Anyone know anything about Cholesterol?

swest222
swest222 Posts: 455 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Before I started this back in June, I had slightly high Cholesterol levels. Not alarming by any means, but higher then they like to see none-the-less.

I told my primary that I would try diet and exercise and go from there and come back in 3 months or so.

Well 3 months past, I have lost 45lbs which they are very pleased with.
However, the lab results have said while the overall Cholesterol is lower and within the normal range,
now the "bad and good" levels are reversed?

How is this possible? How did I manage to mess this up in 3 months now? So discouraging, I need to research how to fix it.

I cant wrap my head around how changing my entire life has messed this up somehow.

Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    How did your diet change? Are you just eating less calories or did you also incorporate changes like more whole grains, more high fiber veg, more healthy fats, less trans/sat fats/hydrogenated oils, etc? Did you fast for these tests? Depending on the type of cholesterol issue you have, sometimes it takes an actual change in diet, not just a reduction of calories to make a difference.

    Also, I've read something about how your lipids and other blood tests can go a bit wonky while you're losing weight because they body is going through changes and adjustments. Here's a link:

    http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/06/i-lost-weight-and-my-cholesterol-went-up/
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    It could be three things.

    It could be a weird blood reading. My husband was scheduled for a test the day after his birthday. He had a piece of chocolate cake and some shrimp (both high in bad cholesterol) and the doctor not even to bother because the numbers would be off. It is sampling your blood and assuming it is typical for you. Was it?

    Second, you really could be eating the wrong things. What makes you lose weight is a calorie deficit. You don't have to eat things that are low in cholesterol to do that. You are keeping a log. What do your good and bad numbers look like? What are your fats like? When I started MFP I actually dropped things like rice and bread, which I think of as healthy, and started eating a lot more lean meat because they were lower in calories. They are also probably worse for my cholesterol. Again, go to a dietary checklist and look at your diary and see what you're doing.

    Third, it could be that you lowered the 'good' part of your cholesterol but kept the 'bad' part the same. Look at your test results at the absolute numbers, not just the relative and total numbers.

    Some people's cholesterol responds to diet, some to exercise or other factors. People are different. My husband and I eat about the same food. My cholesterol is low. His is high. He exercises more. Some of it is genes.

    The weight loss was good for your heart and bones and body anyway. Look at your diet some more and see what else you might do to improve your health. It's a long slog for all of us.
  • swest222
    swest222 Posts: 455 Member
    Changing my diet one step at a time. Less calories and more aware of what, how much, when etc.
    I guess I need to make more changes now that Im further along in this.

    I just dont see how when my diet was horrible and I was eating fast food or not eating at all and then eating something crappy and processed my levels were reversed.

    The primary did mention my body may be trying to work itself out ... we shall see I guess.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    What helped mine, exercise.. more specifically, heavy resistance training and moderate cardio. Also, replacing processed foods with whole foods. I eat a lot of meats (white and red) as well as a lot of fish. Every time I have gone back in the last 3 years, it has improved.

    ps- can you open your diary so we can look?
  • swest222
    swest222 Posts: 455 Member
    And thanks for the article .. :)
  • swest222
    swest222 Posts: 455 Member
    What helped mine, exercise.. more specifically, heavy resistance training and moderate cardio. Also, replacing processed foods with whole foods. I eat a lot of meats (white and red) as well as a lot of fish. Every time I have gone back in the last 3 years, it has improved.

    ps- can you open your diary so we can look?

    I have just started weight training as of Saturday. I met with a personal trainer who gave me a plan. (since I started in July I started out doing cardio only on my own and just this past month joined a gym).

    My diary is open, and while Im no saint, I stay within my calories every single day.
  • krowanvil
    krowanvil Posts: 49 Member
    Exercise will increase your HDL (good cholesterol).
    Fiber wil help pull cholesterol out of you system.

    Based on my father's experience, stress can increase your overall cholesterol. He had high cholesterol his whole adult life then retired and had the best numbers of his life eventhough he had been eating fried everything! Unfortunately, retirement is not an option, at this time, for most of us.:smile:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    what were your numbers ?
  • punkybrewster88
    punkybrewster88 Posts: 11 Member
    I had my cholesterol tested 2 years ago, retested a year ago (haven't made it in for this year's test). My overall stayed basically the same, but my LDL went down 13 and HDL went up 11. I attribute the change to: increased cardio, increased weight-traiing, eating oatmeal for breakfast almost everyday, increased fiber-consumption (average 30-35 g daily), and adding more nuts, specifically almonds to my diet. Walnuts and fish are supposed to be good too. I didn't make those changes specifically to change my cholesterol (it was w/in healthy limits but much better now), but after thinking about my lifestyle changes and researching things, that is what I came up with. Hope that helps???
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    I changed the whole way I eat - good whole foods, veggies, fruits, nuts, meats, fish, good for you fats (avacado, olive oil, coconut oil) and my cholesterol is really good now.
  • xxthoroughbred
    xxthoroughbred Posts: 346 Member
    Don't place too much emphasis on diet. Changing your diet obviously worked to a point, but diet accounts for maybe 30% of cholesterol. A lot of it has to do with genetics.

