Biometric Results & Interesting Conversation w/ Nutritionist

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JohnnyLowCarb
JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
Our company invested in a Wellness program. They had the launch of the program today where they conducted a biometric screening and then had nutritionists on site to explain the results.

Due to this group and my research I was prepared, I knew what was coming.

My blood pressure was great, my weight was great (they couldnt believe I wanted to lose 10 more, but I am), Glucose (blood sugar) great (how can it not, i dont eat carbs), but my cholesterol was 243 mg/dl. Over the recommended max of 200.

So when the nuritionist sat me down and said "Does any of your results concern you" - I said "nope" (ok maybe not that sarcastic but it was a negative answer).

She said everything looks good but I am concerned about your cholesterol (knew it - I knew this was coming).

I said, I am not - she said but high cholesterol leads to heart disease....I countered and had her reeling with this "If I was here in November of 2016, I was 223 lbs - I am now 194. I was always tired, no energy. I committed myself to a Low Carb High Fat diet, I told her - You know the body makes 2,000 mg of cholesterol every day (she was now into a zone she rarely gets put into by clueless people) and if i ingest a higher proportion my body will make less. I went on to say my high fat comprises of good healthy fats".

She went on to say - but you need fruits, I said no, because fruits are a sugar. Carbs break down into sugar. The reason why I was 223#'s is because I was on a low fat diet and ate whole grains, she said it was the butter and cream cheese that made me not lose. I said - no - it was the carbs that spiked my insulin - causing me not burn my own body fat, and I said I think I am insulin resistant so any carb (ie fruits) will keep me from burning body fat.

She concluded by saying, you should keep doing what your doing and maybe consider a Mediterranean diet once I reached my ideal weight.

I will listen to the "keep doing what you have been doing" and forget the rest.

Bottom line: Know yourself, do the research! Anyone else have experiences like this?
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Replies

  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
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    Yes. My cholesterol changed almost exactly the same as yours between Dr visits. My LDL did go up quite a bit, but my VLDL (which is far more important to track) dropped by 40% which proves (at least to me) that the increase in LDL was in the large fluffy LDL that are actually helpful for my body.

    In terms of the workplace part, I was not so defiant as it was just a health fair, not something that was ongoing. At the time, I had actually dropped a bit below my target of 185 to 178. I had started at 223 also. They measured my BF% at 13.6, BP, BG, everything else was great. I got the, "you know that cholesterol is quite high. You need to cut back on the red meat." I just rolled my eyes. I'm a middle aged (assuming I will live into my 90's) man who weighs less than he did playing 9th grade football and with a lower BF% and better overall condition. And this woman who is a nurses assistant and is clearly not in good physical condition is going to tell ME what is healthy?
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    Our company invested in a Wellness program. They had the launch of the program today where they conducted a biometric screening and then had nutritionists on site to explain the results.

    Due to this group and my research I was prepared, I knew what was coming.

    My blood pressure was great, my weight was great (they couldnt believe I wanted to lose 10 more, but I am), Glucose (blood sugar) great (how can it not, i dont eat carbs), but my cholesterol was 243 mg/dl. Over the recommended max of 200.

    So when the nuritionist sat me down and said "Does any of your results concern you" - I said "nope" (ok maybe not that sarcastic but it was a negative answer).

    She said everything looks good but I am concerned about your cholesterol (knew it - I knew this was coming).

    I said, I am not - she said but high cholesterol leads to heart disease....I countered and had her reeling with this "If I was here in November of 2016, I was 223 lbs - I am now 194. I was always tired, no energy. I committed myself to a Low Carb High Fat diet, I told her - You know the body makes 2,000 mg of cholesterol every day (she was now into a zone she rarely gets put into by clueless people) and if i ingest a higher proportion my body will make less. I went on to say my high fat comprises of good healthy fats".

