High cholesterol problem

tmm99 said:
I could change my mind at a moment's notice, but lately, I have been thinking that some people are just designed to be meat eaters and some more veggy eaters. I was always so perplexed that someone like Taubes did so well on low carb while someone like Dr. Oz did so well on high veggy/grain diet.
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I think most people, including all the "experts", would agree that there is a large genetic component involved. We all know people who can seemingly eat huge meals and never gain a pound, and others who seemingly eat sparingly and continually put on more fat.

I believe Taubes' "insulin hypothesis" is a logical explanation for the second condition, but I'm willing to admit it probably isn't the whole answer.

As for the first condition, I don't see any alternative but to admire those folks for their good fortune in inheriting a great metabolism.

For the rest of us in between those extremes, I think we just have to experiment with various programs until we find one that A) works for us, and B) we can stick with.
 
braumeister said:
....We all know people who can seemingly eat huge meals and never gain a pound, and others who seemingly eat sparingly and continually put on more fat.
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Yes, I knew someone like that. Me. Right up to age 40 I used to eat anything and everything, huge meals and never put on weight. Those were the days....


braumeister said:
....For the rest of us in between those extremes, I think we just have to experiment with various programs until we find one that A) works for us, and B) we can stick with.
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I don't doubt the various eating regimes work and I'm very fortunate that DW and I manage by simply eating a variety of foods without regard to proportions of protein/carbs etc.

Yesterday we had a small glass of skimmed milk at ~8:15am, cycled 14 miles then ate breakfast quesadillas consisting of scrambled eggs, cheese, and black beans. We rode 8 miles home and were not hungry until we ate at 5pm when we had a baked potato topped with onions and mushrooms that had been fried in olive oil.

I have a physical scheduled for tomorrow so I'll find out what my latest cholesterol numbers are.
 
Ronstar said:
I'd like to reduce my carbs, but I just can't. Whenever I try to cut back on carbs, I always feel tired and physically week. It's weird, but whenever I don't get enough carbs, I fall asleep mid-day. Maybe that's good, but from now on I'll just stick to everything in moderation until a doctor tells me otherwise.
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Diferent low carb promoters have written about this. Supposedly it represents the body (and brain) struggling to get enzyme systems upregulated to allow greater burning of fatty acids by muscles, and ketone bodies by nerve tissue.

They claim the lassitude and weakness lasts 1-2 weeks, or perhaps a month, then passes.

Ha
 
There are a lot of doctors out there that still just look at the LDL number, which is wrong. It's not a very good predictor of heart disease. If you look at your numbers, you at least want to look at a more modern one: the ratio cholesterol over HDLC.

Plus 1 for all the comments about Taubes and his books. I've read the big one, and the new one. I recommend the new one, hehe. I don't loose weight by moderating carbs, but my numbers improved, I feel better, and I've only gained 5 pounds in the last 15 years (back then I read "sugar busters", "protien power", and those). I'm not a nazi low-carber, but I'm very aware, especially of refined carbs or those that are high glycemic load.

I fired my doctor over his old time bias / drug pushing tendencies. My LDL was something like 120 but my ratio was a healthy 2.7 (should be <5), and my doctor mailed me a prescription for Zocor!! Zero discussion about diet, zero discussion about anything. I fired that doctor on the spot.

Zocor just about killed my father in law. He ignored the muscle weakness symptoms and he was in a wheel chair before stopping that drug treatment! Months before, when he told me about the weakness, I said I'd stop taking that stuff, but he was mesmerized by "numbers" and asked "what about my heart". I said to my wife, a lot of good it will do him if he's dead! I wish I would have pushed the issue...his condition would never have gone as far as it did.
 
sengsational said:
There are a lot of doctors out there that still just look at the LDL number, which is wrong. It's not a very good predictor of heart disease. If you look at your numbers, you at least want to look at a more modern one: the ratio cholesterol over HDLC.

