Cholesterol

[cmbyrd50]

Hi all, I have a question for you maybe you can help me.
I've not changed much about this diet expect climbing the ladder.
My weight loss is much slower but it continues to come off.
I just had blood work done and my cholesterol went up to 251 bad cholesterol is 177.
I rarely eat bacon, I use pats of butter, Pam for cooking, very little olive oil, I do use Maries Dressings and Mayonnaise. I eat little steak because it's so high in calories. My Carbs are up to 50 per day. Eat alot of salad bars.
Has anyone experienced their cholesterol going up.
I eat good. I'm not a junk food eater. Greens, fish, chicken etc.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks
Colleen

[ttdriver]

Re: Cholesterol

What are your other numbers (HDL, triglycerides?)

You need to know all the numbers to accurately assess the results.

I would suggest you try taking some flush-free niacin (available at Walmart) which will raise your good cholesterol (HDL) while lowering the LDL. Two capsules a day will really help your numbers.

Betty

[cmbyrd50]

Re: Cholesterol

I don't know what the #'s are but I'll go and get a copy of the bloodwork first of the week.

I have heard of niacin doing that. interesting....
I wondering how come since the Atkins diet is so big on lowering cholesterol.
Do you know why?
thanks for your reply

[Sherri]

Re: Cholesterol

Hi cmbyrd50! Sometime genetics play a role in our cholesterol #. I don't know how old you are and if high cholesterol runs in your family history. It may be worth checking into. Betty is right about the niacin! Also another good supplement for cholesterol numbers is Red Yeast Rice. It has the same active ingrediant that mevacore(statin) has in it. Best not to take if your doctor has you on a statin already. Red Yeast Rice is very effective on it's own on getting numbers down as far as LDL,and total cholesterol. Also helps raise HDL numbers. Red Yeast Rice is native of China and has been used since 800 A.D. It's not intended for women who are pregnant or lactating and those with liver disease. Always consult your physician before taking any kind of supplement for it may counteract other medications you may be taking. Also exercising helps raise HDL and help Cholesterol #. Hope this helps shine a light on your questions. Best of health to you and yours!

[mitzimarie]

Re: Cholesterol

Hi, Colleen

Sorry to hear about your cholesterol numbers.

Sherri raises an excellent point... many times, high cholesterol is a result of genetics and not necessarily what you are eating. Atkins is usually a very effective way to lower cholesterol. Tell me, did you fast for 12 hours before the test? When was the last time you had blood work done?

I've only had a complete blood count done once before... it was in the summer of 2004 after being on Atkins for about 9 months and losing 60 pounds. My numbers were great... total cholesterol at 123 and bad cholesterol at about 70. Trouble is, since I had never had it done before, I had nothing to compare it to, so I don't know if it went up, down, or remained the same. Last Friday, I had a complete physical and complete blood count done after fasting for 12 hours, and I have an appointment to discuss the results a week from today. I am very curious to see what the numbers are.

Something did happen at that physical and earlier in the week when I went for my yearly PAP and mammogram that has thrown me for a loop... my blood pressure was waaaay too high. I had not had trouble before with blood pressure. In fact, I was sitting in the waiting room of my gynocologist feeling rather smug, because I had lost 38 pounds since the end of February and exercise daily and just knew that everything was going to look great. They told me that a single high reading was nothing to be alarmed about and they wanted me to go to a place like a drug store that has those blood pressure machines and check my blood pressure daily and let my primary care physician know what my numbers had been when I went for my physical. The stupid numbers were high every day, and that Friday when I went, the nurse said my pressure was 160/90. My doctor is 100% pro-Atkins, so I knew he would give me a straight answer when I asked him why my pressure was up when I thought Atkins would be good for lowering pressure. He said high blood pressure can be hereditary and to absolutely stay on Atkins. We will talk in more detail when I go back for results next Thursday.

I guess my point to all of this is... it could very well be in your genes and not from the Atkins WOE. Please post all of your numbers when you get them. I am very interested to know what is going on with you. I will come back to this thread and let y'all know my info, too, if you are interested.

Did they just give you the results over the phone, or by mail? Will you get to talk to your doctor in person about them? Do you know your doctor's feelings about Atkins? Let us know, OK?

[cmbyrd50]

Re: Cholesterol

Mitzi, Please let me know about what happened at the Doc's.
My Blood pressure went down. It was UP due to anxiety. My husband is disabled so I have allot of anxiety that way. He put me on meds which I hate but it was 185/120.
Your bottom # is not so good. That's stress. So Since it's not your weight, or excess fluid in your body?, then it has to be anxiety which is easy for all of us to have in life.
I'm 56 yrs old. Am a Massage Therapist and believe me I get plenty of exercise!. My weight loss on the scale is slow tho and that's discouraging. I finally threw away my 14's and 12's. 10's don't fit too well yet but the 12's looked ridiculous-like riding pants!! (I'm not complaining )
Anyway, I haven't gotten my #'s yet and will get them today! Been working.
What is it I have to look at? Betty mentioned LDL and Triglycerides. I'll post what I see when I get a copy today.
I bought the Red Yeast Rice and am taking that now. No Niacin yet>
THANKS FOR ALL HELP REGARDING THIS>
Please let us know about your BP.

