Cholesterol UP despite lifestyle changes! :noway: :angry:

diverdiza
diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all.
In December as part of a routine check my doctor did a total cholesterol check and I was at 5.6 (I beleive that's 216 in US terms). We didn't do individual results.
Since then I have lost 16 kgs through exercise and watching what I eat here on MFP. I have just done a check on my saturated fats consumption since I began MFP and while I'm over some days I'm under on others and on average for the 53 days I am under for saturated fat consumption (total per day taking into account exercise-increased limits - ie on a day where there was exercise, calorie allowance went up and with it allowance for saturated fats)
But my latest readings are as follows: UK (US)
Total 5.8 (224)
LDL 4 (155)
HDL 1.1 (43)
Triglycerides 1.46 (129)
Non HDL 4.7 (182) - this one the doc says is particularly bad, should be less than 3.8.

So I'm kind of SERIOUSLY PEEVED because I had really expected my readings to be better given the weight loss, the exercise etc.
The doctor has told me to take krill tablets for omega 3s. I'd be interested in what others who have brought down their numbers suggest? I am really not interested in being put on medication! (I have read the articles about cholesterol meds being huge money-spinners for the pharma comapnies and how our bodeis need cholesterol!)
Thanks...
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Replies

  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
    I cannot see your food diary but I know my cousin had the same issue. He went high protein, low carbs (basically Atkins diet). Problem was, he was eating nothing but red meat for protein and with the fat content, it was killing his cholesterol. Just a thought... Are you eating a lot of red meat?
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    I cannot see your food diary but I know my cousin had the same issue. He went high protein, low carbs (basically Atkins diet). Problem was, he was eating nothing but red meat for protein and with the fat content, it was killing his cholesterol. Just a thought... Are you eating a lot of red meat?
    I do eat a fair amount of red meat - but way less than I did a year ago this time..
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    It can be a struggle in June my numbers were

    TC 236
    LDL 158
    HDL 20
    Tri 251

    they are now at
    TC 110
    LDL 49
    HDL 29
    Tri 161

    Even with medication they only expect to see a 25% drop in the 1st 6-8 weeks, but diet and exercise to play a big part in lowering it. I try keep my total fats at 25% of my diet, dietary Cholesterol at less than 200 a day. I eat fish 3-4 times a week, usually tuna, tilapia or salmon, I add flax seed meal to 1 meal a day and eat oatmeal 5-6 days a week. I'm not a big red meat eater but I do like burgers every now and then
  • tas3980
    tas3980 Posts: 93 Member
    I had high cholesterol (can't remember the number) when I started this 'lifestyle change' and the nutritionist at the time recommended not eating more than two/three servings a week of red meat... that was torture for me because I L-O-V-E me a good steak (grammatical error intended, meant with chirpy upbeat tone)... it took determination but switching to white meats with a treat of red, my cholesterol dropped...
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    a high triglyceride count is triggered by too many carbs. eat more protein, healthy fats and vegetables.

    i do low carb. let me know if you need anything.

    good luck!
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
    flax seed oil (in capsule form) worked for me. I do know, however, that high cholesterol runs in my family, and that it is just a matter of time before I need to take medication. I am not overweight, I exercise a lot, I eat well, but still my numbers rise. Some of this can be out of people's control. I totally get wanting to control it without medication, and I would try for as long as you can, but at some point meds can become necessary. Good luck!
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    also.. in case you didn't know..

    cholesterol in food (dietary) has no direct effect on the cholesterol levels found in your blood.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    also.. in case you didn't know..

    cholesterol in food (dietary) has no direct effect on the cholesterol levels found in your blood.

    And people with 'low' cholesterol die from heart disease too ...

    I'd just ignore the cholesterol, if someone tried to put me on a statin I'd shove it up their bum.
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    Thanks for the comments so far!
    I have read that dietary cholesterol isn't relevant which is why I'm not specifically tracking that.
    From what I can tell (using a web converter) my triclycerides aren't bad? 1.46 = 128 - normal??
    I was taking some freshly ground flaxseed with moring cereal but I haven't for about a week - need to grind a fresh batch.
    I can aim to lower my total fats to 25% (currently set at 30%). My aimed for macros are currently 35/35/30 (carb/prot/fat)
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member

    I was taking some freshly ground flaxseed with moring cereal but I haven't for about a week - need to grind a fresh batch.

    Flax seed is a poor source of omega 3 as it does not actually contain omega 3 in it's proper state, it has to be converted to omega3 inside the body which the body does not do efficiently.

    If you want omega-3 you should be taking fish/krill oil as per your doctors suggestion. (or just eat more fish)

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/flax_oil_vs_fish_oil
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
    I don't specifically track dietary cholesterol either but I do get an eye on it just for an FYI of sorts that way if something does go out of whack again I can try and pin point why. I don't want to start on some big debate but some people are effected by it. Try asking your Dr or a Registered Dietitian for recommendations that would work for you.
  • seaKind
    seaKind Posts: 136
    also.. in case you didn't know..

    cholesterol in food (dietary) has no direct effect on the cholesterol levels found in your blood.

