Low carb is going to kill us all!
Marll
Posts: 904 Member
Not really LOL, but it's funny how that seems to be the reaction of most people. Here are my latest lab results:
Component 12/1/2007 5/19/2012
Chol/HDL 4.8, 3.8
Cholesterol (total) 181, 169
HDL Cholesterol 38, 45
LDL Cholesterol 116, 116
LDL/HDL 3.1, 2.6
Triglycerides 133, 39
Blood Pressure 127/76, 112/66
In 2007 where the first test was taken at this lab, I had fallen off the Low Carb band wagon and was eating a relatively standard american diet. Now in 2012 I've been low carbing again for about a year, and have improved the numbers on overall cholesterol, HDL, HDL to LDL ratio and Triglycerides.
I'm sure thought that all that fat I eat is eventually going to catch up to me eventually though and suddenly make those numbers worse and kill me....right?? :laugh:
Component 12/1/2007 5/19/2012
Chol/HDL 4.8, 3.8
Cholesterol (total) 181, 169
HDL Cholesterol 38, 45
LDL Cholesterol 116, 116
LDL/HDL 3.1, 2.6
Triglycerides 133, 39
Blood Pressure 127/76, 112/66
In 2007 where the first test was taken at this lab, I had fallen off the Low Carb band wagon and was eating a relatively standard american diet. Now in 2012 I've been low carbing again for about a year, and have improved the numbers on overall cholesterol, HDL, HDL to LDL ratio and Triglycerides.
I'm sure thought that all that fat I eat is eventually going to catch up to me eventually though and suddenly make those numbers worse and kill me....right?? :laugh:
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Yeh, it's amazing how many people report that their health markers improve with limiting the carbs.
I guess we are all exceptions to the rule, I mean CLEARLY the low fat mantra has been working so well for so many people ...0 -
Haha! Great results! Thanks for posting. I need to get mine taken.0
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Had all mine taken on March 17 (St Pats Day) on day 5 of Atkins. Can't wait to see what they are gonna be when I have them redone in September
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Not really LOL, but it's funny how that seems to be the reaction of most people. Here are my latest lab results:
Component 12/1/2007 5/19/2012
Chol/HDL 4.8, 3.8
Cholesterol (total) 181, 169
HDL Cholesterol 38, 45
LDL Cholesterol 116, 116
LDL/HDL 3.1, 2.6
Triglycerides 133, 39
Blood Pressure 127/76, 112/66
In 2007 where the first test was taken at this lab, I had fallen off the Low Carb band wagon and was eating a relatively standard american diet. Now in 2012 I've been low carbing again for about a year, and have improved the numbers on overall cholesterol, HDL, HDL to LDL ratio and Triglycerides.
I'm sure thought that all that fat I eat is eventually going to catch up to me eventually though and suddenly make those numbers worse and kill me....right?? :laugh:
Great job, Marll. I'm always happy to read these kinds of posts. :drinker:0 -
Absolutely wonderful! And I know exactly what you mean! Even my doctor gave me a hard time when I told him I put coconut oil in my tea "SO much FAT!" Haha. In all seriousness though, after one weekend of a SAD diet I had awful heartburn and fatigue. Just two days back at my normal healthy, low carb diet I feel wonderful. HMMMM.
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Hi! I'm new to low carbing...and am thrilled to hear your numbers!!! Congrats!
So this means that you enjoy unlimited eggs, shrimp and other high cholesterol foods but they do not increase your cholesterol??0 -
Hi! I'm new to low carbing...and am thrilled to hear your numbers!!! Congrats!
So this means that you enjoy unlimited eggs, shrimp and other high cholesterol foods but they do not increase your cholesterol??
i wouldn't say that - i would say that a healthy consumption of fats and proteins, along with vegetables and other nutrient dense foods - and consuming the number of calories you need to function, workout, and lose weight (or maintain), you can enjoy eggs, shrimp and other high-cholesterol foods without having your cholesterol levels change.
If you ate 4000 calories a day on bacon, eggs and shrimp only, you might have a problem Simply: when you eat them as part of a healthy diet (like low-carb), you will enjoy all KINDS Of health benefits, including better cholesterol (NOTE: This assumes you don't have some kind of medical issue with your cholesterol where diet and lifestyle can make a difference) 0 -
Hi! I'm new to low carbing...and am thrilled to hear your numbers!!! Congrats!
So this means that you enjoy unlimited eggs, shrimp and other high cholesterol foods but they do not increase your cholesterol??
i wouldn't say that - i would say that a healthy consumption of fats and proteins, along with vegetables and other nutrient dense foods - and consuming the number of calories you need to function, workout, and lose weight (or maintain), you can enjoy eggs, shrimp and other high-cholesterol foods without having your cholesterol levels change.
