lab results : Cholesterol, Heart Disease Forum : Active Low-Carber Forums

#1 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 20:30

jodidesign jodidesign is offline

Registered Member

Posts: 64

Plan: South Beach
Stats: 178.5/174/145 Female 5'7"

BF:
Progress: 13%

Location: Gaithersburg, MD

lab results

i've been on atkins for 3 months and recently had my yearly check-up which included bloodwork... as surprising as it may be, my levels are not very good which is very discouraging... compared to last year's, the things that should've gone down because of atkins, have gone up instead...

cholesterol - 198 ('02) - 238 ('03)
HDL (good) - 74 ('02) - 82 ('03)
LDL (bad) - 106 ('02) - 141 ('03)

has anyone else experienced bad levels since doing atkins? i am seriously considering cutting back on the fats and eating less red meat even though i barely eat it once a week as it is... i am very discouraged because i like this plan but cannot afford to have high cholesterol at 32...

any advice? thanks...

~jodi

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#2 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 20:42

LovableLC

Senior Member

Posts: 1,106

Plan: Atkins/low carb mix
Stats: 206/184/130 Female 5'5"

BF:Size 12
Progress: 29%

If it were me I would cut back on the fats. While it does help some people to lower their cholesterol, it does not help everyone. As good a diet Atkins is not every diet works for everyone, sometimes modifications are necessary.

#3 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 20:50

jers52

Senior Member

Posts: 427

Plan: Atkins
Stats: 239/203/160 Female 5'9"

BF:
Progress: 46%

Location: PA

lab work...

you might want to let your doc know you have been on Atkins for only 3 months... I know in DANDR it is suggested that you do wait a while to have blood work done to see positive changes. Maybe your doc will order another set after 6 months or so.

just a thought,
Jan

#4 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 21:40

LadyBelle

Resident Loud Mouth

Posts: 8,495

Plan: Retrying
Stats: 239.2/150.6/120 Female 5'2"

BF:
Progress: 74%

Location: Wyoming

From the Atkins web site

Quote:

Since I have been on Atkins, my cholesterol has gone up. Why? And what can I do about it?
First, look at what you've been eating. Have you been following Atkins correctly? If you are just starting the Induction phase, be sure you stay below 20 grams of carbohydrates a day as recommended. You may also want to consider a couple other things that may be happening.
First, the increase might be temporary. When a person loses weight, cholesterol usually rises because the body must break down stored fat for energy. Your total cholesterol should drop within two months. Look at your HDL (known as “good” cholesterol) levels. A rise in total cholesterol levels could even be a good thing, if it’s all attributed to HDL cholesterol. If you’ve been following Atkins for some time and your cholesterol levels have not come down, something else is going on.
You may also need to look at a third component of your blood tests: triglycerides. Cholesterol rises in some people when triglycerides drop significantly. If that drop is greater than the LDL increase, your lipid profile may, again, be improved.
High cholesterol that has a genetic component usually responds to changes in diet, but may be difficult to address with diet alone. You may still need to take supplements such as pantethine, essential oils, garlic, red rice yeast and fiber. For a detailed discussion of cholesterol-lowering nutrients, see Dr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution. Exercise is also an important component as is cutting back on meats processed with nitrates, such as most bacon, sausage and cold cuts, and limiting intake of hard cheese.

#5 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 23:31

cdnbarbie

Registered Member

Posts: 81

Plan: Atkins
Stats: 192/167.2/130 Female 62 inches

BF:
Progress: 40%

Location: Canada

I'm terrified I'll get bad results when I go back for retesting in August. It will be 2 1/2 months by then, and I've been very faithfully following the rules all along with no cheats, no nitrates, limited red meats and eggs. I've been exercising and taking supplements recommended for reducing cholesterol.

I'll simply be devastated if my cholesterol continues to go up. I'm already considering watching my fat intake, especially saturated (since Atkins says this one needs more research - doesn't build one's confidence does it?)

#6 ^

Mon, Jul-07-03, 23:50

Rosebud Rosebud is offline

Forum Moderator

Posts: 23,886

Plan: Atkins
Stats: 235/135/135 Female 5'4

BF:
Progress: 100%

Location: Brisbane, Australia

Hi Jodi,

Did you get the result for your triglycerides? I'd be willing to lay money that they'd be nice and low.

In fact, I think your results are pretty good. Your HDL rocks! Over 60 is protective against heart disease, so you are sitting pretty with 82!

Have a read through the sticky thread "Cholesterol: Understanding its Numbers" at the top of this forum (I moved you to the Cholesterol forum

). The info there should help reassure you.

Rosebud

#7 ^

Thu, Aug-28-03, 17:03

Dodger Dodger is online now

Long-term low-carber

Posts: 8,805

Plan: Paleoish/Keto
Stats: 225/167/175 Male 71.5 inches

BF:18%
Progress: 116%

Location: Longmont, Colorado

Jodi,

I calculated your triglyceride levels on the two tests as being 90 and 75. Both are good values. Your HDL/Trigylceride ratio went from 1.2 to 0.9. Both are excellent ratios (The lower the better, with 1.0 or lower being ideal). I do not think that your lipid results are a problem at all. Your LDL is most likely the large fluffy kind that is actually good.