    And people with 'low' cholesterol die from heart disease too ...

    I'd just ignore the cholesterol, if someone tried to put me on a statin I'd shove it up their bum.

    AND- 'they' have never been able to actually make any direct link between cholesterol and heart disease (or any disease, for that matter). Only that some people with high cholesterol have heart troubles (but not all),
  • Shadowsan
    Shadowsan Posts: 365 Member
    also.. in case you didn't know..

    cholesterol in food (dietary) has no direct effect on the cholesterol levels found in your blood.

    And people with 'low' cholesterol die from heart disease too ...

    I'd just ignore the cholesterol, if someone tried to put me on a statin I'd shove it up their bum.

    AND- 'they' have never been able to actually make any direct link between cholesterol and heart disease (or any disease, for that matter). Only that some people with high cholesterol have heart troubles (but not all),

    As an example:

    The original studies for eggs and their effect on cholesterol count and subsequent heart disease was flawed.

    The study showed that eggs had a high cholesterol amount, and that there was a correlation between the subjects that ate eggs and had high cholesterol and subsequently heart conditions.

    What the study didn't show was the fact that most of these people ate eggs alongside other things such as red meat that had plenty of saturated fats, and also alongside high salt intake.

    And it's _those_ that are more contributory than cholesterol in itself.

    The FSA in the UK and leading heart foundations have agreed with this assessment of the original eggs study, and have ruled that eggs have no direct link to high cholesterol levels and heart conditions in themselves.

    Now i'm not saying that we should all not keep a check on our cholesterol levels, but a lot of people will find that it's their salt intake and saturated fats intake that should also get a check on over and above just looking at cholesterol.
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    I do wholeheartedly agree that things like eggs are not the bogeyman they were once portrayed as.
    Even IF dietary cholesterol was an issue (which I think pretty much everyone on this thread agrees is not the case!) my intake on most days is well under 300mg anyway.

    So for now what I'm going to do is get the krill tablets the doctor recommended (as opposed to the flaxseeds I was taking) and try to do more fish / white meat.
    Sodium I have already started watching because the BP is a touch above normal at times (ranges from spot on 120/80 or lower to worst I've seen using my home checker is 140ish over 110).

    And maybe do even less carbs than current - or make sure that more of them are from veg..?
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member

    Flax seed is a poor source of omega 3 as it does not actually contain omega 3 in it's proper state, it has to be converted to omega3 inside the body which the body does not do efficiently.

    If you want omega-3 you should be taking fish/krill oil as per your doctors suggestion. (or just eat more fish)

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/flax_oil_vs_fish_oil
    Thanks for this link. Interestingly I recognise some points the author discusses like excessively dry hands so looks like I will benefit from fish-based omegas in other ways too!
  • nsblue
    nsblue Posts: 331 Member
    My LDL in my last bloodwork was 1.9 so the doc is happy.. n so am I when it was over 4.
    I watch what I eat, using becel, low fat mayo, salad dressings, high omega 3 foods etc...eat my fiber... use ground flax in my cereal, take an omega 3 soft gel and EXERCISE... i walk.
  • Kwoman2912
    Kwoman2912 Posts: 14
    High cholesterol runs in my family. Last year my number was 236 (and I was only 30 and BMI 25...so only 10 lbs overweight). Luckily for me my HDL is 80 but I still would like to get my LDL lower.

    Statins are NOT proven to work on women so I will never let them put me on one. My doc actually told me not to worry since my good cholesterol is so high.

    As far as cholesterol and heart disease...my grandma has VERY high cholesterol, I'm talking 300. Statins did nothing for her but give her bad side effects. Guess what? She's 87 and has never had a heart attack.

    I will say my (already thin) dad lowered his 30 points by losing 10 lbs and eating oatmeal 5-6 days a week.
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member

    Statins are NOT proven to work on women so I will never let them put me on one.
    I wasn't aware of this point - I just don't believe statins are good - period! But good additional ammo!
  • ashleyanh410
    ashleyanh410 Posts: 14 Member
    Fish oil + less carbs! My father had a heart attack early in life (49yr.) due to some genetic issues (he was not overweight and didn't have any other risk factors for developing heart disease aside from poor genetics) and his cardiologist told him that he needed to cut back on carbohydrates, as they can increase triglyceride levels and inflammation.

    Since his heart attack, I've also cut back on my carbohydrates and upped my exercise I've seen my ratios improve (more HDL, less LDL) and my other health indicators (blood pressure and heart rate) decrease. I eat red meat and eggs, but they're almost always accompanied by a mound of green veggies and no starch.

    From what I understand, some people are more receptive to this type of diet than others. Some people benefit from more strict plant heavy diets. However, this has worked for me and my family.
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    Hi again.