If you ate 4000 calories a day on bacon, eggs and shrimp only, you might have a problem Simply: when you eat them as part of a healthy diet (like low-carb), you will enjoy all KINDS Of health benefits, including better cholesterol (NOTE: This assumes you don't have some kind of medical issue with your cholesterol where diet and lifestyle can make a difference)
I would say actually that I do enjoy an unlimited quantity of the foods that are naturally very low or 0 in carbs. I've sat down and eaten 1+ lbs of bacon in a sitting, I've eaten 8000 calories worth of lamb and vegtables in a day, and all without any detrimental effects to my weight loss or health, all the while improving my numbers for cholesterol.
That being said, some people may need to check calories as a reference to ensure that they are not over eating, but my focus has always been just to eat a minimal amount of carbs and ignore everything else. I don't track foods consistantly other than to note the carb count for the day and just foucs on avoiding sugar, grains and higher sugar fruit. Pretty much all vegtables, meats, cheeses, cream, eggs, etc are all fair game.
Screenshot cut off a bit of information, but if anyone is curious my counts were:
Calories: 8,498
Carbs: 11g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 632g
Fat: 623g0 -
I think the point of differentiation (or where we agree rather) is that usually its the extra WEIGHT that causes the health problems - not the foods in a low-carb diet. Low carb, like you're eating it Maril, is naturally going to help you lose weight (thermo/metabolic effect of digesting proteins and fats instead of carbs, more efficient fat burning, etc.) Combined with the fact that most low-carbers don't eat high calories naturally (at least not most days) - just aren't hungry for it, and get all the nutrition and satiety you need with the mix of foods we're eating. This leads to overall improved health - and improved numbers - even if we're eating alot more eggs than the rest of the world in the process. (And eggs are a near-perfect food. No such thing as too much!)
Sus0 -
I think the point of differentiation (or where we agree rather) is that usually its the extra WEIGHT that causes the health problems - not the foods in a low-carb diet. Low carb, like you're eating it Maril, is naturally going to help you lose weight (thermo/metabolic effect of digesting proteins and fats instead of carbs, more efficient fat burning, etc.) Combined with the fact that most low-carbers don't eat high calories naturally (at least not most days) - just aren't hungry for it, and get all the nutrition and satiety you need with the mix of foods we're eating. This leads to overall improved health - and improved numbers - even if we're eating alot more eggs than the rest of the world in the process. (And eggs are a near-perfect food. No such thing as too much!)
Sus
I agree with what you are saying, but look at it just slightly differently. I don't think that being overweight is the cause of the diseases that we see in modern society these days, but rather a by product of it. Being fat in of itself is not going to kill you, or make you unhealthy, but rather the conditions that lead to you obesity will.
Couple of examples I'll use:
Hypothyroid issues can cause weight gain. Thyroid issues while likely requiring medication can be mitigated a lot by restoring the hormonal balance in the body. Best way to restore hormonal balance is to cut out soy, grains, sugar and in some cases dairy, which leaves a low carb diet.
Diabetes is normally seen in those that are overweight, but not always. Part of the issue is insulin resistance, which again can be reversed or mitigated by eating foods that allow the body to become more insulin receptive, which is more easily obtained by eating a low carb diet.
PCOS is a condition that is affecting more and more women each year. Again, while not always the cause of weight gain, it is nearly always seen in those that are overweight and is usually coupled with insulin resistance and thyroid issues. Eating low carb can actually mitigate PCOS and allow women to conceive and in the process loose weight.
Long story short, if you heal the problem areas within the body, restore hormonal and bacterial balance, weight natually comes off. I think that's also why the Paleo/Primal movement is gaining more and more momentum, encouraging people to take it even a step further and eliminate foods that are treated with hormones like changing to grass fed beef and free range eggs. A naturally fed, happy animal is a more nutrtious tasty animal and all the benefits of their blanaced hormones are passed on to us.0 -
Hi! I'm new to low carbing...and am thrilled to hear your numbers!!! Congrats!
So this means that you enjoy unlimited eggs, shrimp and other high cholesterol foods but they do not increase your cholesterol??
Pretty much. Dietary cholesterol has not been shown to make a significant impact on blood cholesterol levels. "They say" that saturated fats and trans fats do - I believe the latter, anyway.
His triglycerides dropped because of the low-carb WOE (way of eating). Carbs (sugars) are what turn into triglycerides, not saturated fat.I agree with what you are saying, but look at it just slightly differently. I don't think that being overweight is the cause of the diseases that we see in modern society these days, but rather a by product of it. Being fat in of itself is not going to kill you, or make you unhealthy, but rather the conditions that lead to you obesity will.
Couple of examples I'll use:
Hypothyroid issues can cause weight gain. Thyroid issues while likely requiring medication can be mitigated a lot by restoring the hormonal balance in the body. Best way to restore hormonal balance is to cut out soy, grains, sugar and in some cases dairy, which leaves a low carb diet.
Diabetes is normally seen in those that are overweight, but not always. Part of the issue is insulin resistance, which again can be reversed or mitigated by eating foods that allow the body to become more insulin receptive, which is more easily obtained by eating a low carb diet.
PCOS is a condition that is affecting more and more women each year. Again, while not always the cause of weight gain, it is nearly always seen in those that are overweight and is usually coupled with insulin resistance and thyroid issues. Eating low carb can actually mitigate PCOS and allow women to conceive and in the process loose weight.
