Disclaimer — I’m not a doctor. This is a sample size of one. Always talk to your own physician before changing diet, exercise, or medication.
Some Context
- 39-year-old South Asian male
- Starting weight ≈ 160 lb (72 kg)
- Target daily intake ≈ 1,700 kcal (per TDEE calculator)
Introduction
On 28 Sep 2023 my lipid panel showed:
- Total cholesterol: 258 mg/dL
- LDL-C: 175 mg/dL
That Sunday my doctor phoned to recommend starting a statin
immediately.
I asked for three months to try dietary changes first—right through the
holidays.
Three months later (5 Jan 2024) the repeat panel read:
| Marker | 28 Sep 2023 | 5 Jan 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cholesterol | 258 | 178 | −80 |
| LDL-C | 175 | 105 | −70 |
TL;DR — What Actually Worked
- Fiber ↑ — ≈ 40 g /day (half soluble, half
insoluble)
- Saturated fat ↓
- Protein kept ≥ 100 g /day to maintain satiety and lean mass
I had previously obsessed over protein and ignored fiber; this flip made the difference.
Foods I Ate Almost Every Day
| Item | Typical Portion | Notes / macros |
|---|---|---|
| 1 % milk chai latte | 8 oz 1 % milk + 1.5 Tbsp loose chai + 8 crushed cardamom pods | P: 9 g, C: 15 g, F: 2.5 g, SatFat 1.5 g |
| Black coffee | 10 oz pourover | zero-cal pick-me-up |
| Protein + fiber smoothie | see ingredients below | P: 45 g, F: 11 g, Fiber ≈ 22 g |
| Greek yogurt + blueberries | 1 cup yogurt + 100 g berries | P: 22 g, Fiber 2 g |
| Apple and/or pear | 1 medium | Fiber ≈ 5 g |
| Stovetop popcorn | ¼ cup kernels | Fiber 10 g, P: 8 g |
| Eggs | 2 large | SatFat 3 g |
Smoothie ingredients
- 8 oz unsweetened soy milk
- 30 g Gold Standard whey
- 12 g chia seeds (soaked)
- 8 g psyllium husk
- 16 g peanut-butter powder
- 5 g cinnamon
- 5 g unsweetened cocoa
Why psyllium?
Psyllium husk is soluble fiber, which forms a gel in the gut and helps pull LDL out of circulation.
Typical Dinners
- Indian yellow curry
- Wild salmon + rice + edamame
- Pan-fried scallops
- Indian daal (often with extra yogurt)
- Cottage-cheese waffles / pancakes
- Sooji (semolina) pancakes
- Korean-flavored tofu stir-fry
Cheat Meals
I tried to avoid true cheat meals, but my sweet-tooth workaround was cottage-cheese waffles—high protein, low sat-fat, and you can’t taste the cottage cheese.
Foods I Missed (Couldn’t Find Good Substitutes)
- Pizza (the cheese!)
- Chocolate
- Donuts
- Butter-heavy cookies & pastries
Every “healthy” version I tried tasted like cardboard; I chose abstinence over disappointment.
Exercise
- ≈ 10 000 steps/day (light walking burns a few hundred kcal)
- Minimal weights or HIIT—lots of false starts here. I could improve this phase.
Conclusion
These three months accomplished:
- Fiber ∼ 40 g/day
- Sat fat kept low
- Protein > 100 g/day
Body weight settled at 147 lb and I feel noticeably better.
What’s Next
- Maintain high fiber + protein
- Loosen cheat days (slightly higher sat-fat)
- Ramp up cardio & consistent weight training
My hunch: fiber alone did most of the LDL-lowering heavy-lifting. Time will tell whether LDL stays low once I re-introduce moderate sat-fat.
Questions? Email neeraj.kapoor@learntobe.org—always happy to chat.