Personal anecdote: I'm now one month into eating an animal-sources only diet. I eat mainly steaks that I sous vide, and about twice a week I'll eat oily fish, chicken, or pork.

I'd say that I'm currently about 95% adherent. I still drink lattes, and when I'm outside drinking with my friends I don't restrict what foods I eat, although I'll try to politely decline carbohydrates, vegetables, and sweet alcoholic drinks or beer. I really enjoy cooking and baking, and I do miss being able to cook most of what I used to, so that's a little bit of a downside. On the upside, my kitchen has been greatly simplified.

Based on a test I've done today, in mg/dl, my LDL is 212, Tg 98, and HDL 66. My doctor expressed concern about LDL but was happy to observe for a few more months, although he did float the idea of statins. I told him that with my 120/70 BP and ideal waist/height ratio that I'd prefer to wait and see, and he agreed. My tg/hdl ratio of 1.48 was not discussed, although it suggests to me that there isn't anything to worry about.

I found this discussion between Prof. Bart Kay and Dr. Sean Patterson about cholesterol levels helpful, so I'm linking it here:
::: spoiler Summary

• The speaker discusses their high cholesterol levels and the medical community's approach to diagnosing and treating elevated cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is a crucial molecule for the human body, serving multiple purposes, and its levels are often pathologized by the pharmaceutical industry.
• HDL and LDL are not different types of cholesterol but rather lipoproteins that transport cholesterol and other lipids in the bloodstream.
• The body's lipoprotein levels are regulated by genes that have evolved over billions of years to ensure long-term survival.
• Doctors often pathologize elevated cholesterol levels based on arbitrary thresholds set by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
• The speaker questions whether their high cholesterol levels are a cause for concern or if they are simply a marker of underlying health issues.
• Chronic inflammation, glycation, and oxidation are the root causes of heart disease, not elevated cholesterol levels.
• Atherosclerosis is an immune dysfunction caused by chronic systemic inflammation and damage to the vascular epithelial cells.
• Blood pressure and turbulence in the blood flow due to vessel bifurcations contribute to the development of atherosclerotic lesions.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes of heart disease rather than focusing solely on cholesterol levels.

:::

Another video that's been helpful is the one by Dr. Mason, about blood test results on a ketogenic diet. :
::: spoiler Summary

• Dr. Paul Mason discusses the interpretation of cholesterol blood tests and the significance of different types of lipoproteins.
• Cholesterol tests measure lipoproteins, which carry fats around the body, and not just cholesterol itself.
• There are five major classes of lipoproteins, with VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL being the most relevant for health.
• LDL (low-density lipoprotein) can be healthy or damaged; damaged LDL is linked to heart disease.
• Damaged LDL is caused by exposure to sugar (glucose), leading to glycation and oxidation, making it small and dense.
• Standard cholesterol tests often estimate LDL levels, which can be inaccurate; more precise methods involve centrifuging blood samples.
• High LDL particle count is a better predictor of heart disease than total LDL volume.
• Damaged LDL can accumulate in blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
• Triglyceride and HDL levels can help determine if someone has a healthy (Pattern A) or unhealthy (Pattern B) LDL profile.
• The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is a useful metric for assessing cardiovascular risk.
• The Feldman protocol suggests that a high-fat diet for three days can significantly lower LDL levels by increasing LDL receptor activity.
  :::

Edit: apologies for the placeholder URL, I'd originally intended to only post one youtube video but then decided to do a write-up instead and I don't know how to remove it.

Discuss Online - A general purpose instance for discovery, fun, & sharing. It's a welcoming place for all.

Lemmy

(discuss.online)

Thank you for sharing your data! It's really nice to see real metrics in the field.

That TG/HDL ratio is really nice, great blood pressure.

Based on your lipids before you started this eating pattern: improved, stayed the same, gotten worse ?

Statins - I would recommend getting a CAC score first (should be inexpensive), to see if you have antichlorotic risk at all.

Fasting Insulin - Did you get this measured by chance? Not really needed if you trust the TG/HDL ratio, but it's nice to see the homa-ir directly

I’ll try to politely decline carbohydrates, vegetables, and sweet alcoholic drinks or beer.

