Hey all,
Brand new here so, first of all, hello!
A little about me:
Age - 42
Height - 5’11"
Weight - 160
Lifestyle - Physically active, work out 4-5 days per week
I’ve been doing something of a “pseudo keto” diet since mid September 2022. By that, I mean I haven’t been 100% keto but, have greatly reduced my carb intake overall and eating keto roughly 4 days per week. I’ve had other poor habits given a highly social lifestyle and living in a town chock full of microbreweries… I’ve definitely been drinking more than I should be during this time. Plus, I’ve allowed myself some cheat meals on weekends, though not excessively so. And, finally, my fat intake has been a bit lighter than the traditional keto regimen. Again, hence the “pseudo keto” label.
I’m also not an overweight person. When I started, I was roughly 170-172 and now weigh about 160. I’m 5’11” and physically fit with a 4-5 day per week HIIT workout regimen.
The reason I started keto is because I have a lot of mysterious reactions to food (difficult to pinpoint) which has led to a lot of gas, bloating, discomfort and even GERD. Upon starting, the results were nearly instantaneous… My usual indigestion/gas subsided significantly and I generally felt better. All positives, no perceivable negatives.
However, about 4-6 weeks in, early November, I got a lipid panel to see if this would be a sustainable way of life and the results were less than desirable, at least according to my GP.
Total Cholesterol = 275
HDL = 71
Triglycerides = 106
LDL = 183
Glucose = 76
A1C = 5.3
I figured this was due to the increased fat intake that my body definitely wasn’t used to as I’d been eating a lower fat diet for a very long time. So, we decided to give it a couple months and retest.
In that time, I kept up a very similar lifestyle doing my “pseudo keto” with some weekend cheat meals and drinking a few days a week (including a decent amount of beer). I know that probably makes me sound like an idiot and I realize that so please be gentle with your feedback - I’m making changes and cutting back now.
I then did an NMR and ApoB test (at my request) about two weeks ago to see how I was tracking. Here were the results:
Total Cholesterol = 262
HDL = 70
Triglycerides = 102
LDL = 172
LDL-P = 1594
Small LDL = 446
Large VLDL = <1.5
HDL Particle Number = >41
Large HDL = 8.5
LDL Particle Size = 21.4
VLDL Particle Size = 44.4
HDL Particle Size = 9.1
ApoB = 117
Everything aside from my Total Cholesterol, LDL-C and LDL-P show to be in good standing, according to the tolerances referenced on the test results. Further, my Trig/HDL = 1.46 (<2.0) and my LDL-P/LDL-C shows as discordant but in a good way according to studies I’ve read/watched.
This time around, I took these results to a local cardiologist that is a known fan of the ketogenic diet and his response to the numbers was a bit on the fence. According to him…
- I shouldn’t see an increase in LDL as a result of doing keto and he’d like to see that LDL number come down. So, he’s going to have me do an ApoE test to see if I’m a hyper responder.
- He felt my ApoB was a little high and said he’d like to see it below 100, though the tolerances noted on the test results showed 50-150 putting me right in the middle at 117.
So, his instructions were to a) stop taking my daily fish oil supplements and b) cut back the drinking, which came as no surprise, then retest in 6-8 weeks. Plus, he’s having me do a Calcium CT just to see how that looks given my age.
In any case, I’m now starting to get a little concerned about these numbers given the reaction of my cardiologist. It’s unclear if he’s concerned or just trying to truly optimize everything for me and he’s a little cryptic so I wasn’t able to gain clarity on that in speaking with him.
For some additional context - I look and feel better than I have in years… So that’s a major plus. ALSO, with some of the information I’ve gathered in my recent research, I went back and looked at my two previous lipid test results from April 2022 and August of 2020. LDL was lower but, overall, it didn’t look great!
4/2022
Total Cholesterol = 214
HDL = 57
Triglycerides = 134
LDL = 130
Glucose = 93
8/2020
Total Cholesterol = 217
HDL = 60
Triglycerides = 148
LDL = 127
Glucose = 83
My diet during both of the above tests was what most would consider relatively healthy. Low fat, moderate/higher carb intake, mostly home cooked meals during the week with more frequent cheat meals on the weekends. And, yes, a decent amount of alcohol intake (15-20 drinks per week).
I was a bit flabbergasted by my triglyceride results and the Trig/HDL ratios… Not great. But, at the time of each of these, my GP (different than the one I have now) gave me a on the results.
So, although my Total Cholesterol and LDL are up at this time, my Triglycerides, HDL and Glucose numbers are looking much better.
**Bottom line, I’m not sure what to make of where my numbers currently are at 4 months into eating this way. So, I’m looking for feedback from this community on my numbers as they stand today. Any thoughts, insights, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Again, please be kind in your responses and remember I’m aware of my misgivings with the drinking and even the cheat meals. I’m modifying those parts of my life/diet for the better.**
Thank you all, in advance, and I look forward to gaining even more knowledge about this lifestyle by way of this community!