    She went on to say - but you need fruits, I said no, because fruits are a sugar. Carbs break down into sugar. The reason why I was 223#'s is because I was on a low fat diet and ate whole grains, she said it was the butter and cream cheese that made me not lose. I said - no - it was the carbs that spiked my insulin - causing me not burn my own body fat, and I said I think I am insulin resistant so any carb (ie fruits) will keep me from burning body fat.

    She concluded by saying, you should keep doing what your doing and maybe consider a Mediterranean diet once I reached my ideal weight.

    I will listen to the "keep doing what you have been doing" and forget the rest.

    Bottom line: Know yourself, do the research! Anyone else have experiences like this?

    We have a winner! :joy:
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    edited May 2017
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    The manufacturer's reps for Novartis, Amgen and Roche could be "experts" in their field yet have never experienced the effects of the oncology meds they represent.

    I am sure there are wine reps who don't drink but are "experts" at trade shows.

    On a more personal note, I am sure there are "experts" in this forum who suggest to others how to lose weight but may not have been successful themselves. Or people who have never lifted weights yet offer suggestions to others.

    Just playing devil's advocate to this:
    cstehansen wrote: »
    And this woman who is a nurses assistant and is clearly not in good physical condition is going to tell ME what is healthy?

  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
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    kpk54 wrote: »
    The manufacturer's reps for Novartis, Amgen and Roche could be "experts" in their field yet have never experienced the effects of the oncology meds they represent.

    I am sure there are wine reps who don't drink but are "experts" at trade shows.

    On a more personal note, I am sure there are "experts" in this forum who suggest to others how to lose weight but may not have been successful themselves. Or people who have never lifted weights yet offer suggestions to others.

    Just playing devil's advocate to this:
    cstehansen wrote: »
    And this woman who is a nurses assistant and is clearly not in good physical condition is going to tell ME what is healthy?

    You are correct. I probably crossed over the line with that comment and could have left it out.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    It's just as well to let the keto-bashers have a monopoly on inferring ignorance from body shape. For whatever reason, some of them seem to take a sadistic pleasure in ridiculing Jimmy Moore and any other LC proponent who's not cut like an Olympic decathlon champ....
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    I just did the wellness thing at work... The only things I got out of range, despite being sick with bronchitis were my BMI, which I knew would be out of range, my HDL was too low, and my trigs were too high, which were also on my last panel the same way, since my thyroid has been out of whack again... Since I was already of are of all the things "out of range," they weren't overly concerned, so no lectures.

    Luckily, the nutritionist and healthcare provider that were on site were knowledgeable enough to have a conversation, and to say that obviously I had a handle on my overall situation, and that the questions I asked were intelligent (thanks to THIS group!) and that I was beyond the scope of what they were there to handle.

    Oh, I forgot, I think my...hydration was low, too, as that was a different report we got on hand, labs came later. And oddly, my bone mass read as 6.2 pounds, which is about average for a woman of my age and height, if I weighed 165. My weight at the event (midday, etc.) was 286...

    So, now I might have to go through bone density screening or something, because I've been on an D3/K2 protocol for over a year now, almost 2 years, I think, and that should definitely be higher, especially considering I'm not of dainty frame... LOL
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    Oh well done @JohnnyLowCarb ...wish I could have been a fly on the wall during that conversation. At any rate, reading your paraphrased conversation totally had me cracking up! :D
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    LOL Me too. Congratulations!
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Anytime you are losing weight cholesterol is high...you've lost 29 lbs in 6 months, of course your cholesterol is high, that's your body fat getting metabolized and it's a good thing!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,752 Member
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    Mario Batali did an online lecture for one of the university classes on nutrition and foods, he said there is no such thing as a Mediterranean diet, that even within Italy a lone there are great differences in what gets eaten. For instance when it comes to fats, Southern Italians eat a lot of olive oil, because there are tons of trees in that area. In the Mid section of Italy, they eat olive oil and butter as their main oil sources, then Northern Italians eat lots of pork fat sources, butter, and some olive oil. While he is no weight loss expert :D He is an expert on Italian cooking, and was also very well trained in Spanish cooking as well. And he has a very valid point.