Are your friends giving you any pushback? How is eating out in terms of temptation?

I'm either heading for disaster, or turning into a super hero - Dr Patterson

That Bart Kay Video is great!

Based on your lipids before you started this eating pattern: improved, stayed the same, gotten worse ?

I have yearly medical test records, which I have annotated. In the year prior to being diagnosed with NAFLD I tried going fully plant-based. Prior to starting carnivore, I only ate in a 8 hour window for about 15 years.

LDL has gone up progressively, but my lipids have improved in general. I'm curious about how they will look in a year on carnivore, then two years or three years down the line.

Statins, CAC

That's a good idea. I'm slightly concerned about the radiation dosage so I'll only do it if I feel like I'm at risk. I'll definitely keep it in mind. I had no intention of taking statins at all, so I declined to do so in the nicest way I could.

friend pushback

Not really, they've seen my changes physically and have asked me how I did it. I'm still not sure how far I can go and not have them feel any social pressure. I will buy a couple CGMs!

temptation

I ate pizza, then had tiramisu for dessert and drank some wine last weekend and I definitely felt like I succumbed. The temptation is very real especially when it's with people whose company I enjoy. I found myself making excuses to myself, such as "the pizza is more cheese than pizza, I'll skip the crust" and other things like that.

Bart Kay

He's my favourite of all the carnivore doctors when he's not being a shock jockey! haha

Great Data! I really appreciate you sharing this, really.

TG/HDL ratios over time (lower is better)

• 1.48 - 2025-08-25 - 1 month carnivore
• 1.05 - 2025-07-22 - ~1 year keto
• 0.78 - 2024-08-07 - ~1 year no sugar + no refined carbs (whole food?)
• 2.03 - 2023-08-25 - ~1 year no sugar
• 3.77 - 2022-08-30 - Baseline eating pattern before changing anything

HDL is trending up. I assume these were all fasted readings.

I'm puzzled that TG is coming up on carnivore, that isn't the typical reported pattern. Typically TG is driven by glucose levels right? Maybe the increase is based in stored fat mobilization? You are mobilizing 16x the fat on carnivore that you were on keto, so maybe it is just that

Weight Change over Time

• 1 month carnivore : -4.5kg/month
• 1 year keto: -0.28kg/month
• 1 year no sugar + no carbs: -0.78kg/month
• 1 year no sugar : -0.15kg/month

The TG/HDL increasing is the first time i've seen it go up on someone doing carnivore, but your not steady state yet, and all the readings since you 2024 are in the optimal range anyway, so its not a problem, but this could be a interesting area of research

I’m slightly concerned about the radiation dosage so I’ll only do it if I feel like I’m at risk.

There is a neck ultrasound that can be done, but i haven't done the research on how actionable the data is.

I’m still not sure how far I can go and not have them feel any social pressure. I will buy a couple CGMs!

I think most friends just care about spending time with you, so long as you are still available they will be ok

I ate pizza, then had tiramisu for dessert and drank some wine last weekend and I definitely felt like I succumbed. The temptation is very real especially when it’s with people whose company I enjoy.

Glad you stayed on track!

He’s my favourite of all the carnivore doctors when he’s not being a shock jockey! haha

He really is great, I wish he did the more informational presentations, like the low carb down under presentations.

whole food? Fasted readings?

Yes to both.

Tg

It surprised me also. Maybe it's because I'm not eating enough fat and too much protein, and it's being converted into glucose. I'll try increasing my fat intake some.

Bart Kay

Seems like he's also moved off YouTube to Odysee, maybe to avoid being shadowbanned by Google.

Personal anecdote: I'm now one month into eating an animal-sources only diet. I eat mainly steaks that I sous vide, and about twice a week I'll eat oily fish, chicken, or pork.

I'd say that I'm currently about 95% adherent. I still drink lattes, and when I'm outside drinking with my friends I don't restrict what foods I eat, although I'll try to politely decline carbohydrates, vegetables, and sweet alcoholic drinks or beer. I really enjoy cooking and baking, and I do miss being able to cook most of what I used to, so that's a little bit of a downside. On the upside, my kitchen has been greatly simplified.

