AAhhh.

I started the Atkins diet late June and by late August I had got from 212 down to 194 lb and a steady pace. However I have run into a big problem and its name is Cholesterol.

I had high cholesterol for a number of years (total cholesterol fluctuating between 270 and 230). I was then put on Lipitor a number of years ago and this helped to bring it down to the 180 range. When I started the Atkins diet, I recognized that I would be significantly increasing my fat intake but all I had read re. the Atkins diet gave me some comfort that it should not be impacted (and maybe reduced). So here is what I have been eating :

Breakfast : 2 egg omelet
Lunch : Green salad with tomato tuna maybe egg and some cheese
Dinner : Steak or sausages or fish with broccoli. Some cheese
Plus, of course, lots of water

So – with all that said (and remembering I have lost 18 lb) and bearing in mind I am still on the Lipitor, I was horrified when I had a blood test last week and found my Cholesterol is now up at 263 (LDL 172, HDL 73). Interestingly (or maybe not !), my Triglycerides have stayed pretty much constant at 88.

So – I am looking for some advice here. Sure, I could cut out the eggs and cheese and limit meat but my options seem to be getting very limited ! Plus, having read of so many people finding their cholesterol being reduced through Atkins I am curious as to what is different for me (I don’t believe my egg/cheese/meat intake is that excessive).

Thanks in advance
Peter

Actually Peter, those numbers aren't that bad. Your HDL is phenomenal - I'm totally envious.

Total cholesterol has never been proven to be a good indicator of CVD although high triglyceride levels have been. High HDL, on the other hand, has been proven to be protective of CVD. What is much more important is the ratio of LDL:HDL, below 2.3 is considered low-risk, and you're 2.35

Your test were done pretty soon after you began LC - something else to keep in mind. It's usually advisable to wait 3 months for the changes to happen.

I think you should smile, be happy and keep doing what you're doing. You should get these number run again in a few months - the lipitor may be able to be discontinued.

-Nat

BTW, to put your mind further to rest:

Cholesterol and understanding its numbers

Some results similar to yours

High HDL and Low Triglycerides

Nat (still envious of that HDL)

Nat

Thanks for your response. My HDL has always been pretty good (even though I say so myself).

Anyway - as soon as I can think of a breakfast alternative that (a) doesn't involve eggs and (b) can be prepared in less than 3 minutes I will modify my diet to remove the egjs (and some of the cheese) and keep going and track my cholesterol carefully (with one of those home monitoring gizmos I just purchased)

Peter

Peter, I agree with Nat completely. Don't think you need to make any dietary changes at this point. Why not wait until your next lipid panel, and if you and your doctor agree that your LDL is still too high, you can make adjustments then?

BTW, I don't know how those home cholesterol kits work, but if you're not fasting for 8-12 hours beforehand, I wouldn't consider them reliable.

Peter, I agree with Rose as well I wouldn't make any changes to my menu just yet. Dietary cholesterol has minimal effect on blood cholesterol levels - 85% of what is running around in your body is produced by your body and evidence suggests that this is a type that is less likely to be oxidized. Oxidization is what creates the 'bad' cholesterol, and the stuff we eat is more likely to be turned into this.

People who have to remove egg yolks and red meat from their diet, or rather, restrict their useage, are not responding the the cholesterol, but to an acid found in them. Indications you have a sensitivity to this include a rise in LDL, so if you're has not skyrocketed you're not one of them.

Give it a little more time and then have the tests run again, fasting of course.

Cheers,
Nat

Thanks again. I just used the home tester this morning (making sure I had fasted 10 hours) - it ony measures total cholesterol but it confirmed my total (actually it has gone even further up).
It terms of LDL "skyrocketing" - it does feel as though it has. Prior measurement (pre-Atkins) in Nov 2002 was 81 so a jump to 172 feels pretty extreme ! So I will cut out the eggs for a week and retest and see what happens ....