    With that said, make sure you're getting healthy fats. I've also heard eating oatmeal every day does wonders.
  • cbrrabbit25
    cbrrabbit25 Posts: 384 Member
    I changed the whole way I eat - good whole foods, veggies, fruits, nuts, meats, fish, good for you fats (avacado, olive oil, coconut oil) and my cholesterol is really good now.

    this is what i did also and my levels went back to normal. Also I eat less red meat and more turkey and chicken. i think that an no more mcdonalds or fast food did it for me.
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
    Not much. I know taking fish oil lowers your bad cholesterol and raises the good. I know taking fish oil makes me taste fish all day like I've been sucking on a trout. I know krill oil is as effective as fish oil and still rich in omega-3 but doesn't give me fish burps. I don't think my cholesterol was much of a problem but it had been a few years since I had it tested so I don't know for sure. So I take the krill oil. I've cleaned up my diet, and I'm losing weight. When I get to goal I'd like to have a full lab work-up and physical exam and see where I stand on everything.
  • slackerwoman
    slackerwoman Posts: 261 Member
    Have cholesterol issues and I am on cholesterol medication but I have brought mine down to 1/3 of the numbers. Make sure you are using very lean meats. For instance, buy 96% extra lean ground beef, or use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. Beans are good because they have a lot of fiber in them and you can get some protein. Eat a lot of green veggies. Cut down on your milk and cheese or at least do something like 2% or skim milk. I really can't tell the difference between skim milk now and regular milk but I use 2% because my husband can't stand the idea of skim. Take a fish oil supplement. Also, eating tuna and salmon. Use olive oil and only small amounts when you have to fry something. You would be surprised at how much you can cook with just a tbsp of olive oil. Eat nuts because they have good fat in them.

    The easiest thing to do is to use the plate method: 1/2 plate should be green veggies, 1/4 lean meat, 1/4 starchy veggie.
  • slackerwoman
    slackerwoman Posts: 261 Member
    Also, how old are you? Something I didnt know is that menopause can affect blood sugar and cholesterol. I started having problems with cholesterol when I was 36 and was diagnosed with menopause at 39. Started doing research and found out there was a link. I went on hormone therapy and after six months of hormone therapy my numbers went down significantly. Yes, I did improve my diet and exercise but the drop in numbers came more quickly after the hormone therapy. Even if you aren't old enough to be experiencing menopause, maybe you have a hormone issue that could have an effect.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    My cholesterol is still a tad high without statin drugs, but it's lower than before I lost weight and started exercising. The doctor things it's hereditary. Anyway, I was happy he didn't put me back on the drugs. Research studies show they lower brain function. Our brains need cholesterol for memory and learning. Heaven knows my memory was never good, and I can't afford to lose what I have. I enjoy learning, so I don't want to lose that, either. My suggestion is to lose weight, exercise, and don't worry too much about it. Enjoy life!
  • swest222
    swest222 Posts: 455 Member
    what were your numbers ?

    I think depending on where you are the numbers are different? Im in Canada

    In Canada - your target overall should be less than 5.20 - mine was 5.14 this go around but in June it was 5.56
    So it's lowered but now the breakdown is off.

    The breakdown is as follows:
    HDL - (should be greater than 1.29) Sept/1.13 - June/1.32
    LDL - (should be less than 2.0) Sept/ 3.07 - June/2.88

    So my numbers have reversed so it make the ratio higher ...
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    Don't place too much emphasis on diet. Changing your diet obviously worked to a point, but diet accounts for maybe 30% of cholesterol. A lot of it has to do with genetics.

    With that said, make sure you're getting healthy fats. I've also heard eating oatmeal every day does wonders.

    I disagree with this to a point...

    Diet in and of itself may not affect your overall cholesterol levels as genetics is a big part of that equation. Your body produces blood cholesterol so you are right in saying that diet can only do but so much...and people can be genetically predisposed to having higher cholesterol levels. If you have a family history of high cholesterol diet may not have much of an effect of your overall number.

    HOWEVER, there are two main forms of Cholesterol - HDL (good) and LDL (bad) - what a diet CAN do is affect the #'s - meaning a good diet can help to boost your HDL #'s and lower your LDL #'s - just as a bad diet full of junk can lower your HDL and raise your LDL...

    My husband has a family history of high cholesterol and while his overall numbers are high his HDL is through the roof so the ratio of HDL/LDL comes within a normal range. If his HDL wasn't as high as it is he would probably be on some sort of medication...
  • LilLolo22
    LilLolo22 Posts: 229 Member
    Exercising and eating more of the good fats (nuts, avocados, olive oil, etc) helps to raise your good cholesterol. When I was doing Insanity and P90X last year my good cholesterol was through the roof, however my bad cholesterol was a little high (although within limits). Eating less meat (I try to eat only 6-8 ounces a day), sticking only to the leanest cuts and preferably chicken and fish are easy ways to lower your bad cholesterol. Do you track your cholesterol on MFP? I try to keep my daily intake around 150-200mg because I was trying to lower my blood pressure (which I successfully did), but I think that 300mg is the daily reccommendation if you don't have heart issues. Hope this helps.

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