Proof the Paleo diet and all its fats WONT kill you
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AggieCass09
Posts: 1,867 Member
My company, Hilcorp Energy Company, is awesome for many reasons one of them being our free annunal health screenings. Since I started working with them last April, I've had two screenings to date. The interesting thing is that I changed my diet from Vegetarian to Paleo just after last year's screening so the change in the numbers from 2011 to this year is 100% attributed to diet! No, I did not change anything else (exercise, sleep habits, job, etc.).
2011 2012 Healthy Range
Diet Vegetarian (2 years prior) Paleo (Beginning Oct. '11) n/a
Height 67 inches (5' 7") 67.25" (5' 7.25") [+.25"] n/a
Weight 160 154 (!!!) [-6 lbs!!!]
BMI 25 24 [-1] 18.5-24.9
WaistCircumference 29.5 29 [-.5] <35
Blood Pressure 128/75 mmHg 122/74 [-6/-1] <120/80
Total Cholesterol 198 mg/dl 190 [-8] 100-199
HDL (healthy) Cholesterol 87 mg/dl 99 [+12!!!] >50
LDL (bad) Cholesterol 95 mg/dl 79 mg/dl [-16!!!!!!!!] <100
Triglycerides 75 mg/dl 57 mg/dl [-18!!!!!!] 45-149
Risk Ratio 2.3 1.9 <4.4
Fasting Glucose 92 mg/dl 95 mg/dl [+3*] 50-99
*I took my daily multivitamin this morning which contains 5g of sugar
WOW is all I can say!!! Changing from a Vegetarian diet to a Paleo diet CLEARLY changed ALL my paramenters (except glucose, see * above) in the positive direction! So all that B.S. about eating eggs, bacon, fatty foods, red meat, and other things with lots of cholesterol is A TOTAL CROCK!!! My "bad" cholesterol leves went down and my "good" cholesterol levels went up!!!! Also, eating fats clearly don't make you fat; look at my triglyceride levels!!! WOW I am seriously blown away!
Also, check out my weight!!! I haven't stepped on the scale in 2 weeks since adjusting to a healthy and balanced life after the Whole30 and SURPRISE!!! I dropped weight!!! Amazing!!!!! I was all prepared to just be happy with maintaining the 160lb range for a year, but this was a plesant surprise!
For those wondering, the Risk Ratio is the Total Cholesterol/HDL number. so 190/99=1.91. Less than 4.4 is a healthy ratio.
The table looks pretty-er here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/shocking-the-numbers-dont-lie-vegetarian-to-paleo-comparison-423960
2011 2012 Healthy Range
Diet Vegetarian (2 years prior) Paleo (Beginning Oct. '11) n/a
Height 67 inches (5' 7") 67.25" (5' 7.25") [+.25"] n/a
Weight 160 154 (!!!) [-6 lbs!!!]
BMI 25 24 [-1] 18.5-24.9
WaistCircumference 29.5 29 [-.5] <35
Blood Pressure 128/75 mmHg 122/74 [-6/-1] <120/80
Total Cholesterol 198 mg/dl 190 [-8] 100-199
HDL (healthy) Cholesterol 87 mg/dl 99 [+12!!!] >50
LDL (bad) Cholesterol 95 mg/dl 79 mg/dl [-16!!!!!!!!] <100
Triglycerides 75 mg/dl 57 mg/dl [-18!!!!!!] 45-149
Risk Ratio 2.3 1.9 <4.4
Fasting Glucose 92 mg/dl 95 mg/dl [+3*] 50-99
*I took my daily multivitamin this morning which contains 5g of sugar
WOW is all I can say!!! Changing from a Vegetarian diet to a Paleo diet CLEARLY changed ALL my paramenters (except glucose, see * above) in the positive direction! So all that B.S. about eating eggs, bacon, fatty foods, red meat, and other things with lots of cholesterol is A TOTAL CROCK!!! My "bad" cholesterol leves went down and my "good" cholesterol levels went up!!!! Also, eating fats clearly don't make you fat; look at my triglyceride levels!!! WOW I am seriously blown away!
Also, check out my weight!!! I haven't stepped on the scale in 2 weeks since adjusting to a healthy and balanced life after the Whole30 and SURPRISE!!! I dropped weight!!! Amazing!!!!! I was all prepared to just be happy with maintaining the 160lb range for a year, but this was a plesant surprise!
