Type 2 and high cholesterol

[Shewal]

Hi,

I'm trying to lose weight (about six stone all told) and am struggling to know the best diet to follow. I was doing keto and ended up with a high cholesterol reading. Since then I've been adding in some limited carbs and following Slimming World recipes but my weight has remained fairly constant, dancing around the same half stone, up and down. Just looking for the best way forward for me. Can't stand being so overweight in this heat!! I'm 65 and struggling to walk as I have osteoarthritis too. Apart from suggesting a new, younger body, any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi,

I'm trying to lose weight (about six stone all told) and am struggling to know the best diet to follow. I was doing keto and ended up with a high cholesterol reading. Since then I've been adding in some limited carbs and following Slimming World recipes but my weight has remained fairly constant, dancing around the same half stone, up and down. Just looking for the best way forward for me. Can't stand being so overweight in this heat!! I'm 65 and struggling to walk as I have osteoarthritis too. Apart from suggesting a new, younger body, any advice would be gratefully received. Thank you.

When you start a keto diet, the lipids/cholesterol stored in your liver gets released into your bloodstream. It's the stuff that was already in your body that's on its way out... When you lose weight and end up on a plateau, it'll come back down again, as there's no excess anymore. Basically, when on keto, practically everyone's cholesterol goes up for a bit... It's a sign that it's working, basically, so a reason to celebrate, not quit the diet. I'm on keto and I don't need statins anymore. I may be oversimplifying things a little, but no need to get back into carbs. Besides, cholesterol isn't the baddy everyone always assumed it was. @bulkbiker, you around for extra info?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

PS: Slimming world is too high carb for T2's... Sorry!

 

[HSSS]

Welcome.

Losing weight by any method will cause cholesterol to rise. It’s the lipids leaving your body in effect. It’s usually suggested you wait until weight has stabilised to check levels for it to have any real meaning. Most of us that have done keto find that once stable cholesterol is better. Lower triglycerides (the most worrisome ones), lower totals, higher Hdl (the “good” one), better ratios. The calculation used to work out ldl (it’s not actually measured) is flawed when eating keto too and overestimates the levels so these don’t change as much.

Also there are a lot of doctors that don’t look at cholesterol in the right way, perhaps just looking at total numbers not individual ones or ratios. And add into that a lot of mor erecent research that disproves cholesterol being the cause of cardiovascular problems anyway. Rather it s inflammation that does the damage and only then is cholesterol a potential problem.

This thread, https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/ Will tell you more than any gp is likely to know.

So the upshot is I’d say stick with the keto as being excellent for both weight loss and blood sugars. Slimming world encourages free carbs which won’t help the diabetes and in light of such will make weight loss harder. If it really worked long term would there be so many repeat customers?

 

[HSSS]

@JoKalsbeek
Snap. Again.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Well, you were more thorough and you provided the link I couldn't find, so... You have me beat.

@JoKalsbeek
Snap. Again.

 

[Shewal]

Thanks for the replies. I have been refusing statins for the last several years after I was prescribed them a few years ago and they caused me all sorts of problems. I'm having a fasting lipids test tomorrow and I'm expecting to have the usual argument with my doctor about statins. Thanks for the link, I shall study that to see if I can use the arguments to the doctor. I enjoy the keto regime but sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough vegetables. I really appreciate the responses, thanks.

 

[Goonergal]

I enjoy the keto regime but sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough vegetables

In which case you may be interested in this video by Zoe Harcombe. An excellent listen.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

I'm expecting to have the usual argument with my doctor about statins.

No need to argue. Just say “no thank you”
The doctor can offer medications but you don’t have to take them. It’s completely your choice.

 

[HSSS]

Somewhere in that long thread is advice about fasting. I know it’s advised for longer than typically told to and at a magic point cholesterol numbers suddenly drop. But I can’t remember for sure what it wasn’t. I think maybe 12hrs. Maybe it’ll head off some discussion.

 

[HSSS]

No need to argue. Just say “no thank you”
The doctor can offer medications but you don’t have to take them. It’s completely your choice.

