Oh my dear God!! I got my cholesterol results back today. I'm thinking maybe this WOE isn't right for me? I have never ever ever had a cholesterol reading over 204. Yesterday I fasted and had it checked well over 12 hours since eating the night before.

It was 235!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy S**t!

I don't know what it was in December when I started this WOE, I wish I had known what it was. Was it actually higher? How long after starting this WOE does it start to go down? MAN!

I'm bummed big time. I just can't believe how high it is. I have a huge family history of DM, strokes, and heart attacks. No one in my family has ever had cancer, it's the heart things that kill them, or the DM that starts it all. I am just flabbergasted!

I did a very planned cheat today. I don't think I'm in ketosis most of the time. I just think the sticks are throwing off fat from dinner when I check in the morning. I began to suspect this about 3 days ago when I ate 2 slices of pizza, and about 10 M&M's and a few litttle fruit flavored candies that resemble red-hots. I didn't have ANY stomach cramping or ill effects from it, but the strip in the morning still showed I was in ketosis. I also only gained a total of .5 pounds with that cheat. The first time I cheated, I thought I was going to die from the stomach cramping and bloating. I had no color on my strip for 3 days, and felt listless and tired and muscle achey all the next day. This last time I didn't have any of that.

So today was a potluck at my office. When I went in, I decided I was going to do a little experiment. I ate everything! Chips, fritos, a sloppy-joe WITH the bun, a piece of cake, and later a cupcake, some macaroni salad. I did it up good. You know what?? Not a stomach cramp to be felt. Not a thing. For dinner I figured what the hell I blew it already and know I have to go back to induction after lunch and had General Tso's chicken, fried rice and a spring roll. AHHHHHH chinese never tasted sooooo good. Again not a cramp, not an ill feeling what-so-ever.

The main reason for the test is to see how much weight I gain in the morning. After my first cheat christmas eve, and again on new years eve, I had all those symptoms, and gained 5 pounds both times. I realize I had quite a bit of salt, but if I only have a 1-2 pound gain, I'll know I wasn't in ketosis, and it was from salt, not glucose water gain, and probably haven't been in ketosis for well over a week or maybe even 2. That may be the reason for NO weight loss for nearly that length of time.

So I'm going back on induction tomorrow. I gotta get a handle on where I'm going and what I want to do. Now I'm really scared about the cholesterol thing, and I haven't even been eating high fat like some people do. I have maybe 1 or 2 meals a week that AREN'T chicken, and the rest of the time it's chicken of some sort. I'd hate to see my results if I ate like some people do with bacon 3-4 slices a day, burgers nearly every day, sausage, hot dogs etc, all the mayo, butter, oil. I don't use all that stuff for the most part. Maybe a 1/4T of butter on each serving of veggies and that's it.

I'm just so ticked!! And shocked!! Utterly blown away!!!

Okay, first of all, what is your HDL, LDL and triglycerides? Without them, the total cholesterol number is meaningless.

How long is it since your last reading, and what was your HDL etc then?

Also, I'd suggest you have a read of the "sticky" about understanding cholesterol and its numbers at the top of this forum.

And lastly, have a read of the info here. I think you'll find it to be greatly reassuring.

Rosebud

I ment to post the whole results last night, but it was 1:30am and was too lazy to walk downstairs and get them. Here they are.

Chol- 237 (200-239 Borderline High)
Triglicerides-73 (below 250 low risk)
HDL-44 (below 40-low--high risk) (above 59-high--low risk)

total chol/HDL- 5.4 (below 4.5-low risk)
LDL-178 (168-189 High) (below 100 optimal)

my iron was fine, my CBC was fine although my HgB showed how well hydrated I am lol. My thyroid is still borderline line low on the TSH, but I don't know if he will treat it or not?

Looks like I better get to exercising more and get the good cholesterol up and the bad down huh? I wish I could find my results from a year ago!

It's really hard to determine anything without having last year's profile. Your triglycerides are excellent. Your HDL is fine, you just need that LDL to come down a bit. Ideally, you'd want it under 100. The ratio isn't great (less than 3.7 is below average risk), but I'd save that report somewhere safe and then have another done after 6 months of eating this way and compare. It's really the only way to know if there will be any problems for you eating this way.

Also, in this way of eating, it is important to eat the fats. If you are maintaining adequate caloric intake and eating mostly protein, you aren't doing yourself any favors. But, the better fats are definitely, well...better. Avocados, olive oil, fish, etc.

I don't have any personal experience with cholesterol rates on this diet. I only just started, but I've got an exceptional profile to start with, so I'll be anxious to see if this tarnishes it at all. Lots of people have had improved lab scores, however. I'll be getting that test with you in 6 months and we can compare notes.

"The main reason for the test is to see how much weight I gain in the morning."

Huh? What was the point of this? Reminds me of smokers who, after quitting, then 'test' themselves with having a cigarette. Guess what usually happens after that.

If you grasp that refined sugar and flour are empty, nutrition-less etc. and trans fats dangerous, why on earth would you do a 'planned cheat' that included this stuff (fritos, cake etc)?

Have you read anything on the Cholesterol Myth? You seem to believe that eating less fat should mean better cholesterol readings. Some medical folks believe the opposite, and recent research appears to show this as well...a higher intake of fat, in the absence of high carbs, improves the good cholesterol markers.