For those wondering, the Risk Ratio is the Total Cholesterol/HDL number. so 190/99=1.91. Less than 4.4 is a healthy ratio.
The table looks pretty-er here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/shocking-the-numbers-dont-lie-vegetarian-to-paleo-comparison-423960
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I'm glad you brought this post over to a group that can appreciate it for what it is. I saw your post in another forum and the responses you were getting.
I think my favorite one was: "I wonder why would you go from Vegetarian to Paleo... such a big change are you the kind of person who just cannot eat "normal" jumping from one diet/lifestyle to another? "
Yeah.... because it's so terribly abnormal to eat meats and veggies. :laugh: Or maybe it's abnormal to be healthy without feeling deprived? I don't know, I'm losing weight and getting healthier while feeling great and being satisfied after my meals. If that's not normal then I don't want to touch "normal" with a 10 foot pole! :laugh:
Congrats on the improvements! It's great when you finally find what works for you and have the positive results to prove it.0 -
I love reports like this! I understand the change from vegetarian to paleo - I did it myself. I was so sick and so just totally falling apart when I was vegetarian (and it was even worse when I was vegan). I wish I'd had bloodwork done.
So many people don't seem to understand that it isn't about losing weight and calories, it's about gaining health!0 -
That's awesome! I am having a hard time convincing my mom that saturated fats won't raise her cholesterol. She has been told for years to stay away from fat because of it's effect on cholesterol. She has high cholesterol with a family history. She won't touch coconut oil but she did just buy avocado oil, so maybe we're getting somewhere!0
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Idauria - My mom and dad are pretty skeptical, but I figure once they see the results and see that it's not negatively affecting my blood work or health markers I think they'll come around. All my sister needed was to see me losing weight while still eating foods that taste great, and she was totally on board!
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My mom keeps asking me if any of the paleo people have had their cholesterol levels checked recently. Now I can tell her yes!0
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I'm so glad that yall appreciate this! Not saying vegetarian is bad, but for me and my gluten+dairy allergies it was bad! I also have a newly converted paleo co-worker and he had similar results... so here is proof from TWO people. Though he went from a traditional westerner style diet, not paleo.
Weight: 190 to 160 (def improvement)
BMI: 25 to 21 (def improvement)
Waist: 32 to 32 (I’m pretty sure I used to be a 34, though)
BP: 131/82 to 122/76 (def improvement)
TC: 167 to 187 (both in normal range)
HDL: 41 to 45 (got better)
Tri: 86 to 73 (got better)
LDL: 109 to 127 (near-optimal – I guess this one got a bit worse, though)
Risk Ratio: Both 4.1 (healthy range, though)
Glucose: 105 to 88 (huge improvement)0 -
idauria ... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/737002-my-blood-work-after-6-months-of-primal-paleo <---- another member of this group reported his stats and they are also quite good.
Thank you for sharing this Aggie!! Way to go!!!!!!!!!0 -
That's the same experience I had - I have many good friends that thrive as vegetarians and vegans, but I ended up with severe gastritis after 6 months. I'd started reading about paleo a bit before then, decided to ignore my doctor's advice to take Prilosec and eat lots of whole grains (which were obviously a cause of pain). He was shocked how quickly I was healed, the lingering issues I still had after going gluten-free the year before disappeared and I haven't really looked back since!Not saying vegetarian is bad, but for me and my gluten+dairy allergies it was bad!0 -
That's the same experience I had - I have many good friends that thrive as vegetarians and vegans, but I ended up with severe gastritis after 6 months. I'd started reading about paleo a bit before then, decided to ignore my doctor's advice to take Prilosec and eat lots of whole grains (which were obviously a cause of pain). He was shocked how quickly I was healed, the lingering issues I still had after going gluten-free the year before disappeared and I haven't really looked back since!Not saying vegetarian is bad, but for me and my gluten+dairy allergies it was bad!
