Well, my second Rythm results are in.
And they weren’t exactly what I expected.
For the past month, I’ve been making small but very intentional changes to the way I eat. I haven’t gone on a diet. I haven’t eliminated entire food groups. I haven’t stopped eating out with my family or started cooking myself a completely separate dinner every night.
That was never the point of this journey.
I wanted to find out whether small changes I could realistically maintain would actually make a difference in my health.
So, I made them.
What I’ve Actually Changed
I’ve started paying much more attention to what I’m putting together on my plate.
I’ve been eating more protein-forward meals. I’ve added more fruit, vegetables, beans, salads and tomatoes. I’ve been choosing foods with fiber more intentionally and taking psyllium fiber consistently.
When we eat out, I try to look for a meal that gives me protein and vegetables without feeling like I have to order the saddest thing on the menu.
At home, I’m still eating dinner with my family.
Sometimes that’s pork chops and potatoes. Sometimes it’s a burger. Sometimes it’s pizza.
Instead of trying to make every meal “perfect,” I’m making little adjustments. Maybe I add green beans. Maybe I choose a plain sweet potato. Maybe I watch how much cheese or sauce I’m adding. Maybe breakfast and lunch are especially nutrient-dense because I know we’re having a more traditional family dinner that night.
And yes, sometimes I still eat onion rings.
Because I’m trying to build a healthier life, not survive a temporary diet.
So after about a month of doing this, I was genuinely excited to take my second Rythm test.
I thought, Okay, let’s see what all these little changes did.
Then my results came back.
My LDL Went UP?!
Yep.
Here are the numbers that caught my attention:
Marker
July 2026
August 2026
LDL-C
165 mg/dL
191 mg/dL
ApoB
130 mg/dL
130 mg/dL
Triglycerides
50.7 mg/dL
64.1 mg/dL
I won’t lie.
Seeing 191 next to LDL after spending a month intentionally trying to lower it was frustrating.
My first reaction could have easily been:
Well, apparently none of this worked.
But that’s exactly why I decided from the beginning that I wasn’t going to base this journey on one test.
Then I Looked at the Rest of the Story
Something interesting happened.
My LDL-C increased from 165 to 191.
But my ApoB didn’t increase at all.
It stayed at 130.
My triglycerides also remained low, and my inflammation marker, CRP, remained low.
That doesn’t make my LDL or ApoB something I can ignore. An ApoB of 130 is still elevated, and an LDL-C of 191 is absolutely something I’m going to continue watching and discussing with my healthcare provider.
But it does mean there is more to understand here than:
Healthy food = LDL goes down.
Apparently my body didn’t get that memo. 😂
LDL-C tells us how much cholesterol is being carried in LDL particles, while ApoB gives us information about the number of potentially artery-clogging particles circulating in the blood.
Those two numbers often move together.
Mine didn’t.
And THAT is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to discover by doing this testing.
So…What Does That Mean?
I don’t know yet.
And I’m actually okay saying that.
Maybe one month simply isn’t enough time.
Maybe I’m particularly sensitive to saturated fat.
Maybe there’s more saturated fat sneaking into my diet through cheese, restaurant meals, meats, dressings and other foods than I realized.
Maybe genetics are playing a role.
Or maybe it’s a combination of several things.
That’s why this journey isn’t over.
It’s getting more interesting.
Welcome to Phase Two
My first month was basically asking:
Can I improve my health by making small, realistic changes without completely changing my life?
Now I have a new question:
Why are my LDL and ApoB being so stubborn?
So I’m going to keep doing what has been working for me—but I’m going to get a little more curious.
I’m going to continue prioritizing protein, vegetables, fruit, beans and fiber.
I’m going to keep taking my psyllium.
I’m going to pay closer attention to saturated fat—not because cheese has suddenly become the enemy, but because I want to understand how much I’m actually consuming.
I’m especially curious about restaurant meals, dairy, cheese, sauces, dressings and some of the foods that can look perfectly reasonable on the surface but add quite a bit of saturated fat throughout the day.
And then?
I’m going to test again.
This Is Why I’m Sharing the Messy Part
It would have been much more satisfying to write:
“I changed my diet for a month and my LDL dropped!”
That would’ve made a great headline.
But that’s not what happened.
And if I’m going to document this journey, I’m documenting all of it.
Because I think this is where health gets complicated.
You can make better choices.
You can eat vegetables.
You can add fiber.
You can exercise.
You can stop treating every restaurant meal like it’s your last supper.
And your body can still hand you a number you weren’t expecting.
That doesn’t automatically mean the changes weren’t worthwhile.
It means you have more information.
I’m Not Starting Over
That’s probably my biggest takeaway from this round of testing.
I’m not throwing everything out because one number went in the wrong direction.
I’m not starting some extreme diet tomorrow.
And I’m definitely not giving up.
I’m going to keep making changes that I can actually imagine myself doing six months, a year or five years from now.
Then I’m going to keep collecting data and see where it takes me.
Because apparently Healthy Until Proven Complicated wasn’t just a cute blog name.
My cholesterol has decided to fully embrace the assignment.
Stay tuned for round three.
Because now I really want to know what happens next.