Cholesterol results after 18 months high fat diet.

[Gammeldragz]

So I've been lchf for over 18 months, tested my cholesterol at work today - perks of being a student ;)
Total 4.87 (should be under 5)
LDL 2.93 (the bad one, should be under 3)
HDL 1.38 (good one, should be over 1.2 for women)
Triglycerides 1.23, two hours after a high fat meal (a measure of how well your body removes fat from the blood after eating should be under 2.3 non fasting)
Ratio of total/HDL 3.5 (over 6 is high risk).

I'm not a huge believer in the dangers of cholesterol anyway, but I thought people might find this reassuring. Unfortunately I don't have previous results to compare too as I'm too young to have been tested routinely.

[prettybird]

Those results are brilliant gammeldragz

It's great ammunition against doubters!

[TerfsUp]

That's fab, Gammel!

[BIWI]

Fab results!

[Littlepleasures]

A few years ago my cholesterol was 8. Doctor panicking saying I must have a family weakness and would die young of a stroke unless I took statins for the rest of my life.

I told him, being 7 stones overweight, with bad eating habits and doing little exercise was probably the reason so I’d rather tackle those than medicate for life. He categorically told me I’d never get it down with diet and exercise. Since then I’ve done loads of research to find out what diet actually works for cardiovascular health.

I’ve cut out processed foods, empty sugars, ditched anything low fat, keep carbs under 100g a day, eat plenty of veg and protein and olive oil, limit fruit too 2 a day, ditched milk completely but eat cream, butter, full fat yoghurt and cheeses, walk everywhere and am constantly out in the garden digging, cutting hedges etc. Eating like this means I only want two meals a day with no desire to snack.

Although I haven’t yet solved my weight problems, still about 5 stone overweight, recent blood tests have shown everything well within normal limits - bp, blood sugar, thyroid etc with cholesterol at 4.5 with good and bad cholesterol in healthy proportions. At the age of 60 I take no medications at all.

When I fall off the wagon I know these markers will change so it does make me think twice and I reign it in sooner than I did when I was younger.

Fitbit tells me, in the last 6 weeks while I’ve been wholly on the wagon my resting heartbeat has come down from 76 to 60 bpm and I’ve lost 20lbs. I know what works for me now. Unfortunately I’m 60 now and have lost the last 35 years to low fat dieting and increasing obesity. I wish I’d known then what I know now.

I’d say I’m eating for health and well-being now for the first time in my life. Bit annoyed with the government still pushing low fat is best. Low fat made me starving, craving food all the time, and prone to bingeing. I ate all sorts of processed crap thinking it was low calorie so it would do me good. Low fat and calorie counting might suit some people but it ruined my relationship with food for a large portion of my life.