Based on a test I've done today, in mg/dl, my LDL is 212, Tg 98, and HDL 66. My doctor expressed concern about LDL but was happy to observe for a few more months, although he did float the idea of statins. I told him that with my 120/70 BP and ideal waist/height ratio that I'd prefer to wait and see, and he agreed. My tg/hdl ratio of 1.48 was not discussed, although it suggests to me that there isn't anything to worry about.

I found this discussion between Prof. Bart Kay and Dr. Sean Patterson about cholesterol levels helpful, so I'm linking it here:
::: spoiler Summary

• The speaker discusses their high cholesterol levels and the medical community's approach to diagnosing and treating elevated cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is a crucial molecule for the human body, serving multiple purposes, and its levels are often pathologized by the pharmaceutical industry.
• HDL and LDL are not different types of cholesterol but rather lipoproteins that transport cholesterol and other lipids in the bloodstream.
• The body's lipoprotein levels are regulated by genes that have evolved over billions of years to ensure long-term survival.
• Doctors often pathologize elevated cholesterol levels based on arbitrary thresholds set by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
• The speaker questions whether their high cholesterol levels are a cause for concern or if they are simply a marker of underlying health issues.
• Chronic inflammation, glycation, and oxidation are the root causes of heart disease, not elevated cholesterol levels.
• Atherosclerosis is an immune dysfunction caused by chronic systemic inflammation and damage to the vascular epithelial cells.
• Blood pressure and turbulence in the blood flow due to vessel bifurcations contribute to the development of atherosclerotic lesions.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes of heart disease rather than focusing solely on cholesterol levels.

:::

Another video that's been helpful is the one by Dr. Mason, about blood test results on a ketogenic diet. :
::: spoiler Summary

• Dr. Paul Mason discusses the interpretation of cholesterol blood tests and the significance of different types of lipoproteins.
• Cholesterol tests measure lipoproteins, which carry fats around the body, and not just cholesterol itself.
• There are five major classes of lipoproteins, with VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL being the most relevant for health.
• LDL (low-density lipoprotein) can be healthy or damaged; damaged LDL is linked to heart disease.
• Damaged LDL is caused by exposure to sugar (glucose), leading to glycation and oxidation, making it small and dense.
• Standard cholesterol tests often estimate LDL levels, which can be inaccurate; more precise methods involve centrifuging blood samples.
• High LDL particle count is a better predictor of heart disease than total LDL volume.
• Damaged LDL can accumulate in blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
• Triglyceride and HDL levels can help determine if someone has a healthy (Pattern A) or unhealthy (Pattern B) LDL profile.
• The triglyceride-to-HDL ratio is a useful metric for assessing cardiovascular risk.
• The Feldman protocol suggests that a high-fat diet for three days can significantly lower LDL levels by increasing LDL receptor activity.
  :::

Edit: apologies for the placeholder URL, I'd originally intended to only post one youtube video but then decided to do a write-up instead and I don't know how to remove it.

Discuss Online - A general purpose instance for discovery, fun, & sharing. It's a welcoming place for all.

Lemmy

(discuss.online)

I was going over your data with my gym coach (he does a kinda low carb for himself). He brought up some questions

• have you been increasing physical activity in the different phases?
• have you been getting stronger? Any new PRs, or endurance changes?
• do you have a standardized training program? Or was the effect all from diet?

Thank you for doing that for me!

have you been increasing physical activity in the different phases?

Yes, I walk about twice as much as I used to daily.

have you been getting stronger? Any new PRs, or endurance changes?

Yes, I've been gradually increasing the amount of daily calisthenics I do in the morning. Recently I've gone from about 20 push-ups a day to 35.

do you have a standardized training program? Or was the effect all from diet?

I do, I do about 30 minutes of calisthenics in the morning. The McGill Big 3, planks, pushups, and a bunch of stretches. I used to run every other day but have switched that out for more walking.

Thank you for doing that for me!

You have impressive data, and it's really interesting as a example of 4 different interventions over time. It's a really clean case series.

One possible thing that may account for some increase in my LDL is that I only started avoiding industrially processed seed oils when I started LCHF, prior to that even though I was eating whole foods I did not try to avoid seed oils. I would also eat deep-fried meats, like tonkatsu or kushiage.