High Cholesterol

krennie8

So I just received my most recent physical results, and my cholesterol is still high. In fact, my LDL went UP, despite my triglycerides dropping over 100 points. Why??

triglycerides (149 now, 251 last year)
LDL (149.6 now, 126.8 last year)

I'm only 28 so I'd like to get this under control, although I know my thyroid issues are not helping the matter any.

If you can recommend foods to stay away from that'd be great! I'm still looking to lose abt 30 lbs (though 10 at a time) but just through limiting portions and not really cutting out any food or watching macros. That said, I did pseudo do a low-carb diet for a while, limited bread and pasta, but only b/c I was much more cognizant about how much each calorie meant to me and what kept me fuller longer on a smaller amount. Not b/c I thought low-carb had any benefit in and of itself, nor was I trying to go low-carb.

Francl27

What's your good cholesterol though? Both of mine went up as well after I lost 80 pounds. My ratio is normal though, although on the high end. My doctor said to eat low fat, which I know doesn't really make any difference. I think in my case it's mostly genetics though and there isn't much I can do about it. I don't eat high fat foods, I eat whole grains, the only 'junk' food I eat most days is half a cup of ice cream... I can't do much better than that.

I bought a supplement that I will try in 3 months before I go for another blood test... we'll see if that helps.

RodaRose

It will likely go down when you lose weight. Omega 3 oils (salmon) help. Other oils are good too.

rsclause

I know that high cholesterol part is diet and part is hereditary. That said, what I did is drop the fries, chips and pretty much any deep fried foods. Limited my breads and starches which also means less butter and no mayo. Along with losing weight my breakfast changed from bacon & eggs with buttered toast to old fashioned oatmeal, the kind you cook. I added almond milk, walnuts, chia seeds, fresh strawberries, blueberries and a banana. Yes, I eat this 900 calorie bowl of goodies every day. I was just entering the above normal zone five years ago and was avoiding a retest because I knew it would be medication time. I joined MFP at Christmas and changed my foods to mostly produce and lean meats. I up my exercise at the same time adding weights and running 35 miles a week. My blood test three weeks ago had my good cholesterol up and the bad down over fifty points from what it was five years ago. Lord only knows what it had gotten up to during that time. I feel great, so even if it doesn't drop you into the no medication zone, it can't hurt to try. I was just trying to lose my beer gut. I had no idea of the side benefits that went with it. Best of luck!

tsimblist

My cholesterol got high enough that my doctor put me on a statin to get it under control. On the follow up blood work, I noticed that my fasting glucose had started to rise. I finally got motivated to make a lifestyle change so I could avoid the diabetes that was headed my way (family history of T2D).

I went on the McDougall free 12 day meal plan. That got me off the statin and put my LDL cholesterol below 100 which is where my doctor said it needed to be due to my risk factors. I followed the McDougall recommendations for a number of years before I found MFP.

Now that I can track my calories, I have relaxed some on the McDougall guidelines and my cholesterol is still fine.

krennie8

What's your good cholesterol though? Both of mine went up as well after I lost 80 pounds. My ratio is normal though, although on the high end. My doctor said to eat low fat, which I know doesn't really make any difference. I think in my case it's mostly genetics though and there isn't much I can do about it. I don't eat high fat foods, I eat whole grains, the only 'junk' food I eat most days is half a cup of ice cream... I can't do much better than that.

I bought a supplement that I will try in 3 months before I go for another blood test... we'll see if that helps.

My HDL went up slightly from about 46 to 54, so very little change.

I do agree, a large part is genetic. My father had high cholesterol and blood pressure from a very young age as well and he was thin.

tennisdude2004

Those aren't bad numbers.

healthy cholesterol reading is not about how low you can get your ldl's - it's about how close you can get your hdl's to your triglycerides and by the looks of it you've had great success in lowering the ratio.

lloydrt

OP, here is a site you can use to investigate your situation. I dont think your numbers are serious , but its good that you are doing soemthing now

also, Tons and Tons of fruits and vegetables, and of couse, avoid unheatlhy fats, tans and saturated..........

