CASE STUDY: Weight loss & High Cholesterol

ALICE: a retired teacher in her early 60s.

Alice’s situation: 

Alice had not had a problem with weight until menopause, but she had been steadily gaining weight over the last 10y and was now shocked to find that she had a high cholesterol level.

Her GP suggested she seek advice from a nutritionist. She wanted to avoid taking statins and shed a few pounds, but she didn’t want an overly restrictive diet.

She actually had a low calorie intake considering her activity levels - she walked her two dogs daily, swam, and played golf regularly - but was frustrated that she was still gaining weight and couldn’t understand why.

Dietary Analysis

I found that Alice’s diet was very low in fibre and probiotics and deficient in vitamins D and B12. Her daily fat and protein intake were both high, but her carbohydrate intake was low—Alice had been cutting down on carbs to try and lose weight! Her main source of protein was red meat, and she had a moderately high intake of processed meats and sugary drinks.

Over nine weeks, we worked together to identify foods that Alice enjoyed but had higher nutritional value. We slowly replaced the bad foods with better foods. We added some probiotic products and lots of soluble fibre to create a healthy gut microbiome. We developed a more balanced diet by increasing her carb intake, reducing saturated fats, and incorporating lots of fruit and vegetables in a way that she found appealing.

After a couple of weeks, Alice really started to feel the benefits of a diet change and was motivated to stick with it.

How support helped

At the start of the programme, Alice weighed 70kg, her total cholesterol was 5.89 mM and her bad cholesterol (LDL) was 4.21.

After 9 weeks, she had lost 4.5 kg and weighed 65.5 kg.  Her total cholesterol was down to 4.69 mM, and her bad cholesterol was down to 3.18 mM.

What the client said

“I can’t believe I am eating so well and feeling so much better - I have much more energy now”

“I used to be so hungry, but now I am eating more and actually losing weight”