[tony0611]

Today I am angry and in self doubt about my meals

Today I went in for another HBA1C and Lipid profile test, since my wife was getting some tests done at the Lab

Results compared to a month back

Deterioration in results
My total cholesterol has gone up to 214 from 190. LDL has blasted off the roof to 163 from 133 and Triglycerides also increased a bit to 133 from 122

Improvements :
HDL increased to 40 up from 36. Finally in the 40's (good range)
HbA1c dropped to 5.7 down from 5.9

Is the LCHF failing in my case ? I am down to under 50 gms of carbs a day ? I am definitely having a lot of fat, maybe I have overdone it. I just thought it was safe.

Cholesterol going up by 25 points and LDL by 30 points in a month definitely indicates something is seriously wrong in my diet. I am still exercising and lost another 4 kgs (9 lbs) in the last month

Here are some of the things I that are my sources of fat and maybe cholesterol

1. Peanut butter (2 table spoons a day)
2. Mayonnaise (2 table spoons a day)
3. Almonds (10)
4. Cottage cheese (maybe about 100 gms a day) not everyday but maybe 4-5 days a week
5. Regular processed Cheese (about 50 gms)
6. 1-2 egg cheese Omelette
7. Chicken / Meat

What the hell do I do ??

I am going mad. I cant eat carbs because of BG. I cant eat fat because of cholesterol. I cant eat too much protein either.

Something is seriously wrong...

 

[lia]

Here's a page from the Harvard site that says the saturated fats raise cholesterol.

Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good - What Should I Eat? - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

They lump coconut oil in the saturated fat list, but I think someone here said it is an exception and doesn't belong in the list.

The first thing I tried when I found out I had diabetes was a high fat diet. It was a disaster for me, but most of the fats were saturated, like dairy. In about 6 months I started to lose circulation in my arms. I was horrified, got off that diet, and so far haven't felt like going back. Fortunately the damage reversed, but that is a story.

And I just found a page going the other way, and still had time to edit this post.

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/01/does-dietary-saturated-fat-increase.html

 

[tony0611]

Here's a page from the Harvard site that says the saturated fats raise cholesterol.

Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good - What Should I Eat? - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

They lump coconut oil in the saturated fat list, but I think someone here said it is an exception and doesn't belong in the list.

The first thing I tried when I found out I had diabetes was a high fat diet. It was a disaster for me, but most of the fats were saturated, like dairy. In about 6 months I started to lose circulation in my arms. I was horrified, got off that diet, and so far haven't felt like going back. Fortunately the damage reversed, but that is a story.

I thought cheese, full fat milk, mayo, butter were my friends ?

 

[muck]

Perhaps you may need to give the diet more time ?

Sent from my iPhone using Diabetes

 

[tony0611]

Perhaps you may need to give the diet more time ?

Sent from my iPhone using Diabetes

I have been seeing a steady rise for three months now. My cholestrol dropped for two months but has been rising for the last three months..

Aug LDL - 184
Oct LDL - 122
Nov LDL - 133
Dec LDL - 163

Over the last 2-3 months I have reduced my carbs further and added more fat

 

[Spunky]

According to your signature, things were going great with your lipids from August through November, but something has changed in the last month. Maybe a change in your diet?

One good thing is if you compare your August numbers to December's, they are all much better.

I thought cheese, full fat milk, mayo, butter were my friends ?

If they weren't your friends, your numbers between August and November would have stayed the same or gone in the wrong direction.

 

[jwags]

How long have you been doing LC/HF diet? It takes most of us 6-12 months to get better numbers. When you first start a LC diet, your body is purging itself of fats and they will be present in your blood. This does not mean the diet is not working. In fact the important thing is that your HDL is going up and HbA1c is going down. I wouldn't worry about the other numbers now.

 

[Spunky]

How long have you been doing LC/HF diet? It takes most of us 6-12 months to get better numbers. When you first start a LC diet, your body is purging itself of fats and they will be present in your blood. This does not mean the diet is not working. In fact the important thing is that your HDL is going up and HbA1c is going down. I wouldn't worry about the other numbers now.