    When we traveled around the Med in the mid 80s, Southern France, Italy, Yugoslavia, and Greece all had very different cuisines, with variations within those areas even. So I experienced that first hand was interesting to here he say it. My Dr. had recommended the Med diet to me last summer, just before I found LCHF, when I went back for testing recently, I explained I was doing Low Carb Healthy Fats eating, and she was pleased with my results. My CHOL is slightly above 200, but I am also over 65, so no mention of meds for it.

    You have had great success and I am sure you will continue on your Journey to your goal weight. Congrats on your progress so far.
  • AlexandraCarlyle
    AlexandraCarlyle Posts: 1,603 Member
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    @retirehappy I, as an Italian - totally concur with the above. Bravissima!!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    Wasn't the Mediterranean Diet based on Ancel Keys' observations of the Greeks during Lent? If so, it should be called the Lent Mediterranean diet. I doubt they ate that way all the time, and if so they aren't doing Lent well. :D
  • JohnnyLowCarb
    JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
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    Anytime you are losing weight cholesterol is high...you've lost 29 lbs in 6 months, of course your cholesterol is high, that's your body fat getting metabolized and it's a good thing!

    Awesome! I wish I would have had that comment in hand. It was pretty funny to see the look in her eye as she couldn't come to grips that I had achieved a good waist circumference, low blood sugar, good weight etc... on my LCHF diet. It was funny when she said the butter and cream cheese on my whole grain bread and bagel had caused me to be overweight - when I said - I cut out the breads and kept eating butter and cream cheese - her jaw dropped. She simply could not come to grips that carbs (pasta, bread, fruit) causes the stored fat - not fat.

    Anyways - before you see a doctor, nurse, nutritionist, dietitian - be prepared for interesting conversations.

    Thanks @tcunbeliever I didn't know fat metabolization also causes increased cholesterol.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    @JohnnyLowCarb for your viewing pleasure (roughly 3-4 minute long video clip from You Tube):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfjkTyBUdQ&t=14s
  • JohnnyLowCarb
    JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
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    ladipoet wrote: »
    @JohnnyLowCarb for your viewing pleasure (roughly 3-4 minute long video clip from You Tube):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfjkTyBUdQ&t=14s

    Awesome Thank!
  • AlexandraCarlyle
    AlexandraCarlyle Posts: 1,603 Member
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    This is fascinating - and great "ammunition" for my H, who having been a type2D, is set to go for blood tests to determine his exact state of health. This is BOUND to come up, because obviously, they will take blood to measure his diabetic state - and no doubt they'll check his cholesterol, too.... He's almost looking forward to it - ! :D
  • sisterlilbunny
    sisterlilbunny Posts: 691 Member
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    This is awesome and gives me more hope than you'll ever know! :D:D:D
  • AlexandraCarlyle
    AlexandraCarlyle Posts: 1,603 Member
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    Yeah, I second that.
    I have to say though, I spoke to a lady today, a customer I was serving, who told me she had dropped a dress size in 8 months. I told her (nicely - not nastily or in a 'nyah-nyah' way!) that I had dropped two - in a couple of months.
    Naturally, her eyes widened and she asked me how - so I told her. We spoke at length about what I'm doing, and she told me "You're a real inspiration!" Nice lady. And now, armed with more info, she says she's going to try it...!
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    Just_Eric wrote: »
    I've been talking with my grandmother a lot this week about my WOE and she keeps saying, "Wow, you know so much about.." (I don't know *kitten* compared to many of you folks here), but I had to explain to her that if you're eating this way and you're going to tell anyone about it then you're pretty much obligated to come with facts to combat the stupid by which you're about to be deluged.

    You are so right about that @Just_Eric. And the best thing about it is that old saying...knowledge is power! :)