I'm sure it felt very good to get such great feedback from your doc regarding your weight, congrats on that! :-) Looks like you now have a new goal to work towards. I bet you can at least double his twenty pound recommendation in six months. As for the cholesterol, lots of fiber. The more fiber you have pushing through your colon the less time fats get to hang out down there, and the less likely that they will make there way through the colon wall and into your blood stream. They also sell over the counter all natural garlic pills that can help control cholesterol levels, I would try it. You are doing amazing, and most certainly headed in the right direction. Like your doc said, keep up the good work!!