I think you and I had the same Dr....what an idiot! Literally TWO days after trying Paleo I felt amazing and didn't have any intestinal problems. TWO DAYS!!! Id been on acid reflux meds for YEARS and had endoscopy's and other tests done to make sure I didnt have cancer when it was my DIET that was hurting me! I couldn't wrap my brain aroud how WRONG the medical community was!0 -
Thanks for sharing this! Great numbers!0
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Keep it up. Many of us have the same results!0
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I can't wait to get my stats done, I will wait until my Whole 30 is completed and I am now on day 6
but in the meantime not sure if you all know, my Blood Sugar is under control and I am off Metformin
My Blood Pressure is down quite a bit and most of the time in the normal range, that is huge for me
My Sleeping Pills (perscr) are gone, my dry skin is gone, so even if the scale is not moving for me I hear it all the time......you've lost weight. I have been Primal for 73 days and I feel great, and whole 30 the last 6 days and so far I am not missing dairy except for the butter.....ghee is just not quite the same.0 -
Another health stats (/lipid profile). Again, the thing I love the most about this community, is the fact that we share our data. Again, one more time - WHO ELSE WOULD DO THIS! PALEO PEOPLE ROCK!0
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Here's my lab result story, posted a while back on a different forum....It just keeps getting better.
Went in for my six-month check up, and even though I have been coasting diet-wise (I still eat according to Plan*, just more than I should - gaining 10 pounds), my labs got even better. Comparison between January 2012 and now (July 2012):
Triglycerides: 125 to 63
Total cholesterol: 200 to 128
HDL: 37 to 43 (cool!)
LDL: 138 to 72 (even cooler!)
Ratio: 5.4 to 3.0
For those starting out who are still looking for motivation: even WITHOUT weight loss, eating DE-style will make you healthier! WITH the weight loss kicked in, you can maximize your health to be the best you can be.
Now - I'm going to get serious again about losing another 100 lbs!
*(I've been on DE since May 2011, losing 50 lbs and gaining back 10. I went on hiatus - eating DE-style but not counting calories - since the holidays).
'DE' is 'Diet Evolution', a diet basically paleo/primal by Steven Gundry, MD.0 -
That's the same experience I had - I have many good friends that thrive as vegetarians and vegans, but I ended up with severe gastritis after 6 months. I'd started reading about paleo a bit before then, decided to ignore my doctor's advice to take Prilosec and eat lots of whole grains (which were obviously a cause of pain). He was shocked how quickly I was healed, the lingering issues I still had after going gluten-free the year before disappeared and I haven't really looked back since!Not saying vegetarian is bad, but for me and my gluten+dairy allergies it was bad!
I think you and I had the same Dr....what an idiot! Literally TWO days after trying Paleo I felt amazing and didn't have any intestinal problems. TWO DAYS!!! Id been on acid reflux meds for YEARS and had endoscopy's and other tests done to make sure I didnt have cancer when it was my DIET that was hurting me! I couldn't wrap my brain aroud how WRONG the medical community was!
Same here, I'd taken Prilosec/Protonix/Aciphex for years (probably 7+!). After going primal and cutting the grains (I still do eat some dairy, but I already knew I was lactose intolerant - mainly milk that gives me issues), I stopped the prilosec cold turkey. It was a rough couple days until my body regulated the stomach acid, but I haven't taken it in over a year now since I don't need it any longer. And guess what else, no more IBS symptoms off the grains!!0 -
Those are amazing lab results! Congrats!0
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Congratulations and thank you for sharing! My numbers are positive as well. AND, I totally got off the GERD meds (protonix) and no more IBS as well!
SCORE!!
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good for you for bringing this here. People in the forums were so rude!0
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Great numbers and so glad you brought it back over to this thread too. I was once vegetarian as well for moral reasons, and just felt awful with no stamina. Sure, I lost weight but it's also the time that I developed an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I was 19 years old.
People who don't know anything about Paleo/Primal, and haven't done the proper research to figure it out, just don't understand. I wish them well on their journeys to health. There are always going to be people looking for arguments on MFP but they certainly don't have to be so ignorant and/or rude about it. The information is out there.
I can understand not wanting to read something that was totally different from one's protocol. For instance, I don't know if/why I would ever read a book on vegetarianism because I love the taste of meat, can't eat soy or grains due to my thyroid issues, and want to preserve my muscle tone but that's my personal health that would be in jeopardy. It's very relative to each person. Perhaps there are some veg*ns out there who cannot digest meat, and have moral issues with eating animals. Either way, to each their own.0 -
Wait til I post about how I bought a 1/4 cow on the boards. I'm just waiting for my final bill so I can tally up the cost/pound. I'm going to post it to the general nutrition board and watch the crazies come out!0
