Hi everyone,

I haven't posted at this forum before, but have on the General and Recipe boards.

I found out today that a few of my cholesterol numbers are very high and am a bit concerned. I wanted to get some feedback from others.

I am 38, F, a non-smoker presently (quit "social" smoking 10 years ago), my blood pressure is fine, I don't have any history of heart disease in my family, and I have about 10-15 more pounds to lose before I will be at an ideal weight.

I did Atkins 3 years ago before I got pregnant, stopped when I found out I was pregnant, and then resumed about 4 months ago. I've done Induction twice now in order to kick start things and get into ketosis. So far it's going well.

I have never had my cholesterol checked before in my entire life, so I have nothing to compare these numbers to. Here are the numbers I was given from my doctor's office today:

Total: 265 (desirable: less than 200; mine is considered "high")
HDL (good type): 56 (desirable: higher than 40; close to 60 best) mine are very good!
LDL (bad type): 199 (desirable: less than 100; mine is considered "very high")
Triglycerides: 63 (desirable: less than 100) mine are great!

The only thing my doc said (thru his MA) is to cut out the fatty foods, eat more leafy veggies, and to have my cholesterol checked again in another 3 months or so. (Keep in mind he referred to the Atkins diet as "crap" when I saw him for my physical a week ago, but we've all commiserated on how the traditional medical establishment feels about low carbing so I'm not going to get on my soap box about it right now. LOL.)

Now, I know that my triglycerides are good as are my HDL. In fact, the Atkins for Life book said that the combo of good numbers in these two areas are very important indeed. In fact it says "A good indicator of heart health is the combination of high HDL cholesterol and low triglycerides" p. 55). He also says "So long as you're not gaining weight, you're NOT eating too much fat, meaning you ARE eating a good balance of fat, protein, and carbs." also p. 55).

However, I am still worried about the overall number and LDL being so high. I admit, I am not one for a lot of physical exercise; I have a two year old so I get a lot of it running after her (LOL). But honestly, I am not an overly active person and don't anticipate becoming one unless it was life threatening.... I really don't enjoy exercise. I prefer to watch what I eat, take vitamins, drink lots of water, etc. Still, not being overly active is the only "risk factor" I have according to a national cholesterol website I found while researching today. I scored very low on something called the Framingham Point Scale for overall risk of heart disease (less than 1% chance in 10 years if my numbers stayed the same).

Still, with all of that said, should I be freaking about these numbers? How I can continue Atkins if I have to cut out the "fatty foods?" I know not all fats are created equal, but are there certain things I should avoid completely (like Pork Rinds, for example, and butter)? Or should I continue to eat as I have been (following Induction meaning 20 gr/carbs a day, which includes meats, moderate amt of cheeses, veggies, and fat from things like salad dressings, butter on my veggies, cream in my decaf, pork rinds, etc.)?

I know the Atkins' books talk about how some people can experience a rise in LDL on the diet, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad really--- especially since my TRIG and HDL numbers are so good. Should I just ride it out a while and see what my numbers are next time? Should I try to modify my diet making it a bit lower in fats AND still low carb (not much fun at all!) Would the rest of my weight coming off help taper the "bad" numbers a bit maybe? By then, I'll move on to Maintenance and the things I'll be eating will be a bit more balanced (like more fruit, more veggies, a bit less fat perhaps-- I'm probably eating more fat than normally (in fact I know I am) because Induction can be tough at times and knowing I can snack on pork rinds or celery with cream cheese to get past a craving or mid-afternoon hunger is very helpful).

Please help with your thoughts, opinions, etc. because I obviously can't talk to my doc about this considering how he feels about low carbing.

TIA for your thoughts. Sorry this is so long.

Jill in Phoenix, AZ

Have a look at this thread and all the links that are contained in the posts.

Cholesterol and understanding it's numbers?

It's too bad that you didn't get your ratios checked before low-carbing. Anyway, the advice in the above link is excellent.

Karen

Thanks Karen.

The thread has some good info in it. It basically confirmed what I've already read--- that my "bad" numbers ARE too high. However, I am still wondering what to do regarding my diet.

From what I've read in Atkins' books, some people do find their overall and LDL cholesterols rise during the Induction phase, but by the Maintenance level, they have dropped. I would assume it's because, by then, you are eating more balanced meals and not as much fat in general.

I am hoping to drop the remaining pounds by sticking with Induction 4-6 more weeks or so and then progress to the more balanced phases. So I am really doubting that few more weeks is going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things with regards to my cholesterol (especially since I am not in any other high risk groups for heart disease). After all, if I hadn't found out about my cholesterol levels I wouldn't be considering doing anything different anyway.

I will, however, wait to get my C checked again until it's been at least a month or so since (1) the weight is off and (2) I'm well-established in the Maintenance level. Hopefully all will be normal by then. (Keep in mind I don't know if my levels were even higher pre-LC, which makes it hard to know if they've gone up, stayed the same, or are actually lower than before).

The bottom line is that I feel compelled to continue on with Induction for just a short while longer to achieve my relatively small WL goal. Hopefully the WL, in general, will help my C levels, plus having the more balanced Maintenance levels.

I do appreciate any thoughts anyone has on this topic. Does my plan sound like a good one? Or should I try to cut way back on fat now?

Thanks for your input.

Jill