General

Hi all - So I just received results from recent blood tests and was not too surprised to see all the different types of cholesterol tests come in sky high. Quite a few other results were bad as well and can easily be attributed to my obesity.
Any tips of easily bettering cholesterol? I'm assuming exercise is the main thing...other than a severe diet...but I have a really hard time getting motivated. Also quite embarrassed to exercise in public.

Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

Why? Embarrassed to exercise in public.
Don't get it.
The best advice I have is: do what you want. Make decisions because you want to feel comfortable with yourself.
A simple question: Do you feel bad? Do you feel sick or odd?
I have friends who like to be BIG, have friends who are "OBESE" that want to gain more.
I have had friends that weren't comfortable in their own skin, I always motivated them to get their goal, as long as they took the decition themselves.
It is the worst when you do something you don't want.
Like trying to loose weight but you like to EAT. Or let's say EAT FAST FOOD, it doesn't even need to be fast food, you could be a gourmet that enjoys too much food.
If you relate to what I said earlier—if you truly enjoy eating and food is a source of happiness—then imposing diets just to meet external standards may not be right for you. This can lead to frustration, unhappiness, or even a harmful cycle of losing and regaining weight. The main message: choose what makes you happy and comfortable with yourself.

There's a few things like stop smoking and cut back on drinking if these are things you do. The dietary changes are that bad either. Cutting out saturated and trans fats, eating more omega-3 fatty acids, up your fiber, and (if you aren't allergic or have dietary restrictions) get more whey protein in your life.

That's hardly a life of sad food. You can eat a lot of really good food that fits that criteria.

The big problem seems to be exercising. And I get it. It's hard to start something that you don't wanna start - especially if you are embarrassed. But that's the cool thing! There's no one way to get exercise. You can get yourself a Wii and play Let's Dance. You can get a Fitbit and join their fitness community. There are fitness classes out there made with plus-sized women in mind. Hell, you can even get you a treadmill and walk on it while you watch your shows.

Lotta options out there. You just have to make it fun.

Work on your discipline instead of finding a motivation. Motivation comes and goes but discipline you will have to force yourself to do it. Would be great if you can write a plan so you can tick it off or give yourself a sticker for a task well done, whatever makes you feel accomplished. AI can help you with a plan and Reddit may have some subs that you find appealing.

Exercise wise, in addition to what has already been said on this thread, take up a physical hobby/sport even if it's an hour a week and at a leisurely pace. Something to keep you 'motivated' 😊.

Motivation gets you started. Habit keeps you going. 💪🏿💪🏿

i found myself in a similar situation last year.... cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure - the full monty! i was daunted by the changes that might be required, too.

don't panic, you don't have to boil the ocean - you will just have to make some measured changes. first, take stock of you are consuming now, and address the biggest offenders.

for me, the first thing was alcohol. that was tough because it was a part of my habits and lifestyle, but cutting that out was probably the single biggest help. i am not a teetotaler now, but i drink very little, very irregularly. not drinking beer also improved my eating habits, oddly enough, as i would often eat less-than-healthy food while drinking.

then look at the things that you eat most regularly. what are the biggest contributors? mine were pizza and fast food. i still eat pizza and fast food, but far more occasionally whereas they were staples before. i made small changed, like milk instead of cream in coffee. i am lucky to have a partner who is very creative with meals, so even though we've made changes, i don't feel bad at all about them, and rarely find myself missing things (i still get a twinge for tiramisu from time to time)

working out was tough for me, too. having a buddy who can motivate me was key for me. and i am still not great, and often skip sessions. but i'm doing something, at least - more than nothing.

my results are much improved this year. i lost some weight as a result, but i am still plenty fat and over 400 lbs.

you can do it, it doesn't have to be really hard, just take on one change at a time, don't beat yourself up.