I refused to be tested for cholesterol til weight stabilised, in order to avoid the argument, as during weight loss they became meaningless in my eyes. Actually asked them to remove the test from the blood forms (denied consent). I’ve since had the tests and they were vastly improved on bacon and double cream!

 

[Flora123]

You might find this interesting as Zoe explains about cholesterol.
https://podcast.app/saturated-fats-...ial-e2509331/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=share

 

[Hotpepper20000]

I refused to be tested for cholesterol til weight stabilised, in order to avoid the argument, as during weight loss they became meaningless in my eyes. Actually asked them to remove the test from the blood forms (denied consent). I’ve since had the tests and they were vastly improved on bacon and double cream!

I don’t have my cholesterol tested. One less thing to worry about.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thanks for the replies. I have been refusing statins for the last several years after I was prescribed them a few years ago and they caused me all sorts of problems. I'm having a fasting lipids test tomorrow and I'm expecting to have the usual argument with my doctor about statins. Thanks for the link, I shall study that to see if I can use the arguments to the doctor. I enjoy the keto regime but sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough vegetables. I really appreciate the responses, thanks.

Not enough veggies? Above ground vegetables and leafy greens are perfectly fine. Just stay away from the underground stuff and legumes, and you're all good. I eat a bag of salad and a rather huge portion of cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and such, every day. And if you have frozen spinach, it's easy to put a few of those little cubes into an omelet or something, or have them with a bit of salmon. As for statins, there's only one type I can take, because of my thyroid, and it really aggravated my rheumatism, so I was thrilled to just get it down on low carb/keto, eventually. (That was before I knew the whole Cholesterol thing was nothign to worry about at those levels anyway). All a doc can do is advise, they can't stand next to you with a glass of water every morning and waterboard you into taking medication. It's your body, you have a say.

 

[bulkbiker]

When you start a keto diet, the lipids/cholesterol stored in your liver gets released into your bloodstream. It's the stuff that was already in your body that's on its way out... When you lose weight and end up on a plateau, it'll come back down again, as there's no excess anymore. Basically, when on keto, practically everyone's cholesterol goes up for a bit... It's a sign that it's working, basically, so a reason to celebrate, not quit the diet. I'm on keto and I don't need statins anymore. I may be oversimplifying things a little, but no need to get back into carbs. Besides, cholesterol isn't the baddy everyone always assumed it was. @bulkbiker, you around for extra info?

I think Jo wanted a link to this thread
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/cholesterol-and-statins.156985/
@Shewal please enjoy it.. it might take some time to get through it all...

 

[Bluetit1802]

Thanks for the replies. I have been refusing statins for the last several years after I was prescribed them a few years ago and they caused me all sorts of problems. I'm having a fasting lipids test tomorrow and I'm expecting to have the usual argument with my doctor about statins. Thanks for the link, I shall study that to see if I can use the arguments to the doctor. I enjoy the keto regime but sometimes worry that I'm not getting enough vegetables. I really appreciate the responses, thanks.

There is no requirement to eat veggies or indeed any plant foods. You can go full carnivore (meat, fish, full fat natural dairy) and be perfectly healthy. I'm not suggesting you do this, although there are a good number of folk on this forum that do. I am not a full carnivore but I eat very few veggies, and I avoid vegetable and seed oils as much as possible because they are not healthy options for anyone. I eat a lot of mushrooms, some peas, and green veggies once a week with the Sunday roast. I also admit to eating potatoes in small quantities (fried, roasted, or new ones). That is it for me.All my blood markers are good. My cholesterol and lipids are ideal.

 

[bulkbiker]

I'm having a fasting lipids test tomorrow

Try and be fasted for between 12 and 14 hours before the blood draw. Triglycerides would appear to be quite volatile little things so to get a baseline result that's the best fasting period.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. You don't need to follow any brand-name diet and in fact most are bad. Just keep all carbs down and have fats, proteins, veg and fruit fairly freely. Make sure you have enough fibre.

 

[wiflib]

Hi. You don't need to follow any brand-name diet and in fact most are bad. Just keep all carbs down and have fats, proteins, veg and fruit fairly freely. Make sure you have enough fibre.

Watch the fruit, generally a few berries are ok but fructose ends up as triglycerides.
The need for fibre is a myth encouraged by grain product manufacturers.