I appreciate having this information. My husband has been taking a statin for a few years and he refuses to stop taking it until the doc says his cholesterol is low enough. In August his cholesterol was 219, in November it was 200 and I have been concerned that it has been taking so long for it to come down to a good number. But his A1c keeps going down and his HDL keeps going up, so I guess I need to have more patience.

 

[Will-Sandy]

Cholesterol is such a slow fight to bring it down, took a while for me

 

[canadiandude]

Tony, I believe that both Spunky and jwags are correct in regard to your numbers and as well with your diet. LCHF is definitely the right diet, but it does take time for your body to adjust. You've been on it long enough to know that it's not always going to be sunshine and roses. The truly important trig numbers are going in the right direction and that's good. Remember my theory about the body need an adjustment period when losing so much weight in such a short time span... you'll lose up until a certain weight and then appear to stall. However, the stall is just your body saying that it needs time to readjust itself and then weight loss will continue. I think the same is true with trig numbers. My own numbers are ideal right now but i have also stalled in my weight loss. I should be upset that I've stalled at 80Kg for over a month now but I refuse to let it bother me. My body knows when its time to start losing again.

Your numbers will improve... be patient and accept that there may be sight increases on occasion. Why not wait until your next set of numbers before getting worried that something is wrong? It may not be a trend but instead be a one time thing.

 

[tony0611]

Well Thanks for your replies but how can I just ignore that my LDL has gone up by 40 points in 60 days.

Are you guys suggesting I do nothing about this ?

 

[skb]

There are many things I would like to say.
1. High Lipids MIGHT hurt you, high Sugars WILL.
2. It does take a longer time for the lipids to respond compared to BG.
3. Most of the tests in the profile are calculated & not measured.
4. IMHO your numbers are OK, certainly not alarming
5. The most important lipid ratio is ignored by the medical profession, especially in India. That is TG/HDL. Try to bring it under or as close to 2.0 and with LC/HF that will happen.

 

[Shanny]

Well Thanks for your replies but how can I just ignore that my LDL has gone up by 40 points in 60 days.

Are you guys suggesting I do nothing about this ?

That's exactly what I would suggest. Furthermore, I suggest you stop obsessing about the whole thing. Just eat your meals and let nature take its course. You already know LC/HF works because it worked to begin with, which wasn't so long ago. Supposedly you're in this for the long haul, so get busy with the "long haul" part.

You're a great asset on this board - you're inspirational & encouraging for others. So just simmer down & stop driving yourself to distraction. Keep eating what you eat, testing regularly, and STOP going for so many lab tests.We want to keep you around here for a long time - we don't like to see you making yourself miserable.

 

[tony0611]

That's exactly what I would suggest. Furthermore, I suggest you stop obsessing about the whole thing. Just eat your meals and let nature take its course. You already know LC/HF works because it worked to begin with, which wasn't so long ago. Supposedly you're in this for the long haul, so get busy with the "long haul" part.

You're a great asset on this board - you're inspirational & encouraging for others. So just simmer down & stop driving yourself to distraction. Keep eating what you eat, testing regularly, and STOP going for so many lab tests.We want to keep you around here for a long time - we don't like to see you making yourself miserable.

Yup you're right about me being obsessed. And I should not get so many lab tests done. I know that. It was just too tempted when I went to the lab yesterday with my wife for her test.

I am going to continue on LC have higher fat but will try to drop somethings I added to my diet like processed cheese (which I have been hogging for the last month may be the brand/quality) is bad. I'll also reduce the saturated fat a bit.

I agree LCHF is required but a minor tweak, maybe only for my satisfaction, is warranted....

Tony

 

[ColaJim]

processed cheese

Are you sure that your "processed cheese" is really related to cheese? Much of that stuff is mostly flavored hydrogenated vegetable oil with lots of bad trans-fats in it which can suffocate your cells so that your cells can not absorb the oxygen they need to burn fuel. This alone can make you fatter and weaker.

ColaJim

Yup you're right about me being obsessed. And I should not get so many lab tests done. I know that. It was just too tempted when I went to the lab yesterday with my wife for her test.

I am going to continue on LC have higher fat but will try to drop somethings I added to my diet like processed cheese (which I have been hogging for the last month may be the brand/quality) is bad. I'll also reduce the saturated fat a bit.

