High Cholesterol - Making Lifestyle Changes

Knowing which diet to follow can be confusing. A chart with several heart-healthy diets(What is a PDF document?) shows how the TLC and Mediterranean diets compare with other eating plans. If you have questions about which diet to follow, talk to your doctor.

For more information about food and high cholesterol, see:

• Soy Protein and Cholesterol.
• Fiber and Cholesterol.
• Fish, Fish Oil, and Cholesterol.
• Antioxidants.
• Cholesterol-Lowering Margarines for High Cholesterol.
• Foods to Avoid for High Cholesterol.
• Foods and Their Effect on Cholesterol.
• Healthy Food Choices to Lower Cholesterol.

If high cholesterol runs in your family, these lifestyle changes may not be enough. You may need to take medicine, too. But no matter what treatment you use, you can lower your high cholesterol.

How do you make lifestyle changes?

Making any kind of change in the way you live your daily life is like being on a path. The path leads to success. You get there one step at a time. Here are the first steps on that path:

1. Have your own reason for making a change. If you do it because someone else wants you to, you're less likely to have success.
2. Set goals. Include long-term goals as well as short-term goals that you can measure easily.
3. Measure improvements to your health. For example, keep track of your blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar. Or see how you can shorten the time it takes to walk a mile.
4. Think about what might get in your way, and prepare for slip-ups.
5. Get support from your family, your doctor, your friends—and from yourself.

1. Have your own reasons for making a change

Your reason for wanting to make a lifestyle change is really important. Why do you want to lower your cholesterol? To live longer? To be around for your family?

But it's very important that you feel ready to make changes. If you don't feel ready now, learn more about high cholesterol and the damage it can do. When you truly want to make changes, you're ready for the next step.

It's not easy to make changes. But taking the time to really think about what will motivate or inspire you will help you reach your goals.