Long story short, if you heal the problem areas within the body, restore hormonal and bacterial balance, weight natually comes off. I think that's also why the Paleo/Primal movement is gaining more and more momentum, encouraging people to take it even a step further and eliminate foods that are treated with hormones like changing to grass fed beef and free range eggs. A naturally fed, happy animal is a more nutrtious tasty animal and all the benefits of their blanaced hormones are passed on to us.
Agreed. There's some debate about what came first, obesity or diabetes (or insulin resistance), kind of like chicken vs. egg. But Marll is correct, some people can be a normal weight, but still be insulin resistant/T2 diabetic (my father is one of them). Not only does eating low-carb help improve insulin sensitivity, but you're not ingesting carbs (sugar) constantly to keep driving more insulin production (then the corresponding blood sugar drop, creating a carb craving). Insulin is the fat-storing hormone, it blocks fat cells from releasing energy that the body can use. Instead, excess carbs can get stored as fat, making the person even fatter.
It doesn't help that wheat is addictive, much like heroin. And let's face it, wheat is in everything in the Standard American Diet.
This article touches on both the blood sugar/insulin, as well as addictive nature of wheat:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/wheat-gluten_b_1274872.html
For further reading, I suggest Gary Taubes' "Why We Get Fat", and "The Pefect Health Diet" (can't remember authors) books.0 -
Thanks everyone. When I said unlimited eggs and shrimp, I should have been more specific. I'm not looking to consume 2000+ calories a day. I still believe in calories in vs calories out - though I understand many people can get away with eating a lot. For me - it's just about developing good habits in portion control.
The question was more around the studies that say no more than 1 or 2 eggs per week since they are high in cholesterol - which I carried over to shrimp - which I love and is also high in cholesterol.
I have great HDL and Triglyceride levels, but my LDL Is slightly high. From what i've read, low carb helps bring HDL up even higher, but can cause LDL to go up in some. This is my concern.
I'm not being extreme...I know that I personally - can't sustain a net 20 carb and under lifestyle - but I am currently striving to stay under 50 - with most days being around 35. I still watch my calories and am working out.
I'm seeking balance. I'm doing low carb because I realize I'm addicted to sugar - and the more carbs I have, the more I crave. It's a horrid cycle that I hope to break by having a low carb lifestyle...though I will allow myself to enjoy the occasional beer or ice cream for special occasions...I'm just sick of binging every 4 or so weeks!0 -
Screenshot cut off a bit of information, but if anyone is curious my counts were:
Calories: 8,498
Carbs: 11g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 632g
Fat: 623g
How did you eat 56 oz of lamb? The largest steak I've ever eaten was probably only 12-14oz. And that's a big steak!0 -
Screenshot cut off a bit of information, but if anyone is curious my counts were:
Calories: 8,498
Carbs: 11g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 632g
Fat: 623g
How did you eat 56 oz of lamb? The largest steak I've ever eaten was probably only 12-14oz. And that's a big steak!
Ha, I kind of wondered that as well, but really, I was just jealous! :laugh:0 -
12-14oz of steak is a small steak for me. I'll eat 2-3 of those if I am grilling at home, and rarely ever get anything under 20oz when I am going out to a restaurant and paying for it. I've eaten as much as 5lb of beef, chicken or lamb in a sitting and still lost weight over the next week. It's not a daily occurence, but will happen occasionally. Part of the secret is also making sure to eat all the fat on the steak to ensure that it's not all just protein. I eat all the fat, and gristle on all steaks.
I've always been a big eater, and love food, which is part of what got me into trouble after leading a very active childhood and teen years doing sports and heavy, heavy weightlifting/bodybuilding and then going into the military. After I got out and went to college, it all caught up because I still ate huge amounts of food, but switched to cheaper processed crap because of budget and lack of understanding that it was bad for me.
Meat is just one of those things that I enjoy and always have. When I was eating low carb years ago before falling off the wagon it wasn't unusual for me to eat nothing but meat and eggs for a couple of months at a time. For a period in 2004 I took in 0 carbs in any form for 3 months, never felt better either.0 -
Not really LOL, but it's funny how that seems to be the reaction of most people. Here are my latest lab results:
Component 12/1/2007 5/19/2012
Chol/HDL 4.8, 3.8
Cholesterol (total) 181, 169
HDL Cholesterol 38, 45
LDL Cholesterol 116, 116
LDL/HDL 3.1, 2.6
Triglycerides 133, 39
Blood Pressure 127/76, 112/66
In 2007 where the first test was taken at this lab, I had fallen off the Low Carb band wagon and was eating a relatively standard american diet. Now in 2012 I've been low carbing again for about a year, and have improved the numbers on overall cholesterol, HDL, HDL to LDL ratio and Triglycerides.
I'm sure thought that all that fat I eat is eventually going to catch up to me eventually though and suddenly make those numbers worse and kill me....right?? :laugh:
THAT IS PHENOMENAL!!!! Good for you0
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