High triglycerides

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kmbrooks15
kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Well, drat. I have PCOS and have changed all my carbs to whole grain and have completely cut added sugar from my diet. I'm exercising regularly. My blood work shows that my HDL cholesterol is still too low and my triglycerides are REALLY high. Now I have to cut certain fats from my diet as well. So frustrating. I was expecting my numbers to at least be a LITTLE better!

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,400 MFP Moderator
    edited May 2016
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    Generally, with PCOS you would want to decrease the amount of carbs and increase fats... particularly unsaturated fats (fish, nuts/legumes, lean meats) since they have been proven to improve cholesterol. Weight loss and exercise will generally have the greatest impact on cholesterol (aside from genetics).
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    That's what's so frustrating--I've lost 23 pounds and am exercising regularly, and my numbers are worse than they were last October. UGH. Just gonna have to really crack down on my diet and get the numbers under control. My doctor will probably have more bloodwork done in a couple of months to see if things have gotten any better.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Any Sam's clubs in your area? Some offer free cholesterol tests on a certain saturday.
    I think quarterly. Their site will tell you.
    You do not have to be a member to get this test done (or use the pharmacy). Just tell the door guy.

    * I peeked at your diary: You need to start logging.
    This site really, really works.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,400 MFP Moderator
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    kmbrooks15 wrote: »
    That's what's so frustrating--I've lost 23 pounds and am exercising regularly, and my numbers are worse than they were last October. UGH. Just gonna have to really crack down on my diet and get the numbers under control. My doctor will probably have more bloodwork done in a couple of months to see if things have gotten any better.

    Have you increased your carb intake since you refocused your efforts? How does your saturated fats look? Do you incorporate foods like fish and legumes?
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
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    I have PCOS as well I noticed a change in my triglycerides when I started taking a fish oil supplement and eating less red meat as well.
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Any Sam's clubs in your area? Some offer free cholesterol tests on a certain saturday.
    I think quarterly. Their site will tell you.
    You do not have to be a member to get this test done (or use the pharmacy). Just tell the door guy.

    * I peeked at your diary: You need to start logging.
    This site really, really works.

    I'm not logging because I've done it in the past and it's not sustainable for me. My biggest weakness was white carbs and added sugar, and just by cutting sugar and changing my carbs to whole grain, I'm losing weight steadily. I want to lose in a way that doesn't require me logging every bite. It can easily become an obsession for me, and that's not healthy either.

  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    OK, so my doctor called after I got home from work last night. She thinks the high triglycerides are from my birth control pill. We switched pills last fall to one that had more estrogen in it, and she thinks that may be the cause. She switched me back to a pill with less estrogen, and we'll retest in about six months (I'm due for bloodwork about then anyway for my annual checkup). If my number isn't better by then, she'll test for thyroid issues. She said I'm doing everything right, so the number should have come down, which is why she thinks it could be something else causing it.
  • cmarangi
    cmarangi Posts: 131 Member
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    I had high triglycerides and you need to focus on cutting carbs down. I don't know how many you are eating a day, but carbs can cause the triglycerides which leads to fatty liver.
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
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    for some people it is genetic and all the moderation you can do won't work. I do agree with a fish oil supplement.
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
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    Omega 3's are what helped me with my triglyceride levels, I take 1 flaxseed oil pill every day, lots of fresh vegetables and my cholesterol levels are balancing out too (took my triglyceride levels in 3 months from 149 to 60)

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