Bebe, tossing a couple extra data points at you:

Some people respond well to statins. Some people respond VERY well to statins. I normally have high (~240) cholesterol, which came up when I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes. Reading about statins scared me, so I tried diet and exercise, and after months of effort got my level down to ~230. 🙄 After going on statins I've been 150-170, and my HDLs are good. But as my doctor says, my body REALLY likes statins.

For carbs, also pay attention to the TYPE of carb. Check out "glycemic index" online. So for me, say, fresh French bread (all processed white flour) messes up my blood sugar, but whole grain bread much less. I hardly touch white rice 😫 but I've learned to love whole grains as a substitute. 😋

I like your attitude of "I understand what research says, but my body is telling me this." (Matches my own outlook, of course! 😉 )

Good luck! 💚