Ive got my numbers looking good, but I have to keep an eye on them, some ot it is heridetary, and you have to monito it

good luck and add me as a friend, Im always reading up on Choleserol, Trig, HDL and LDL and total cholesterol levels

best wishes

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/heart/heart-cholesterol-hbc-what-html.htm#numbers

mathjulz

I believe that regular exercise can also help lower LDL and raise HDL. (I don't have any sources, it's something I seem to remember from nutrition classes in my college days).

I've also been told by doctors that food with unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated, can improve your numbers - avocado, nuts, etc.

rosebette

I have high cholesterol myself (the LDL around 170!) but also high HDL ( good cholesterol) over 60. A 9 point increase in your HDL is quite good and shows you are exercising. I try to limit my intake of dietary fats and also eggs (I eat only one or two a week). Like other posters, I usually eat oatmeal, whole grain english muffin, or whole grain cereal for breakfast. I set my Macros to show fat, cholesterol, and saturated fat, and I try to stay under those numbers. I find that red meat and dark meat chicken with the skin tend to push those numbers over the limit. Consuming fish and fish oil is good, as are healthy fats like nuts and olive oil.

Many people who change their diet to lose weight reduce their carbs and increase their protein, so the amount of dietary fat and cholesterol goes up. Some people's systems can tolerate it, but some who have genetic tendencies to high cholesterol can't. .I know many posters claim eggs, meat and fats don't raise cholesterol, but if you have genetic issues (my mom, though thin, has high cholesterol and triglycerides), too, you need to do what you can to keep the numbers down and stay off a statin.

There is nothing wrong with carbs. High quality carbs, such as whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables, will actually help reduce cholesterol. The refined carbs and sugars will raise it, however.

I take 2 1200 mg of fish oil every day and a B vitamin complex that has a lot of niacin. I'm going for my next test in September and hope my numbers improve, too.

Yakelmeyer

My family has genetically high cholesterol. I was tested when I was 24 and my numbers were much higher than what was considered healthy despite good eating habits and regular physical activity. Soon after, I began a plant based diet. I cut out meat and dairy entirely since those are the two primary culprits of bad cholesterol. I was tested recently and my numbers are now textbook low; I have also lost weight, slept better, have fantastic blood pressure, and have more energy overall. I know it is a change few are willing to make, but I'm glad I did for so many reasons. Food for thought; good luck!

joe_d

I believe that regular exercise can also help lower LDL and raise HDL. (I don't have any sources, it's something I seem to remember from nutrition classes in my college days).

I've also been told by doctors that food with unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated, can improve your numbers - avocado, nuts, etc.

This!! I was going to ask if you're getting regular exercise. It's change # 3 in the short article at this link:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reduce-cholesterol/art-20045935

ajostraat

Having a hereditary disposition toward high cholesterol myself, I made a few dietary tweaks.

Quarter teaspoon of cinnamon each day (sprinkle over apples, oatmeal, other cereal, coffee...)
Whole grains (Oatmeal for breakfast)
Green Tea

My overall cholesterol started at 270, in 3 months it dropped to 248, I'm now at 203 with a good ratio and my Dr. is no longer asking me to take a statin.

Keep up the healthy eating and exercise.

MinnieInMaine

The science on what to eat seems to change quite a bit so I'd advise you to see a nutritionist who specializes in that sort of thing. Maybe see if your doc's office can recommend someone for you. For instance, they used to think dietary cholesterol affected blood lipids but now they know it doesn't. And I was told to watch out for saturated fats but there's some research that this isn't necessarily as bad as they thought either.

My doc still believes in fish oil so I take a supplement daily. Exercise definitely helps too.

I can't seem to find a reputable source but I remember reading a couple years ago that weight loss can cause the same kinds of fluctuations that you're seeing (drop in tris, increase in LDL) so that may be a factor as well. It could be that you won't get a super accurate reading until you get to maintenance.

I personally have seen fluctuations as I've lost my weight and expect to continue to see them until I maintain for a year or so. I'm still borderline high but my ratios are good so my doc's not worried.