Plus 1 for all the comments about Taubes and his books. I've read the big one, and the new one. I recommend the new one, hehe. I don't loose weight by moderating carbs, but my numbers improved, I feel better, and I've only gained 5 pounds in the last 15 years (back then I read "sugar busters", "protien power", and those). I'm not a nazi low-carber, but I'm very aware, especially of refined carbs or those that are high glycemic load.

I fired my doctor over his old time bias / drug pushing tendencies. My LDL was something like 120 but my ratio was a healthy 2.7 (should be <5), and my doctor mailed me a prescription for Zocor!! Zero discussion about diet, zero discussion about anything. I fired that doctor on the spot.

Zocor just about killed my father in law. He ignored the muscle weakness symptoms and he was in a wheel chair before stopping that drug treatment! Months before, when he told me about the weakness, I said I'd stop taking that stuff, but he was mesmerized by "numbers" and asked "what about my heart". I said to my wife, a lot of good it will do him if he's dead! I wish I would have pushed the issue...his condition would never have gone as far as it did.
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Did he recover?
Ha
 
Sometime 1 good observation is worth more than 50 years of bad science.
 
haha said:
Did he recover?
Ha
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Yes, for the most part. It was a long time, though. He ended up with problems he never had before, so not sure if those came from the drug reaction.
 
sengsational said:
Yes, for the most part. It was a long time, though. He ended up with problems he never had before, so not sure if those came from the drug reaction.
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Well, glad he got partially back anyway.

Ha
 
Moscyn said:
Low carb diet is VERY VERY VERY challenging.
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I guess it may depend on how low carb is low carb but truthfully I haven't found it difficult. The first couple of weeks were most difficult as I ate no grains at all. That was challenging mostly when eating out and I basically had to give up eating most frozen meals (yes, yes, I know I should want to cook everything from scratch but convenience is sometimes appealing).

After the first week I would eat one grain a day -- always whole grain. So, if I had a sandwich with whole wheat bread then that was my grain for the day. On other day I might have a frozen meal with whole wheat pasta (yes, there are some frozen foods that are whole grain).

I found it easy to stay between 40 and 60 net carbs and truthfully not that hard to keep it closer to 25.

Again, I did not entirely give up grains -- I am not all that carb sensitive that I felt I needed it. I did find that calorie wise it was very, very easy for me diet (using WW) while eating low carb especially in restaurants. Basically if you can't get grains or starches or sugars when you go out to eat it is very easy to stay within calories (I ate a lot of fish and non-starchy vegetables).

But it is really very, very easy to follow. Perhaps if I had needed to be super strict and super low carb it would have been more difficult.
 
An interesting way to look at carb intake is to first calculate protein and fat requirements, then add enough carbs to reach the necessary calorie intake, based on activity level.
 
HFWR said:
An interesting way to look at carb intake is to first calculate protein and fat requirements, then add enough carbs to reach the necessary calorie intake, based on activity level.
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If you follow the RDI and your intake is 2000 calories per day, you will end up consuming 300g of carbohydrate per day. It probably goes without saying, but that is not a low carbohydrate diet.
 
rgarling said:
If you follow the RDI and your intake is 2000 calories per day, you will end up consuming 300g of carbohydrate per day. It probably goes without saying, but that is not a low carbohydrate diet.
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My calculated requirement, using a moderate level of activity, is 2560. This table shows the requirements to fit several different iterations of macronutrient levels.

PCT|CARB|PROT|FAT
33/33/33|213|213|95
60/15/25|384|96|71
30/30/40|192|192|114
25/15/60|160|96|171
33/22/45|211|141|128
 
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To continue that train of thought, I've been on a "lift heavy" weight program for a few months, and my reading suggests about 1gm protein per pound of lean body mass, which I guesstimate as around 140gms/day. Another recommendation I've seen is fat intake of 0.45-1gm/lb/day for a lean individual. Split the diff, and call that about 120gm/day. So, that's 560+1080=1640. So, I need an additional 920 kcal per day, or 230 gms.

