Congrats on the lbs lost, and for maintaining ... still way better than gaining it all back!!
About the cholesterol ... a high total cholesterol is NOT an indication of disease, or disease risk even. What's more important is the HDL level (the "good" cholesterol) -- less than 35 is a risk factor, 50 is good and over 60 is protective against heart disease and stroke in women...
.. Also, a high triglyceride level is more of a risk factor than total cholesterol ... over 200 is a definite risk factor .. and closer to 100 or even lower is highly desirable. Triglycerides are made from sugar molecules, 3 of them (the "tri" part) attached to a single fatty acid molecule. Cutting out sugar and refined carbs from your diet will be very helpful to keeping triglyceride levels under control.
CAD is helpful for controlling blood sugar swings and for keeping insulin levels under control. And also helpful for weight loss. Some folks can't handle the Reward Meal though, because that one big carb load just triggers all kind of problems. Even though you may be very strict about the 1 hr time limit for the reward meal, it may be that the choices of carbs you consume could be contributing to your plateau, and to the higher cholesterol level. Try eliminating ALLl sugar, white and refined starches, pasta, white rice etc ... instead have your carbs in the form of high-fiber starchy vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans & legumes and small portions of whole grains.
I wonder too, if it might kick-start things back into reduction mode if you try a lower carb level, such as Atkins or Protein Power. PP allows for somewhat higher carb intake, but instead of cramming it all into one meal, you spread your carbs evenly through the day. Exercise will be helpful also to rev. the metabolism. Even brisk walking is good.
Here are a couple of good websites about the myths of the dangers of high cholesterol. They also discuss the myth of the so-called "healthy diet" and the myth of the dangers of dietary fat and protein.
- The Cholesterol Myths by Dr. by Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD.
- "The Cholesterol Myth" by Barry Groves, author of "Eat Fat, Get Thin" ... this is an excellent article, and very long. Part 4 discusses The Dangers of Low Blood Cholesterol ... Part 9 outlines The Dangers of a "Healthy" Diet.
Very interesting and enlightening reading!
I look forward to reading more posts of your lowcarbing success.
Doreen