So Far, So Good, But Tired

(Valinda Beasley) #1

I truly thought I was invincible. Well, until my doctor said I needed to see a cardiologist due to cholesterol numbers, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, yadda, yadda, yadda. I was shell-shocked. I’m turning 69 in June, female, deliriously happy, in love (twitterpated), and weighing in at 174. That’s high for me but we sold everything, bought a motorhome, travel full time, and with covid, we’re far more sedentary. When the cardiologist said within 10 minutes of meeting me, “it’s genetic and no amount of diet or exercise will lower your numbers”, I took my scared-to-death self to the drug store for the magic of statins. Then the “wait just a second here” started to form in my still coherent mind. My husband and I researched the heck out of the subject, threw away the statins, and started the Keto plan on 2/10/2022.
Scales have never been a friend of mine but I wanted a starting point, so 174 began my journey. My labs won’t be taken again until later this year but seriously I’m confident that regardless of the results my doctor will literally gasp when she learns I’ve taken matters into my own hands with keto.
So, why this post? To date I have noticed:

  1. Psoriasis is virtually gone. (It was mild to begin with).
  2. I no longer earn my nickname “Wendy” from flatulence. Acid reflux is rare.
  3. A nail fungus from hiking that needed meds daily is now gone and a new nail appeared.
  4. After 4+ months I have lost 19 lbs.
  5. What started as dark stools have returned to normal.
  6. I no longer crave sugar or snacks.
  7. My last BP check before a colonoscopy showed it was back to normal.
  8. Lipids will be done in October.

I have 5 lbs to go before reaching my goal weight and I’m content to let nature take its course. I take a mineral supplement daily which reduced muscle aches. I speed walk daily for 30 minutes covering about 2 miles. My diet is on course with mainly meat (high fat), eggs (4-6 daily), cheese (about 4 ozs daily), and salad (minimal), I react to artificial sweeteners so jello, diet soft drinks, sugar-free choices, are all out. My weakness is one (yes one) dark chocolate Hershey’s kiss with no more than 2 oz dry red wine daily. I do not check ketosis levels so I have no idea if I’m fat-adapted.

I keep waiting for the energy boost people talk about but it hasn’t happened. In fact, I feel more tired than I did pre-Keto. Any suggestions?

(Robin) #2

Welcome! And congrats on all of the above! 68 here.
I also experienced all those things improving with keto. Crazy good results. You’ll get some input from others about your energy levels. I’m not good with the science of it. Never checked ketones etc.
My labs are great, looking at them from the keto angle. NOT great, looking at them from the doc’s angle. But my doc green that keto has improved every single thing in my life, so he supports me.

Don’t worry about your labs. You are rocking it!

#3

Do you track what you eat so you know what you’re actually taking in? May just be under fueling yourself.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

The standard advice we give is that keto-adaptation takes six to eight weeks, and it does for most people. But we have had a couple of forum members who adapted much more quickly, and a number of members for whom the adaptation took longer.

I never felt the great burst of energy either, but then I started with a fatigue syndrome that was the result of a viral infection in 2006, years before I started on this way of eating. Before the pandemic began, I felt normal for the first time in a decade, and I was able to mow the lawn, say, without having to take two days off in bed afterward. But since a bout of omicron earlier this year, it seems as though I am back to needing a recovery period after each exertion. I don’t know whether this is a permanent after-effect of COVID or not. I am hoping I will return to my keto normal. And soon, please God.

In any case, I doubt that returning to a high-carb diet will help. I would encourage you to keep on ketoing on.

P.S.—As Lfod suggests, be sure you are eating enough. The easiest way to do that is to eat to satiety; i.e., eat when hungry, stop eating when no longer hungry, and don’t eat again until hungry again. Ignore the clock.

(Joey) #5

You’ve gotten solid replies above, so besides congratulating you on taking control of your own health and research, I’ll simply note that my “dark chocolate” + red wine with dinner consists of a chunk of unsweetened baker’s dark chocolate (100% cacao) from the baking aisle.

Once you lose your taste and cravings for sweetness, the combo of true pure dark chocolate + a dark dry red wine = dessert bliss. Keto on!

(Marianne) #6

Good for you, and so happy you found keto!!!

I don’t mean to be a buzz kill (and I didn’t read what everyone else posted, so they may have expressed the same), however, if you are following clean keto, chances are very likely that your cholesterol numbers are going to be worse than when you started - except your HDL will probably be much better.

I have a GP and a cardiologist and they are constantly on my case about starting a statin. I’ve been on clean keto for 3.5 years and the past year and a half of that has been carnivore (zero carb). Just had bloodwork done two weeks ago and my total cholesterol was 321, LDL 219 and HDL 85. The learned people on this forum celebrated those numbers - and I believe them from all that I’ve learned here over the years about cholesterol. I will not take a statin.

Please know that in spite of your numbers, you are healing your body from within and on the path to optimal metabolic health. I hope others here can point you in the right direction about “high” cholesterol on keto.

Best to you.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

Paul Mason and Bret Scher say they look for their patients to have HDL over 50 and triglycerides under 100 (American measurements). That is a ratio of less than 2.0, which has been demonstrated to associate with minimal cardiovascular risk. (In the measurements used outside the U.S., you want a ratio of triglycerides to HDL of 0.9 or less.)

(Valinda Beasley) #8

Thanks everyone!
NO statins for me! Regardless of the labs I do not believe drugs are the cure.
I’m increasing my portions until I’m full to see if that’s the issue. I’ll check back in a week!

(Valinda Beasley) #9

Update: I returned to my doctor on the 14th of December for my annual exam. I was ready for some struggle when I told her I started KETO on 2/10. I was relieved to hear her complement my weight loss and once I updated her on physical changes, she said “you have successfully taken your body out of an inflammatory state”. She was very supportive and was excited to see my lab results. She even cautioned me about expecting too much change with cholesterol and promised to help me continue without statins. Well the results are in and I’m pleased!

Total cholesterol was 302 now 292
HDL was 57 now 84
LDL was 194 now 188
Triglycerides was 261 now 117 !!!

Doing the happy dance.

(Laurie) #10

Thanks for the update! Congratulations on your wise decisions and good results.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

And your ratio of triglycerides to HDL is now 1.39, which is excellent (a ratio of 2.0 or under means minimal cardiovascular risk—or 0.9 or less, in the units used outside the U.S.).

(Robin) #12

Fabulous news! Th is for the update!