These numbers are for active, bodybuilder-types. I was conservative in choosing a moderate activity level, because I spend too much time at a desk. But my workouts are fairly intense, and I'm trying to add muscle.

Here is the ref: Calculating Calorie & Macronutrient Needs - Bodybuilding.com Forums
 
I don't understand what you mean by "first calculate protein and fat requirements". The RDI specifies the "requirements", so only the 2nd line of your chart is close to the government approved solution. On the other hand, I believe your idea could be improved by using this approach:

1. calculate protein requirement at .5g / pound of lean body mass. e.g. for 150 pounds lbm = 75g protein or 300 calories
2. determine the target carbohydrate intake (e.g. 75 grams or 300 calories)
3. calculate the amount of fat required to meet calorie requirements: target 2560 (2560 - 600 = 1960 or ~200g fat
 
Sorry, but it appears we were posting at the same time. I agree that .5g per pound of lean body mass is low. Personally, I think 1gram / pound of lbm is much better. Dr Scott Connelly reported that he consumed about 8g per pound of protein during his body building stage without ill effect
 
rgarling said:
I don't understand what you mean by "first calculate protein and fat requirements". The RDI specifies the "requirements", so only the 2nd line of your chart is close to the government approved solution. On the other hand, I believe your idea could be improved by using this approach:

1. calculate protein requirement at .5g / pound of lean body mass. e.g. for 150 pounds lbm = 75g protein or 300 calories
2. determine the target carbohydrate intake (e.g. 75 grams or 300 calories)
3. calculate the amount of fat required to meet calorie requirements: target 2560 (2560 - 600 = 1960 or ~200g fat
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It is assumed that protein and fat are absolute necessities, and that there is no "requirement", as such, for carbs.
 
On NBC news, Dr Snyderman said "the average American eats 22 tsp of sugar per day, which is three times what you need." No one needs sugar.
 
TromboneAl said:
On NBC news, Dr Snyderman said "the average American eats 22 tsp of sugar per day, which is three times what you need." No one needs sugar.
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Without sugar, there'd be no beer!

Twenty-two teaspoons of sugar is 350kcal (or more, if a "heaping" teaspoon) of empty calories...
 
For my own low cholesterol and reduced carbohydrate diet, I think I'll not apply any calculations or else it would be making things more difficult for myself. I know I'm not one to live like that. I'll just do the "everything in moderation" approach and avoid certain food. I think the changes I'm making to my diet and lifestyle should help - may not be in the speed as ideally desired but I just want to improve, may take a bit longer but the idea is to improve.
 
Here is a good reason why some of us in the general public are confused over cholesterol and what we must do, if anything, about it.

On the 2/17/12 show of NPR's Science Friday a Dr. Robert Lustig was interviewed about the use of sugar in our diet. Towards the end he addressed cholesterol. He claimes there are two types of LDL (the bad cholesterol). One slips through our blood and does not attach to our artery walls (the large boyount LDL), the other type (the small dense LDL) does and this is the one we need to fear. The total LDL levels most of us get from our blood tests do not distinguish between the two. Sugar and refined carbs -without the natural fiber- drive up the bad LDL levels.

So, another source of confusion for we lay people.

Oh, his advice?? - Eat Real Food.
 
Chuckanut said:
Here is a good reason why some of us in the general public are confused over cholesterol and what we must do, if anything, about it.

On the 2/17/12 show of NPR's Science Friday a Dr. Robert Lustig was interviewed about the use of sugar in our diet. Towards the end he addressed cholesterol. He claimes there are two types of LDL (the bad cholesterol). One slips through our blood and does not attach to our artery walls (the large boyount LDL), the other type (the small dense LDL) does and this is the one we need to fear. The total LDL levels most of us get from our blood tests do not distinguish between the two. Sugar and refined carbs -without the natural fiber- drive up the bad LDL levels.
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Does he give any references? Web address not necessary, just any references.

Thanks, Ha
 
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