[sallyseachange]

Re: Cholesterol

My cholesterol went up quite a lot after a few months on Atkins, but it was the total that went up. My LDL was down and My HDL up... making the risk ratio very good. My doc was very pleased with the results and advocated that I continue eating as I was (plenty of eggs, cream, cheese!).

I'm told that menopause pushes cholesterol numbers up naturally.

Actually, I read around a bit and now no longer believe that high cholesterol is bad for your heart health. I think there's a huge amount of misinformation about it.

What is bad for heart health is hydrogenated fat (trans fats). If you eat natural fats you'll be fine.

Also, diet has little to do with cholesterol numbers, in that your body adapts to your fat intake and produces more or less choleserol.

Exercise is a good way to lower the numbers, if you feel you want to.

Sorry... am not very good at the "science" of this... or explaining it!

[not2late]

Re: Cholesterol

I agree with everyone else, you have to know the rest of the panel in order to make good sense of it.

Also when we breakdown our body fat, our triglycerides might increase because of that broken down body fat.

[speedyturtle]

Re: Cholesterol

What was it before you started? sorry if I missed that answer from you. Just curious

[mitzimarie]

Re: Cholesterol

Mitzi, Please let me know about what happened at the Doc's.

I'm back

I have already posted this in the STAC Forum and in the Labor Day Challenge thread. I'm sorry about the triple posting... We've been discussing this in a few places and I didn't want to miss anyone.

Doc's appointment went very well today. He said that my blood pressure is not quite high enough to start meds yet. He is afraid that they would make it go too low. He advised me to get a blood pressure monitor for my home, and if it gets to be consistently at or over 140/90, to come back in. I was at 138/82 today. He said to continue to eat exactly the way I have been eating (he loves Atkins!). He also said to watch my sodium intake, take a magnesium supplement, and exercise, exercise, exercise.

OK - cholesterol numbers. He was very excited about them and said that they were great. Here goes:

Total Cholesterol is 115. The limits are 100-199.
Triglycerides are 49. The limits are 0-149.
HDL Cholesterol is 43. The limits are 40-59. (I'd like this to be a little higher)
VLDL Cholesterol is 10. The limits are 5-40. (I've never heard of this?)
LDL Cholesterol is 62. The limits are 0-99.

Blood sugar was great, urine was great, lungs are clear, heart is normal size, everything else checked out perfect. My thyroid medication (Cytomel for low T3) is doing the job.

I want to take this opprotunity to urge everyone, newbies especially, to get your numbers done. I had only done this once before, in the summer of 2004, after I had been on Atkins for about 10 months and lost 60 pounds. They were good, then, too. Total was 123 and HDL was 41. But, since I had never done them before I changed my WOE, I had nothing to compare them to and don't know how Atkins may have affected my numbers. Were they terrible before or did it make them higher or did it not affect it at all? Who knows... I'm just glad they are good now. I'm sure that it could be a helpful thing to know, though.

Colleen, I asked him if it were true that cholesterol is more determined by heredity than by diet. He said yes... that it is 75% heredity and 25% what you eat. Is there a history of high cholesterol in either side of your family? And do you have any previous numbers to compare them to?

[cmbyrd50]

Re: Cholesterol

Yes High Cholesterol runs in my family. And I do believe being my age is going against me too.
I haven't been able to get a copy of my blood test cause of work but the #'s were 30 over the highest level aloud. And that was for both LDL and Total Cholesterol.
so that's kinda high. Cholesterol was 251.
So I don't know.... I bought the Red yeast Rice and will be taking that everyday. Gonna go get me some B Vitamins also. I really don't take anything and should. especially Calcium. Niacin will be in the B's so maybe that will help.
I don't eat really high fatty foods but I don't skimp either. If I pigged out on bacon and sausage I could see it but I don't. I eat lean meats etc. little cheese not much.
so I'll just wait and see how it goes with the Red Yeast Rice and also I do too
believe it's not so bad 251 but the LDL I don't like it being 30 over limit aloud.
Thanks for all your help.

[Sherri]

Re: Cholesterol

Hi Colleen, Glad you took me up on my suggestion of the Red Yeast Rice. I believe you will be pleasantly suprised by your results of using it. Best of health to you and yours. Sincerely, Sherri