Geo's 3 month MWL update with blood work

[geo]

First Thank You Dr McDougall and Jeff Novick! The McDougall program definitely works!

So here's the results of 3 months of a strict MWL lifestyle. Started on Feb 28, 2012

Last week I reported the following:

Weight: 261 today: 213.4 almost 48 pounds down and no longer Obese!
BP: 153/92 today: 104/64 no more hypertension!
Pulse: 88 today: 67
BMI: 35.4 today: 28.9

Today I got my results back on my blood work. First I'll give the before and after numbers and then make some comments and finally questions:

The Numbers:

First test done on Feb 27 2012 and new test done on May 25 2012
(3 months of being on a strict MWL plan)

Serum Glucose 131 to 77 went from high to normal
Creatinine 1.5 to 1.4 slightly lower but still high
eGFR 52 to 56 slightly higher but still low
Serum Protein 6.9 to 6.2 Went from normal to low
AST (SGOT) 19 to 14 Went from normal to low

Chol 273 to 170 Went from high to normal
Trig's 559 to 173 Went from very high to high
HDL 37 to 29 Went from low to even lower
LDL not calculable to 106 Went from bad to slightly high
VLDL not calculable to 34.6 Went from bad to slightly high
T.Chol/HDL ratio 7 to 6 Went from high to borderline high

CRP 7.15 to 2.46 Went from high to average

All other metabolic factors were normal on both test dates (BUN/calcium/sodium/chloride/potassium/bilirubin/albumin/globulin/alkaline phosphatase/ALT(SPGT))

Comments:

1. My fasting glucose is now normal (actually at the lower end of normal)! It was in the diabetic range before. A 51% drop. Thats a significant improvement!

2. My creatinine and eGFR are improving and only a little out of range still, but they do seem to indicate that I may have some kidney disease. However, I'm not sure how this might relate to the fact I have only one kidney. It may be more normal than I know and is at any rate improving and close to being normal. Any improvement in potential kidney damage is great news!

3. My protein measured low, not sure what this might indicate yet.

4. My AST was low as well. Again not sure what this might indicate either.

5. Lipids have improved quite a bit! Total cholesterol is in the normal range after being so high and amounts to a 38% drop! Trig's are still high but I had an almost 70% drop in them which is amazing. HDL took a bit of a nose dive, but given the latest studies that just came out last week I'm not concerned. LDL and VHDL are also slightly high but they went from outrageous to significantly better, so I can't complain. And finally my cholesterol ratio is now only borderline high which is a huge improvement. So overall lipids are all moving in the right direction quickly.

6. CRP is now normal. Which indicates significantly lower inflamation levels and takes me out of the high risk for a heart attack and into the average risk area. Thats a 66% drop and a great improvement

So overall a significant improvement in my blood work in 3 months of the MWL. I am quite happy with the results and will simply continue with what I'm doing. Also remember I am still 30+ lbs over weight so further weight loss should really make my numbers look good And all these results simply from eating the right food with no hunger and definitely no medications of any kind

Questions:

So what does the drop in protein and AST mean? I know the McD diet is lower in protein and lower protein is good, but if serum protein levels are low does this indicate a real problem to be concerned about? Could the fact that I exercise regularly now be a factor as well?

I plan to test again once I hit a "normal" BMI, probably in the fall...

[Melinda]

Wonderful results! You must be very happy! Sorry I cannot answer your questions, but perhaps someone else here can.

[Gramma Jackie]

Congratulations on your recent report!

[AlwaysAgnes]

This site is good for explaining lab tests.

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... p/tab/test
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding ... t/tab/test

[carollynne]

What a great success for your WOE!! a very big smile and a congrats to you!! May you have continued good health!

[Brad]

Wow Geo! That is superb, one of the most dramatic improvements I have read about in 3 months. Clearly you were able to stick to the MWL plan and I would like to hear about your hurdles and how you overcame that. Such a big transition is NOT easy. I cannot speak for your protein issue, I have read that we get sufficient protein from beans (which is now listed as a protein on the USDA 'plate'), but I found myself feeling much better after extended 1 and 2 hours runs and bike rides when I had a vegan (not soy) protein supplement. I was less tired and recovered quicker.

As a side note, my numbers did not change as dramatically as yours until after 3 months and some weight loss. Others have noted this too so I think it safe to say you will see even more improvement in your trig., glucose, and especially chol. numbers down the road.

Best of luck in continuing!!!
Brad

[geo]

Thanks Brad! You can read my MWL journey on my journal (Its in my sig - I post daily).

Actually the transition for me was not difficult. Its all about the motivation and having a loving wife and child that I want to be with as long as possible is all the motivation I needed. Of course stopping all the denial was the hurdle to overcome. Taking stock of all the aches and pains and "issues" and finally admitting that they really aren't just normal and a part of "aging". It was the initial tests I did that finally gave me the kick to admit I was only fooling myself. The promises were great coming from Dr M and I'm never one to do things half-a$$ed, so I figure I'd give it a try. And the results speak for themselves

It was the glucose results that I'm really encouraged by as Diabetes runs in my family. To go from a diabetic level to normal amazes me. And thats while eating all those High Glycemic foods (potatoes and rice). So much for that theory! And of course, eating all that High GI food and carbs provided me with a 70% reduction in my triglycerides. So much for that theory as well.

As to the protein issue, I'm running my food logs through cronometer and if it looks like I need to up my protein intake a little then I will by simply eating a bit more (no suppliments for me). Its only slightly low so I don't think its much to be concerned about at this point and will probably clear up once I get closer to my ideal weight.