I asked my doctor to do some bloodwork to check everything out. I've had my band for almost 6 months, and I just wanted to make sure everything was ok. I've had quite a bit of hair loss (yes, I'm getting enough protein), and I wanted to make sure my body is getting what it needs. I just received the test results in the mail, so I haven't spoken to my doctor yet. But, I was a little concerned about a couple of the results and wanted to see if anyone had any insight.

My triglycerides were really high. The goal is for them to be under 150, and mine were 246. When I looked it up online, it said it's caused from a high fat diet. I haven't eaten a high fat diet for years, and especially not in the last 6 months. My HDL and LDL was also in the normal range (maybe slightly high, but not much). It said it could also be caused from hypothyroidism, but my thyroid levels tested in the normal range.

The results also said my folic acid was borderline.

Any insights on triglycerides or folic acid are greatly appreciated!

AuntLucy- if I remember my college A&P correctly the LDLs are the bad lipids and HDLs are the good ones (they actually help keep your chol and triglycerides levels decent). LDLs come from diet- trans fats are horrible for this and they are in EVERYTHING almost (even low fat things). HDLs are produced by exercise. THe more you move the more you produce. THere are individuals who are predisposed to have higher levels of triglycerides and cholesterol due to many factors. If the levels do not improve with diet and exercise, medications may be prescribed. Hope this helps. Just keep following up with your doc so this can be straightened out. good luck!!

also dont forget that fat stores many things, and as you are losing weight and burning off the fat the things that are stored in that fat are going to be dumping into your blood to get filtered out. This is why many people have serious hormone isssues while losing weight. the stored estrogen etc. is dumped into the blood and the body has to handle the excess.

This is most likely what is happening to you as long as your carefull about your fat intake that is probably whats happening. I am no doctor but I bet once you hit goal and stay there a while you numbers will be way better.

triglycerides are high.. and yes they are caused by eating fatty foods.. but high triglycerides are sometimes high or elevated because of family history/genetics.. And a little suprise... being overweight and obesity also cause high triglycerides(read below)

As far as the folic acid just take a prenatal Vitamin daily and it should be fine... I know its weird that i say that but it contains 100% of all Vitamins you need on a daily basis plus extra.. So it would benifit you...

here is a little info about folic acid and triglycerides:

Folic Acid

Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, Vitamin B9

Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.

Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried Beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary supplements

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of fat in the bloodstream and fat tissue. Too much of this type of fat can contribute to the hardening and narrowing of your arteries. This puts you at risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Diseases such as diabetes, obesity, kidney failure or alcoholism can cause high triglycerides. Often, high triglycerides occur along with high levels of cholesterol, another type of fat.

Triglycerides are measured along with cholesterol as part of a blood test. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high. If your triglyceride level is high, you can lower it by

• Getting medical treatment for the problem causing the high triglycerides
  
• Following a healthy diet low in sugars and carbohydrates
  
• Exercising regularly
  
• Taking cholesterol-lowering medicines
  

Thanks everyone. I'll follow up with my doctor. He wants me to re-test in 1 month.

Telicia has hit on something. I too had blood work done and my cholesterol was strange ( some good some bad I don't remember it all right now) It was way different then before losing almost 10o lbs. I was shocked seeing as my lifestyle has changed so much.There was another post on here with people talking about similar issues. See what happens when you re-test. Talk about the "storage" issue with your doctor.

** Jeni you look great btw

Another thing to think about: Thyroid is also something that has to be "caught" the right way. if you are sick, it can appear low when it's not; if you have had a lot of caffine (or caffine-like substances), it can appear normal when it is actually low.

When the content of dietary carbohydrate is elevated above thelevel typically consumed (>55% of energy), blood concentrationsof triglycerides rise. This phenomenon, known as carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia,is paradoxical because the increase in dietary carbohydrateusually comes at the expense of dietary fat. Thus, when thecontent of the carbohydrate in the diet is increased, fat inthe diet is reduced, but the content of fat (triglycerides)in the blood rises. The present article will review studiesof carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia, highlighting data obtainedin fasted subjects habituated to high carbohydrate diets, data obtainedfrom subjects in the fed state, and metabolic studies investigatingfatty acid and triglyceride synthesis in subjects consumingdiets of different carbohydrate content. The available data havebeen recently expanded by new methodologies, such as the useof stable isotopes, to investigate the metabolism of sugarsin humans in vivo. Given the significant increase in body weightobserved in the American population over the past decade andthe changing availability of carbohydrate in the food supply,future studies of carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemiapromise to provide important information of how the macronutrientcomposition of the diet can influence health.

Fat is stored energy. Energy is stored as . . . triglycerides.

You're burning off that fat and so the triglycerides are rising Ppl that lose a lot of weight can have a temporary rise in their triglycerides. It can take a few months for your levels to return to normal and they can stay elevated until your weight stabilizes....get retested and then see what your doc wants you to do..

do you have a family history and how have your levels been in the past??? Good luck!!

Edited August 31, 200817 yr by kaninag

Telicia has hit on something. I too had blood work done and my cholesterol was strange ( some good some bad I don't remember it all right now) It was way different then before losing almost 10o lbs. I was shocked seeing as my lifestyle has changed so much.There was another post on here with people talking about similar issues. See what happens when you re-test. Talk about the "storage" issue with your doctor.

** Jeni you look great btw

Thank You!!!:smile: