discouraged.... cholesterol help....

ecw3780

First of all thanks for reading my post. I have been working hard to lose weight and thanks to MFP I'm doing it! I went for a checkup at the Dr and my labs came back worse than before I started losing weight! My cholesterol is up, A1c is up, CRP is up.... I'm feeling a bit discouraged and need ideas to try to get my body back to a healty state! Anything.. recipes, foods, drinks, exercise... give me your secrets!!

I too have terrible cholesterol. I changed my macros to 30% protein, 15% fat, 30 grams of fiber, 200 mg cholesterol (the AHA recommended amount for those on a low cholesterol diet). I have noticed that I don't actually consume a lot of cholesterol. I plan on watching these for the next few months and then checking in with my doc to see if my issues are genetic instead of dietary.

myyovett

What are your actual levels, and what were they at the last test?

Cholesterol 189
up from 172

A1c 6.1
up from 5.7

Is that cholesterol # your LDL level or total cholesterol?

I actually had a conversation just today with a physician about A1c levels. Apparently the current standard A1c recommendation levels are somewhat crazy and overly aggressive, to the point where they can push people into hypoglycemic episodes. He reads a lot of research and his opinion is that anything under than 7 is completely fine. That's secondhand info, but I think you shouldn't worry too much about 6.1.

That said, I browsed a few days of your diary and I think I see a lot of sugar. I see a lot of days with 70+ grams of sugar, and some with well over 100g. That's a LOT of sugar. All that sugary creamer and "weight loss shakes" are not doing you ANY good if you're concerned about A1c levels. There's also research linking sugar intake to serum cholesterol levels. I would strongly suggest you severely cut the sugar intake.

Instead of sugary "creamer" use smaller amounts of actual cream. Instead of "weight loss shakes" with 20g of sugar per serving, make your own shakes with whey powder and water or milk (adding 1/2 or 1/4 cup of milk and 1/2 or 3/4 cup of water to a scoop of whey makes a delicious shake).

You seem to have a real sweet tooth, and I think you need to get that under better control. No need to eliminate everything, but smaller portions less often will certainly help.

I don't normally drink creamer.. I only had it friday cuz I was draggin... but you won't see much of that in my diary... but yes I am guilty of a sweet tooth... the think is I have cut waaaaaayyyyyy back on the sugar...trust me ... so that is why I can't believe it went up... I use to easily eat 5000 calories a day and half of that was from sugar....

LATeagno

First of all thanks for reading my post. I have been working hard to lose weight and thanks to MFP I'm doing it! I went for a checkup at the Dr and my labs came back worse than before I started losing weight! My cholesterol is up, A1c is up, CRP is up.... I'm feeling a bit discouraged and need ideas to try to get my body back to a healty state! Anything.. recipes, foods, drinks, exercise... give me your secrets!!

I too have terrible cholesterol. I changed my macros to 30% protein, 15% fat, 30 grams of fiber, 200 mg cholesterol (the AHA recommended amount for those on a low cholesterol diet). I have noticed that I don't actually consume a lot of cholesterol. I plan on watching these for the next few months and then checking in with my doc to see if my issues are genetic instead of dietary.

Not trying to harp here-- but low fat diets exacerbate bad cholesterol levels (when induced dietarily-- not genetically). Healthy fats improve cholesterol levels. There is absolutely no need to be afraid of natural, healthy fats-- olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil... even high quality butter and cream .

jameschic007

cooking with coconut oil helps, so does using Metamucil before meals

ldrosophila

What did you doctor say?! With a 40lb loss this should not be happening. Something else is going on. What meds are you on? I would be highly concerned if this happened to me and would really need a long conversation with my doctor.

myyovett

OK, here's my take (and I totally understand the microwave thing): More whole foods, fewer "diet snacks." Greek yogurt is great, but the fruit on the bottom kind is loaded with sugar-- usually 20g or so per serving, which is as much as a big serving of Froot Loops. Try a no-sugar added variety-- or do what i do and buy the plain greek yogurt and add your own fruit or no-sugar-added jam to it.

Another thing: breakfast. Alway eat protein of some kind with your breakfast. I personally recommend 25g of protein-- minimum-- per meal. This is only my personal opinion, but studies show that protein keeps you fuller longer, slows digestion and lessens blood sugar spikes from sugars or other carbs. Eggs-- whole eggs-- do not lead to high cholesterol in most people. A boiled or scrambled egg at breakfast is fine for most people. Again-- and I mean this-- contact your doctor to have the cholesterol particle size test done. Size matters more than numbers. Big, fluffy cholesterol particles do not cause arterial plaque because they don't stick in the way that small particles do.

A1C is an indicator of chronic blood sugar levels. Lowering sugar intake-- and some carb intake overall-- is important to lowering A1C. A bonus is that adding that protein to your meals helps what carbs you do eat to digest more slowly and have a lesser effect on blood sugar levels. It's win-win there. Sugary chewy granola bars, diet "crisps" and "low fat cookies" (and other such items) have really detrimental effects on blood sugar, which will raise your A1C-- especially if you are metabolically challenged and had/have any type of insulin resistance (a high A1C level can be indicative of this).

Overall, focus more on whole foods-- not low fat versions of high fat foods-- just real foods. A good rule of thumb-- 95% of what goes in your mouth should have some nutritional purpose. Cakes, cookies, sugar granola bars, cereals, etc. have no nutritional purpose. Try limiting those items in favor of whole fruits with real peanut butter (added protein/fat) or string cheese, lean minimally processed cold cuts and nuts (which you seem to like-- good!

I hope this helps!

I'm sure gonna try some of this.

myyovett

What did you doctor say?! With a 40lb loss this should not be happening. Something else is going on. What meds are you on? I would be highly concerned if this happened to me and would really need a long conversation with my doctor.

Said to add metamucil, eat more fish, and come back in 6 months... I've been on the same meds for awhile so don't think they are disrupting anything.

jonnythan

I don't normally drink creamer.. I only had it friday cuz I was draggin... but you won't see much of that in my diary... but yes I am guilty of a sweet tooth... the think is I have cut waaaaaayyyyyy back on the sugar...trust me ... so that is why I can't believe it went up... I use to easily eat 5000 calories a day and half of that was from sugar....

Bottom line, IMO: you consume enormous amounts of sugar, so it's no surprise you've gotten to this point. Go to your settings and replace fiber or carbs with sugar so you can track it in your diary. You really want to keep that intake low - like less than half of what you seem to normally be getting. You might want to discuss the actual sugar goal with your doctor, but I'd shoot for under 35g/day.

myyovett

Your diary is open. I like looking at other's diaries for ideas. Your's looks decent. Do not be ashamed! I thought I was going to see McDonald's everyday or something. You are doing great! Try the oatmeal idea if you like oatmeal. The instant stuff is so boring and taste the same daily. This is tasty and different and cheap and easy!

ok.. I think my diary is open... be gentle on me LOL.... I hate cooking and I'm single so I love the microwave....

Honestly, McD's every day would be better than a lot of the stuff I'm seeing here. I'd be much more comfortable eating a burger or chicken sandwich from McD's twice a day than a "weight loss shake" or "lowfat yogurt" with 20g of sugar twice a day.

Large quantities of sugar are one of the worst diet mistakes you can make. A bit of fatty beef or sodium is harmless in comparison.

OMG... it's really that bad... you should have seen it before... I haven't had fast food or fried food in over 90 days... this is huge for me.

myyovett

I did the "diet" shakes because my dr recommended them to me months ago.. that's how I got started losing weight...

LATeagno

Your diary is open. I like looking at other's diaries for ideas. Your's looks decent. Do not be ashamed! I thought I was going to see McDonald's everyday or something. You are doing great! Try the oatmeal idea if you like oatmeal. The instant stuff is so boring and taste the same daily. This is tasty and different and cheap and easy!

ok.. I think my diary is open... be gentle on me LOL.... I hate cooking and I'm single so I love the microwave....

Honestly, McD's every day would be better than a lot of the stuff I'm seeing here. I'd be much more comfortable eating a burger or chicken sandwich from McD's twice a day than a "weight loss shake" or "lowfat yogurt" with 20g of sugar twice a day.

Large quantities of sugar are one of the worst diet mistakes you can make. A bit of fatty beef or sodium is harmless in comparison.

OMG... it's really that bad... you should have seen it before... I haven't had fast food or fried food in over 90 days... this is huge for me.

Don't fret. Seriously-- i'm not kidding-- stick to the 95% "nutritious in some way" rule and your sugar levels will naturally level out. The best part-- it sucks for a few days, but you will completely lose your cravings relatively quickly. I've been completely sugar free-- and really only low glycemic fruits, really-- for about 4 months now. To get you through, eat the Atkins stuff if you must (it's definitely not "real" food, but if you use it as an "only if I'm about to die" tool, it's better than eating actual sugar.

ETA: I bring up the Atkins stuff because i saw Atkins peanut butter cups in your diary. They also make granola bars and stuff that don't have added sugars and are low glycemic index. Again, not real food per say-- but if you're just dying for a granola bar, better to have one with no added sugar than one full of HFCS.

peacemongernc

I went to the doctor and had labs in December. I had lost 90 pounds at that point and my cholesterol was UP almost 40 points. My A1C was the same as it always is, though, which is normal. I have always had a total cholesterol around 200. The last few tests have been in the 190s. So I was shocked to see 234. I've been working out and both LDL and HDL were bad.

But I did some research and discovered that there was one study done, with 6 women who all lost a lot of weight, and all of them had an initial drop in total cholesterol with the first 20 pounds lost, followed by an increase that was fairly significant, and then followed by a significant drop after 6 months at their maintenance weight. I think that they all lost between 80 and 120 pounds, or something like that.

It was only one study and it was only 6 women, so it certainly doesn't prove anything. Also, my MFP friends who have lost lots of weight have all seen improvements in their numbers. But the folks who did that study hypotheticized that maybe the increase had to do with the extra fat being released from cells, taxing the liver.

My mother even suggested that one reason that my numbers might have increased, while many weight losers have decreases, could be because I haven't changed my diet as drastically as many folks who lose large amounts of weight, so the increase is a reflection of the fat my liver is processing from my cells, not a reflection of an overall decrease in the amount of fat I'm eating along with an increase from my cells... if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I've decided to keep an eye on it, but I'm not going to get concerned about it until I've been at a steady weight for 6 months and it remains high.

Also, you might want to retest... and be sue to fast... just to see. I did a free retest at the mall, and it wasn't a fasting test, but my numbers were the same, so I think they are likely to be close to accurate.

ldrosophila

What did you doctor say?! With a 40lb loss this should not be happening. Something else is going on. What meds are you on? I would be highly concerned if this happened to me and would really need a long conversation with my doctor.

Said to add metamucil, eat more fish, and come back in 6 months... I've been on the same meds for awhile so don't think they are disrupting anything.

Highly concerning. He wasnt at all concerned with the elevated CRP. Does he know you had a 40lb loss. This raises all kinds of red flags! Well my concern is that maybe he needs to re-evaluate your medications because if you are having an elevated cholesterol and A1C with a reduction in food intake there may be something else going on. You havent been very stressed or sick over the last 3 months have you. When did you start really taking this seriously? Do you take your glucose at home? If you do what are the numbers? What was your triglyceride?

myyovett

I was talking to someone today that said my thyroid could be acting up. I am on thyroid meds. Read that it can make your cholesterol go up if they are off..

myyovett

What did you doctor say?! With a 40lb loss this should not be happening. Something else is going on. What meds are you on? I would be highly concerned if this happened to me and would really need a long conversation with my doctor.

Said to add metamucil, eat more fish, and come back in 6 months... I've been on the same meds for awhile so don't think they are disrupting anything.

Highly concerning. He wasnt at all concerned with the elevated CRP. Does he know you had a 40lb loss. This raises all kinds of red flags! Well my concern is that maybe he needs to re-evaluate your medications because if you are having an elevated cholesterol and A1C with a reduction in food intake there may be something else going on. You havent been very stressed or sick over the last 3 months have you. When did you start really taking this seriously? Do you take your glucose at home? If you do what are the numbers? What was your triglyceride?

STRESSED is my middle name... so YES on the stress..... I do take my glucose at home and it has come down from 170's to 120's. Not sure about the triglycerides... Dr is sending me a copy of the labs.

jonnythan

OMG... it's really that bad... you should have seen it before... I haven't had fast food or fried food in over 90 days... this is huge for me.

I used to be obese. My LDL levels were borderline high, triglycerides were high, and HDL levels were a bit low. I lost a bunch of weight and focused on keeping sugar levels down. My LDL levels came down, HDL went WAY up, and triglycerides went WAY down.

I kept sugar down and ate fast food almost every day. I'm not saying that proves anything, but fat is better than sugar. Fat is tasty and filling and not unhealthy. Sugar is tasty but unfilling and can wreak havoc to your system in large quantities.

Eat more fat and more protein. And less sugar. These sugary "lowfat" things? Get rid of them and replace them with the real thing. Throw away those "weight loss shakes" that have 20g of sugar. That's insane. Those things are total trash. Throw away the creamer loaded with sugar.

This is one of the major problems with the whole "fat is bad" thing from the 70s and 80s. Demonizing fat means we started taking fat out of everything. Of course, it then tastes bad so it gets loaded with sugar to make up for it.

Don't fall for that. Cut the sugar. Eat fat and protein instead.

myyovett

I went to the doctor and had labs in December. I had lost 90 pounds at that point and my cholesterol was UP almost 40 points. My A1C was the same as it always is, though, which is normal. I have always had a total cholesterol around 200. The last few tests have been in the 190s. So I was shocked to see 234. I've been working out and both LDL and HDL were bad.

But I did some research and discovered that there was one study done, with 6 women who all lost a lot of weight, and all of them had an initial drop in total cholesterol with the first 20 pounds lost, followed by an increase that was fairly significant, and then followed by a significant drop after 6 months at their maintenance weight. I think that they all lost between 80 and 120 pounds, or something like that.

It was only one study and it was only 6 women, so it certainly doesn't prove anything. Also, my MFP friends who have lost lots of weight have all seen improvements in their numbers. But the folks who did that study hypotheticized that maybe the increase had to do with the extra fat being released from cells, taxing the liver.

My mother even suggested that one reason that my numbers might have increased, while many weight losers have decreases, could be because I haven't changed my diet as drastically as many folks who lose large amounts of weight, so the increase is a reflection of the fat my liver is processing from my cells, not a reflection of an overall decrease in the amount of fat I'm eating along with an increase from my cells... if that makes any sense.

Anyway, I've decided to keep an eye on it, but I'm not going to get concerned about it until I've been at a steady weight for 6 months and it remains high.

Also, you might want to retest... and be sue to fast... just to see. I did a free retest at the mall, and it wasn't a fasting test, but my numbers were the same, so I think they are likely to be close to accurate.

WOW that is good to know.. thank you!!

myyovett

OMG... it's really that bad... you should have seen it before... I haven't had fast food or fried food in over 90 days... this is huge for me.

I used to be obese. My LDL levels were borderline high, triglycerides were high, and HDL levels were a bit low. I lost a bunch of weight and focused on keeping sugar levels down. My LDL levels came down, HDL went WAY up, and triglycerides went WAY down.

I kept sugar down and ate fast food almost every day. I'm not saying that proves anything, but fat is better than sugar. Fat is tasty and filling and not unhealthy. Sugar is tasty but unfilling and can wreak havoc to your system in large quantities.

Eat more fat and more protein. And less sugar. These sugary "lowfat" things? Get rid of them and replace them with the real thing. Throw away those "weight loss shakes" that have 20g of sugar. That's insane. Those things are total trash. Throw away the creamer loaded with sugar.

This is one of the major problems with the whole "fat is bad" thing from the 70s and 80s. Demonizing fat means we started taking fat out of everything. Of course, it then tastes bad so it gets loaded with sugar to make up for it.

Don't fall for that. Cut the sugar. Eat fat and protein instead.

can you email me some of the things you ate??

jenilla1

I've never been overweight and I eat healthy and exercise quite a bit. My BMI and body fat % are in the low half of the healthy range, and yet I've still struggled with cholesterol. At 31, I had the cholesterol of a middle-aged overweight man. My doctor says I won the genetic lottery.

Topics like this can get controversial on MFP with everyone having all sorts of opinions. I will just tell you how I got mine down 20 points in a month. It's still borderline at 199, but it's way down, and my HDL is very high, which my doctor says makes my total cholesterol look better. I've had all sorts of digestive troubles for years. My doctor put me on an elimination diet and we found out which foods cause me problems with inflammation and pain: red meat, dairy, eggs, gluten. Since cutting those foods out, my cholesterol dropped dramatically within the first month. Adding in more fiber, walnuts, flax and fish oil, I not only got the total down even more, but I got the HDL up. :drinker:

myyovett

Your diary is open. I like looking at other's diaries for ideas. Your's looks decent. Do not be ashamed! I thought I was going to see McDonald's everyday or something. You are doing great! Try the oatmeal idea if you like oatmeal. The instant stuff is so boring and taste the same daily. This is tasty and different and cheap and easy!

ok.. I think my diary is open... be gentle on me LOL.... I hate cooking and I'm single so I love the microwave....

Honestly, McD's every day would be better than a lot of the stuff I'm seeing here. I'd be much more comfortable eating a burger or chicken sandwich from McD's twice a day than a "weight loss shake" or "lowfat yogurt" with 20g of sugar twice a day.

Large quantities of sugar are one of the worst diet mistakes you can make. A bit of fatty beef or sodium is harmless in comparison.

OMG... it's really that bad... you should have seen it before... I haven't had fast food or fried food in over 90 days... this is huge for me.

Don't fret. Seriously-- i'm not kidding-- stick to the 95% "nutritious in some way" rule and your sugar levels will naturally level out. The best part-- it sucks for a few days, but you will completely lose your cravings relatively quickly. I've been completely sugar free-- and really only low glycemic fruits, really-- for about 4 months now. To get you through, eat the Atkins stuff if you must (it's definitely not "real" food, but if you use it as an "only if I'm about to die" tool, it's better than eating actual sugar.

ETA: I bring up the Atkins stuff because i saw Atkins peanut butter cups in your diary. They also make granola bars and stuff that don't have added sugars and are low glycemic index. Again, not real food per say-- but if you're just dying for a granola bar, better to have one with no added sugar than one full of HFCS.

one of my goals is to be sugar free... I have been at this 4 months, and before I would eat 3 candy bars, a shake, quarte lber w/cheese, some cheese cake... etc... so I am getting there...