Congrats! I just had bloodwork done in February and my cholesterol was down to 189. My last bloodtest before that was done about 7 years' prior, and it was 249.....pretty much borderline high cholesterol. My diet has changed a bit, but I still tend to eat "crappy" foods from time to time.....just not nearly as often. My doctor said the garlic supplements I take daily do nothing ("there's no scientific evidence"), but over the years during periods of not exercising and eating like crap, I could tell a real difference in blood circulation, particularly when sleeping. During my worst periods, I'd have trouble sleeping at night because my arms would go numb from sleeping with my arm under my pillow, under my head while on my side (a fairly "standard" sleeping position). Taking garlic helped allieviate this problem. Obviously now, with my cholesterol significantly reduced, I don't have that issue anymore.
I've also found that depriving yourself of the foods you want all the time just leads to an eventual breakdown and then start chowing like mad. I'm not saying eat junk food all the time, but moderation and common sense is the key.