I agree LCHF is required but a minor tweak, maybe only for my satisfaction, is warranted....

Tony

 

[John.in.France]

Yup you're right about me being obsessed. And I should not get so many lab tests done. I know that. It was just too tempted when I went to the lab yesterday with my wife for her test.

I am going to continue on LC have higher fat but will try to drop somethings I added to my diet like processed cheese (which I have been hogging for the last month may be the brand/quality) is bad. I'll also reduce the saturated fat a bit.

I agree LCHF is required but a minor tweak, maybe only for my satisfaction, is warranted....

Tony

Tony,

Shanny and skb have already said it - you are worrying too much about your lipid profile.

Stick to the diet and your figures will sort themselves out. It may take a month or three, but you will find your HDL will climb, your Triglyerides will fall and the LDL will look after itself.

I also agree with ColaJim on Processed cheese. As soon as the chemists get their hands on a product - it becomes suspect. Judy and I stick to the rule that where possible we eat only full fat cheese from non pasteurised milk. Lucky for us, France has a wealth of those on offer.

Honest, guv! you are getting yourself wound up where you don't need to. You are on track to duplicate my lipid figures - but give it a month or two yet!

John
P.S. I forgot to add - saturated fat is not a dirty word - the advocates of low fat have deliberately pushed that idea with no real evidence to support it - rather like the idea that Cholesterol as a whole is a cause of heart disease. There is some evidence that triglycerides are associated with (note - not "a cause of") heart disease, but no scientific evidence supporting the "total cholesterol" ceiling of 200.
JY

 

[SerotoninSurfer]

Tony - here's a link to a I post about the results of recent study from the US Govt about how fat alone is not linked to scary heart issues, but rather fat and carbs together. Take a look at the post and read the report it links to and see what you think.
Best wishes,
Surfer
http://www.diabetesforum.com/diabetes-diet-nutrition/7421-study-saturated-fat-low-carb-diets.html

 

[Shanny]

Thanks for reviving this, Surfer . . .

 

[naynay]

Tony, I agree with the others who said quit obsessing! You can take your cholesterol and trigs every day and they will differ greatly! Also, your numbers are not that bad and your going in the right direction. If I freaked out every time my numbers have gone up and down I'd be a basket case by now (well, there are some who would say I am, but we don't listen to those voices ) Just stick to the plan and keep on doing what you've been doing. I get discouraged sometimes to, but that is why I log in to the forum and see what others are saying. Or, if I need a pat on the back, I just come here and vent. I always feel better after reading and posting. It gets things out of my head and onto the forum where I can deal with it with help from my friends.
It will all work out to your advantage in the end. Quit testing those lipids so often. Every 3-6 months is good enough. Also, full fat milk is not good for you...heavy cream is okay, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avacado, nuts all okay. However, don't OVERINDULGE in fat. Just because you can eat it doesn't mean you should be eating too much of it. It is all a balancing act and perhaps you are tipping the scale a little too much to the fat side. Also protein can be tipped too much as well. A little carb in your diet is okay as well; just don't go overboard with the ADA recommendations. It will all be okay. I know I've slid a little to the dark side lately, but I know I've got to get back to the light again. And, I am okay with it. Have my numbers been great? Nope. But, they haven't been horrible so I just need to start off fresh again. We are all here for you; don't be discouraged. You are doing great.

 

[lia]

Well Thanks for your replies but how can I just ignore that my LDL has gone up by 40 points in 60 days.

I knew someone who ignored his high blood pressure, and wound up with no blood pressure at all a short time later. I wouldn't want to ignore my test strip results either.

But maybe it does swing around a bit and doesn't need over reacting.

Shanny mentioned one time that her and her hubbie's results both improved on a high fat diet. Has that stayed on the good side of the line, or has it swung over?

I can't believe how much I like olive oil these days. My theory is that it must be dissolving cholesterol deposits or something. That would be one oil without any negatives I know of.

I'm still wondering about all this and there is a chance I'll be giving a high fat diet another try.

Edit: I just remembered there was another topic where someone followed their doctor's advice to lower his numbers, and they went up. So maybe it bounces around a bit. The title of the topic was something like 'right then, full fat it is' and it was probably in diabetes, but it might have been in diet and nutrition.