't play around with. Don't, you know, don't don't try to seek out uh somebody who doesn't have any medical knowledge. Um you know, the first thing you should do is just call your doctor or call the nurse on on call and um get your answers and whether or not you need to to get into to the emergency room or to an appointment with them. Um, but most definitely that should be the first step.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Yeah. Um real quick, I don't want to bore everybody to death because cholesterol can be kind of boring. Um one thing I learned about uh just to remember like your LDL, uh, the trick is it's lousy and HDL is helpful. So my HDL is low and my LDL is high. So you want those reversed. I learned that, and I like to think of it that way, like I, you know, the L and the H what they stand for. Yes. Um but oh, there was something about foods that act healthy but aren't actually helping, and they said granola bars, flavored yogurt, and low-fat processed foods.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

So yeah, I would think, and maybe my protein bars, I guess depending on which ones you choose, but just a plain old granola bar. They aren't just because you're eating yogurt, doesn't mean it's good yogurt. Just because you're eating granola doesn't mean it's not packed with a bunch of hidden things. Um as always, I think it's a good rule of thumb to just make sure you can understand the ingredients on the label and keep the ingredient list low. Um, so you know, obviously swap butter for olive oil, try to add in oats, um, and just you know, eating more whole foods. Um they did say like vegetables and fruits. You can buy them frozen. That doesn't necessarily mean they're processed, just make sure they don't have a sauce or should sugar added or a juice, like like it just needs to be that vegetable or that fruit because I kind of went on that tangent. I got asparagus, spinach, um, sweet potatoes, you know, and I'm just hopefully not gonna doctor them up with too much because have you ever had a sweet potato without butter, cinnamon, sugar? No, yes, and marshmallows, like no, because I mean that's boring. So, yeah, that's where I have to retrain my brain, I have to restructure my kitchen again. Um, trying not to feel defeated. Um, and I'm gonna uh have Sue be my constant help with that, um, so that I don't feel like a failure.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

No, you're not a failure, you're just embracing now another journey. Yeah, another health journey. Yeah, just embrace it and have fun and look at don't look at it as work or you know um, you know, uh whatever I want to say. You just like a chore. Yeah, like a chore or anything negative. And oh gosh, why do I have to you know eat this way now? Just you know, embrace it, move on, you know, make it fun. Find some new recipes, it'll be fun. Yeah, I I have salmon too.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

I that's my joke around the house.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

Text me and go, This is fun.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Yeah. I'm in a great time too. Thanks. No, I I that's my like buzzword around the house is salmon. Like, what do you want to eat? Salmon. I always ask for that. And so then when this happened, like my boss was like, Oh my gosh, are you too stressed? Because I mean, stress is another reason. It could have happened. Yeah. Um, and then I told my husband it was because he didn't get me salmon when I asked for it. Like salmon's gonna well, I don't know why this fish is gonna fix everything. Yes, it helps bears, right? You know, bears love salmon, so should so should humans. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Yeah, but at the end of the day, hopefully this is a blessing in disguise and it gets you on the right path.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

And and just embracing that path, whatever it is now, and and just go with it and and make sure like you're adamant about getting every single test possible to make sure that heart is healthy.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah. I will do it. I'll keep you guys posted. And if you guys have been through this or have any comments or questions, feel free to reach out. Um, we've been getting some comments. Yeah, it's it's widespread where we're trying to hit different um social media audiences. So through Facebook, Instagram, BuzzSprout, um, Spotify, all the other areas you can. I I'm not even aware of where all you can get a podcast. I'm just I'm a Spotify girl. So I think sometimes it's hard for us to navigate, you know, did we miss a message? Are we getting all the right notifications to see if everybody, you know, if we're reaching out to those that have commented? So please bear with us. But I think it is slowly starting to happen where we're getting a couple little uh comments here and there. So uh we look forward to just um seeing what you guys uh have to say or what you might need from us, and and we'll um we'll reply as soon as we can.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

And again, like us, follow us, tell a friend, subscribe to our YouTube channel. We're trying to build this thing up into something great for all all of you mostly. And um we just we just we're just really excited about this. Yeah, all right. Well, this is a great conversation today. And I agree, you know, let's get you going back on track, happy and healthy. Absolutely. Well, thanks, Sue. Well, thanks, Kim. Thanks everybody for tuning in. We'll see you next time. And wait, there's always more. If you enjoyed today's conversation, make sure you subscribe, follow, and share this episode with someone who can use a little motivation on your health journey. And don't forget to connect with us on social media where we share tips and encouragement from our own journeys. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube by just searching Wait There's More Get The Skinny with Sue and Ken. Remember, your transformation is about more than just the number on the scale because weight there's more. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time on Wait There's More, Get The Skinny With Sue and Kitch.