eating for health issues, not to loose weight

[newholidayx2]

I found it much much easier to eat healthy when I was loosing the weight. The past year or so Ive been watching the calories so I dont gain back the weight (well trying to anyways) but Im definately having a harder time sticking to the fruits & veggies.
So much that my cholesterol has risen - its about 187 w/good cholesterol about 57. Since I have hereditary heart disease doc wants my total # lower and just put me on a cholesterol med. anyone have trouble w/the statins?

Anyways how do you keep eating healthy when its not for weight loss? I was scared into loosing the weight when my brother had his heart attack/bypass. Should I now be enough concerned about my own health that its enough to keep on track?

[nbodyhome]

I'm not speaking for anyone else, just for me. I find it EASIER to focus on health, and to live my life being active and eating better instead of being concerned about my weight. That is important of course, but I have lost 80 pounds and really could use another 20 (I've not been in a hurry). I personally am not fans of shows like the Biggest Loser, because they focus more on weight (and losing it quickly). 65 or so of my pounds have been lost over 4 years, not fast at all. I get SO excited over having good blood pressure, or when the doctor tells me how healthy I am. It wasn't that way a few years back.

And I'm saving my knees for my older years. I don't have an exact goal weight, I am just mostly concerned on my health.

As far as fruits and vegetables...for me, I had a harder time with that. But now, I almost always have a fruit smoothie (I eat 6 or so times a day, so that is one of them). Currently it will have a small banana, a cup of strawberries, a small orange (or a big one, I love an orange!), and a half cup of yogurt. So I get much of my daily fruit in. And I steam 2 or 3 veggies together many nights of the week. So right there, I get the bulk of my fruits/veggies. I also have Motts Healthy Harvest, which counts - sometimes I have 2 or 3 of those a day! I just had an apple too. But combining fruits and veggies helps me get plenty. And filling my plate with steamed veggies at night helps pump up my food volume with fewer calories.

[Tiger Lily 03]

Should I now be enough concerned about my own health that its enough to keep on track?Yes!

If your family has heart disease you are very much at risk. I've got a friend whose cousins dealt with this and continue-thankfully-to deal with it. Older bro had heart attack, bypass and almost didn't pull through, DSis, DSis, DBro all following shortly thereafter in fact 2 were in hospital being treated ER on the same day.

Make those choices b/c your life depends on it. We all need to, but it is easier as long as we are feeling well to ignore things.

It is a lifetime battle for many of us to make the choices that are healthy and to learn to fuel our bodies and exercise properly rather than eat b/c it tastes soooo gooood and sit on that couch b/c it is easy.

Good luck with this and never give up. Come back to let us know how you are managing. You can do it!