Type 2 Why would HDL reduce and LDL increase after 3 months on LCHF?

[Satsooma]

Is this a usual thing while the body adjusts?

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Sunny B and welcome to the forum

As far as I'm aware HDL reducing on low carb is very unusual. LDL increasing while in the weight loss phase is fairly common because of the LDL stored in the body fat which is being used for fuel and so that LDL travels though the blood stream before it is removed from the body.

For us to make sense of this it's important to know how you are doing Low Carb:
What is your latest HbA1C ?
Are you testing your Blood Glucose for the meals you eat? Has it come down?
Have you lost weight? Did you need to lose weight? Do you still need to lose weight?

 

[Satsooma]

Thanks @ianf0ster.

I’m testing before meals and 2 hours after and my numbers are coming down. My latest HbA1c was 44, down from 51, 3 months ago.

Most days I’m having around 50/60g carbs.

Before starting LCHF I’d lost around 4.5 stone over several years and stages, but that had pretty much come to a standstill, plus my HbA1c was creeping in the wrong direction.

I’d like to lose another stone if possible, in particular around my middle. I’ve lost just 3lbs in the last 3 months which is not what I was expecting after reading others’ experiences. It’s been disappointing in that respect.

I’m vegetarian and wondering whether the extra dairy isn’t doing me any favours. Other fats in my diet currently include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and seeds.

 

[Satsooma]

I’ve also been taking plant sterols for around 6 months. Don’t know if that could be a contributing factor.

 

[HSSS]

Are you eating clean low carb (real foods as grown) or using a lot of low carb processed stuff?

 

[Outlier]

I’ve also been taking plant sterols for around 6 months. Don’t know if that could be a contributing factor.

Could be. Some of the preparations have added sugar.

 

[Oldvatr]

Your carb intake of 50/60g per day is probably keeping you out of ketosis, so you will only lose midriff fat if you exercise or sweat it out. At the moment you carb intake is probably keeping your liver stocked up with glucose, so weight loss will be very gradual. This is a long term journey, so you need to find the nutrition that suits you best. Your vegetarian WOE is naturally higher carb than I might take as a omnivore, and going keto would not be so easy. But it is posssible. Have you considered pescatarian to reduce the dairy, and provide the B and D vitamins and omega -3 fats?

 

[Oldvatr]

I would also suggest you check the nut intake, since nuts can be very calorific. It may not be the dairy. But also check the carb content of the dairy, since vegetarian alternatives can also contain higher carbs than the animal equivalents.

 

[Satsooma]

Are you eating clean low carb (real foods as grown) or using a lot of low carb processed stuff?

Thanks @HSSS. I mostly cook from scratch but as I’ve been reducing the beans and lentils in my diet, I’ve been including some meat/protein replacements. Mostly soya based but of course these aren’t going to be as clean as meat or fish would be.

I’ve been including ready made low carb bread on a daily basis which has been great on my blood sugar readings. The bread is quite high in protein too so I thought that would be another positive (although processed).

 

[Satsooma]

Your carb intake of 50/60g per day is probably keeping you out of ketosis, so you will only lose midriff fat if you exercise or sweat it out. At the moment you carb intake is probably keeping your liver stocked up with glucose, so weight loss will be very gradual. This is a long term journey, so you need to find the nutrition that suits you best. Your vegetarian WOE is naturally higher carb than I might take as a omnivore, and going keto would not be so easy. But it is posssible. Have you considered pescatarian to reduce the dairy, and provide the B and D vitamins and omega -3 fats?

Thanks @Oldvatr.

That makes sense! I’ve never seen more than a trace on ketosis strips and I don’t feel I’m fat adapted at this stage as still experiencing hunger. The thought of skipping a meal at this point is still a no go.

How many grams of carbs are we thinking to achieve ketosis? I’m guessing it’s different for each of us. Are we talking about counting the carbs in every single thing, even the very low calorie green veg?

I do feel low carb will be a good way of feeling better and maintaining my weight in the future though.

I have considered introducing fish and I’ve tried a couple of times but I’m not finding it that easy.

 

[Oldvatr]

We are all different, and you will have a different requirement than me. as a rule of thumb it will be somewhere between 20 and 50 gm.day. And it will also vary day by day. I found that I had got to the stage where one slice of toast would drop me into ketosis if omitted, and stop ketosis if included in my breakfast. I was able to use this to give me a smooth landing at the end of my journey into ketoland. But because I used to be TOFI, I eventually found that I did not need ketosis as it took too much weight off and I ended up with just LCHF.

I made a personal decision to continue with a small amount of medication, and I currently eat around 100g per day, which allows me some freedom to vary my diet without needing to be strict about it. It also helped me deal with hospital food when I was incarcerated with non diabetes issues.

So in my experience, using some meds and adjusting my diet plan to control my weight is feasible. I have been 64 kg solid now for several years and am comfortable when taking a bath. (sufficient padding)

 

[Satsooma]

Really appreciate your reply @Oldvatr, thank you.

I can see some extra planning ahead!