    I've done some more reading on the subject and came across a podcast featuring Chris Masterjohn (of cholesterol-and-health.com and the daily lipid blog: blog.cholesterol-and-health.com) . Complete transcript here:
    http://chriskresser.com/chris-masterjohn-on-cholesterol-and-heart-disease-part-3

    The point mentioned which might make sense of my situation is this: "But I think if you follow a weight loss strategy that is not leaving you hungry and stressed, I think you can expect a moderate elevation of lipids in some scenarios. And we talked about this in the second episode, so we shouldn’t go into too much detail; but in my opinion, if someone is losing weight and they’re losing it at a healthy pace in a sustainable way and they see fluctuations in their blood lipids, in my personal opinion, they should wait until their weight has been stable for three to six months before trying to interpret it. In other words, if blood lipids go up while you’re losing weight, concentrate on losing the weight and normalizing your metabolism. Then once your weight has been stable, start looking at blood lipids and so on. "

    Given that I have been losing weight (and plan to continue doing so for some months still) I am going to flat out refuse to do further cholesterol tests at this point regardless of what the doctor says because I feel that the weight loss is affecting the readings.
    I will wait until I'm no longer on a reducing diet and only then re-test, and only then stress about the results.

    Oh, but for now I will take the krill oil based on the other health benefits!

    Thanks all....
  • Birdie
    Birdie Posts: 256 Member
    My doctor said it was carbs driving it up (I don't eat red meat). He told me to jack up the exercise and cut out all white substances. No noodles, rice, bread, sugar, potato, & corn.
  • lope
    lope Posts: 53 Member
    What does your sugar intake look like? Recent findings that 'unhealthy carbs' are the big contributor to bad cholesterol. Eat more veggies... that doesn't mean corn. Corn is a grain. Ween yourself from grains too. Just sayin'
  • lope
    lope Posts: 53 Member
    Check this out: it's a good read.

    http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/how-did-we-come-to-believe-saturated-fat-and-cholesterol-are-bad-for-us

    I owe a lot of my success to my son's nutritionist/trainer/coach who is working on his dr in nutrition. The above article mirrors his advice.

    Show this to your dr and see what he says... dr who prescribe meds instead of nutritional ways of healing are not looking out for your well being... just sayin'
  • lope
    lope Posts: 53 Member
    Your Dr. is spot on!!!
  • lope
    lope Posts: 53 Member
    My doctor said it was carbs driving it up (I don't eat red meat). He told me to jack up the exercise and cut out all white substances. No noodles, rice, bread, sugar, potato, & corn.

    Your Doc is spot on!!!
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member

    Given that I have been losing weight (and plan to continue doing so for some months still) I am going to flat out refuse to do further cholesterol tests at this point regardless of what the doctor says because I feel that the weight loss is affecting the readings.
    I will wait until I'm no longer on a reducing diet and only then re-test, and only then stress about the results.

    Oh, but for now I will take the krill oil based on the other health benefits!

    Thanks all....

    It makes sense to me that the lipids would get wonky while your diet is changing, just keep adding more healthy foods that are known to lower it. I dont know how often you get tested but your numbers were not that high up for US standards, I've had worse readings over the years :(
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    But my latest readings are as follows: UK (US)
    Total 5.8 (224)
    LDL 4 (155)
    HDL 1.1 (43)
    Triglycerides 1.46 (129)

    Total / HDL ratio of 5.3 is worse than mine, on Atkins type diet I have 5.05 total and 1.26 HDL
  • joannathechef
    joannathechef Posts: 484 Member
    Do take fish oil and Naicin (flush free) daily this will make a big difference
  • diverdiza
    diverdiza Posts: 82 Member
    My sugars are pretty good (in my opinion) - and come mostly from fruit and vegetable with some grains (interesting that corn counts as a grain?)
    yarwell thats a great HDL!!
    Trish I certainly am adding more and more healthy foods and (just as important??) CUTTING OUT the really unhealthy stuff. Talk about sugars - in December I was going through a full store-bought chocolate cake in a matter of days and then going back and buying another! :blushing:
    Iope - not sure about cutting out all the white substances but for now will certainly cut down.
    Joanna - I read niacin mentioned on another cholesterol thread but got confused because someone said there was a right form and a wrong form so I haven't pursued this yet. I have started taking the krill oil (2 days so far). I read somewhere else that choline helps the liver use the chosterol for the right purposes but that's another topic I haven't read enough on yet..
  • Birdie
    Birdie Posts: 256 Member
    My sugars are pretty good (in my opinion) - and come mostly from fruit and vegetable with some grains (interesting that corn counts as a grain?)
    yarwell thats a great HDL!!
    Trish I certainly am adding more and more healthy foods and (just as important??) CUTTING OUT the really unhealthy stuff. Talk about sugars - in December I was going through a full store-bought chocolate cake in a matter of days and then going back and buying another! :blushing:
    Iope - not sure about cutting out all the white substances but for now will certainly cut down.
    Joanna - I read niacin mentioned on another cholesterol thread but got confused because someone said there was a right form and a wrong form so I haven't pursued this yet. I have started taking the krill oil (2 days so far). I read somewhere else that choline helps the liver use the chosterol for the right purposes but that's another topic I haven't read enough on yet..

    I bought the krill oil pills for awhile because they were small and easy to swallow (even though the cost a lot more). But did you notice how LITTLE omega 3's are in there? I ended up going back to a fish oil that contains far more.

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