Val

Hullo again Nursey,

Did you read the link I gave you? If you did, you'll see that a cholesterol count for women of 200 to 240 is completely normal.

Have a look at the links and info in this post from Doreen for more reassurance:


Cheers.

Rosebud

Kathy-

I'd kill for your HDL or your TG numbers, & I'm on 20mg Lipitor daily. I'd say don't sweat it, test again in 6 months, and see where you stand then.Stay away from those Fritos, though- once you start down the dark path, forever will it rule your destiny -sorry, Star Wars was on TV

Mark

Nursey....you have to look at your total cholesterol number not just the Total cholesterol. You numbers are not all that bad. I would give things another three months and go from there. You also said you have a significant family history of heart disease and diabetes.....all the more reason to stick with this program. Sometime though genetics will take over and no matter what you do or don't do....your numbers (cholesterol numbers) will not change significantly. For instance....you could eat high fat/high carbs or Low carbs/high protein/mod to low fat and your numbers would not change significantly. So really take a look at your family history and make note of it. One other thing....this is a Way Of Life...a change of lifestyle for ever!!!!! Not a quick weight loss thing. Granted, I want to lose weight too but I also want to be eating the best that I can be. I have never felt better in my life. I don't have a lot of weight to lose....started at 167 28 days ago and I have lost 10 pounds already....but by sticking to the program and exercising diligently...it has produced positive results. And don't expect to gorge yourself on food one day just to see if you gain weight. If you totally over eat one day....the total weight gain will not show up the next day....it is just not possible. It may show up in two or more days...but not the morning after. Hang in there. This is a great board for support. Also check out http://www.eatprotein.com. I have found their discussion board very helpful and more easy to find the info and support I need. The info is concise and to the point....the members are awesome and so knowledgable. Good Luck!!!

Also, the latest medical info is that one critical marker for cardiovascular events is not LDL, but c-reactive protein. Women with low LDL but high crp are very likely to be at risk. You shold be able to get this measured if you are worried.

Val

I think more studies need to be done on C-reactive proteins.....and also cortisol levels in people with risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease....just my opinion. I think a total cholesterol profile with a significant family history should be able to give a physician enough info to diagnosis a person as a risk. I think the c-reactive proteins or also a cortisol level would come in handy in other situations.

Maybe so. I was basing my remarks on the following 2002 study.


Val
.....................................

In a landmark study likely to alter federal guidelines for cardiovascular disease detection, researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have shown that a simple and inexpensive blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP), a substance produced in the liver when arteries become inflamed, is a more powerful predictor of a person's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke than screening based on LDL cholesterol.

The eight year-long study of 27,939 women, which appears in the November 14th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was the largest research effort to date specifically designed to address how CRP measurement might help physicians better identify those at high risk for heart disease.

"The data represents a fundamental shift in our thinking about cardiovascular disease and its prevention," said Paul Ridker, MD, Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the BWH and lead author of the study. "It is no longer acceptable for physicians to focus solely on cholesterol since the evidence is overwhelming that those with low cholesterol but high CRP are in fact a very high-risk group."

Ridker estimates that approximately 25 percent of the United States population has elevated CRP levels, but normal to low levels of cholesterol. This means that millions of Americans may be unaware that they are at increased risk for future heart problems, even if they are routinely screened for elevated cholesterol.

Of the women studied who eventually suffered from heart disease, more than half had cholesterol levels considered low by current treatment guidelines. However, when CRP evaluation was added to the cholesterol screen, the great majority of these high risk individuals were identifiable many years before they had a first cardiovascular event.

"In our study we found that individuals with high CRP but low cholesterol levels were actually at higher risk than those with high cholesterol levels but low CRP," Ridker explained. "Yet such individuals are routinely missed by current screening procedures."

The new data also shows for the first time that measuring CRP clearly adds important prognostic information beyond that achievable with traditional approaches to risk assessment.

"This study provides strong evidence that CRP should be routinely considered along with standard cholesterol evaluation," said Nader Rifai, PhD, co-author of the study and the Director of Clinical Chemistry at Children's Hospital in Boston. "Screening for CRP and cholesterol will give doctors a much fuller picture of a person's risk for future heart problems."

The current study also squarely underscores what Ridker and other researchers have suspected for years: low-grade inflammation within the body is a fundamental cause of cardiovascular disease and leads to a weakening and rupture of the arterial plaques which result in heart attacks and strokes.

"I believe measurement of CRP should be seriously evaluated as a part of our strategy for global risk prediction," said Sidney Smith, MD, former President of the Amercian Heart Association. "The impact of this study, when added to existing information, makes the CRP story very compelling."

Ridker’s research group has previously demonstrated that statins, a class of drugs currently used to lower cholesterol, have the additional benefit of lowering CRP levels and have anti-inflammatory properties. Ridker cautions, though, that more research needs to be conducted to assess what role statins should play in the cardiovascular health of those with high CRP, and hopes to launch a clinical trial soon to explore statin therapy as a treatment for elevated CRP.

"Until further research is conducted, the best way to maintain good cardiovascular health is through smoking cessation, exercise, and a healthy diet," added Ridker.

When someone goes on a big cheat, why do they think it will show up the next day? I read somewhere it takes at least 2-3 days before a big cheat shows up. That is what happens for me, if I cheat on a weekend, it does not show up until Wednesday at least.

Rosebud,

Thank you so much for your the references about cholesterol. I enjoyed reading them.