re: I need to lower my cholesterol

From what I understand there is a lot of new science about cholesterol. Your body actually makes more cholesterol than you could possibly eat, I think like 80% of the cholesterol in your blood is produced by your liver.

The new thought is that some people are just more susectsble to high cholesterol diets, so say maybe your body just doesn't do a great job at regulating your internal cholesterol levels.

For your own health I'd drop at least 20lbs, not sure how muscular you are, and begin a cardio regime. Start eating more HDL foods cut back on the sugar and carbs. Eat lots of fiber.

Go back to the doctor and get your blood retested. 6 months of high cholesterol at your age won't kill you. If it's still high, go on the statins.

I was 31, 5'9" 175lbs and had high cholesterol. I cleaned up my diet and started working in a cardio routine again and I was fine the next visit.

Also fried foods have the stigma to them because everything used to be fried in lard. A lot of stuff is fried in peanut oil now, which is high in good fats. Peanut butter just gets a bad rap because most stuff on the shelf also has salt and sugar. I saw a Dutch study in which the people ate unsaturated fats instead of carbs and lowered there cholesterol. It's quite possible a fried chicken breast(with little or no breading) is better for you than a grilled chicken sandwhich on a bun.